corporate videos, television commercials and video production tips, news and analysis from toast tv

Our competition has closed

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 16:19:00 +0000

Thank-you to everyone who entered and supported our Go Viral competition in association with IdeasTap. The deadline has passed and we are now reviewing entries. Watch this space for further announcements!

In the mean time, we blogged a series of top tips from our team of experts, including VW Bomber director and competition judge Stuart Fryer, toast producer and judge Jeremy Dunn, and screenwriter Martin Sadofski. We are absolutely delighted to see so many of you reading these posts so do pass them on!

For up to the minute competition updates follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Plus, you can get our regular blog updates by subscribing to our RSS feed in the top right hand corner. Good luck to you!

toast's Go Viral contest is spreading!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 05:00:00 +0000

toast’s Go Viral script to screen contest in association with creative hub IdeasTap has kicked up a storm. But with three weeks left, we’re eager for even more of the world to hear about this great opportunity for someone under 30 to get their viral script made into a high-end production.

In its first week, we gained media coverage from the BBC Writers Room, Broadcast and Televisual magazine. Plus, we had loads of Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus approvals from you, not to mention the newsletters, blogs and forum posts that you sent out for us.

In the second week we blogged a series of top tips from our team of experts, including VW Bomber director and competition judge Stuart Fryer, toast producer and judge Jeremy Dunn, and screenwriter Martin Sadofski. We are absolutely delighted to see so many of you reading these posts.

But, as with any viral, it’s never enough! We want the world and his mother to share this competition! Remember, anyone can enter between the age of 16-30 and it can be about absolutely anything so long as it can be filmed in London over the course of a few days. For further details read the brief on IdeasTap.

For up to the minute competition updates follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Plus, you can get our regular blog updates by subscribing to our RSS feed in the top right hand corner. Good luck to you!

Top Go Viral tips from toast's online content manager

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Hello! I am Vicky McNaught-Davis, the online content manager at toast and one of the Go Viral contest judges. Here are my top tips for going viral:

1. Know what a viral is

A film going viral is the dream of many a brand, scriptwriter and production company. Essentially, it means being watched and promoted through the sheer force of the entertainment value of the video. The first viral video that I remember was Ok Go’s ‘Here It Goes’. It’s a surprising, low-fi video that energised an otherwise fairly average song through a labyrinth of a dance routine. This highlights the need for unexpectedness to ‘go viral’. ‘Here It Goes’ was so weird and entertaining that it evoked a strong reaction in everyone who watched it, so they shared it.

2. Know what type of viral works

Large quantities of viral videos arrive from incidental circumstances, such as Fenton the dog chasing deer across Richmond Park. But those types of virals don’t have a message to convey and arrive through sheer luck. If you want to script a viral, you have to put on a display for the bored at work network to want to share. The Obama girl was an entertaining piece of political campaigning, as are Cassette Boy’s parodies of UK TV. These things were shared because they have a social point that appealed to the middle classes at their desks.

3. Know your audience

These people, myself included, have a short attention span. So, a viral must be succinct and easy to share. A top tip from Marketing Week Live 2012 for me was that cats rule the internet. I found this to be true when I Tweeted the advice and it got re-Tweeted to thousands of others. This is because people across the globe love cats and pictures of cats, but it’s still a personal eccentricity that’s shared by a huge online community.

4. Get inspired

Ad Age recently launched a YouTube monitoring service, which shows you the top viral videos of the day that you visit it on. So, you can see what trends are popular at the moment and the types of videos that are receiving the most shares. That said, originality will make your work a more enduring accomplishment, so don’t be a copycat.

Keep up to date with our video production tips, news and analysis by subscribing to our RSS feed in the top right hand corner, or join us on Twitter and Facebook. Click here for competition tips from producer Jeremy Dunn, click here for tips from script writer Martin Sadofski and click here for tips from viral director Stuart Fryer. Click here to apply.

Top Go Viral script to screen tips from Martin Sadofski

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Martin Sadofski is a playwright and screenwriter. His first play ‘Outside of Heaven’ premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London. After that he spent two years as writer in residence at the National Theatre. He has had many single dramas broadcast for the BBC and ITV and worked for Miramax as a script doctor. Here he offers Go Viral competition entrants some brilliant script writing tips. He writes:

There isn’t much time here. So the idea you have has to matter. The viewer has to care and care quickly. So in short get to the point of your short fast! Some tips to consider.

1. Keep it simple.

You can’t establish a lot with complicate setups. In scripts this short it is good to think about adverts that tell stories. They do this well and don’t hang about. My advice is to go for one character and stay focussed on them. Can you pitch the idea in a lift to someone who is going up one floor? This is the classic Hollywood elevator pitch test. Can you quickly tell the story in few lines and make the producer in the lift go WOW!

2. Define your hero.

Find something in your hero in which everyone can relate to, something universal. Quickly make them unique and different. In fact, if they're not, why write them? Give that character an action or have them make a choice. This is a dilemma and audiences root for a character who has a dilemma - let the audience know right away who’s story this is.

3. Start strong and end strong.

Whenever you go to festivals or you’re surfing online, I bet you know in the first ten seconds if you’re hooked. First impressions are everything. Do something right off the bat that grabs your audience's attention. As I said earlier, your hero needs to be defined quickly. Why not have your hero do something unexpected. It will let your audience know who he is, and it will grab their attention.

And remember that last impressions are lasting. Be sure to end with some sort of emotional punch. If you're doing a comedy, end on a laugh. Whatever your tone, make sure you give the audience a final impression that will keep them thinking about your short.

4. Once upon a time...

Tell the story to yourself like your telling a fairy story. Fairy stories cut to the chase. They stay on story, they don’t describe anything else but the immediate action. That’s why “Goldilocks was walking through the woods when she found a cottage. She went inside and found three bowls of porridge.” Is better than “ It was lovely sunny day, the birds were whistling and the sky was blue. Along came a small thin girl with yellow hair and freckles who loved life and.... “ ZZZZZZZ. It’s a screenplay not a novel! Screenplays are about action. Characters in a screenplay are ONLY defined by the actions they take. SHOW DONT TELL. Is a good mantra to have. Don’t tell me that Billy loves his mum – show me.

5. What happens next?

The audience only care about one thing. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Don’t have a character hanging about doing nothing. Make things happen to them – put them in jeopardy. Excite the audience. And it doesn’t have to be an action film. A small film about boy meets girl still needs action, inciting incidents. Setbacks, arguments. Resolution.

6. What does the hero want? What’s stopping him getting it?

This will drive the action of the plot. And its good to keep it in mind. It drives your story. Winnie the Pooh wants the honey. The bees are out to stop him. How does Pooh fool the bees get the honey? That’s a classic three act structure. A character wants something – Indiana Jones wants to find the ark. So do the Nazis. Its a race. Who will win? I’m hooked.

7. Desire.

It’s hard to get involved in a film if the story has no meaning. A character needs to be tested. The thing that they want should mean the world to them. If they care about it we will care about it. Charlie wants to find a golden ticket because more than anything he wants to get inside that chocolate factory. Great characters will suffer anything to get their prize.

8. The Hemmingway principle.

Hemmingway wisely said “the first draft of anything is shit.” So rewrite and rewrite again. And each time cut anything that holds up getting to the next scene.

9. No one is black and white.

Make your characters flawed. Make your villain likeable, make your hero a jerk sometimes. In short make your characters human.

10. Hitchcock

Pictured: A still from Hitchcock's Rebecca.

Alfred Hitchcock said: “Drama is life with the dull bits cut out.” So keep it short. Fascinating and end it with a surprise.

Keep up to date with our video production tips, news and analysis by subscribing to our RSS feed in the top right hand corner, or join us on Twitter and Facebook. Click here for competition tips from producer Jeremy Dunn and click here for tips from viral director Stuart Fryer. Click here to apply.

Top Go Viral tips from director Stuart Fryer

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Viral director Stuart Fryer is a valued talent at toast. Notable previous work of his has included the Flomax Pman commercial, the infamous VW Bomber viral and various Oasis videos. Next up on his to do list is directing and judging our Go Viral competition. Below are his musings on the competition. Leave us a comment if you have any questions regarding entries or production tips and we will relay them to our team of experts. Stuart writes:

Those creatives at BBH who get to write ideas for British Airways get it lucky.

When budget is not an issue, then writing the idea:

‘The plane taxis through London hotspots showing the diversity of the great city to then park up at the Olympic Stadium.’

…becomes easy, with a squillion quid at your mercy.

The real challenge is the short film budget idea. Let me explain...

Cast. More than four people gets expensive. Got to clothe them, feed them, etc.

Location. Too many locations or set ups in a shoot day may mean to many creative sacrifices along the way, or simply just not possible.

Outside. Can’t guarantee the weather in this country that is a given, so try not open with ‘A sunny day...’ Don’t make weather an important part of the film.

Don’t set it outside a landmark. ‘We open outside the Olympic Park’. The producer would freak.

Logos and trademarks. Would love to dress a kid up as Darth Vader and make that VW spot but George would not let us.

Special Effects. I love them but the best ones you don’t notice. We can’t have an army of aliens invading even if your best made is an after effects wizard.

Music. I would love to have a Rolling Stones track over the viral but Universal will want us to re-mortgage our house for that.

In 30 seconds with a simple plot and good actors we can do a lot. We can frighten, amuse, move, inform, educate.

Maybe try and infuse some politics into the idea. All good art these days, including the advertising commercial, reflects society. Lets make people think about the world.

We just gotta keep it simple.It is all in the idea. A great idea can be directed by your gran. So, I can't wait to read your ideas. Lets make something that the whole world watches.

Top Go Viral production tips from Jeremy Dunn

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Corporate video and television commercial producer Jeremy Dunn has worked at toast for over eight years and is one of the company directors. Jeremy is scheduled to produce and judge the Go Viral script contest winner’s idea, and constructed much of the contest himself. His clients have included Innocent Drinks, Morgan Stanley and LadyLucks. Here he provides some top production tips for young creatives planning to submit their scripts. He writes:

In my view, this is a great opportunity for someone out there to really shine, and make a name for themselves.

Whether you have had an idea that's been bouncing around your head for years or have just had a eureka moment, the Go Viral competition could just be your fast track to the top. Worse case, you get a professional, director led piece of lovely work that will be yours forever to show off.

From a producers perspective I can't wait to see what scripts come in.

In an ideal world I'd loved to be amazed, shocked, disturbed, in stitches... whatever it takes really. The key for me is that it has to fit the classic 30-second time frame, which actually is harder than it sounds.

30 seconds on the one hand is short and sweet, but with the right idea… its actually loads of time to 'stop' the world and make us all stand up and take notice.

The 30 seconds should have a beginning, middle and end, and not necessarily in that order. 30 seconds gets you from the start, leaves you guessing or simply spins you round and spits you out. It’s up to you.

Whichever way you choose to go I promise the young winner will get the best we, as a production house can offer, from the directing brilliance of Stuart Fryer, to the latest HD cameras, to top notch finishing facilities.

I will pull out all the stops to ensure that the winning entry will have their 30 seconds of fame.

So, good luck and get scribbling!

Keep up to date with our video production tips, news and analysis by subscribing to our RSS feed in the top right hand corner, or join us on Twitter and Facebook. Watch out for some top Go Viral tips from our competition director Stuart Fryer later this week. Click here to apply.

Shoots and sequences snaps

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 13:46:00 +0000

Channel 4's World's Maddest Job Interview and Learner Adams Bones are two of our most recent clients at toast, among a few other corporate requests.

First up, Bob Hough, our head of graphics, put together the opening title sequence for the World's Maddest Job Interview, which was first aired on Channel 4 on Wednesday 25th July 2012. The programme has stirred a debate about how mental health issues are touched on by the media. But, having watched it ourselves we think that the topics were covered sensitively and did well to break up conventional stereotypes of how mental health affects performance in the work place.

Bob Hough provided the graphics for the opening title sequence of C4's World's Maddest Job Interview.

Then, today (Monday 30th July 2012) we went on a green screen shoot at 01ZERO-ONE for Learner Adams Bones, which went much faster than predicted!

John adjusts some lighting for the Learner Adams Bones shoot.

Otherwise, our Go Viral competition was featured on the BBC Writer's Room last week, alongside Televisual's website! Please do keep spreading the word - we'd love to get as many young creatives involved as possible. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email us or post a comment.

Watch out here for further hints and tips.

Email Vicky on vicky@toasttv.co.uk or call 0207 437 0506 for interview requests, quotes and further competition enquiries.

Sign up to our newsletter, or follow our Facebook page and Twitter for competition updates.

toast announces Go Viral script writing competition

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 11:30:00 +0000

toast are excited to announce the unveiling of their Go Viral 30 second script writing competition in association with IdeasTap.

Writers aged between 16 and 30 can send in their script via the IdeasTap application form to be judged by top industry professionals.

Among the judges are notorious viral director Stuart Fryer and Gravity London’s creative director Steve Long.

The winner will have their viral brought to life by toast, with Stuart Fryer and toast’s own producer Jeremy Dunn.

The chosen script will be filmed within the UK using the latest HD cameras, professional cast, crew and editing facilities.

Jeremy said: "The Go Viral script writing competition is all about bringing a young person's script to life, no strings attached.

“As an independent production company toast is all about producing beautiful commercials and corporate films, but we also believe that it's important to help and invest in the next generation of young ideas makers too.

“If we can have some fun along the way making it too, then bonus."

To enter for a chance to win this unique opportunity and for full terms and conditions visit the application form on IdeasTap.

Plus, keep an eye on the toast blog for top script writing tips over the coming weeks.

Email Vicky on vicky@toasttv.co.uk or call 0207 437 0506 for interview requests, quotes and further competition enquiries.

Sign up to our newsletter, or follow our Facebook page and Twitter for competition updates.

Natural History Museum Evolution iPad app

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:25:00 +0000

The Natural History Museum Evolution iPad app features moving image assets edited by Toast and produced by Hotheads’ Josh Goode for his client, Authored Apps.

The 360° panoramic app animates the lives of over a thousand organisms in their natural habitats over a humungous timescale and is now available through iTunes.

Using the amazing Timeglobe feature you can locate where any creature used to live on our plant and where they live now.

From mass extinctions to the rise of homo sapiens, it takes you through major evolutionary events of the earth.

Plus, learn about all kinds of cutting edge evolutionary science from leading experts of evolutionary theory with video tutorials, audio commentaries and animation.

This footage is provided in HD with touch screen functionality built in, allowing you to explore every minor detail at your own speed.

The content brings to life meticulous research conducted over a hundred archaeological sites around the world.

It was researched and authored by science writer and lecturer, Douglas Palmer.

It is accredited, endorsed and supplemented by experts from the Natural History Museum’s world-renowned Palaeontology Department.

Contributors include Dr Paul Kenrick, Prof. Chris Stringer, Prof. Adrian Lister, Dr Jerry Hooker, Dr Martin Munt and Dr Angela Milner.

Keep up to date with our video production tips, news and analysis by subscribing to our RSS feed in the top right hand corner, or join us on Twitter and Facebook.

Vicky interviewed for Job of the Week by IdeasTap.com

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 11:07:00 +0000

Thanks to IdeasTap for publishing this Job of the Week article about what I do at Toast. I'm very flattered!

Keep up to date with our video production tips, news and analysis by subscribing to our RSS feed in the top right hand corner, or join us on Twitter and Facebook.

Gazza's Umbro ad

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 31 May 2012 12:33:00 +0000

Congratulations to Hotheads producer Josh Goode for the new Umbro ad, which was edited by Toast's editor James Gentle. It will be screened at Wembley at England v Belgium over the weekend, and featured in the ad break between England v Norway last weekend.

Keep up to date with our video production tips, news and analysis by subscribing to our RSS feed in the top right hand corner, or join us on Twitter and Facebook.

RED Epic vs Scarlet review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 May 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Toast producer Rob Oliver compares the relative merits of the Epic and Scarlet cameras from RED. Get blog updates sent to your inbox by subscribing to our RSS feed in the top right hand corner of the blog. Or join us on Twitter and Facebook for links to our latest posts, industry news, tips and analysis.

The Epic and the Scarlet are both made by RED and share the same 5K Super-35 sensors. Both cameras share much of the same components and both have the same solid-state drives however they vary on abilities. The main difference is that the Epic will shoot up to 300 fps at 2K whereas the Scarlet will a maximum of 60fps at 2K.

The Epic’s high speed function is a big plus but if you have a multi-camera production and need to shoot some slo-mo then you should consider the Scarlett as a good B camera option led by an Epic. Both cameras are well matched, both capable of shooting up to 30fps at 4K.

With the introduction of low-cost Super-35 cameras like the Canon C300 and the Sony F3, the Scarlett has been designed to directly compete on this level. But it also has the option of using DSLR zoom and prime lenses with the use of the correct mount. This is brilliant news for low budget productions who previously would not be able to afford the premium RED cameras.

If you don’t need slo-mo then shoot on the Scarlet or if you have multi camera shoot then consider a combination of the two cameras. And just so you know the difference – the Epic body is Black and the Scarlet’s is grey.

Toast's week in Tweets

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 25 May 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Here’s the second of the weekly Twitter round-ups brought to you by Toast TV, featuring the most popular Tweets that we’ve posted over the past five working days. Keep up to date with our blog by subscribing to our RSS feed in the top right hand corner of the blog, or join us directly on Twitter.

Brad Pitt is to be Chanel No 5's new cover girl, reports @guardian http://awe.sm/5r0Xg #chanelno5

Brad Pitt becomes Chanel No 5 first cover girl who is in fact a man. While he’s no Nicole Kidman when it comes to feminine beauty, The Guardian have decided that this is a bold but wise marketing move.

Did you catch ITV's seminal documentary series 56 Up? If not, you're in luck! It's still available here - http://awe.sm/5qlRl @ITV #doc

ITV’s 56 Up was certainly one of the defining moments of the past week at Toast. It’s going on 50 years since the seminal documentary began charting the lives of a group of seven-year-olds from a range of backgrounds and a lot has changed. The programme asks, where are they now and how do they feel about getting old?

Get your business prepared for the Olympic travel disruptions http://awe.sm/5qziY @GAOTG #olympics

It’s hot, it’s sticky and we now have to seriously start thinking about the upcoming Olympic travel disruptions and how best to avoid them on the way into work. It’s either a great excuse to work from home, or another hour cut out of your free time. Either way, we recommend planning ahead!

Watch the new @007 James Bond trailer here - http://awe.sm/5s7va! Read about it here - http://awe.sm/5s7vv via @bbc

Over the past few months Londoners have been pleased to encounter various film sets for the new James Bond film. It’s looking cooler than ever as Daniel Craig really settles into the role and the major plot location really comes home. Watch the trailer above.

TV ad eraser ‘Auto Hop’ is causing a stir

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 May 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Cheeky satelite TV provider the DISH Network’s digital video recorder now offers viewers the chance to skip ad breaks for free, but is advertising its services on TV. Known as the ‘Auto Hop’, the promotional push has caused a stir within the television industry. Major producers are concerned over how they can continue producing high quality shows without income from ad revenue and the networks are fuming.

In retaliation, News Corporation is refusing to air any of the Auto Hop ads and the New York Times reports that other network owners are looking at ways to sue the DISH Network. The chairman of NBC Broadcasting,Ted Harbert said: “Just because technology gives you the ability to do something, does that mean you should? Not always.”

Research analysts strongly believe that this move reflects how scared television companies are of subscribers abandoning traditional TV in favour of internet-based firms. But, the DISH Network argue that in the long term they are encouraging viewers to watch more programming as they will become more engaged with the shows. But, who do they think will be funding those shows two years down the line?

Watch our favourite new TV ads here. Keep up to date with our video production tips, news and analysis by subscribing to our RSS feed in the top right hand corner, or join us on Twitter and Facebook. For a production quote contact us here.

Great new TV commercials

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 May 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Television commercial production is a large part of what we do at Toast. We’re privileged to work with the world’s top brands and produce their ads because we’re enthusiastic about what we do. And it showed in the huge popularity of our April review of great new television commercials. So we thought we’d bring it back as a regular feature.

Keep up to date with our video production tips, news and analysis by subscribing to our RSS feed in the top right hand corner, or join us on Twitter and Facebook.

Jammie Dodger’s A Certain Gooey Thing parody

This commercial is weird as hell. But that’s what makes this biscuit brand interesting. They aren’t everyone’s first choice because the concept of the biscuit itself is strange. But they do inspire devoted followers. In this ad, they’ve decided to work their offbeat recipe to their advantage with a red haired monkey acting out a rock tune in the style of a music video. And he’s got the biscuit attached to his head. Tasty.

M&M’s Sexy And I Know It 2012 Superbowl campaign

In this ad, a male M&M strips at the site of an embarrassed brown female M&M, thinking that she’s naked because she’s got a shell the colour of chocolate. We’ve all have over-enthusiastic moments, and encounter annoyingly over-enthusiastic people, and it’s embarrassing. It makes us feel vulnerable. So we look for comfort food, like M&Ms.

Tetley’s Five Minute Tea Break commercial

Tetley takes a step away from their cartoon representatives and parodies the troubles of the modern woman. The ad shows a husband who expects his dinner, but doesn’t know what to do with himself when his wife reacts by taking five minutes to herself to enjoy a tea. When she puts her mug in the dishwasher, he holds her tight.

For more great TV commercials read our post on the IVCA Award winners.

Before making a corporate video

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:46:00 +0000

Here is our guide on what to think about before making a corporate video, brought to you by the Toast TV team. Keep up to date with our video production tips, news and analysis by subscribing to our RSS feed in the top right hand corner, or join us on Twitter and Facebook.

Toast's week in Tweets

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:35:00 +0000

Here’s the first of the weekly Twitter round-ups brought to you by Toast TV, featuring the most popular Tweets that we’ve posted over the past five working days.

Thinking of making a business video? Here's a guide from @MarketingB2B. Send us any questions for our production team! http://awe.sm/5r0Bl

B2B Marketing wrote a great guide for businesses on making a successful video production. So, we thought that we’d add our own two cents and upload our ‘Things to think about before making a video production’ guide to our blog. You can read it here.

According to @klout ToastTV is a social media 'Specialist'. We have a rating of 47! #socialmediagurus

We were extremely pleased to discover that our Klout rating has reached 47. This means that more of you are joining us on our social media portals, and we’re influencing what you think about social media and television. They even went so far as to call us a ‘Specialists’.

A big congratulations to The Big Issue on its 1000th issue! Read what TBI's editor had to say here - http://awe.sm/5qL7u @bigissue

It was a seminal moment for homeless charity The Big Issue team as they reached their 1000th issue. So, we sent them a big congratulations for all of their hard work. Click here to donate to this worthy cause.

What's wrong with this picture?

Keep up to date with our Tweets by subscribing to our RSS feed in the top right hand corner of the blog, or join us directly on Twitter.

Stock footage tips

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:59:00 +0000

Researching stock footage for a corporate video or a television commercial can be a long-winded and sometimes fruitless process. It’s very difficult to get it right the first time around. Particularly as there are far too many sites to get through and the correct search terms aren’t always obvious. So, thought we’d run you through some approaches that we’ve picked up here at Toast.

First off, do a bit of research and write a list of the search terms that you think are suitable. Then methodically run through them on your chosen selection of stock footage sites. It sounds simple, but if you don’t do your research on the terms and run through your results in a constructed way, then you’ll end up missing out on potentially useful clips and just end up browsing.

If this straightforward approach isn’t working, look at how you can make your search terms wider or narrower in order to expand or contract your results. A good start is to look at synonyms of the words that you are using, in case you’ve missed something out.

If you’re still stuck for ideas, run an Internet image search on your keywords and see what comes up. Let’s say you’re looking for skyscrapers under construction, perhaps there’s a skyscraper that’s due for completion in the next few months. Run a search on its name, architect and surrounding area. Chances are that someone has covered it recently, because skyscrapers tend to be newsworthy.

This is the point where you might well want to call the stock footage company, an expert, your client, or a friend who works in the field for more information about the search that you’re conducting. For example, if you’re making a film about specific types of flowers, they may be able to advise you on places where you can find these flowers. It sounds odd, but even just asking the person sitting at the desk next to you might give you some new ideas for related search terms.

Keep up to date with our video production tips, news and analysis by subscribing to our RSS feed in the top right hand corner, or join us on Twitter and Facebook.

Further resources

IVCA Awards winners 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:32:00 +0000

Toast would like to congratulate this year's fantastic set of IVCA Award winners. The bar was set very high and our expectations were exceeded. Best charity piece winner, Luke’s world, was a particularly moving piece produced for the Private Equity Foundation. The short film is about living entirely on benefits and opened our eyes to the reality of growing up in childhood poverty.

Developing TV

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:43:00 +0000

More than any other industry, broadcasters are having to learn to keep up with advances in technology and social media. The computer industry has never before been so significant to shaping approaches to television and expressing the voice of a generation. But there's a lot of rubbish to wade through and a lot to catch up on. So, we thought we’d point you in the right direction with a few tip offs.

A portable aerial that allows you to stream live TV anywhere.

Portable aerials from Aereo (pictured above) are being test run in New York. If it gets past the potentially hazardous legal licencing complications then live TV streaming will no longer confined to living rooms and computers. You could watch the channels of your choice on the train, on the street and in a restaurant on your phone, on your tablet and at your own convenience. Programmes and advertising will have to compete the wider world.

A secondary device or a secondary screen;
your secondary computer, tablet or mobile device.

Rising secondary device (or ‘second screen’) use also means that TV channels and advertisers can more effectively gage reactions from specific audience sectors. This means that television viewing is now more flexible and group reactions are more transparent. Media producers can harness user engagement to their advantage. Useful reaction overviews are supplied through social TV analytics companies such as Bluefin Labs and SocialGuide. But a simple search on Twitter will give you a good idea of what people are or are not saying about your production.

Shazam will offer its users the opportunity to interact with live TV ads on ITV.

In a further recent development, ITV have begun offering their advertisers Shazam enabled TV spots exclusively within the UK. Their 10 million strong users will be able to interact with enabled commercials. This may span from competitions to free music downloads.

Simon Daglish, Group Commercial Sales Director at ITV, said: “This exciting and exclusive partnership means that ITV is able to offer customers a real first for UK media and allow brands to innovate their spot campaigns and connect directly with audiences on a large scale.”

Great new TV commercials

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:05:00 +0000

Ikea have revolutionised the television. This is exciting. They have integrated the everyday HD smart television, DVD player, stand and speakers into a singular customisable piece of furniture with hidden wires and one remote control. It also has a five-year guarantee. We want one right now. But it’s launching in the second half of this year. So we wait.

What do you think makes a great TV commercial?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:20:00 +0000

Following some great reactions to our LadyLucks commercial via Twitter, we thought we’d conduct some market research via business social media portal LinkedIN Answers.

We posed the question, “What do you think makes a great TV commercial?” Below, we’ve logged the results so far:

Humour isn’t a priority for you. What you’re really looking for is something that stands out in your mind. Media that really stands out is almost impossible to find. As soon as it gets published, everyone else and their mother have jumped on board. Nonetheless, as the Cadbury’s 2007 drumming gorilla proved, it’s far from impossible to do.

Does this profile fit you? Keep sending our answers in to us here.

The filming of The Robbery, part three

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:54:00 +0000

Toast TV’s James Gentle spent a sunny weekend shooting his short film, The Robbery. The piece is currently in post-production and will hopefully be completed at the end of May. In the mean time, we thought we’d treat you to some dark and dramatic details of the shoot in a three part series. This blog details the final day of the shoot and some Tascams that just won’t work.

Follow James's production company @KissTheKerb.

Sunday goes by in a relaxed blur. We head back to the scene of yesterday’s crime with our game faces on. This is merely a meeting point before we head off to our final location. Everyone miraculously has the same energy from Saturday. This is gonna be good.

The sunset is beautiful as we drive half a mile down the road to the Benfleet Sewage works, as the sun disappears our location becomes the seedy meeting point we need. We set our cars, our actors, everyone is ready, Thom has excelled himself again with the first shot, it couldn’t be better. We roll. Wait. What’s wrong?

Alex Martin our new soundman (we get through soundmen like Spinal Tap and drummers) calls cut! I thought I was meant to say that? The Tascams are playing up, so the sound is sporadic. We work to resolve the issue, next take, good. Things are back on track. Wait.

Again, the Tascams are failing, battery life now becomes an issue, even though we’ve had them on charge all day. We go down from three radio mics and a boom to one mic and a boom. Surely this must help. No. More issues. We take a break whilst we go get some AA batteries. We go again, this time with all the mics back on. We get another take. But again the issues return. What? We have to get this done tonight! There is no option.

We decide to wrap this location and head back to the house to recharge the tascams, and head to our second location of the evening. Fortunately this doesn’t require sound. Slightly deflated we plough on, but by the end of this scene we are happy again. Our actors are safely ensconced in one of the cars, food and drink by their side.

We wait for Phil and Thom to return with the Tascams. Crunch time. What seems like an age passes. They eventually arrive, I rush over and hold my breath. ‘We’re on’ says Thom, ‘but we have to be quick.’ Action stations, we hurriedly return to our first scene, set up as quickly as possible, stick the Tascams onto charge again (you know, for a boost) and get some scenes done which aren’t sound important.

The moment comes and we plug our mics in. We set. We go. It works! We’ve lost at least two hours but our collective will to get this done persists. The actors pull out performance after performance. Thom pulls out shot after shot. Alex pulls out good sound after good sound.Our final shot is with a glide cam. The Tascams are now almost exhausted. I call cut. Everyone gathers. I take a moment, and relish the words. “That my friends, is a wrap!”

Sitting in the edit suite here at Toast Towers looking back on that weekend, I can’t honestly believe we achieved so much in those three evenings. Thom, Phil and I can’t thank enough everyone who was involved in this film. Our fantastic actors Dan O'Malley, Edward Walters and Tom Coombes. Our wonderful friends who played extras for the evening. Millie Scalchi who was indispensable. Lewis J Clark and Alex Martin for excellent sound and determination in the face of adversity. To everyone at Toast TV and BigBalls Films for the kit, and helping us pull together this first venture of ours.

James Gentle

Our producers' showreel for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:28:00 +0000

Here's the latest copy of our showreel for 2012. Read more here. Enjoy!

Google's Goggles set to change the landscape of smartphones, for good

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 09:33:00 +0000

Forget about phones; Google Goggles are the smart new gadget for 2013

Google will test their revolutionary new goggles this summer on members of the public, as part of 'Project Glass'. Wearers of the glasses will be able to access computer programs and mobile phone functions through eye movement and voice commands. Currently, Google's Goggle function is available for download on Android phones.

The glasses use Android software, which adds small translucent icons onto the surface of a user’s reality. Functions will include improved search functions, video messaging and interactive mapping. Disturbingly, the promotional video also showed the wearer being alerted to friends who are within close proximity.

The search engine giant received criticism in the past for jumping onto new ideas too quickly. This then lead to the abandonment of a number of smaller new online functions, such as QR codes in Places, to focus on their current range. Civil liberty concerns about the glasses have already been raised by experts. But everything looks set to go ahead as Google’s glimpse into the future gets set to change the landscape of mobile content for good.

Vicky McNaught-Davis