by Basil Yeo (@basilyeo)
View NDP 2016: Our Parade & Ceremony Journey at: vimeo.com/178928182
As August draws to an end, we would like to share with you a project we have been working on since May. The National Day Parade is an event that is particularly close to our hearts as a crew. Most would remember our maiden web series project, We Will Get There, which chronicled the experiences of eight participants from the various marching contingents in the 2012 edition.
That year, we also produced the Key Appointment Holder videos that were broadcast live on TV and the stage screen as the Parade & Ceremony segment commenced.Some of our crew members have even participated in the parade in numerous other capacities as National Servicemen.
The Problem
This year, we were approached by Douglas, who worked with the Engagement Committee, to produce an appreciation video for the post-parade appreciation function. Previous years' appreciation videos had been done in-house by SAF personnel, and while they served a basic function, this year's committee was looking to create something a bit more creative, refined and polished.
Our Solution
This is NDP 2016: Our Parade & Ceremony Journey, an appreciation film commissioned by the National Day Parade 2016 Parade & Ceremony Committee, that celebrates the efforts of the 31 contingents and working sub-committees in the 4-5 month long training period leading up to the actual day.
The Parade & Ceremony segment of NDP is a dignified event ingrained in the military customs and traditions of the Singapore Armed Forces. Many parade participants over the years recall with immense pride the feeling of standing on parade at the NDP and the honour of being given the opportunity to do so. This knowledge helped us to guide the initial direction of the video.
Secondly, we also wanted to extend the video spotlight to members of the various working sub-committees who toil behind-the-scenes to make the Parade happen. While the marching contingents will most certainly still form the bulk of the video, we wanted to tip the scale a bit more towards the working sub-committees as compared to the previous years. With this added objective in mind, there was no doubt about the final direction of the video, which made the question formulation possible.
Finally, we deliberated for a while on the artistic direction of the video, whether to shoot the entire thing for slow motion, or not. Weirdly enough, this video I shot last year came to mind. The raw & authentic 'up-close' shooting style provided a sort of working template which we adopted and modified this project. However, we decided to dial down a bit on the handheld look by using a combination of medium and long lenses, to create more of an 'observer' look rather than one where the viewer is assumed to be participating in the action, like in the 'Final Night' video.
The result? A final product that was received very well by the attendees at the appreciation function, and one that we're happy to share with our Clients, associates and friends. This would also not be possible without the amazing support from my crew and the Parade & Ceremony committee members whom we worked closely with. Thank you.
About the Client
The National Day Parade, held on 9 August every year, is the highlight of Singapore's annual independence celebrations. It is organised primarily by the Singapore Armed Forces, with the Parade & Ceremony segment falling under the purview of the Air Force.
View NDP 2016: Our Parade & Ceremony Journey at: vimeo.com/178928182
Crew & Technical Specifications
Comments
|
Video production updates and thoughts Archives
April 2017
Categories
All
|