At SHOOT, we’re fans of great advertising. It’s our beat, our business and our passion. That’s why the political campaign season is one which makes me cringe in that–like it or not–there’s a prevalent, sadly somewhat justified school of thought that negative advertising can help win elections. And while politicians frequently declare that they’re taking the high road, when push comes to shove they often wind up on the lower, more expedient trail.
We’ve already gotten off to an uninspiring start this presidential election with the initial ads out of Sen. John McCain’s camp (8/1 SHOOT e.dition), one in particular–“Celeb”–which attacks Sen. Barack Obama’s economic and energy policies while referring to the Democratic nominee as a rock star, paralleling his popularity to lightweight personalities Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.
“Just because you’re a celebrity doesn’t mean you’re ready to lead,” McCain campaign manager Rick Davis told reporters in a conference call about the ad.
At press time, it remained to be seen whether Obama’s advertising will respond in kind, meaning an execution that is equally mind numbing and sophomoric at best.
Indeed the qualitative bar–even for negative advertising–has been lowered over the years, actually the decades. Consider the infamous “daisy” television commercial which ran only once in 1964 and in many circles was credited–or more accurately, blamed–for ushering in what has proven to be a lasting era of negative political advertising.
Tony Schwartz, who had a hand in creating that “daisy” spot in collaboration with a team from Doyle Dane Bernbach, passed away a couple of months ago at the age of 84. His death jogged my memory of the commercial which was part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s reelection campaign.
The ad featured a little girl counting aloud as she pulled petals from a daisy. The scene then switched to a countdown to an atomic blast. A voiceover by President Johnson paraphrased a noted W.H. Auden poem by relating, “We must either love each other, or we must die.”
The ad featured a little girl counting aloud as she pulled petals from a daisy. The scene then switched to a countdown to an atomic blast. A voiceover by President Johnson paraphrased a noted W.H. Auden poem by relating, “We must either love each other, or we must die.”
The “daisy” spot–clearly unfair to Sen. Goldwater and promoting fear over his candidacy–was pulled after public criticism. Still the ad was a classic and currently resides in the Museum of Television & Radio archives.
So while we’ve had our fill of negative campaigning over the decades, the mudslinging, character assassination and fear mongering figure to continue. Advertising’s role in political campaigns for the most part represents a figurative black eye for our industry. And while such negativity is bad for society in that it comes at the expense of–and frequently as a substitute for–intelligent dialogue, I’d settle for something less than ideal as a sign of progress in today’s seemingly dumbed down world. Admittedly this in and of itself reflects lowered standards but I can’t help but think that if we have to be subjected to negative advertising, can it at least be inventive, clever and creative?
“Se7en” Turns 30, Gets A Special Restoration From David Fincher For Its Re-Release
For David Fincher, seeing “Se7en” in 4K was an experience he can only describe as harrowing. That or a high school reunion.
“There are definitely moments that you go, ‘What was I thinking?’ Or ‘Why did I let this person have that hairdo’?” Fincher said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
He’s OK with the film being a product of its time in most respects. But some things just could not stand in high-definition resolution.
“It was a little decrepit, to be honest,” said Fincher. “We needed to resuscitate it. There are things you can see in 4K HDR that you cannot see on a film print.”
Ever the perfectionist, he and a team got to work on a new restoration of the film for its 30th anniversary re-release. This weekend the restored “Se7en” will play on IMAX screens for the first time in the U.S. and Canada, and on Jan. 7, the 4K UHD home video version will be available as well.
The dark crime thriller written by Andrew Kevin Walker and starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman as a pair of detectives looking for a serial killer was somewhat of a career-reviver for Fincher, whose directorial debut “Alien 3” had not gone well. “Se7en” was not a sure thing: It was made for only $34 million (and only got that when Fincher managed to persuade studio execs to give up $3 million more). But it went on to earn more than $327 million, not accounting for inflation, and continues to influence the genre.
Fincher has over the years overseen several restorations of the film (including one for laser disc) but decided this needed to be the last. It’s why he insisted on an 8K scan that they could derive the 4K from. He wanted to ensure that it wouldn’t have to be repeated when screens get more... Read More