Viral Video Analysis By Ryan Stapleton

Never say to panda!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X21mJh6j9i4

This is my number one on the list because the advert is amazingly humorous! The juxtaposition of quiet normality then when you least expect it something random happens, in this case a giant panda appears to just ruin your day. The sounds and sights are what make this video and with an amusing piece of music coming on you just know that something is about to happen.

In this first clip all we see is a confused looking worker, after rejecting some panda cheese. The focal point is the main man; the background is blurred to make sure you only focus on the main focal point.

In this scene the panda has appeared and is miffed at the man’s refusal of cheese, this scene has a bold perspective of the panda which is interesting because this doesn’t contain the rule of thirds at all.

An unusual over the head shot really emphasises the whole offices astounded faces. In this clip there is no blurring as so you can see every ones face and really understand the awe of the random situation.

At what we’ve looked at so far I’d say this video is definitely one to watch, it’s funny and really sells the panda cheese product, the backgrounds are well demonstrated and you only focus on what you’re meant to.

Skittles - Midas Touchhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0WBiME_fMThis video is another humorous viral, even if macabre at times it is a testament to the Skittles companies randomness. This video lacks music, which is ideal for such an advert, the talking really just conveys the man’s story and all in all the visual themes.

This scene shows the man about to touch the stapler, which will turn to skittles just as in the Midas touch story everything turned to gold. As we can see from this scene they have a very busy background and only slightly blurred this time, giving a more almost organic feeling, I say this because you can imagine people moving around a lot in this workspace, taking and moving products.

This wide shot includes the other two people from the video, having all three people in the shot is a great way to express the workplace. The background is now yet busier and there are lots of Skittles strewn all over his desk.

At this point the man enters a monologue, using a closeup shot to really capture the detail of his feelings on what has happened.

In conclusion another funny video that uses wide and close shots to capture details otherwise missed by total background blur or over callas camera shots.

Viral Chinese Time Travel Commercialhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH-8FFOdh5oThis video is another favourite of mine; the camera angles used in this comical video are more quick cuts to different places and times. The quiet tones of sounds and music in the back of this video give it subtle hints of an authentic rustic china and the modern day it is now.

This shot is a focused shot of the main character (right) and his girlfriend (left) it’s a clear concise shot only intended to hold your gaze upon the two characters.

This nice wide shot is intended to make the place look busy and being set around Christmas time you would fully expect it to be, this also shows just how quickly this video cuts from scene to scene, in just 2 seconds there have been 3 scene cuts.

This closeup is just to capture the characters expression and nothing else. The background is completely blurred out and so the only thing to focus on is the woman.

In conclusion (I really have to think of something else to write) this video is again humorous and has a multitude of shots and expressive sequences to display feelings and convey a busy neighbourhood.

Old Spice | The man your man could smell likehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUEThis viral really is the advertisement department’s best dream. The whole video is just one shot, of a man whose rapport just keeps you captivated throughout the whole video. The talking in this video is very pointed and concise masked by a rich voice that’s almost soothing.

This camera angle is the only angle through the whole video, this shot really is just a simple 2/3rd body shot.

Within a few seconds the whole scene changes but the camera stays the same, it does track the man across the stage but doesn’t differ from its shot.

The final few seconds reveal a large beach strewn background and a horse in the foreground. This uses the same shot as all the others however now it feels more like a wide shot, the man is still in the same place but the background feels more vast and complicated.

This video showed us that the camera isn’t the thing that has to do all the work; it’s what you see from the point of view of the camera that makes the difference.

Compare the meerkathttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ust9YBlEfYNow if you own a television there’s a good possibility that you’ve seen this advert. It’s annoying and that is why it’s effective, the backgrounds are luxurious and the camera shots are really very simple but you walk away remembering the infernal advert.

This first shot is a wide shot in this case I believe it’s being used to show that this meerkat has wealth, from which I suspect it is to be deduced that you will save a fortune from using the company compare the market.

An over the shoulder shot is being used here, complying with the rule of thirds the meerkat is set to one side as the object he is interacting with stays on the other, breaking this breaks the composition and the 180 degree acceptable filming angle.

Finally a final wide shot to really emphasise the law of thirds, the meerkat and the object he is interacting with are adjacent to each other and are both on right and left respectively.

I feel that this advert uses intentional wide camera angles to really show off the CGI meerkat and the stately manor that he lives in because it all pushes the thought of you will save money with this company.

Breadhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QYjFzFvJk4Bread is a dainty little animation used to advertise Guinness. The shots in this are mainly wide shots to show both characters talking; this advert also complies with the rule of thirds.

The first scene here is exactly how I stated, the rule of thirds is in effect and the shot is used as a wide shot to really show off the messy background that is the inner workings of the Guinness factory.

This closeup is here to show the main subject point, the Guinness, the background is slightly blurred which naturally averts attention to the bottle of Guinness.

This advert isn’t a pinnacle of cinematography but the advert itself is amusing and uses the right effects to keep attention to where it needs to be, the humour is an added bonus.

Unbelievable David Bekhamhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTLVMKtn0EwThere really isn’t much to say about this video, the camera angles are fairly standard and he is the only person (important person) in the shot it doesn’t need to convey the rule of thirds, but the camera shots are only wide shots.

This is a full front shot of David Beckham as he intends to kick a ball into 3 separate bins; the mise-en-scene of this shot is a lovely sandy beach somewhere in California that frankly i would love to be sitting on.

A neigh identical shot to the first one, the only thing that has changed is the target has moved away from the camera.

This video has no real relevant camera shots but the idea that a viral can be filmed from entirely one angle is a trend that seems to be catching, it really gives a rich feeling and in this case a hand held feeling, like you’re just standing there watching this happen.