Screen Magazine: Vol. 28, Issue 12

Screen Magazine - Index

Screen Magazine - Screen Magazine: Vol. 28, Issue 12 - Index

��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
��
The words “creative editing” normally
bring to mind thoughts of quick cuts and
non-stop action – cutting and splicing the
best shots from the best angles to wow the
audience with cinematic mastery.
But how often does the audience take
note of the subtlety? Out of the dozens of
takes, why do certain scenes make the final
cut? Some would say the true art of editing is
in the details – even if those details last about
three seconds each.
In the work Detroit’s MARS Advertising
and Griot Editorial have done for ACE
Hardware, attention to detail takes on a
whole new meaning. The recent three-spot
campaign, “Portraits,” is made up of vignettes
that include homeowners and friendly ACE
employees. The homeowners stand in their
homes having just completed DIY home
improvement projects, and the ACE employees
are right there alongside of them.
According to Jim Talbot, creative editor
at Griot, that’s where the details come in.
“You see the homeowner, you see the ACE
employee, and then you see this moment of
acceptance that ‘you’re one of us, we’re doing
this together,’” says Talbot.
“There’s that transition between the
homeowner and employee,” he continues.
“You’re trying to figure out why they are there
together and then you see they have this little
interaction. These takes are pretty short.
There’s like three seconds of goodness in every
little moment.”
And it’s these little moments that are the
key to the success of the campaign. They don’t
actually say anything, but they tell the story of
why ACE should get your business.
“[That] was why we had the takes the
way we did,” says Galen Chandler, director
of broadcast production at MARS. “You’re
looking for that little reaction without being
vocal about it. You’re looking for that one little
thing that says, ‘Thanks so much for helping,’
and the other guy saying, ‘Aw shucks, there’s
nothing to it. This is why I’m here.’”
However, without the close collaboration
and trust in the vision of the campaign – not
to mention Chandler’s trust in Talbot and
Talbot’s trust in himself – they both know
how those details could have easily been
missed.
“We know the takes because we
were there on set,” says Chandler. “But
watching how Jim finalizes it and how the
interactions go, it’s those nuances…that
little moment between the two people
that really makes the spot and makes it
work.”
��