Week 1: Project Ideation
1/6/24 - 1/12/24
Prompt & Research
Kicking off this exciting new project in collaboration with Harbor Picture Company, our first classes began with warm introductions to the mentors as well as our new team members. In addition, we were introduced to the prompt in which our next ten weeks will be dedicated to: Using either all CG or CG-integration with live action, we will be developing and crafting a short advertisement on a luxury product.
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With our assigned team members which are shown above, our first goal was to find and research a luxury product we felt most inspired to create a commercial for. After hours of discussion and brainstorming, we ultimately landed on something we all felt an interest towards- the iconic Chanel No.5 perfume! Through our research, we developed an understanding about how Chanel No.5 encompasses the values of independence, femininity, power, and most importantly, luxury.
When it comes to making a commercial or advertisement, it is very important to become familiar with not only the product itself but the history and values that serve as a foundation for the product's image. When looking into the history of Chanel No.5, I was fascinated by not only the perfume's development but the grasp it holds throughout generations of culture and femininity.
Released in 1921, Chanel No.5 was developed by, of course, Coco Chanel, in collaboration with alchemist Ernest Beaux. Using internationally sourced, exotic, fragrant ingredients like sandalwood, tuberose, camellia and jasmine- as well as countless other flavors- the perfume defined itself as the first to deviate from single-floral based fragrances. And, popularized by timeless icons like Marilyn Monroe, Brad Pitt and Catherine Deneuve, the fragrance will stand the test of time as a defining, inspiring, and priceless staple for femininity and female empowerment as a whole.
Planning and Pre-Visualization
Now with a confident selection of a product and a general understanding of its historical context, our team began developing the commercial's visuals. Starting with existing perfume commercials as well as product photography, I began to cultivate some images our team can use as reference for mood or aesthetic. Which, as the main CG lighter for this project, this will be very important later on in the development of our visuals. Some of the key aspects from the perfume itself that we drew inspiration from are the minimal packaging, gold tinted liquid, and color scheme. Here are some of the images we will be using throughout the quarter:
Lastly, one of our goals for the week to prepare for our commercial pitch was to create a storyboard and rough previsualization for the whole ad. While it is destined to change further into quarter, our first storyboard is a great starting point to develop our goals and ideas as a team. Beautifully drawn by our team member Shannon, here is the storyboard so far:
Emphasizing the sandalwood and camellia scents that richly flavor Chanel No.5, our goal is to use these ingredients explicitly to build the fictional scene in which our ad takes place. In addition to the storyboard, I developed some rough previsuals for shots 1, 7 and 8 which are shown below. As most previsualization is, these shots are very rough and destined to change-- in not only the compositional layout, but the speed and timing. However, based on the feedback we will receive from the mentors and further team brainstorming, we will adjust accordingly.
Shot 1 Option 1
Shot 1 Option 2
Shot 7
Shot 8