Counterintuitive Spring 2024

0.01: This ad starts in action in regards to the people sitting at the table, with the camera being still at the same place. This scene starts in the middle of the scene, showing us exactly what the people are doing in this scene at the table. The filmmakers of this scene are starting off light with the camera work, keeping it steady, showcases the action of this scene. The filmmakers would not want to take away from the action of the scene with the camera work, to really make the viewer see the actions done by the people with the books at the table. 

The brightness of this scene is dark, and dull, to match the aesthetic of the table and surroundings in this scene. The filmmakers were smart with the lighting because they matched it with the color scheme already going on in the scene. The lighting could imply that the filmmakers had cheap equipment with not enough lighting, but they could be doing the darker lighting on purpose to match the aesthetic of the scene. 

In this scene, there is a wooden table, with a textured brown rug underneath. Surrounding the table holds four people from what is seen, each with a book in their hand. The book covers are white, with black lettering on the cover. Three of the people have the book open, layed flat, compared to the fourth person with the book closed leaning over the table. This scene is implying that these people could be at a book club reading together and discussing the book they are all reading. We can tell this because there are extra books in the middle of the table, and there are reading glasses out on the table implying that they are reading. There are also two plastic water bottles, and an orange hard reusable water bottle out on the table, implying that there is going to be lots of talking going on, and how they are going to use a lot of energy and will need to replenish with water. Next to one of the plastic, and the orange reusable water bottle, there are two handbags. Next to the plastic water bottle and the girl reaching across the table with the closed book is a dark brown handbag with lighter brown straps and zipper. The orange water bottle has a larger light pink purse with one smaller strap and one larger strap filled with another book and paper. 

0.02: This part of the ad has a different type of camera work. This time the camera is slightly shaking to match the action in this scene. In this scene there is lots of shuffling and moving game board pieces. The filmmakers made the camera shaky to match the shuffling off the pieces and the constant harsh movements that this scene has. The camera is also still at a distance from the game board, not really giving a closeup. The camera lighting and angle is at the same height as the first scene, but with a shake now instead of being still. 

The lighting in this scene is darker on the left and lighter on the right, really showing the game and its pieces more clearly, along with the people. The filmmakers could have made the lighting have a more ombre effect to draw in the viewer to just the right side which is showing a more full body image of a blonde haired man, with glasses. 

This scene is showing a game board that is a square shape with four people surrounding it. This game board has a black outer edge with a hollowness in the edge. In the hollow part of the edge holds red, yellow, blue, green, and black small stick-like figures with a white dot in the middle of each. Inside the game board is a green surface that looks soft and is a material that things could easily slide on. On top of the green surface are yellow small rectangular game pieces that are being shuffled and slid across the board by each of the four game players. This game board is sitting on a light colored table that is also rectangular to match the game board. One of the game pieces is flipped over unlike the others and it is showing a light cream colored game piece with small black writing on it. The filmmakers had one piece flipped over so that the viewers can have a vision of what is on the other side of the game pieces. Surrounding the light colored table and green game board is a rug underneath that is filled with colors such as green, and light brown or burgundy with tons of different designs and lines on it. There are paisleys, and other flower patterns on it. Then on both sides of the table there are little bowls filled with nuts. That is showing how they are having a game night with food showing how they may be there for a while, and that it is a get together. 

0.04: This scene has a high camera angle, showing more of the right side of this scene. It is a theme with these scenes to have the camera angle more towards the right than the left. The filmmakers are showing more of the right because that is where there is more action and a young boy going to join the other three young boys at a cafeteria table. The filmmakers also had very dark lighting allowing shadowing to be on the cafeteria table. The camera is now still and higher up than the other scenes, allowing the viewer to see more details. This production does not seem like it is low budget considering there are already numerous locations. 

This scene is shown for young boys who are in a cafeteria at their school. There is a long white table with a gap inbetween the second table which is attached to the first, which is showing the boys school supplies and equipment. Four out of five of the boys are wearing pinnies, three being dark blue and one yellow. The fifth boy is wearing an orange dress shirt. Next to the boy wearing the yellow pinnie is a basketball, implying that the boys were either at practice or gym class. The boy in the orange shirt without the pinny is showing that he was not in the gym class, and is bringing something new to the table, holding a clipboard, implying that he was their coach or keeping track of the score. There are two water bottles on the table which the filmmaker also put to make sure that the viewer is showing that there was just a sporting event, with the basketball on the table and the pinnies. All of the boys joined together at this table and are eating out of a gallon sized Ziploc bag, getting their energy back from what they just burned off at their game. The author is choosing to show this image because they are showing that there can be different people that are doing different things and all come together as one, showing how everyone can bring something new to the table. 

0.07: This scene has a very zoomed in camera angle with even darker lighting. The lighter is very dark allowing the audience to focus in on the brightness and colors on the drinks in this scene. The filmmaker just had the middle of the wooden table light, and had the sides of the table dark, where the drinks weren’t. They made the lighting just focused in the middle where the drinks were being cheered so that the viewer could see clearly and focus just on the drinks and not the surrounding. Underneath the drinks being cheered together by people is a plate of food that looks like an appetizer, mostly eaten. It looks like a charcuterie board with crackers, meats, and cheese. This scene is implying that a group went out for drinks and got an appetizer to snack on while drinking and being social. The camera angle was low on purpose so that the viewer could see the drinks being pressed together, and the details of the liquids lifting up along the sides of the glasses, and the ice moving and cherries in the glass. 

0.09: This scene has a more zoomed out camera angle, with still very dark lighting. The lighting seems very consistent among all scenes, which are dark and shadow lights. The camera angles are also the same as in when they are higher up and zoomed out. Each time they are zoomed in and out are the same heights. Every scene has also had a table, with something different on it, but all with people. 

In this scene there is a little girl with dark brown hair with bangs looking happy and smiling, waiting for her paper plate to get plated with food. There is a tall man next to her with his head not in the frame, but his body with a green zip up sweater, and blue jeans. That man is most likely the girl’s father plating her food because she is too young and short to be able to reach the food in the center of the table. This long table has a yellow table cloth on it, with numerous plates of food including a big salad, pita bread with lettuce, chicken, potatoes, peppers, and tortillas and avocados. The theme of this food seems like Mexican food. The table cloth on the big table and large amounts of food is implying how this is going to be a big dinner, for a lot of people. The paper plates are implying how there are a lot of people that are there and the host is not going to want to do all of the dishes after everyone is done with their meal. 

Underneath the table is a bright red rug with green flower patterns on it. There is also another person who looks like the young girl’s mom matching her dad with a green zip up with more of a pattern on it. On the girls jacket, the pattern and texture is like a diamond pattern with each diamond being elevated compared to the lines separating each. The filmmaker made the guy and the girl wear similar colors but different patterns so that the viewer is able to establish the gender of the people by having one material more simple and feminine, compared to the other material being simple and masculine. The young girl is wearing a white long sleeve shirt with a red flower on the top left, which also matches the carpet underneath her. 

0.12: This scene has the most going on compared to the other scenes. The camera angle is very wide and high up to show all of the different pieces of this scene. The camera angle is so wide because this scene is showing a craft table, and people doing their own projects. Two guys on the left of this photo are doing school work with big textbooks filled with writing open and underneath a notebook that they are writing in with black pen taking notes. This scene looks like an after school tutoring session or hangout with multiple people. There is a bag of Lays potato chips in the middle of the table that someone playing a board game is eating. The game that he is playing is a wooden tray that is a hexagon shape with blue pieces and two brown pieces. There is another person across with the same game but a red tray on top of a notebook and paper. The filmmaker is showing that there are people that are doing school work because of the textbooks and papers and pens. This is an after school scene with snacks and homework. There is a table with a huge light green, white, and gray board that everyone is working on top of filled with dice, and sharpie markers. This scene is very hectic, and that is why the filmmakers made it a wide view, with dark lighting, and still. 

0.14: This scene is also a high view camera angle, with a wide view and dark lighting. There are six adults at an off white table. The camera angle is focusing on the adults’ hands which is to show their gender. The film maker is making it known whether the people are male or female by showing their hands and arms so the viewer can look for things like wedding rings, watches, and clothing. There appears to be three girls and three guys at this business meeting at this table. 

This scene is showing a business meeting, which the filmmaker is making extremely clear. The camera is still while the girls and guys hands are moving showing how they are discussing business plans. The business meeting aspect of this scene is known because of the notebooks that are in front of two of the girls, and three of the guys. One girl has nothing in front of her. The notebooks have a spine that is a white spiral, with the cover reading, “Business Plans” with a photo showing numerous hands all joining together in the middle touching, showing how they are all in this together, which is important for business plans. The filmmaker is smart for having that photo of the hands on the cover, and then all of the hands in the shot, showing the correlation that this is a business meeting, and how they are all in the plans together. 

One of the guys in a red flannel is actively typing on his laptop, implying that he could be taking online notes about what is being said about the plans, or filling out documents. Next to him is a girl taking notes on a blue note pad with a pencil, which the filmmaker is implying that she too is taking notes. Both of their business plans notebooks are closed. The other members of this meeting have their books closed but have their hands either crossed together or the fists on the table showing how they are actively listening and participating in the conversation. There are purple and blue folders that are holding papers in regards to the plans, which are off to the side on the left, next to a man with a gray shirt on and a gold wedding band on. This scene is showing how all of these people are bringing something to the meeting and have different roles, but are all coming together and making everything work. 

0.17: In this scene, the camera angle is wide, with the dark lighting, once again on a table. This table was a darker wood, without a visible carpet underneath. What was underneath this table looks like a pack of water bottles, with the circular plastic pieces connecting each bottle in the pack. The filmmaker wanted to showcase how there was extra supplies under the table if the three people putting together packages needed more supplies. The dark lighting has been consistent throughout each clip, so it has to be what the filmmaker had to work with. That could have been to cut costs. The camera angle is also still in this shot, only one clip had the camera shaking, most likely because that was the most action out of all of these clips. 

In this scene, on top of the dark stained wooden table, there are nine visible big Ziploc bags each filled with goods. These goods could be what is on the table which includes, lotions or soaps which are seen in a cardboard box. These lotions or soaps have a white or light green color with a black pump top on it. In the cardboard box there also appears to be neon green socks, and white towels. On the table on the right side, there are three sets of canned goods, assuming that these are canned food products. The filmmakers are showing how these three people are working on this table to show how they are making care packages for people in need of food and hygiene supplies. There is a paper on the right side that is white with black lettering saying, “drive”, so this scene could also be a food drive. The filmmaker makes this scene clear by providing the paper to look at for reference and insight as to why people are filling bags with basic needs for everyday life. Once again, the message being presented is that with each of these tables, there is always something to bring and accomplish. 

0.22: This scene has a completely different camera view compared to all of the other scenes. This camera view is straight up and not pointing down at a table. This camera view is full of light with bright green walls, and a table with food very similar to the food at the timestamp at 0.14. On the table was the salad, the bread and the peppers. This scene the filmmakers may have done to extend the scene at 0.14 and make it a full circle ending. This is the exact scene because of the mom wearing the exact green jacket with the diamonds on it, with the little girl in the background. There are also two more people in this scene that were not in it at 0.14. There is a guy with braids in his hair with a gold watch on his left wrist, wearing a fancy brown jacket, with slacks. Then there appears to be an older lady in the background speaking to that man. 

In this scene on the left side of the room there is a sign that says “welcome” implying that this dinner is indeed having guests and that the host wanted to welcome those people. This scene may be taking place at a shelter, or even at the food drive, which the filmmaker is implying from that sign, with the various types of people. 

The little girl’s mom is seen hugging a woman wearing a burgundy top and skirt, with a lighter pink head wrap on, accompanied with a long gold necklace. The lady in burgundy looks very appreciative and happy to be there with all of that food. This scene is showing how people of all ages can come together and have a meal and talk together. There are no limits of what people can bring to the table or a conversation, and that is what the filmmaker is trying to make clear by showing all different types of tables, that are each accomplishing something great.