5.0 VISUALS

Photo and Video Style

Our image style is light and genuine. The lighting should be natural. Avoid the overly dramatic lighting with extreme light and dark areas. To avoid unnatural angles, never rotate the camera to an angle other than 90 degrees. All visuals should follow the rule of thirds since off-center composition is more pleasing to the eye and looks more natural than one where the subject is placed right in the middle of the frame.

MOOD – warm, inviting, optimistic PEOPLE – real, approachable, diverse LOCATION – sunny, vibrant, energetic

• Colorful – use light and natural color. Compose the shot to accentuate the bright and airy

Southern California feel. Black and white images should be avoided unless intended for monochromatic uses.

• Believable – subject matter should portray people in real-life situations. It should feel warm and inviting and make you feel as if you would be welcome at the Merage School.

• Inspiring – visuals should reflect the promise of achieving success that is just within reach. Our audience should feel inspired and motivated by what they see.

• Forward-thinking – visuals should embrace the future and techonological advances while honoring our long history of innovation and breaking traditional boundaries. • Diverse – we are open-minded and respectful seeking viewpoints from all areas in society and our images should reflect that. There should be a natural mix of race, age, and gender.

• Inviting – whether people are looking off camera or giving direct eye contact, they should look positive and approachable. Groups should appear welcoming. Avoid shots of groups that seem closed off.

• Engaged – people should always appear interested and involved. Avoid using visuals of people who look tired or distracted.

• Happy – images should reflect the warmth and friendliness of all here at the Merage School. • Vibrant – the active and transformative nature of our Southern California business environment should be evident in all visuals.

• Brilliant – our climate is exceptional and a big part of the draw to this area. Visuals should depict the beauty and energy of our location.

• Authentic – images should be of locations around the Southern California area.

• Active – not only is our area a great place to have fun, but it is a bustling area of innovation and entrepreneurship. Take every opportunity to illustrate the vitality of Southern California.

5.0 VISUALS

Web and Email Images

Web and email images follow our image style as defined on page 21, however, since the images are often in wide panoramic format, they should be taken in landscape orientation with ample room for cropping. This requires the photographer to take photos from a further distance than usual. When photographing people, there should be enough room to the left and/or right to allow for the person’s head and torso to be visible within a 3:1 ratio of width to height.

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