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Aspect Ratios in the Digital Era

08/02/2019
Production Company
Los Angeles, United States
277
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INFLUENCER: Superlounge director Jordan Brady on the rise and fall of formats and the creation of his 'two-headed dragon'

Aspect ratios have been an odd discussion point since the dawn of televised advertising. In the ancient days of 4:3, we would try to persuade clients to letterbox the spot for a more 'cinematic' feel. Never an easy sell, clients countered with "I'm paying for the whole TV screen, why waste that space?" We just recently stopped protecting for 4:3 because everyone realises grandpa with his Zenith is not buying a Google Home.

Recently, I spoofed a '70s late-night record commercial. (Specifically Zamfir, Master of the Panflute). We shot and delivered in 4:3 because that served the story. Storytellers mix in cellphone footage shot vertically to create a vibe. Anamorphic spots play like mini feature films.

Theoretically, story and tone drive all creative decisions, but now we must consider which platforms will be showing our work. At the moment, filmmakers now carry the burden of delivering content in 16:9 or 9:16 or both. I first witnessed dual delivery when director Jeannette Godoy shot both formats simultaneously for Nike. She framed wide enough, in 6K, to cut the appropriate frames from the same cloth.

Efficient, especially given the spots featured a single, pro athlete. I've borrowed her technique for multiple Toyota campaigns with Saatchi & Saatchi. Each spot involved mind-bending visual effects, so the VFX wizards at Arsenal Creative were happy with the extra 1s and 0s. Toyota also featured just one talent, so this simple and effective attack worked for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and television.

My first aspect ratio challenge came years ago with a traditional narrative spot for Tropicana Orange Juice out of the old VML. The client committed to the 9:16 format because Facebook was having a sale. They said if advertisers ran skyscraper ads, they'd force more people see it. Cool. Instead of moaning, I chose to allow the boundaries to fuel my creativity. This meant blocking the actors (a mom, dad and daughter) accordingly, albeit unnaturally, in a narrow kitchen and finding ways to fill the top of a tall frame. We turned the camera and monitor 90-degrees and made orange juice magic. A lot of filmmakers started doing this at the time.

An ambitious agency creative said, "Gee, wish we could also shoot this 16:9. What if we want to run this on YouTube?"

"Don't." I replied, respectfully.

Two years ago, Engage M1 handed me a basket full of fun scripts for Buick. The client had bought time on broadcast and every social channel in the free world. How can we shoot such a gorgeous automobile, capture actors doing dialogue, comedy and still properly serve all these masters?

After some light calisthenics and an artisanal protein bar, the answer hit me: we needed a two-headed dragon. I sketched two cameras, one shooting traditionally and one turned for skyscraper mode, but each capturing the same action, each independently framed for the best composition, and each with a unique lens. The Buick budget allowed for the extra gear and technicians needed to tame the two-headed dragon and editing, masterfully done at Hudson Editorial in Detroit, would reap the benefits of a streamlined production.

Engage M1 and Buick returned last year, asking me to bring my patent-pending beast with me. This round starred television sensation Lamorne Morris from 'New Girl' and we were tasked to deliver a cornucopia of content. Beyond just framing differently, we planned to mix elements in the edit by split screening the nasty vertical versions to include hero shots from the landscape footage. The limitations forced new creative opportunities and the talent's time was maximised.

In 2019, it feels like we've taken a step back from 9:16, for ads anyway. Vertical is great for influencers going live, directly off their phone. It says "Hey, it's me, I'm live and I'm getting personal with you." But for a well-conceived spot, I'm a sucker for a 1:85 ground glass.

Instagram's 1:1 format feels like a step backwards in the visual storytelling evolutionary tale, but in our world it's adapt or die. Oso Delicious Hot Sauce knows their audience lives on Facebook and Instagram and specific content is written for each outlet. So we shoot in 16:9 for Facebook and 10-second Insta videos are shot in 1:1. Different scripts for different people. The medium serves the message, but I'll miss the two-headed dragon.

Bottom line: a good ad trumps the aspect ratio. Geico is re-running classics, all in 4:3 and the humour holds up just fine. And if you’re working for a brand that wants to re-purpose creative all over the social landscape, remember this: 'She who pays the piper gets to pick the tune'.



Jordan Brady is director at Superlounge

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