Amtrak ad shoot.

[Dennis A. Livesey]

You might all enjoy this blog by photographer Dennis Davis and how he approached our favorite subject in a project for Amtrak.

http://www.davisphotographic.com/pho...trak_blog.html

[troy12n]

It's been since 2004 since I traveled on Amtrak, but I cant remember any of my past experiences looking anything like that. I know they want to portray their product in the best possible light, but this is just flat out false advertising.

Interesting article though.

[Dennis A. Livesey]

Originally Posted by troy12n

It's been since 2004 since I traveled on Amtrak, but I cant remember any of my past experiences looking anything like that. I know they want to portray their product in the best possible light, but this is just flat out false advertising.

Interesting article though.

How on earth is it false advertising? The light looks acceptably natural and the people look like regular folks doing regular things on a train. It is false to show people sitting together and having a meal with real views out the windows?

False advertising would have the crew giving foot massages or magic shows and views out the window of the Swiss Alps.

Or do you mean that the cars are cleaner and less crowded than what you remember from a trip six years ago?

So you think Amtrak should show crowded, dirty, dark, ugly trains as a way of luring more people to ride?

I have ridden the Acela many times and it was a very good experience. I have also have ridden Amtrak trains that were hours late.

I don't begrudge Amtrak showing a positive experience.

[Freericks]

I'm with you Dennis... Troy's post has me utterly and completely puzzled.

I agree 100% with everything you say.

[troy12n]

I am referring to the full trains, clean equipment, happy patrons, etc.

The shots quality and composition is not what I am referring to. I mean, every one of those people look amazingly ecstatic to be there.

Originally Posted by Dennis A. Livesey

I don't begrudge Amtrak showing a positive experience.

Sure, but they went way overboard in creating a scene you will NEVER experience on an Amtrak train.

[JRMDC]

Troy, do you have any familiarity with modern American advertising practice?

Or, in your world, do people actually do and experience all the things I see people do and experience on TV? Where do you live, again? How pretty are the people in your world?

[troy12n]

LoL, I know, im just saying that anyone who takes that ad at face value is in for a rude awakening when they get onboard

[Freericks]

Troy,

I go back to your original statement, "this is flat our false advertising." I don't see anything false here at all.

And I have certainly experienced happy patrons, clean equipment, and full trains on Amtrak (along with the opposite on all three).

Beyond that, do the people wearing Gap clothes that you walk past look like the people in the Gap ads?

Does someone paint water colors of beauty in motion every time an Infiniti drives by in real life?

Welcome to the real world.

[MDH]

Originally Posted by Freericks

Welcome to the real world.

Real World? Never did like that show much.

But, but, but... this is the INTERNET! If everything that was advertised was real I'd have a massive johnson, a full head of thick luxurious hair, abs of steel and be rich thanks to some Nigerian banker I helped out. Wait, that sorta sounds like the profile I put on a dating site once...



I'll be here all week, tip your waitress.

And now I'll return you to your regularly scheduled complaining about what is and isn't acceptable in the world and on rp.net.

Michael

[Freericks]

I prefer the Albert Brooks movie (REAL LIFE).

[Dennis A. Livesey]

Yet another forum derailment. (Yes, I plead guilty for my own involvement)

So anybody thinking of using any of Dennis Davis's lighting ideas for their next RP image?

One of the recent award-winning RP shots is a B&W of a food attendant. Maybe using an extra light to give some extra snap to her face if you were to try your version.

PhotoID: 323310 Photograph © Nick Ozorak

On the following, the photographers used extra lighting, I think to great effect.

PhotoID: 324599 Photograph © Steve Crise

PhotoID: 307043 Photograph © Stephen Hussar

PhotoID: 305662 Photograph © Alan-Crotty

PhotoID: 318184 Photograph © Chase55671

Who is using flash or any extra illumination?

[Christopher Muller]

I've taken trips on Amtrak several times in the last couple of years. Despite the stations, the train was a good representation of my experience. The trains were clean, nicely crowded with everyone having an assigned seat, dining car was clean and service was good. I was on the Empire Builder, and the station at Staples, Minnesota wasn't nearly as elegant as the one depicted in the photographs. It is a run down and very cold depot with a ton of NP history.

[sd9]

Originally Posted by Christopher Muller

I've taken trips on Amtrak several times in the last couple of years. Despite the stations, the train was a good representation of my experience. The trains were clean, nicely crowded with everyone having an assigned seat, dining car was clean and service was good. I was on the Empire Builder, and the station at Staples, Minnesota wasn't nearly as elegant as the one depicted in the photographs. It is a run down and very cold depot with a ton of NP history.

My first Amtrak trip was 2 years ago, Chicago to Kansas City MO, what an experience, it was a rainy cold October day, I spent the whole time in the obs car, talking with people from all over and all ages, and with the bar below with plenty of hot coffee, watching the rural countryside go by, then had a great meal in the dining car, I was a little skeptical of the food wondering if it was like airplane meals, but the herb chicken was great! I will definitely ride the rails again on Amtrak, I even joined the Amtrak rewards program, the only problem is, I just have to find the time.

Bill

[John Ryan]

Ah, yes, advertising. And how often does anyone order fast food and get something that looks anywhere as neat and perfect as what's depicted in the commercials?

[Heymon]

Troy, perhaps you could do your own photo shoot depicting the "real" Amtrak as you see it and lets compare them.

You can recruit models off the street (or just use actual passengers), show them struggling with their baggage under the watchful gaze of an unhelpful but surly employee, followed by them standing in a snack car gnawing on a cold sandwich paid for with food stamps while graffiti strewn underpasses whiz by outside. No fair using other than ambient light. Then offer your ad campaign to Amtrak and tell them they can use it to increase ridership to heretofore unknown levels, possibly using the tag line "Amtrak--Keeping it Real on the Rails". Post your meeting with Amtrak execs on Rail-Videos.net. I suspect a Top 2 video of the day, if not a Screener's Choice, would be headed your way.

Andre

PS By the way, I thought the article was informative even if "false". Thanks for posting it Dennis.

[troy12n]

Originally Posted by Heymon

Troy, perhaps you could do your own photo shoot depicting the "real" Amtrak as you see it and lets compare them.

You can recruit models off the street (or just use actual passengers), show them struggling with their baggage under the watchful gaze of an unhelpful but surly employee, followed by them standing in a snack car gnawing on a cold sandwich paid for with food stamps while graffiti strewn underpasses whiz by outside. No fair using other than ambient light. Then offer your ad campaign to Amtrak and tell them they can use it to increase ridership to heretofore unknown levels, possibly using the tag line "Amtrak--Keeping it Real on the Rails".

Excellent idea, gotta make sure I include the "drug dogs" checking the train in DC

And in all seriousness, every proponent of Amtrak should be forced to take a LD trip in coach on one of the "silver" trains to see the shady underside of America that utilizes the service these days and the level of service that Amtrak provides.

[Warton GR4]

Hi,
The technical legal term for this is puffery. This states that it is reasonable for adverts to exaggerate their product in order to help promote that object or service. How often have you seen in an advert the line “best in the world”? They can't prove that but it's an accepted term. Food will sometimes be painted to make it “look” the right colour and therefore more appetising. In this case of course they're going to use the cleanest, best looking coach they can for this shoot. The coach you get may not look anything like that coach or be anywhere near as clean or quiet but that's a given.
You also get puffery in journalism of course (celebrity X gets fatter by the day) and in reviews (this really is the worst album of the year).
So their you go, a new legal term for you all.
Mark

[Christopher Muller]

Originally Posted by Warton GR4

Hi,
The technical legal term for this is puffery. This states that it is reasonable for adverts to exaggerate their product in order to help promote that object or service. How often have you seen in an advert the line “best in the world”? They can't prove that but it's an accepted term. Food will sometimes be painted to make it “look” the right colour and therefore more appetising. In this case of course they're going to use the cleanest, best looking coach they can for this shoot. The coach you get may not look anything like that coach or be anywhere near as clean or quiet but that's a given.
You also get puffery in journalism of course (celebrity X gets fatter by the day) and in reviews (this really is the worst album of the year).
So their you go, a new legal term for you all.
Mark

I actually learned it from the Dominos Pizza commercial a few months ago.