Textual Analysis - Don McCullin interview by Alfred Dunhill

This spectacular black and white portrait interview was filmed by photographer David Sims as part of an Ad campaign for Alfred Dunhill, a British luxury goods brand. It celebrates the lives of men who have accomplished extraordinary things throughout their lives and was aired across 2011 and 2012. The use of lighting and framing of the shots throughout this film make it stand out and unconsciously grab the audience's attention which is why the short film has a big impact and is an exceptional form of advertisement. In each of the adverts the opening scene is a short statement or quote which sets the scene for the interview and draws the audience straight into the interview. This technique is used extremely effectively within these short films. The framing of the shots and the use of extreme close ups on the face and hands of the individuals shows the emotion of their faces and exposes them completely to the audience, this creates an intimate feel throughout the whole piece. The lighting and use of black and white effect makes the definition of the persons face stand out and create an arty, stylish image to match the style of the Alfred Dunhill products. The video is simple yet extremely effective and one of the main reasons for this is the sound. Sound plays a huge role in the viewing satisfaction of the audience, therefore the use of only dialogue throughout causes the audience to focus on the person speaking and nothing else, this is very beneficial to the effect it has on the audience. The cuts and editing within the film vary in speed, however in general the shots are quick and display a range of angles to keep the audience engaged. Some of the shots are held for dramatic effect or to reflect on what is being said in contrast to holding a shot of the same angle which could cause the audience to feel bored. Overall I was impressed by the quality of the final production and the simple yet effective techniques used to keep the audience engaged and wanting to watch more. It first came to my attention when it popped up as a Youtube advert and immediately drew me in to watch the full version. Before this occasion I had never been interested by these pop ups and so it was uniquely effective.