The Art of Short Form Content

ISBN 9781138910515; Paperback
190 Pages

The Art of Short Form Content
From Concept to Color Correction
By Bryan Cook

Book Description

The Art of Short Form Content: From Concept to Color Correction is an in-depth examination of the craft of creating short form filmic content – a category which includes television commercials, music videos, television promos, movie trailers, digital billboards, corporate videos, and pretty much anything else with a running time under five minutes. Though short form is an important part of the film industry, it is typically overlooked in books on the art of filmmaking. The Art of Short Form Content fills this industry void by answering the type of questions that working short form content creators deal with every day. As Cook explains, though short form content is limited in duration, it is not limited in quality and message. In this step-by-step, full-color guide you will find:

• Interviews with leading short form content creators
• Details on how to create everything from a corporate piece to a Super Bowl spot
• Strategies for how to quickly attract viewer attention to your content
• Extensive information on how to best utilize the craft of film-making in an advertising context
• A comprehensive companion website that can be found at www.focalpress.com/cw/cook

Table of Contents

 Introduction:

    The essence of short form content.

Chapter One - Signal Through Noise: The Concept

    How is short form filmic content distinct from long form filmic content?

    Short form content’s connection to advertising.

    The importance of evoking emotions in short form.

    How to shape perception and motivate action with short form content.

Interview with Frank Hahn, Group Creative Director at 72andSunny.

Chapter Two - Tom Cruise and a Bazooka: The Image

    Images and narrative information ("The Five Ws").

    The importance of motion for short form.

    Using imagery to attract attention.

    Using imagery to evoke an emotional response.

Interview with Gentleman Scholar, AICE award winning directing duo.

Chapter Three - Into the Windowless Rooms: On Editing

    The importance of structure in short form editorial.

    The beginning, middle and end and how each section works in short form.

    The importance of explicitly separating new ideas and concepts in short form editorial.

    What makes an individual edit work?

Interview with Josh Bodnar, Emmy Award Winning Editor from Whitehouse Post.

Chapter Four - Because Tramps Like Us, Baby We Were Born to Run: On Music

    Music and the emotional state of the characters on screen.

    Selecting music that doesn’t distract from the narrative.

    Using music to generate structure and signal transitions.

Interviewees include Zach Hemsey, Composer for Trailers and Feature Films; Gabe McDonough, Executive Producer at MAS - Music and Strategy.

Chapter Five - Rise Into Hit: Sound Design

    Diegetic sound effects and the creation of reality in short form.

    Non-diegetic sound effects and establishing mood.

    Using sound effects to motivate transitions.

Interview with Bryan Jerden, sound designer for Trailers and Feature Films.

Chapter Six - Sculpting the Image: Effects and Finishing

    Using visual effects to hide an edit point or transmit factual information.

    How effects can be used to offer the viewer insights into the psychological state of the characters on screen.

    Using effects to create a stylistic vocabulary.

Interview with Neil Gust, AICE winning editor and sound designer.

Chapter Seven - The Mysterious Art: Color Correction

    The basics of color correction and balancing an image.

    Using color correction to quickly guide the viewer’s eye around the frame.

    Using color correction to evoke an emotional response in the viewer.

Interview with Jean-Clément Soret, Global Creative Director of Color Grading at MPC.

Conclusion

    Summary.

Biography

Bryan Cook is currently the Executive Content Producer and Director of Multimedia at Team One Advertising in Los Angeles. Over the course of Bryan's fifteen year career as an Editor and Post Producer, he has partnered with many of the best ad agencies, networks and production shops in the world, and projects he has worked on have been honored by Ad Age, Adweek, Cannes, The Effie Awards, The Facebook Awards, FWA, The Golden Trailer Awards, and the Tribeca Film Festival.