Production company Conceptive, Inc. recently debuted their first national TV commercial, a spot for client Purple Communications. Purple is a leading provider of video relay service (VRS) and interpreting services for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. The spot was tailored to run during the special all-ASL episode of “Switched at Birth” on March 4, and was also performed entirely in ASL by series star Katie Leclerc. nnThe ad was produced under tight budget and deadline constraints. “Once we came onboard, we had about a week and a half to conceptualize a script and get the spot delivered,” explains Conceptive partner David Wendell. “So, we came up an idea that was elegantly simple yet still visually dynamic.” nnIn the spot, Leclerc is signing to the camera which pulls back to reveal that she is actually on a television screen, communicating with a friend using Purple’s latest VRS (Video Relay Service) device. The effect was achieved by using a camera slider on set to film Leclerc, then matching the camera move on a second shooting day with the television. Partner Dominique Brown served as cinematographer while Partner John Knowles handled post-production duties. “We only had three days to edit the spot, including extensive tracking work, color correction and careful subtitling,” says Knowles. “It was a tight deadline, particularly for this type of project, but we pulled it off because of our careful pre-production planning and our client’s responsiveness to evolving elements.”nnThough the partners have each worked on many commercials separately, this is the first national television spot produced by Conceptive since the company was formed in late 2010. nnThe spot was filmed on a Canon DSLR with Canon lenses. Post involved a combination of Final Cut Pro for making edit selects, and Adobe After Effects for compositing, subtitling and camera tracking. Color correction was performed in Apple Color, and included altering the color of the couch Leclerc was sitting on to match Purple’s corporate colors.nn
nThe spot can be viewed on Purple’s YouTube channel here.nnAbout Conceptive, Inc.nConceptive is a branded entertainment firm that focuses on producing non-traditional advertising, web series, and television content. The partners are entertainment industry veterans who specialize in creating broadcast-quality programming that allows clients to deliver their brand message in more explosive and exciting ways.nnAbout Purple CommunicationsnPurple Communications provides a portfolio of solutions that spans across video relay service (VRS), telephone captioning services, text relay services, on-site interpreting services and video relay interpreting (VRI). Purple delivers a wide array of options to meet the varied communication needs of businesses and customers, collectively making communicating with both the deaf world and the hearing world accessible to all. For more information, visit www.purple.us.nnAbout Katie LeclercnLeclerc can currently be seen in the role of Daphne Vasquez on ABC Family’s “Switched at Birth,” which premiered in summer 2011 and will be moving into its third season in 2013. nnAbout “Switched at Birth“n”
John Knowles Conceptive 818-571-4533 Contact John via email
Who Needs Los Angeles? We Do.
One doesn't have to be a statistician to know that there are fewer commercials being shot in the U.S. today for the American market than ever before, and a dramatic decrease in L.A. in particular. In the last five years, as reported by FilmLA (the office tasked with issuing permits), L.A. commercial production has dipped 31 percent. But here’s the thing: This doesn’t mean that L.A. has lost its importance as the production center of the world. Production in L.A. is vital. It is the go-to. It’s where you can count on access to exemplary crews, a support infrastructure second to none, varied location and backlot options, a large population of on-screen talent and (fairly) predictable weather. The fact is, with overall decline and now the devastation of the fires, we’re on the brink of losing this mainstay resource. Without employment opportunities and now many without homes, talented and trained crew are bound to leave either the industry or the LA area for other opportunities, unless there are enough job opportunities to sustain a solid living. Now is the time when we ALL must support and bolster this community. Production is needed in L.A., now! Of course, advertising is a business, and marketers’ money should be spent as efficiently as possible, BUT we have to think beyond each production and know that if we lose the incredible resource of L.A. production as we know it, then marketers, agencies and the industry loses in the long run. Over the past several days, some agencies have issued directives to production companies that are unilaterally pushing upcoming production options out of L.A. The fact is L.A. is a large area, and many sections of the city and county are not directly impacted... Read More