Preliminary Work
- Jan 28
- 2 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
The purpose of this preliminary exercise was to experiment with cinematic filming techniques and sound design, while exploring how political figures and ideologies can be portrayed within commercial media spaces.
I chose Trump Burgers as a location because it represents a combination of politics and branding. The restaurant uses the image and rhetoric of Donald Trump as a spectacle, turning a controversial political figure into a commercial identity and generating profit.
Camera
I used slow cinematic camera movements and shallow depth of field to create a dramatic and polished aesthetic, similar to political campaign videos or high-end brand promotions.
Mise-en-scène
The interior design and colours associated with American patriotism (the Republican Party) were carefully framed to reinforce ideological symbolism.
Sound
The use of a Trump motivational speech, combined with cinematic music, creates a sense of authority and spectacle, positioning the audience to associate the brand with power and confidence.
Possible Interpretation:
Different audiences may interpret this media product differently. Supporters of Trump may view the video as aspirational or empowering, while others may see it as ironic or even satirical.
This screenshot from Adobe Premiere Pro shows the construction of my preliminary video. I edited together multiple cinematic shots from inside the Trump Burgers location using cuts to control pacing and rhythm. The editing focuses on creating a smooth visual flow that matches the audio.
I added an adjustment layer above the main video tracks to apply colour grading across all clips. This helped unify the footage visually and create a cinematic look.
For the audio, I combined non-diegetic cinematic music with a manipulated speech by Donald Trump. Using AI-generated voice editing (Eleven Labs), I altered the original speech to include the phrase “we will make burgers great again”. This was done to emphasise intertextuality and highlight how political slogans can be recontextualised and repurposed within commercial media.
PS - I accidentally deleted the music and speech mp3's after exporting.
Final Work:
Comments