Research: Case study 01: Solo

Solo by Michael James (official) source:
youtube.com - 

This promotes a product which is a set of guideleines on how to perform some tricks the package features.

Opens with a sophisticated animated logo not sure if Radek has one like this.

The video features a variety of close-ups. Opens with a sequence on a luxurious watch, then centers on a tie. The next scene features a corporate skyscraper. These symbols are associated with a certain social status. The company is imposing a social image of luxury by this much like commercials always include a message 'by purchasing this product you would buy into a social standar'. However unlikely this is, works most of the time.

To follow the technical point of view, it operates heavily on bokeh sequences (very low aperture, again the prime lens is the key). (0:45) - a good example of interrupted/cut into sequence. This is contrary to slow-motion footage and gives a chance of speeding up the process a bit. This should be mostly used on the 'filler' footage rather than tricks.

When the text bits appear (e.g 0:48) they are cast over a semi-transparent solid so while being able to see what is going behind, the viewer can still read the information. This sort of 'two in one' again allows to sequeeze more information in a shorter period of time.

STRUCTURE(!):

Typically for a movie trailer the footage consists of two parts and are subsequently divided by the background music.

Part one (approx until 0:54) has a pretty sublime soundtrack on a slow-pace. This is the build-up:

This part introduces the main (and only) character as well as some key information on what product it advertises.

Part one (0:55 onwards) 'wakes you up' : from this moment the sequences are way more rapid, the music changes into more dramatic/epic (in a movie trailer this part would feature an epic fight or gunshot sequence or something). These sequences are brief and include some rapid zoom-ins. There is an easy way to achieve this. While working with digital SLRs one can shoot the full HD (1080) footage. Then, while working in 720 projects in Adobe's Premiere Pro/ Final Cut, simpy work on scaled files (720p is 67% of 1080) only to switch back to 100% for a brief moment.

At 1:07 it slows down briefly -slow-motion footage-

Further visual methods include:

the usage of a lens flare (1:11)

lighting effects (1:24)

film burns/light leaks (0:36, 0:46, 0:55, 0:59)