AUTOTRADER / CAR SWAP
a treatment by Rune MILTON
OVERALL There is massive scope with this script to produce a super cool, visually beautiful film, which also conveys beyond question the ease and fluidity of the Autotrader user experience. I’m looking to create a highly cinematic aesthetic and feel, whilst using a wide breadth of characters and cars to bring the film in line with the product user. I have moved closer to the second script that you provided and I have come up with a few suggestions in terms of script and characterisation which could add depth to the spot, balancing its sharp coolness with elements that the audience can easily relate to.
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LOCATION he film should be recognisably British and I’m sure that in the proposed location of Cape Town we could find streets and buildings, which would convey the sense of a UK city. The action will take place in one four lane road, flanked by traffic lights, which will need to be large enough to accommodate an impressive traffic jam. The focus will be on the cars and characters on the freeway, so the location should be fairly unobtrusive, simply reflecting the normal background hustle and bustle of a city.
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STYLE/LOOK/FEEL I’d like to create a warm, almost dusty, feel – an aesthetic somewhere between Scandinavian and classic Hollywood film: super cool, tight but not too glossy and therefore accessible yet appealing and engaging. I envisage shooting on Red to achieve the desired effect. The reference below is for an Audi s8 advert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtFkqQbNajI I’d like the ‘feature film’ feel to follow through to the music we use - below is a link to my reference track, ‘State Trooper’ by Bruce Springsteen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU5MyNuBdhg As I will explain later, the action of the spot will originate from a centre character and his car – from here we will use wide shots of the surrounding action: people smoothly transitioning from car to car. These wide shots will add to the ‘feature film’ style I’m looking to achieve. The people moving between cars should be visually arresting: we will emphasise fluidity and ease of action through choreography and very smooth camera moves. We could introduce a few slow motion shots to enhance a moment or to make the action extra dynamic, but the event will seem larger and more elegant if we just use these as accents. We want these sequences to look amazing but we don’t want them to become the whole focus of the film, or seem gimmicky, which they might do if we focus too heavily and rigidly on parkour as a reference. 4
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CASTING – Main Character I have introduced a main character to the script who I feel will be integral in introducing an accessible, familiar feel to the film, also adding a layer of interest and POV to the narrative. He is an average English guy, mid 30s, not too stylish - he is unpretentious and persistent in driving his old car. He will be an observer to the action, witnessing the sheer ease with which his peers transition from car to car, thanks to Autotrader.
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CASTING – Transitioners The Autotrader users whom our main character is observing are extremely graceful as they move from car to car – we could even use acrobatics in some cases. When casting we will have to bear this in mind – not everyone will be trained to move in the way we want. This said the most important focus in terms of casting is variety – lots of different kinds of people should be represented: businessmen, mothers, hipsters, thirty somethings, builders, married couples, the more the better.
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SCRIPT/STORY I think it makes sense for the action to play out in one location with the cars largely stationary, so that we don’t have to worry about showing dangerous or reckless driving practices. I think focusing on a tight and simple storyline will really bring the film together – here is what I propose:
people of all types are doing the same thing, some in more acrobatic ways than others but always cool, elegant and agile. They all seem very open, and the whole operation works like clockwork with people fitting together perfectly.
We cut back to our guy – someone approaches his car and he locks The Music starts. We see a crossing, a four-lane road where the traffic all the doors, looking, almost scared, out of the window. His dog starts lights are turning yellow, then red. Our main character pulls into the to bark! queue of traffic, with his dog in the back seat. We cut to closer shots of people getting into cars, feeling comfortable Suddenly, he sees the person in front of him elegantly jumping out with their new vehicles. of their car, smiling, swapping cars with someone in the surrounding queue. We see that they are not the only one doing this. Our guy looks The light goes yellow, then green. Cars start to roll out – except one, confused at what is going on around him! our guy’s car! We cut back to him, still confused about the whole thing. He is now desperately trying to start the car, pulling the old school We now see this happen on a larger scale – everywhere around, choke handle – and here we have our payoff.
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The Autotrader message The ‘hello goodbye’ concept behind this script is very much present in my visualisation of the film – the concept implies a sense of open mindedness, being open to trying new things, new cars, buying on the internet. I think it has extreme “light” to it, which all the people represent in their cool swapping and their open cars (all windows should be open, and all roofs down). Our main character is the opposite of this – he is not open to chance or change, and he is driving his closed car, even locking the doors. With this attitude, he ends up grappling with his choke as his peers effortlessly glide on with their days. The free and easy ‘hello goodbye’ feel will also be reflected when we cut from the claustrophobic interior of our guy’s car to wide open shots of the people around him.
SO... The way I see it, the most important element in this film is casting our main character and achieving the right feel through lighting, choreography, music and narrative. I have suggested a tight and simple storyline, which I hope works well with the brief and I think that with the right treatment this script could become a visually arresting and highly engaging piece.