Compton Verney

Compton Verney is a Grade-1 listed mansion house designed by Robert Adam in the 1760s, set in more than 120 acres of classical parkland landscaped by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown. The first most striking thing is the huge man-made lake that surrounds the house, Capability wanted to ensure grandeur without loosing the unpredictability of nature. Building a man-made lake may seem like an unusual solution to such a problem, however it definitely gives a sense of a very grand unspoilt landscape. The house itself is in such immaculate condition that one could easily believe it was built during this century, this is partly true of course as the building itself has had much restoration work and interior reconstruction, however this really adds to its impressive nature.

Unlike many stately homes that showcase period rooms, the vast majority of rooms in Compton Verney are art galleries, home to works from around the world, there is also a more modern section where new young artists work, as well as well known recent artists works are hung.

The Compton Verney House Trust are keen to involve themselves in the local community, this in turn ensures that visitors return to the house and gardens. Events and learning seminars are held at the mansion, and the vast estate would be a wonderful place for a wedding or party.

I am yet to return to a stately home, perhaps because nothing ever changes, people are so concerned with keeping them 'as they were,' however I would definitely make a habit of returning to Compton Verney, they move with the times, and want to combine old with new. There truly is something to suit everyone.

Ben and Jerry's

I saw this advert in the cinema for the first time on friday, even though it is really purely stock frame imagery it captured everybodies attention, people were talking about it after they had seen it, it captures the essence of the brand and communicates clearly with the viewer.

'Ben & Jerry have launched a new cinema campaign in the UK to celebrate the brand’s heritage as it draws to the end of its third decade. The 30-second spot, screening in 2,300 cinemas in the UK and Ireland this week, is created in a rolling photo-album style and features Ben & Jerry’s own memorable moments – their early days in Vermont, attending ice-cream school and the first 'Free Cone Day'. The album scrolls right through to their infamous ‘Cowmobile’ spreading love and ice cream around the US and displaying the success that the brand now enjoys.
Produced by Fallon London, the film uses still images directly from the Ben & Jerry's archive and in-house editors and acts as a whistle-stop run-through of the brand's rich 29-year history. A comical US voiceover helps to bring to life the visuals. The spot marks a departure from established animated cinema advertising and is a chance for cinemagoers to peek at the brand behind the iconic ice-cream.Ben & Jerry’s and Fallon are discussing rolling out the heritage campaign across Europe later in the year.' http://www.utalkmarketing.com/ (to see advert)

Waitrose Food Illustrated

Waitrose Food Illustrated is a very well produced magazine about food, however it also relates to various cultures and offers exciting recipes. Each page is carefully considered in terms of layout, they are not afraid of using two very strong images on their own across a spread with no text. Their advertising (as above) reflects their bold outlook, no nonsense approach. I enjoy this magazine as it is not 'flowery' it tells you things that are useful and discards the rest. However it doesn't come across like a recipe book as the background culture is bought into the articles- which is seen to be an important element to consider when eating food. This is reflected in their photographic style, the food is definatly the main attraction ( much like Marks and Spencers new approach) and they show that it can hold its own, by displaying photographs as they are, on their own.

National Geographic

The National Geographic is a magazine that as a child was seen to be 'geeky' however as a young adult you begin to realise that the articles featured in the magazine offer an insight into a world undiscovered by most, and brings issues to light that may directly affect areas in which we live. The articles are informative, offering a basic scientific insight into our world, this combined with fantastic photography makes the magazine a gripping read. There are also unusual adverts featured in the magazines by companies such as Shell promoting their eco friendly products, - showing specific advertising and marketing to the target group.

La Haine (1995) dir. Mathieu Kassovitz

Kassovitz uses powerful editing and shots in this black and white French film film, the use of black and white highlights the bleak lives of those living in suburban Paris during the political and racial trouble occurring at the time. Kassovitz uses interesting camera techniques such as slow zooms to bring the viewer into their world. I particularly enjoyed the break dance scene in which the camera remained static at a low angle, jump cutting between various dancers. This film is a definite must for all those interested in cinematography.

Paint Advert Spoof

After finding out that Sony actually created this ad and didnt just do it on a computer this spoof is pretty funny.

Transformers

Transformers wasn't a film that I was looking forward to seeing, however when Hairspray had sold out, my boyfriend turned the tables on me and dragged me to see Transformers. Although the story left a lot to be desired as the length of the film could easily have been cut by a third, the graphics were incredible. I'm sure any young children coming out of the film will be wondering what transformer their family car is! The most spectacular scenes were when the cars were speeding along and then would turn into transformers whilst moving. The sound track was also carefully put together, especially in instances where the cars could speak through the radio. Although I wouldn't necessarily recommend this film to people (other than 10 year old boys!) . For people interested in using computer graphics its a must see as the scenes flow seamlessly from one to another making each step that the transformers take seem realistic.