Guinness
Synopsis
The Concept
Time stops for the final pour of a pint of Guinness in anticipation of the greatest moment in English football!
The Brief
- Primary Objective -
To strengthen the affinity of existing customers to the brand, and in so doing increase their
average consumption.
- Sub-Objectives -
1. To establish Guinness as a young person’s drink, while at the same time not excluding the older drinker.
2. To associate Guinness with high energy occasions i.e. Guinness is not only a conversational drink; it can be consumed in moments of joy, excitement and exhilaration.
3. To enable English consumers to identify with the product; it is not only an Irish drink but also one that has been with England for many years e.g. since 1966.
4. To establish the ‘two-part pour’ as a positive characteristic of Guinness.
Pre-production
The Look
I use specific colour palettes for each of my projects. The colours I use whether in the lighting, the props, the costumes or the set, specifically relate to the project at hand. In this case, as it was an ad for Guinness set in the 1960’s, I decided to create a vintage look based on the colours of the product – the deep dark brown of Guinness and the smooth creamy colour of the head.
Casting
I cast Kieran Mulhern as the lead in the commercial firstly because he fit the description of the market we were trying to target – young men aged between 25-35yrs old. Secondly I chose him because his appearance corresponded to the overall ‘look’ of the commercial, with his long dark hair and dark eyes.
Camera
In this test commercial I use tracking and focus pulling as a way of signalling to the audience visually that we are going back in time. This method is also used to signal the point at which time stops. Other than these particular instances I chose to use static well-composed shots that told the story clearly and efficiently. This, I feel, is essential when working in the commercial medium. My Director of Photography (www.stephen-murphy.com) and I decided to enhance ‘the look’ of the commercial further by placing chocolate gels on the lights. I felt that this soft chocolate-tinted lighting would make the commercial, and the product, even more appealing to the audience.
Location
As the commercial was set in London during the 1966 World Cup we needed to find a location in Ireland that could double for a traditional 1960’s English pub. We found the perfect location in the Bray Head Hotel. The pub retains many of its original features from the fifties and sixties. In addition, it was furnished throughout in a dark brown wood, which corresponded with the ‘look’ we were trying to achieve for this commercial.
Props
To maintain the authentic 1960’s look of this project we sourced original 1960’s pub paraphernalia, including 1960’s Guinness pint glasses and posters, from a props warehouse called AM-PM.
Costumes
The Mill provided us with 1960’s-style clothes which fitted our colour palette of dark brown and cream.
Shooting Format
I chose to shoot in Super 35mm film as I felt that this would not only result in the best possible picture quality, but it also felt that it was consistent with the 1960’s look we were trying to achieve. Shooting a period piece on video would not have been ideal.
Pre-production Storyboards
Production
Production Stills
Post-production
Processed by Technicolor.
The negative was flashed in-camera and went through a Bleach By-pass process. We did this in order to increase the contrast of the commercial, enriching the blacks and making the whites creamy, just like the product.
Telecine by Windmill Lane
Post-Production by Piranha Bar
Post-Production Supervisor: Marc Long
Editor: David Blake
The commercial was then given a final grade in FLAME.
Sound Mix by Beacon Studios-The Base
Mark Duff created the entire soundtrack of the commercial, incorporating original excerpts from the 1966 World Cup Final commentary.
Creators
Director: Aideen McCarthy
Producer: Dave Leahy (www.warrior-films.com)
Concept: Cathal McCarthy
Director of Photography: Stephen Murphy
The Cast
Guinness Drinker: Kieran Mulhern
Barman: James Masterson
Pub crowd: Movie Extras
The Crew
Camera Operator: Fionn Comerford
Focus Puller: Conor Crowley
Clapper Loader: Brian Dungan
Continuity: Jeanette McGrath
Key Grip: Paul Tsan
Grip: Scott Benwell
Grip: Howard Woods
Gaffer: James Maguire
Electrician/Genny Op: Graeme Haughton
Electrician: Simon Magee
Locations: Emer Clonan
Assistant Locations: Anna Harrison
Art Director/Props: Ignacio Barbe
Additional Art Direction: Tamara Conboy
Make-Up: Niamh O’Loan
Transport: Matt Ryan
Frame Grabs
Production
Cameras / Lighting / Grip Equipment provided by The Production Depot, with thanks to John Leahy
Stock by Fuji, with thanks to Stuart Hetherington
Costumes provided by The Mill
Props provided by
Comms provided by Mobile Radio Links
Special thanks to Expertair and The Bray Head Hotel.
- A Warrior Films Production -
