Storyboard Blog

    Hello there! Today we started and completed our storyboard. After much deliberation and (civil) argumentation over the proposal of our ideas, we decided that our commercial will follow the format found below:

Scene 1: 

In Scene 1, the camera will pan downwards from the sun, located at the highest point in the sky, creating an establishing shot, and being used to show just how unbearably hot it is outside during the afternoon. This camera movement will take roughly three seconds to execute. During this time, a diegetic sound of cicadas chirping will be playing, which will allow us to not only set the scene, but also the time of year before the actual dialogue even begins, being that cicadas only come out during the early summer months. That, in turn, will allow for time, which would have been used to create an exposition, to be saved, whilst also immersing the audience into the commercial itself and catching their attention from the very beginning. 

Scene 2:

In Scene 2, panning will cease and the camera will settle on our two actresses who are seated on the track field bleacher at eye level using a medium shot framing, where only their waist and up is visible. As mentioned in my previous post, "Research Blog: Commercial Conventions," this camera movement and angling will be in line with the customary techniques used when focusing on two seated actors in soft drink commercials. Moreover, the frame will be quite small with its length being half the actresses' arm lengths when they extend them to the side. At this point in time, our actresses will have a conversation, which is once again an example of diegetic sound, and the sound of cicadas chirping will gradually fade out until it can no longer be heard. That is to allow for the main focus of the scene to be the conversation going on between our two actresses. The dialogue in which they engage will be roughly as follows: 

Actress 1: "Hmm...what do you want to do this summer?"

Actress 2: "What about going to that one state with the big, red rocks?"

Actress 1: "Oh, I know that place!"

This entire exchange will be executed in five seconds and conclude with actress one sticking their hand out of the frame.

Scene 3:

In Scene 3, Actress 1’s hand and part of her arm will be shown when a cutaway occurs to an Arizona Iced Tea can with an Arizona landscape backdrop. This effect will be achieved through the use of cardboard backings to support printed cutouts of Arizona landforms along with the red dirt of the baseball field, which will be used as the ground. It will essentially be a play on stereotypes. In the shot, we will focus on the Arizona Iced Tea can undergoing condensation to show just how cold and refreshing it is. That will take two seconds. Afterward, two more seconds will elapse in the time that it takes for Actress 1 to grab and move the can out of the frame. The frame itself will remain at eye level and be a medium shot with the same dimensions. This whole scene will take four seconds to execute. 

Scene 4:

In Scene 4, Actress 1’s hand returns to the frame and they begin to drink from the can, during which a close-up shot occurs. The camera then quickly pans over to Actress 2 who looks confused but eventually shrugs it off. This scene will take five seconds to execute. 

Scene 5:

In Scene 5, the conversation will pick up between the two actresses once again as Actress 2 will ask something along the lines of “Okay, but how do we keep cool and refreshed(?),” to which Actress 1 will respond with something similar to: “Oh, I got you(!),” as they reach their hand out of the frame once more. This will take a total of 4 seconds to execute. 

Scene 6:

In Scene 6, Actress 1’s hand will reappear into the frame holding a different flavor of Arizona Iced Tea, likely watermelon to tie into the summer theme once again. The can will be clearly shown within the frame with its logo angling towards the camera. Then, Actress 1 will hand the second can over to Actress 2. They will both clink their cans together in a cheers motion and take a sip. By the end of this scene, a total of 3 seconds will have elapsed.

Scene 7:

In Scene 7, the camera will move in a zoom-out motion, blurring out the rest of the background. It will then zoom in to focus on an Arizona Iced Tea can nearby in the bleachers, tilting to adopt a low angle. Once the scene concludes, a total of 4 seconds will have gone by. 

Scene 8:

In Scene 8, we see both actresses sitting near the can, swinging their legs, and drinking their Arizona Iced Teas, in the blurred background. This, whilst the original Arizona Iced Tea can is shown undergoing condensation and being in focus at the center of the frame, with the aforementioned low angle being used to make the can seem grand. In the same frame, the Arizona Iced Tea logo will be at the very top, and directly below it, one will see the words "The answer to all your problems," which relates to the commercial because "Arizona" was able to answer a question regarding a general location, as well as a way to quench your thirst. Moreover, to the left of the can in bold, turquoise lettering of the number 99 followed by the cent symbol will be shown. That is to show the reader how inexpensive the product is, enticing them to buy such an amazing item for a great price. This will take 2 seconds.

Commercial:

In total we estimate our commercial to take roughly thirty seconds, allowing it to fall within the required twenty-seven to thirty-second range. 

Storyboard:

An image of the actual storyboard is found below for your viewing pleasure:

Clarifications:

• In our storyboard pictured above, the clothing the actors are wearing does not reflect the color of their actual attire, but is rather being used for the sole purpose of differentiation as a placeholder of sorts. 
• For the actual commercial, we plan on having our actors wear red, yellow, or orange attire, colors proven to elicit a feeling of thirst and heat. The arrows found within some of our scenes' frames are meant to show the movement of either the camera, as indicated by the color blue, or actors, as shown by the color pink, within the frame. 
• The lighting will be very bright to enunciate the fact that it is extremely hot outside. This can be done through the use of adding our cellphone flashlights as an additional light source to the sun outside. As for the color design, we have decided to superimpose warm filters over our commercial during editing to achieve this effect of heat. 
• Make-up and any jewelry worn will be kept simplistic, as to not distract the viewer from the main product we are "selling." 
• In Scene 2, box 3, and in Scene 4, box 6, one of the two subjects in the storyboard has white eyebrows. This was done with the intent of accentuating the expressions of intrigue and confusion on their face. 
• In Scene 4, box 6, a blue square is drawn around Actress 2's face to show that a close-up occurs. Two blue arrows also extend from the right of Actress 1's face to show that the camera pans from them to Actress 2. 
• As for the props, there will be a total of three Arizona Iced Tea cans used, two of which will be the original kind and the other of which will be watermelon-flavored. 
• Ambient noise, other than the aforementioned cicada sounds may also be included, but further discussion on what will be added is needed. The same goes for the music we will use; it will likely be a popular song to fall in line with soft drink commercial conventions, which is why I made no mention of it above.
• The times found in our storyboard are subject to change once editing comes into play; however, we plan to follow the guidelines we have established as closely as possible.

Closing Remarks:

I've been rewatching some of Jim Carrey's films recently and the following quote stuck with me as a great way to close off: "In case I don’t see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night! (The Truman Show 1998)".