Analyzing Corporate Video (London Business School)

  The London Business school promotional video begins primarily on promoting its multicultural attributes. As many corporate videos do, they attempt to appeal to as wide an audience as they can. This specific video also uses this to convey how multi-diverse and cosmopolitan the location of the school is at 0:08 seconds using a montage to convey all of the different races and ethnicity of the pupils of the school these range from: black, white and Asian confirming this convention of promoting different demographics.

  We are then introduced to (00:17) An American, Adam King the 'Emerging Leaders Programme Editor' who hypocritically says he "thinks it is better to see the people at this college in action and let them tell us what it's like rather than being told what they do at the school" however after 53 Seconds, he is still conversing to camera. Making this quite a dull introduction and less than interesting view as a corporate promo.

  At 01:29 seconds Rudolph Mayrhofer-Gruenbuehel name drops that he has worked for clients such as for Sony Ericsson and is responsible for the sale of mobile phones to T-Mobile international. Giving the representation that the school delivers quite a high profile education and to experienced clientele. Even as experienced as a Sony Ericsson official desired to learn at this institution and can gain from what the business school has to offer. This also conveys the large scale of the school and its operations.
 
  Although the stylistic camera movements and shots can at times be aesthetically pleasing, especially the close ups when in interviews scenarios. The use of extreme close ups of gestures as cutaways was probably the most pleasing and creative component of the piece.

  The Business school promo also includes artistic time lapses of London (05:00) which although are pleasing to the eye. They often break the promo up and upset the linear running of the piece and act like chapters to what is often bland and un-welcoming. Duly to the cinematography as the lighting is awfully low key. The mise-en-scene of the piece contains a very dull & harsh color pallet of blacks, light browns and grey. Which are quite imposing and imperialistic. Although perhaps the kinds of colors you expect to see in a business faculty. But I believe not perhaps the best choice of approach to promoting or enticing the viewer to want to see or know more.  

  The video's pacing is quite quick and the editors have chosen to place many jump cuts, so to primarily fit with the music which moves at a quick pace . This perhaps attempts to convey the institution as a highly fast paced and quite formal establishment. But the way the edit juxtaposes quite stark dull content, dark lighting and cinematography. With people laughing and smiling which comes across quite false due the editing of the visuals set by the music. Also the music track sounds very electronic and sporadic, jumping as people begin to speak, upsetting the pace of the piece and fading back in too soon after the content, which makes the promo quite uncomfortable an experience to watch.