P2 (a) Treatment or concept planning visual effects

VFX in my Production

Style: Advert Parody 'ACTION TANKS'

Concept: This production will take on the format of a kids TV advert for a model tank product range. The advertisement targets a male audience from ages 9 upwards. The ad covers the main features of the product using over the top visual effects combined with an upbeat voiceover, which are commonly seen in kids commercials e.g 2D graphics displaying the product and people using the product.

Gradually the actors become increasingly frustrated with one another as they destroy each others tanks causing the mood of the video to become increasingly serious, expressed through the colour grading, tone and script of the voiceover. This leads to the tanks becoming 'animated' and battling one another, moving by themselves and eventually becoming bigger and bigger as the actors become increasingly enraged with one another. Between these shots more facts are produced about the tanks which are initially very basic, however as the the advert progresses the facts become increasingly more historic, detailed and gruesome.

This process continues to become more and more ridiculous and darker each time the shot cuts back to the actors. This process continues until they are using full sized tanks and fighting on a full scale battlefield. During this time the voiceover becomes more dark and serious as opposed to the upbeat tone it takes on during the beginning of the ad, thus this production is parodying these types of adverts.

This concept is heavily inspired by the Youtube account 'RocketJumps' parody of 'Every 90s commercial ever' as seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7Hoz2ZHYZM

and also their video 'Tiny Tank Takeover' seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dzy6gYBalo

The idea behind this concept was to highlight the influences that media can have on young audiences, especially with regards to advertisement.

Target Audience: This ad targets an age group from around 9 to 18, this age range grew up with this style of advertising on TV so would have more insight into the concept behind the parody. A male audience might connect better with the content of the ad due to its theme, genre and the content itself.

Genre: The genre/format of this video is advertisement and the sub-genre is parody as I'm attempting to mock this style of advertisement.

Medium: Film, 25 Fps, 1920x1080p resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio.

Running time: 2-3 minutes

Characters: Voice over, Boy 1, Boy 2

3D Compositing

What: I will be using 3D compositing to add 3D tanks into the scene, that I will then animate.

How: There are many stages to completing this effect. Ensuring each stage is done perfectly is vital for making it look correct. 

-Filming the scene, noting down camera settings and time of day/lighting conditions (so they can be replicated in 3Dsmax)

-Tracking the camera movement and then importing this data into the scene. Also known as match moving, that allows the insertion of computer graphics into live-action footage with correct position, scale, orientation, and motion relative to the photographed objects in the shot, this is so the object does not look out of place.

- Modelling the tanks, to do this I will use a range of reference images to develop the shape of the tanks and also texture it, so they match the real models.

-Compositing, once the tanks have been made and matched with the camera angle of the scene they can be rendered and then composited over the background. Ensuring that the scenes lighting matches with the lighting of the shot is vital for getting a realistic result e.g cannot be too light or dark and shadows must be in the correct position.

-Camera Shake and Final Touches, this final stage is the part that bring the shot together, if a shot is completely still it can sometimes be good to add some artificial camera shake to create a more dramatic shot. In After effects you can also use colour correction effects to match the colour and lighting of the object to the scene to perfect it.

Why: I'm using this effect because it allows me to achieve what I have planned e.g Tanks moving by themselves, this adds to the story and would not be achievable by other means. This gives me more creative flexibility in terms of how I tell the story of this production.

Greenscreen: 

What: I will be using green screen to replace the back ground of some shots to make it look as if actors are in the middle of a battleground while playing the game. I will also use it to add actors onto tanks as if they are commanders.

How: 

- In order to remove the background of the actor I will shoot them in front of a green screen. It is important that lighting is suitable and matches with the footage I'm going to use behind the actor, this also requires me to ensure that my camera settings are suitable for the task.

- Using After effects built in plugin 'keylight' I will key out the green background, this process replaces the green with an alpha layer which is completely transparent (invisible).

- This will allow me to place video footage behind the actor and successfully replace the background.

Why: Green allows me to achieve shots that are simply not possible without this method. I can place actors anywhere I want in the shot, adjust their size, shape, speed. It also means I can place actors in locations that are not easy to shoot at with large crews and multiple actors.



2D Compositing:

What: I will be using 2D compositing to create explosions, tank muzzle flashes and moving graphics that will advertise the product.

How: Although each effect I have suggested is different the principles on how you build them are very similar. The process of creating these graphics means I will need to import 2D footage and layer them to create a better effect. In the case of the muzzle flash this would mean importing stock footage of explosions and combining them to make the final result better e.g Adding smoke.

In the case of creating the moving graphics I will have to create shapes in AE and animate them, I also plan to use image of the product.

Why: Content that has been made using 2D compositing is often much better than content that is on its own, as the effects are more developed thus realistic.

Colour Grading:

What: Colour grading is using colour to convey a feeling/message to the audience and making the footage look correct in relation to the theme.

How: After Effects includes its own colour grading effects such as Hue/Saturation, Brightness Contrast, Tint and many others. Creating an adjustment layer and applying these effects means they can be applied to all shots in the film. If some shots are darker or lighter etc effects can be applied individually to help match other shots. In my production I will begin using an upbeat 'happy' colour grade to suit the style of the advert however as the story progresses and becomes more dark I will adjust my grade to suit this.

Why: Colour Grading will help me to convey the tone and message of each section of the film and ensure continuity between shots and create a more realistic look.