I believe there’s a way to tell this story in 5 shots —
A sequence that maximizes our time with the characters while giving the Voila Van and groceries the attention they deserve.
Shot 1
The Wide
Our Voila Van in all its glory. We see it parked on a sunny, inviting street. Joel gets out first from the driver’s side, but right after, our characters jump out from every other exit, excitedly heading toward the back to help Joel get the haul of fresh groceries.
Shot 2
Joel, Time To Shine
Smiling and personable, Joel strides down the sidewalk. We track backwards with him on a dolly, seeing him from the waist up as he holds the Voila bags. He takes in the sun peacefully until — he reacts to the hustle and bustle below him!
This is where we can get alts. I want to shoot this waist-up without the characters so we can get different reactions from Joel. No tilt-down allows us flexibility on what reaction we go with, while not being locked into the timing of the camera move.
Shot 3
Our Character Closeup
Revelry ensuing — our characters clamor in excitement to be at the front of the pack. In quick succession, and with their own unique business, they deliver their individual lines. Farm Boy might shine up an apple on his overalls, Nonno’s eyes might widen at all the fresh herbs before she finally sees the basil, and Soccer Mom could give a celebratory fist pump when she sees the price lock sticker on the chicken. This should be the longest shot of the spot — one where we get a memorable moment with each character as they speak.
Shot 4
Step On Up
We see our merry troupe walk up to the door they’re delivering to. I’d love to try and get one shot from a perspective that adds to the humour and stands out as a visual choice — What could be great is if we shoot it from the perspective of the door peephole viewer. The characters could be just tall enough to have the tops of their heads in view, with little Farm Boy jumping up and down trying to reach the doorbell.
Shot 5
The Helping Hand
This is our reverse, where we see our band of characters waiting at the door with their backs turned. After a couple of awkward jumps from Farm Boy, Joel kindly reaches down and grabs him mid-jump by an overall strap** — helping him up to ding the doorbell at the right height. Maybe there’s a sheepish “Thanks!” from Farm Boy or a helpful fist bump. Either way, this is the last shot of our group before the end card — so let’s give ourselves some options for a cute moment to end with!
**A note from post
I know this is going to be tough to pull off in post production with regard to Joel interacting with the characters in a believable way. I have an idea involving Nonno helping him — let’s chat about it on the call.
Let’s chat more — I want to ensure everyone is as excited by this approach as I am!
💫