hello,

Thanks for the opportunity to engage in this latest Charles Schwab project-- Very creative, quite lovely visually, and decidedly, to the point. The assignment-- the synopsis-- as far as I can see it, is; "to combine, in motion, exquisite graphic, trading-system information with powerful, intimate portraits of traders-- in a convincing and visually beautiful presentation--"

So, this is definitely one of those campaigns where the 'execution' becomes as important as the "idea"-- that is-- stunning graphics are as essential as the ability of the performers to stay compelling-- the graphics: what's in the head of these traders-- the copy: what's in the hearts of these traders-- these two concepts must combine effortlessly and seamlessly--

Let's talk casting and performance first-- not as easy as it appears, perhaps-- the temptation is to find very handsome, virile-looking men who display quite a bit of 'macho' and bravura-- but, perhaps, the real trick here is to find actors who are; yes, attractive enough-- but, in an intelligent sort of way-- their voice, their posture, their general ambiance, and above all, their confidence-- is what separates them from 'obvious' TV advertising performances-- more a scene from a theatrical film than from a commercial one.

Instantly, we FEEL these are BRIGHT men, dedicated-- and, yes-- contain a certain sense of obsession with the challenge of trading at the highest and most successful levels. And, as importantly; the viewer should feel that these actors 'visually and intuitively' seem to fit perfectly the role of an "INTELLIGENT TRADER"-- or, at least, what most intelligent traders think their 'aura' is. After all, any of us can trade; much like any of us can play tennis-- but, then there are the "real players"-- and, that's what we're looking for; to convince an audience that they're listening to 'THE REAL PLAYERS in the world of home trading.' That they're being invited into an exclusive CLUB.

Schwab has relaunched a platform that is state of the art for traders and is having lots of sccess with it-- a stand out in the category-- that's a fact-- now we have to re-inforce it, stabilize it, express it in the most sincere, yet powerful way, we can-- the most important reason we pick those performors with a 'natural sense' of using the computer and the new platform-- both becoming an EXTENSION of the actors's body and mind--

I see a lot of TV spots today, obviously, with people seated behind computers-- pecking away-- trying to sound convincing and informed-- but, it's pretty obvious to me that most of the actors hired to sing the songs are out of tune-- not really computer literate-- not really at ease with the technology-- this is critical; that we show total comfort and believability at the computer-- our guys know what they're doing, ease of handling, complete understanding of the new platform-- they 'get the technology' -- LOVE it, in fact-- and, ARE WILLING to share some of it with the audience.

Yes, active traders are mostly guys; the kind of guys who create therir own trading world/zone built on experience and insights learned along the way in their careers. We need to make these guys sound totally confident and informed-- the RIGHT TONE-- and, when I say "sound" I mean VOICE quality is essential! We MUST choose actors who have GREAT voices! Totally important to the success of convincing a viewer that this is serious stuff-- and Schwab knows what they're doing. I can give you numerous examples of performances and sound that represent what I'm talking about-- but I think you get the point...easy, smooth-- good bass tones, not high-pitched or frantic--

As far as the type and graphics-- in motion-- we know they're to reflect what's inside the traders head; and, the spots to reflect getting inside the trader's experience.

 

Working the screen

 

As was mentioned on our call-- think of "Beautiful Mind." "The Hangover" scene-- at the blackjack table-- has been pointed out as an example of moving, scintillating graphics-- yes, the graphics will be wonderful and alive and tasteful-- but, will come out of the action-- what images we show, how we show it, will be determined by an interesting edit representing the most convincing performance by the trader and the best, most unusual angles, of the computer screen-- will include type and design moving about and around and through; factoring/calculating-- spilling out system images in this world where the thought process is a manifestation of the trader's thoughts--

The camera is voyeuristic-- peeking into a guy's world-- joining HIS CLUB-- we sneak a look at him operating the screen-- we shoot close ups and extreme close-ups of his intimate performance-- voice down deep; not high-pitched-- resonance totally important-- we shoot reflections; love when one of our guys wears glasses-- we shoot for reflections in the glasses, computer screens, windows, tables-- anything where the look can be accentuated by contemporary materials-- it will help make the graphics in motion look visually stunning.

The lighting should be-- simply beautiful portrait lighting. Soft, allowing for a dramatic representation of the faces as we get in real close and intimate to hear what's being offered. I would suggest that we shoot one spot to reflect daytime and one to reflect nighttime. One to reflect home use and one to reflect office use. Both casual wardrobe-- the one at home, more casual perhaps. One slightly younger trader, one, slightly older. Would LOVE to have one with a slight growth on his chin-- a sure sign of 'hipness' today.

Shooting in NYC or LA-- on location with considerable 'dressing' of the sets is ideal and either coast will work-- my preference would be NYC-- mainly because the theater actors are more of what I envision for your performers than the more 'bland' community of commercial actors out west.

Wardrobe and location should all contain 'soft tones'-- nothing harsh or outrageous in chroma-- keep it subtle and beautifully lit-- so the graphics can explode.

It's obvious the agency and efx house will lay the computer screen graphics and floating images in post-- but, I will shoot the screens as if they were alive with information-- so all the refections of hands and faces are intact and available for the edit-- combining info and attitude on the screen will be delicious if we can pull it off effectively--

We haven't talked yet about who would do the editing, and if there is supposed to be music with these spots-- but, if possible I would like to stay involved-- especially at the beginning when we develop and create the campaign-- a director's cut would be ideal.

Thanks for the opportunity-- hope to see you in the future.

Bob Giraldi