Analysis of a Commercial

I will be using a classic 1980’s PSA (public service announcement) for this assignment. It can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Elr5K2Vuo. It is from 1987 and has a father confronting his son about drug use.

Shot 1:
Description- A teenage boy is in his bedroom, listening to the stereo with headphones on and air-drumming. We can hear the music.
Techniques- fade in, establishing shot, long shot
Meaning- fading in allows the viewer to know the commercial has started, establishing shot shows that the kids is listening to music too loudly and is unaware of his surroundings, long shot shows typical messy bedroom

Shot 2:
Description- Dad walks into room, holding box, looks down at Son
Techniques- medium shot, low-angle shot
Meaning- medium shot allows a closer look at Dad’s face, low-angle shows authority of father from viewer’s/son’s perspective

Shot 3:
Description- Dad turns down stereo
Techniques- cut to stereo, close up of hand and stereo
Meaning- allows viewer to know that dad wants to speak to Son, and that Dad has the power in the situation

Shot 4:
Description- Dad shows box to Son, son takes off headphones and looks up at Dad in a concerned manner. Dad asks Son if the stuff in the box is his (the son’s). Viewer sees that the box holds marijuana. Son starts to squirm on bed and jumps back towards camera.
Techniques- high-angle shot from son’s point of view (p.o.v.)
Meaning- Dad has authority to question Son

Shot 5:
Description- Dad says his wife found the drugs in the son’s closet
Techniques- high-angle shot from son’s p.o.v.
Meaning- Same as Shot 4

Shot 6:
Description- Son begins to make an excuse about one of his friends placing it there
Techniques- high angle shot from Son’s p.o.v.
Meaning- Same as Shot 4

Shot 7:
Description- Dad interrupts Son’s excuse
Techniques- low-angle shot
Meaning- shows Dad’s anger by him interrupting his son, low-angle shot shows authority from Dad’s p.o.v.

Shot 8:
Description- Son says, “Look, Dad, it’s not mine.” Dad asks, “Where did you get it?” Camera is on box and Son
Techniques- medium shot, voice off-screen
Meaning- having the mid-shot with the son and the box allows the viewer to see the son flinching from the box of drugs, while having the dad question off-screen further emphasizes his concern with this issue

Shot 9:
Description- Son continues to protest, won’t look at Dad, shot shows both Dad and Son with box in-between. Dad asks Son who taught him how to do “this stuff.”
Technique- long shot
Meaning- Allows viewer to see discomfort of Son, as well as Dad’s anger

Shot 10:
Description- Son responds to Dad’s question by saying, “You, alright!”
Technique- close-up of Son
Meaning- Having a close-up of the Son shows the viewer that he is embarrassed before he answers because he is facing away from the camera, then turns to look at the camera (and up at his dad) in order to answer.

Shot 11:
Description- Dad looks shocked
Technique- close-up of Dad, no sound
Meaning- Going to a close-up of the dad’s face allows the viewer to see his shame, and having no sound at that particular moment emphasizes it.

Shot 12:
Description- Son, still looking up at Dad, finishes exclamation, “I learned it by watching you.”
Technique- close-up of Son
Meaning- Same as Shot 10

Shot 13:
Description- Another shot of Dad looking shocked, Narrator says, “Parents who use drugs have children who use drugs” as the PSA fades out. The words “Partnership for a Drug-Free America” fades in at the bottom of the screen.
Technique- close-up of Dad, voice-over, fade out, fade in.
Meaning- Again, close-up of Dad shows shock of Dad. Having the Narrator (voiced in an old-man voice) gives the statement over the Dad’s face and the fade-out gives a feeling of severity and gravity to the message and the situation. The fade-out allows the viewer to know that the PSA is done. The words fading in at the bottom of the screen allow the viewer to see who sponsored/created the PSA.