Film project

For my third sub-project, I want to continue the theme of politics in food preparation in the form of an infomercial. There are a couple reasons for this choice. First, I think that there is an inherent power dynamic in an infomercial of almost any kind: the chef or television personality is telling you that your life has been incomplete up until now, but it is about to improve dramatically with their help. Although the most obvious and prevalent elements are simple tricks of advertising and salesmanship, there are almost always subtler cues at play as well: what is the ethos of the host? Are we listening to his message because he is a celebrity? An authoritative-looking chef? Does race, gender, and nationality play into it? And what are the relative characteristics of the individuals being shown to demonstrate the problem, or filmed to make testimonies about how the product has improved their lives?

The second reason for this choice is a more pragmatic one: I feel that as a form of film, an infomercial will provide me with the greatest amount of learning opportunities as I make it. I have studied fiction-film screenwriting in the past, so a commercial will provide me with a chance to take a different approach in conveying a message. Furthermore, because of the fast pace and rapid movement of a typical infomercial, it will provide me with the opportunity to do a lot of splicing and editing of different kinds of footage, which will probably prove to be a good experience in learning to use video-editing software (something I have zero experience with).

I began this project by researching the infomercials that are already out there. After watching many of them, I have come up with three that particularly stand out.

1. the Slap Chop infomercial

Even this "long" version of the commercial, at 3 minutes, is fairly short and to the point. What is notable about it is that, with the exception of a short section toward the end with satisfied customer testimonials (which frankly, in my opinion, are somewhat lackluster), the commercial relies almost fully on the energy and personality of Vince, the host. While he is onscreen, he is talking quickly and nonstop, while simultaneously demonstrating what the product can do. The viewer is therefore dazzled by his streaming commentary (which leaves no room for questioning or critical thought) and close-up images of the wonder-product in action. This fast pace may work to get viewers excited about the product and leave them energized and willing to buy.

2. the NuWave Oven infomercial

This commercial is significantly longer, and is structured as a 30-minute television show. It begins with a high-energy segment (lasting about 2 minutes and 30 seconds) in which an authoritative male voice talks about the problem (no time to cook, eating too much fast food, gaining weight) while illustrating with images of "real" people, and then jumps to the solution - an introduction of the problem-solving product, demonstrating how easy it is to use, and all the possibilities that it offers in terms of the variety of food it can help prepare. It follows with official-looking charts and graphs to demonstrate how energy-efficient it is, and how it complies to environmental standards. It also includes testimonies from "real" customers (small text at the bottom of the page declares that "none of the participants were paid for their testimony"). Finally, we are instructed to watch the two hosts as they show us "how we can slim down and eat healthier," while seeing slow-motion footage of the hosts discussing the product.

This first segment is very high-energy. The rest of the commercial is more low-key and is centered around the two hosts in a faux-kitchen, surrounded by plates of food prepared in the multiple NuWave Ovens on display. The hosts banter, prepare, and taste NuWave-made food. Although this is interspersed with images from outside this kitchen setting and occasional testimonies, the overall tone from here on continues to be more casual and never reaches the high level of energy we see in the first 2.5 minute segment.

3. the FlavorWave Oven infomercial

This commercial is similar to the one for the NuWave Oven in that it involves demonstrations by two hosts in a faux-kitchen. However, there are several elements that set it apart. First, this commercial gives an important role to a live audience. Whereas the NuWave kitchen appears to be a private and intimate setting with only the hosts and the camera crew, the FlavorWave demonstration has an enormous live audience whose reactions are shown regularly throughout the clip. Second, this commercial uses a well-known actor (Mr. T), and makes much more of an attempt to be funny and acted-out (starting with the initial scene, where Mr. T bursts in by breaking the door, rather than opening it). This stands in contrast to the straight-forward NuWave approach, and is not always successful in its attempts at humor.