HOME IS HERE
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Director's Treatment
written by Taylor Robinson
We are going to create a video that explores the deep connection that students, parents, and alumni have with Samford University. It’s not just that Samford is a fun place to go to school, that its special, or even a great institution that prepares you for the future. Samford is, of course, all of those things, but equally important is that this place becomes home, and home is something all together bigger, and better.
the Concept
We want to create a video that (in some ways appears) to be created by actual students, parents, and alumni. And we’re going to use the visual vehicle that our target audience knows best. Social Media.
I want to create a video that feels like it was made out of snippets and compilations of content that actual students, alumni, and parents have posted to their own social media accounts.
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Our team will work hard with the admissions office to gather as many testimonials, interviews, and footage that is shot by students, parents, and alumni. We’ll prepare everyone who wants to participate with all the information and instruction they need to do a good job with their actual shoot, and then we’ll make it as easy as possible to get us the digital files.
But this won’t just be a hodgepodge of people talking in selfie mode. We’ll pair all of the footage that users have summited with a very professional graphics package, a perfect song, and text on screen.
This concept is designed to be as relatable as possible to our target audience, while at the same time looking very professionally created.
EXamples
There are a few other organizations that have done something similar to this concept, and here are those examples:
Google did a campaign shot by users to show the capability of their wide angle lens on the Pixel.
You can see that it all appears to be shot by regular-Joes and Janes on their phones, but when you pair that footage with a professional song, a great edit, and strong graphics it has a very professional feel…
Facebook did a series of videos that promote their LIVE feature.
Note how they use animation and art work all throughout the videos AND a strong VO to tie all of the random footage and content together.
Here’s another spot from Google that shows how you can use very simple graphics to tie a very eclectic set of footage together very nicely.
Finally, here’s an ad that Chick-Fil-A did that appears to happen on Instagram.
Notice how they frame the video out with white and text to appear to be on a phone inside the Instagram app. This spot features real actors shot on a proper set, but the whole thing was created to appear like home-made selfie video.
Thanks for your time
We really love this idea and feel that it will not only get new students excited about their upcoming time at Samford but we also hope that it will fan the flames of current and former students' love for Samford and the home that it has become for them.
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Thanks again,
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Taylor Robinson
205.215.9288
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Audra Whaley
940.395.1330
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