Welcome back to another instalment of the official Saab Stories newsletter! In this publication we share with you our latest episode news, highlights from the show and little sneak peeks at future plans for the channel.
So, lets get into it !
Welcome back and thanks for reading. As I type this, we are sat infront of the laptop, YouTube studio is open and we are pouring over the early “first 24 hrs” stats from our newest episode. Things are looking positive.
The title of our latest episode is a tagline from the film, but also a teaser into the sort of style we have chosen to pursue here. Rarely do we break the mould… but here we go!
The Importance of CinemaScope
Coming from a cinema and theatre background, with 9 years as a reel to reel film projectionist and theatre manager, I have always loved that exciting moment at the movies when the curtains squeak their way open to allow a wider image for the film to begin.
Not all films are shot in this way as historically it cost studios a lot more money to shoot a film in CinemaScope, requiring different lenses and film stock to get it on screen. These days anyone can do it, but for me there’s still a little magic about a “letterbox” format, and just a little glimmer of nostalgia for the happier days of traditional cinema.
So far our episodes have been created purely in native 16:9 widescreen format. It’s a “full screen” experience most have come to find familiar both in the home and on the move with tablets and phones.
I wanted to break the mould
Before filming began I had been in deep discussion with our guest Mat, about how best to capture and present his car to the world.
We wanted rolling shots, interior, exterior. We wanted city life, quiet streets and everything in between. We also wanted to make sure this episode stood out from everything that has come before it.
Bye bye traditional interview style!
Arriving with Mat on what turned out to be our first day of filming, we set off knowing the rough format, which always helps when trying to buck the trend and try something new.
A list of questions. A cuppa. A microphone.
Sitting down with Mat we sat and chatted. We asked questions and recorded every thought and response - an interview that added up to some 30 minutes of conversation. This, we decided would be used as a voiceover track for the episode. No traditional “to camera” shots of the guest staring down the lens. Instead, a voiceover with all the visuals dedicated to the car and the places we visit.
A tagline.
Knowing that we wanted to deliver the interview differently, we thought to summarise the experience, and through our conversation one sprung up, and we took that for our episode title, and a bookend for the chat.
I’m a Saab Man
We had our visual style, we had our interview. But something was missing.
Music Makes Movies
For such a film where identity was key, we chose to approach the music differently from past episodes.
Whilst still using paid for royalty free music from uppbeat, as with previous editions, we also branched out to compose our own music, and even reached out to other artists for songs to help us make this episode really sparkle.
Above we have a piece of music I personally wrote for the show. Only a small segment ended up in the edit but it still served a valuable purpose in the overall production
Last July - Glamorous Parasite
We interviewed the singer from Last July in one of our early episodes, so it brings us great pleasure to use her music again - in this instance perfectly placed as our opening and closing sequences.
We have used these guys before, and are so glad to find a new way to place their music yet again in our work. The last few slides in our episode feature an instrumental of theirs, and gives more of that wider cinematic feel we were chasing. Thanks guys!
We hope you enjoy the show, appreciate the work that went into it, and we can’t wait to see you at the next one!
Notable mentions before we sign off, please show some love and pay a visit to both The Engine Rooms, and the Ace Cafe. Both incredible venues for petrol heads and relatively easy to get to. Check them out and hey, maybe we will see you at a future Saab meet!
The Perfect 900
This months guest is Mat Swinn, a proud owner of a fully restored Saab 900 Turbo (full pressure!).
Completed and saved from scrap by Dave Palmer, this car is a real head turner and contender for the title of “Best Restored Saab” still on the road.
This isn’t a museum piece. It’s a car to be loved and driven, and shared with the world.
You’ll have to watch the episode to learn his story, so give it a click and enjoy!
Buy Me A Coffee
Creating these films is a lot of work, and we don’t make a penny from the films. Subscriber levels are good but small in the scheme of things and as the channel grows we hope we may start seeing the pennies rolling in, but as it stands we do this all for the love of Saab and the fabulous owners that drive them, and share their time and stories with us.
Please consider sending us a little donation via the above link at Buy Me A Coffee. It really means a lot x
See you all again soon for another episode of Saab Stories!