Keep it real
Check out this video from the guys who did the Mentos-in-coke thing a while ago.
Pretty amazing huh? It's impressive not just for the visual imagery, but because you appreciate how much effort goes into making something like that happen for real and not just faked digitally.
We've got so used to jaw-dropping digital special effects this past decade-or-so that they just don't cut it for us anymore. Computers can show us anything we can imagine, but our eyes are still able to spot the tell-tale flaws (or lack of flaws) that separate a CGI effect from real life. That's why film-makers seem to be increasingly relying on producing genuine effect-free spectacles for us to wow at. You can see it in the films of Michel Gondry and Garth Jennings, and increasingly advertisers seem to be using the technique too.
Which is fine when done well, like the ads by Sony and Honda. I love those ads, but there are pretenders that really grate on me every time they appear on TV.
Two examples of adverts that have tried and failed to jump on the "reality" bandwagon.
In which case, I should probably stop watching adverts.
Pretty amazing huh? It's impressive not just for the visual imagery, but because you appreciate how much effort goes into making something like that happen for real and not just faked digitally.
We've got so used to jaw-dropping digital special effects this past decade-or-so that they just don't cut it for us anymore. Computers can show us anything we can imagine, but our eyes are still able to spot the tell-tale flaws (or lack of flaws) that separate a CGI effect from real life. That's why film-makers seem to be increasingly relying on producing genuine effect-free spectacles for us to wow at. You can see it in the films of Michel Gondry and Garth Jennings, and increasingly advertisers seem to be using the technique too.
Which is fine when done well, like the ads by Sony and Honda. I love those ads, but there are pretenders that really grate on me every time they appear on TV.
Two examples of adverts that have tried and failed to jump on the "reality" bandwagon.
- The Guinness ad that showed a village apparently setting up an elaborate domino-effect system that involved cars and burning haystacks, finally making a glass of Guinness out of hundreds of books. Fakey Mc. Fake Fake. Filmed in segments, didn't really happen. Hated it.
- The recent Cadbury campaign involving airport vehicles in some kind of race. Except that they obviously weren't real vehicles, and airport tugs can't jump in the air like that, and since when does an airport have a line of very tall floodlights alongside the runway? And don't get me started on them ruining the "Gorilla Drumming to Phil Collins" advert by blatantly re-editing it to make it look like he's drumming along to some fucking 80's power ballad. If I was that gorilla I'd sue for defamation of character. Er... but I digress.
In which case, I should probably stop watching adverts.
I didn't care for the gorilla either, but the new version looks awful, and the tune doesn't work at all.
Conversely I quite liked the airport race. I never thought it was "real" for a second, but it has such a sense of exuberance and glee, that I loved it at first sight.
Who'd though it posible to make slinkies out of post it notes?
I can't list adverts that annoy me or we would be here all day, But I think our tastes seem quite similar.
:o)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX1zU7QEr6w
I haven't seen any of the adverts you mentioned, but then my TV only seems to want to pick up the various BBC channels. I haven't felt the need to meddle with it!
I will have to say though, that although that Guinness ad was 'Fakey Mc. Fake Fake' that lovely black velvety creamy company can do no wrong in my eyes :-)
Hmmm, I think there's a trannie analogy in there somewhere.
Haven't really been following your blog recently (or any for that matter) so hope things are progressing on the house moving front.
Worst: The Lucozade advert where they tried to rip off the OK Go on treadmills video. The thing that made the OK Go video amazing was that it was in one take. Not only was the Lucozade version dull, it cut to different angles thus defeating the purpose.
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