Outer Reef Surf School
Outer Reef Surf School is a multi faceted outdoor activity company, based in Southwest Wales. Focusing on Surf, Paddle board, Coasteering and Kayak sessions, they offer Family based sessions, Beginner, Intermediate and advanced Surf lessons, As well as Instructor courses for those looking to further their career in water sports.
The Outer Reef has been running since 1999, giving Surfing and Paddle boarding classes for all ages. They cater to locals and tourists alike, as well as offer equipment hire and sell outdoor sport equipment through their online shop, https://outerreefsurfstore.co.uk/
The Client
Colour Scheme
Outer Reef Incorporates a colour scheme of Blue, Red, Black and White, with a tertiary usage of Yellow. These colours allow for strong contrast on the website whilst leaving the text easily readable. These also work when placed in context of the photography featured on their website: Water, Wetsuits, Floatation devices and other high visibility items. The strong usage of blue invokes a connection to water, and Red grabs the spectator's attention. This can be seen all throughout both websites,
and www.outerreefsurfstore.co.uk
The main logo does not have any colour in it's design, which allows for pairing with any colour without clash. White is pure, sleek and creates a tone of importance as if to say: 'Outer Reef is THE place to learn to surf in south Wales!'
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The Logo itself is Minimalist, copying trends of the 2010s/early 2020's and enticing a youthful audience.
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'Our brains simplify complex images and structures to store them in the memory, which is why minimal creations are always a hit. A logo can be retained in the mind of the consumers for a very long time if minimalism is incorporated in a logo design.'
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- Christiaan, A.
Author of MINIMALISM IN LOGO DESIGN – HISTORY, BENEFITS, ELEMENTS & RE-BRANDING
Initial Reactions
1: Learn the world
2: Shoot Vertical
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After hearing about the Outer Reef project, I am very excited to start working with an outdoor business client. From looking at their website I feel they have a strong family value and emphasis on teaching young people. Talking to my course leader he has told us that the client is interested in growing their social media footprint, and building their online following. I am not a surfer, so I want to build my knowledge of the surf world before I get into creating content for the brand.
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I want to experiment with vertical Cinematography and new media trends on social medias like Instagram and TikTok.
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In order to better understand the mentality and world of surfing, I want to look at some preexisting videos from the surf world, as well as a mainstream view. This will hopefully lead to a pitch our client will be more enthusiastic about and a better end product in general.
Above- Strange Rumblings in Shangri-La: The Iceland Part
Below- Screenshot from video (0.35) our protagonists speak of Jaques Cousteau.
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Video Example no.1
'Strange Rumblings in Shangri-La' (Guglielmino, 2014)
Strange Rumblings in Shangri-La is a Surf film made in 2014 by the Globe Surf team and Directed by Joe Guglielmino. The Film (Or Youtube short series) documents the surf team's travels across the globe searching for 'Shangri-La': (the perfect surf). The story is delivered in ethereal tones, with a spiritualness that surrounds he protagonists. The cinematography incorporates the usage of 16mm film, with heavy saturation in colour to connote a vintage escapism, like the trio have escaped into the atmosphere of the past. This can be seen in the opening minutes, by their referencing of Jaques Cousteau and respect for him, doing his bidding as he tells them to search for Shangri-La.
Video Example no.2
'Surf's Up' (Brannon, Buck, 2007)
Surf's Up is a children's movie from 2007 starring the voices of Shia Lebouf and Jeff Bridges. This is a great example of mainstream mentality towards surfing, playing into several stereotypes: Tropical, Surf slang, tattoos and Surf Rock (Red Hot Chilli Peppers used in the trailer).
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This film imitates the documentary styles of Surf films, with characters like 'Big Z' spoken about like a deity. The film also replicates film reels, referencing surfing's rise in the 60/70s, which shows me this saturation and focus on the past is a common trend in surf media. There is a focus on surf above everything else with most characters in the film, It is the main driving action behind the narrative, showing adoration for the sport. Through a hypodermic needle approach this film attracts a youthful audience, injecting the ideology that surfing is cool and will make them popular.
Meeting with the Client
30/9/22
We met with the Media spokesperson for Outer Reef Surf School in Tenby, at one of the companies several operating bases (pictured above). When introduced, We were told more about Outer Reef and what they wanted from us promotion wise.
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From our first meeting I understood that Outer Reef were looking to update their social media presence. They wanted to focus on the idea of giving their customers an experience, not just a lesson. We were shown several locations from where Kayaking, Paddle boarding and Coasteering expeditions are launched from, and the spokesperson made it clear these were points of interest for the company. We were also shown the Surf Shops in Saundersfoot, where there was again a focus on the clothing and branding of the company.They spoke about Instagram and TikTok as places from which they wanted to push content, towards young people and families.
PLAN
I want to focus on that New Media, Social Media aspect for Outer Reef, and give them content that pushes the ideals of adventure and camaraderie. I want to use escapism and spectacle to sell the idea of an Experience.
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I will achieve this through Vertical Shooting, Short and Intense videos of differing Consumer Interaction.
Inspiration and Practice
To Prepare and research Social Media videography I decided to have a go at two different styles of Instagram shorts, So I could see what a public reaction towards the styles would be. I took two different styles of advertising and used an outdoor activity; a lads day out, as similar content to what i'd shoot with outer reef. This also helped me get more comfortable shooting in outdoor situations, and limited jurisdiction over location and actors.
Inspiration 1: NIKE: "Take it to the next Level"
Ritchie, G. (2008)
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This video is an Advertisement by Nike,
Directed by Guy Ritchie. It has the protagonist develop as a player on and off the pitch, demonstrating the gratification of escapism. By using first person footage the short grabs the attention of it's audiences, visualising the target audience's dream life.
Example Footage: Veal, K (2022)
"The Nathan Drake Experience 1: Llansteffan Castle
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I shot this short on my iPhone, using the 0.5x lens and with no stabilisation. Holding close to my head. If I were to do this style, I'd use a GoPro and chest mount for action shots, and a helmet for anything that didn't necessitate action.
Inspiration 2: Centre Parcs (2009)
'2009 Centre Parcs TV Ad'
In this video we see a family on a stay at Centre Parcs, where the parents marvel at the experiences they are having. The cinematography aligns us with the parents as they watch their kids. I like the way the camera watches the action, and wanted to recreate that sort of shooting style.
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Example Footage: Veal, K (2022)
Beach Boys part two: the part not on a beach
Shot on my Gh5, I tried to tell a story of these guys discovering and exploring the ruins of Llansteffan castle. Once again shot in Portrait, this piece is more into storytelling than pure escapism/action than my first example.
Preliminary Plan and Audience Reactions
My first Idea was to work with Outer Reef's instructors and film a session of their experiences, such as a surf lesson or a coasteering. In this situation, I would shoot around the session and create a shoot based off one of the styles above.
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After having these trial vids up on Instagram for a while, I got theAnalytics and audience responses in. The Narrative video got more views than the POV, but it is the opposite for Likes. This dictates the narrative one is watched more and the POV one is more impressive to Audiences. It also had the most user interaction, with 6 comments instead of 0 on the narrative.
Secondary Plan
With no exposure to an Outer Reef surf session, I would instead like to shoot for their Shop and their Clothing. I will accomplish this by working with a model and shooting escapist footage with whatever shop/clothing items I can get my hands on.
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After viewing the Instagram likes/dislikes, I intend on shooting this promotional footage in the style of the Second piece. with a light narrative, conventional cinematography and bright colour. I will also create some social media content for Outer Reef to use on their growing social media profiles.
TREATMENT
Somewhere in Pembrokeshire, a girl is exploring the seafront, wearing Outer Reef clothing. she walks around on the beach, basking in the sun. She relaxes on the rocks, watching as people walk by. Interested by the world around her, she scrambles up some rocks and gets splashed by water. Her waterproof Garmin watch is unfazed. At the end of the day, she walks down the beach, smiling back at us as she continues towards her next adventure.
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After This, We show a quick sneak peak at what's available in store at Outer Reef Surf Store, with a montage of quick shots.
MOODBOARD
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Location
The location we will use is Saundersfoot Harbour, home to Outer Reef water sports centre.
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SA69 9HE
This area will be the Base of Operations on the day I come to shoot the promotional footage. I plan on also using the beach at Saundersfoot for the model shots.
This space is good for me as it is a space where Outer Reef work. The coast line here is especially scenic, and allows for some beautiful cinematography. There is a lot of geographic diversity, with a Harbour, small waterfalls, Rocky cliffs, Scrambling rocks, and therefore I can mix up the areas in the video nicely. This will help create progression in Narrative and also give it a higher production quality. However, we are totally at the will of the weather here, and have to work within the tidal times. This means we can be screwed over by the weather relatively easily, and our filming can be cut short without much notice. To battle this, I need to film my content quickly and effectively.
Audio Visual Plan.
The plan is pretty streamlined and minimal due to my love for improvisation and also the lack of technicality- the product doesn't need to be overly complicated.
These areas are all sections I want and feel are capable of being shot after looking at the location in my Recce. If there is anything the Client wants to be added, I will accommodate on the shoot date.
Equipment
To shoot this project, I am going to use my Lumix GH5 with it's 12-60 power OIS lens, a Ronin SC Gimbal, and a K&F Concept ND Filter. This combination is my main camera rig, and what I like to shoot with the majority of the time. Because of the nature of the shoot and the location, I will not be bringing any Lighting gear outside of a reflector. This is so that I can just use the natural light to my advantage and can shoot anywhere I like.
Risk
Assessment
Shooting in Saundersfoot is relatively risk free, the problems we as a production face are purely going to be natural.
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Wind, Rain, Temperature.
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If these aspects are not good enough, we are unable to film. In Saundersfoot Harbour, there is a steep drop off the walkway into the sea, so we need to be cautious of that.
Call Sheet
Weather Charts
The weather is cold, but not freezing. Due to this, Recommended clothing was a jumper and a coat that could be taken off if necessary. I brought a large jacket and thick jumper, and my talent brought a Dryrobe.
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SWOT Analysis
Strengths
- Shooting with model- easy to direct
- Working for a client- clear targets
- Non supervised- independent choices and freedom to express my style and skills
Weaknesses
- Non funded- no specialist equipment or crew
- Exterior- lack of power for lighting and rigging.
- Public area- uncontrollable set, low footprint necessary.
Opportunities
- Working with Client- chance for future jobs and building future clientele
- Exposure- putting work out for professional company, work is seen by more people
- Experience- Spending time learning how to interact with companies and clients directly
Threats
- Environmental issues- filming exterior on a beach presents issues, damaging technology, weather can ruin the shoot
- Reputation- If I mess up then it'll be harder to get more work.
Lack of Funding- Without funding my work may be underdeveloped and not up to scratch compared to other pros not going through uni.
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23/11/22
Shooting Day
Plans changed immediately on the day. I drove with talent to Saundersfoot instead of on coach, and we started slightly late. Working through the interior shots quickly, I was informed that the Outer Reef team wanted shots of the Garmin surf watches they had in stock. Listening to the want of the client, I added this to my plan (And my Treatment). I added this product into the shooting, and brought interest to it in the second half of the shooting period.
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In the interior, I shot vertically as they had asked for content that is usable on their social medias. I tried to shoot in styles attributed to Social media as well, with whip pans and low aperture.
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Outdoors, I used my Gimbal to try and make the visuals more smooth, working with the natural beauty to showcase not only Outer Reef but also the area in which they operate. I used a small waterfall to showcase the Garmin watch's water resistance, and shot in a high frame rate (150fps) to get some more stereotypically cinematic footage, that fits into the product based footage i'd shot earlier in the day.
Colour Grading
In my colour grade, across the board I mainly just altered colour temperatures to give a more summery, happy vibe to the footage. This I did to replicate the main time of business for Outer Reef (summer) and not chilly November.
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I also pushed up Hues of certain colours to try and balance temperature; create a warm shot without losing my blues and greens.
Before
After
Titles and Effects
Titles Wise, I thought best to not pull away from the content of the project, and kept the designs and text relatively simplistic. I used a serif font to create a storybook aesthetic, riffing off the Centre Parcs inspiration for narrative, and also trying to appeal to the TA of families. By keeping iconography simple, I keep focus on the brand's logo. Effect wise, I use a few transitions to make the piece flow efficiently.
'Nostalgia Instrumental'
'Drum Instrumental'
Audio
In this area of the production, I used two pieces of music from a previous film I produced and have the ability to use freely. These pieces were originally sent over to me by Jordan Aaron, the Co-Writer of an old project, 'Nostalgia'.
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I use a bit of audio I recorded on site in the morning of the beach to bring us into the project- I did this to try and create a more realised world and prepare the viewer for the setting of the Video.
References
Christiaan, A. MINIMALISM IN LOGO DESIGN – HISTORY, BENEFITS, ELEMENTS & RE-BRANDING, Published September 22, 2021. Accessed on 26/09/22 at https://designbro.com/blog/logo-creation/minimalism-logo-design/
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Gugelmino, J. (2014) STRANGE RUMBLINGS IN SHANGRI-LA: THE ICELAND PART | GLOBE BRAND [video]. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_l1OJwPhik (Accessed 27/09/22)
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Brannon, A. Buck, C. (2007) Surf's Up (2007) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers [video] Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mPdQRXFiPA (Accessed 02/10/22)
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Veal, K. (2022) Tenby Beach North [photo]
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Nike Corporation, Ritchie, G. (2008) 'Take it to the Next Level' [Advertisement Video] Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcfIXfg3rr0 (Accessed 20/10/22)
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Centre Parcs (2009) '2009 Centre Parcs TV Ad' [Avertisement Video] Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKodU_t_1rU (Accessed 16/1/23)
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Veal, K. (2022) Saundersfoot beach [photo]
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Verman, J. & Verman, H. (2020) Top 7 Beaches to discover in Wales [Photo] Available at https://www.findingouradventure.com/travel-diaries/best-beaches-in-wales (Accessed 16/1/23)
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Google (2023) Saundersfoot Bay [Map] available at https://www.maps.google.com (Accessed 16/1/23)
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Weather Spark (2022) 'Historical Weather on Wednesday November 23 at Pembrey Sands' [Document] Available at https://weatherspark.com/h/d/147735/2022/11/23/Historical-Weather-on-Wednesday-November-23-2022-at-Pembrey-Sands-United-Kingdom#Figures-Temperature (Accessed 16/1/23)
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Aaron,J. (2020) Nostalgia Instrumental [Song] London.
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Aaron, J. (2020) 'Drum Instrumental' [Song] London.