I AM READY

A TELEVISION COMMERCIAL

FOR RESTONIC BEDS

i am ready

I Am Ready is a television commercial created for Restonic Beds, a worldwide manufacturer of beds with their head office based in USA.

The commercial is created for the South African arm of Restonic and is aimed at the local community and a core purchaser of the Restonic product.

Directed by Robert dos Santos and shot on location in Soweto South Africa, the spot makes use of local talent and locations to drive home a simple and local story.

The concept

The concept with "I Am Ready" is to create a narrative that shows how important a good nights rest, and accordingly a good bed, is for a good day.

A solid, well rounded sleep, is necessary to allow people from all walks of life to wake up refreshed and be ready to take on the days tasks ahead.

The title "I Am Ready" is a direct representation of this.

ZULU

It was incredibly important to have the story be set in the local language of zulu in order to create a realism and organic feeling to the narrative.

The use of zulu allows for the narrative to be seen from a subjective view while also speaking directly to the consumers in their language.

local talent

The talent in the commercial are non-actors and were chosen for their organic look and feel.

The narrative, which seeks to be organic and real required people who could represent this.

The first time actors formed a natural bond and created a natural atmosphere of father and son.

THE feel

The feeling of I Am Ready is as important as the look as it serves to bring about the crux of the commercial, inspiration.

In order to create an inspirational message, it was necessary to build on a realistic day to day interaction which feels normal to a large portion of South Africans. The moment of inspiration, which takes place in the final shot is entirely dependant on the feeling of the shots leading up to that moment.

father & son

In today's society we are often boxed in with a one sided view of family life, that of a mother and father and their children within a one dimensional world.

In amplifying the organic feeling of the story and creating a subtle dynamic the decision was made to portray a realistic representation of the world and an "imperfect" family consisting of a single father.

MOVEMENT

Movement, or the lack thereof, is an incredibly important and effective tool in film. In addition, the direction of the movement always serves a purpose.

The entire story is set on the backdrop of a journey made from when our hero first opens his eyes. From brushing his teeth, to feeding and dressing his child, to making his way to and from work to finishing homework and eventually going to sleep, there is constant movement punctuated by a night of rest.

the location: soweto

To maintain the integrity of the narrative and create an authentic representation of the world around the decision was made to shoot entirely on location within Soweto, one of South Africa's oldest townships.

The imperfect architecture, alongside the imperfect interiors set down a strong and localised visual which was not only realistic but relatable for a large portion of the population and Restonic's consumer base.

The locations became an additional tool in establishing an authentic narrative in which full and proper rest is an integral part of society and necessary to live a fill and happy life.