166 Video Digital Communication & Production
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
However, you soon realize that a lengthy
location shoot in a real construction site would
be far too expensive, Figure 9-7. Instead, you
develop a less expensive concept involving
three performers in a kitchen.
How You Can Do It
With any concept, there are often
alternative ways to produce the program.
For example, your first version of the kitchen
concept might be to shoot the Sidewinder
program in the elaborate kitchen of an
expensive home. But, when you add up the
costs of renting the location, lighting the
kitchen, and transporting cast, crew, and
equipment, you realize that it will probably
cost less to design a kitchen set and build
it on a soundstage instead. However, when
you calculate the cost of this plan, you
discover that a newly designed set would
still be too expensive. Instead, you can
rent a stock kitchen set inexpensively from
the studio where you will shoot. And so,
by repeatedly revising your concept and
estimating costs, you arrive at a plan that fits
your budget.
Even the most expensive Hollywood productions
must usually adjust the production plans to fit the
budget.
Selecting a Concept
When you have specifi the objectives, fied
the audience, the delivery system, the length,
and the budget of your program, you have
developed a nearly complete profi of your file
intended video. With these determining factors
fi rmly in mind, you are fi almost ready to start
writing your program. But, you still need to
come up with a program concept. A concept
is an organizing principle, an idea that gives
shape and meaning to your video, Figure 9-8.
It determines what you include and how you
treat it.
You could say that the concept guides your
approach to your subject, your perspective on
the subject, or simply your “angle.” However
you describe it, the concept of your video
program enables you to make a coherent
statement that your audience can understand
and respond to. These program organizers
are simple to demonstrate by examples. The
sidebar Sample Program Concepts suggests
plausible concepts for various types of personal
and professional videos.
In the case of the Sidewinder cordless
drill, a possible concept is hidden in the
already-selected objectives and audience.
Acme wants to communicate the message that
their drill is the best choice, and they want
to appeal to female buyers, as well as male.
Blend Images/Shutterstock.com
Figure 9-7. Women constructing an office building
would be too expensive to produce. p p
Goodheart-Willcox Publisher
Figure 9-8. The subhead reveals the underlying
concept: “David slays Goliath.” p y