Assignment 3b - Film and Video Technologies
Shot by shot analysis
Commercial link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFsKeDAJPak
This is a commercial that I believe first appeared during the 2008 Superbowl. It is a funny commercial, but, as expected, there are tiny elements of suggestion embedded into the humorous situation, which were put there with the hopes of people buying Bridgestone tires.
Shot one – A close-up shot of an acorn falling onto a highway, which is deep in a pristine wilderness area.
Shot two – A close-up shot of a happy squirrel, who has just seen the luscious acorn fall onto the road.
Shot three – A telephoto lens technique is used. The camera shows the acorn in the middle of the road with the squirrel on the other side of the road. The viewer feels the first sense of danger because the squirrel runs at the camera and finds himself in the middle of the road.
Shot four – Another telephoto lens technique is employed, with a vehicle heading right towards the viewer and the squirrel, who is presently devouring the acorn.
Shot five – This shot begins with a medium shot of the squirrel, but quickly zooms into an extreme close-up of the squirrels horrified face. The squirrel is personified, and the comedic effect is great because his facial expressions and blood-curdling scream are very human.
Shot six – A long shot of a raccoon continuing the squirrel’s shrill scream.
Shot seven – A close-up of an owl continuing the raccoon’s scream.
Shot eight – A medium shot of a rabbit continuing the owl’s scream.
Shot nine - A long shot of a mouse standing on his hind legs continuing the rabbit’s scream.
Shot ten – A medium shot of a turtle continuing the mouse’s scream.
Shot eleven – A close-up of a deer continuing the turtle’s scream.
Shot twelve – A long shot of a praying mantis continuing the deer’s scream.
Shot thirteen - A hilarious long shot of three gophers continuing the praying mantis’ scream.
Shot fourteen – The human element of the commercial is interduced. A close up shot of a woman’s terrified face is shown, continuing the screams of all of the woodland animals. The woman is sitting in the passenger seat, and it is assumed that she is the wife of the driver. It is clear that she believes that a crash is about to occur.
Shot fifteen – Another close-up of the supposedly doomed squirrel’s face.
Shot sixteen – A close-up, wide-angle lens shot, with the screaming wife’s face in the foreground, and the calm, confident, macho husband in the background. His expression suggests “Honey, why are you freaking out? We have Bridgestone tires!”
Shot seventeen – A close-up of the driver’s hand cranking the steering wheel.
Shot eighteen– Close-up shot of those amazing Bridgestone tires responding coolly to the road.
Shot nineteen – A low-angle shot which shows the squirrel in the foreground, with the speeding car in the background avoiding the squirrel by mere inches.
Shot twenty – Another close-up shot of the tires turning with precision.
Shot twenty-one – A long range/establishing shot of the sports car speeding down the road, suggesting freedom, power, youth and style.
Shot twenty-two – A medium shot of the happy squirrel, still clutching his acorn.
Shot twenty-three – A long range/establishing shot of the squirrel in the foreground with the car speeding away in the distance. The element of danger is finally resolved, and the peace of the wilderness is restored.
Shot twenty-four – A still shot of the Bridgestone logo, which claims it is the official tire of the NFL.
The message of the commercial clearly isn’t “buy Bridgestone because you can avoid squirrels.” The message is that by buying Bridgestone tires you can avoid accidents, and since it is supposedly the official tire of the NFL – the epitome of machismo – it puts off a manly vibe, and is clearly directed at men more than women.