Year 13 Media Practice Advert

At the beginning of year 13, our teacher set us two preliminary tasks, one of which is down below and the task set was for us to create an advert based on a given prop. This task allowed for my group and I to help get a rough idea on what we wanted to do for a final practical piece. This task showed us what our strengths and weaknesses are when it came to filming and editing the first task which also gave us a better judgment on what would suit us best for my final media piece

In conclusion I believe that my first task came together well and showed us what my group and I can put together in a short amount of time and also with the prop given to us. This task really highlighted the qualities of our filming, meaning the variety of shots used and different locations used. The task also shows our ability to edit well, meaning how and when we used different cuts. Although I felt this task went well, this was our first time creating an advert so there were many imperfections with it.


To the right is the prop we were given to make an advert about. At first my group and I were a bit skeptical when we received the prop as this was our first time creating an advert so we were limited on ideas. But eventually we brainstormed and came up with a well rounded idea which lead to a fairly good advert.


We have decided that making a TV advert isn't what we plan on creating for our final media piece.


What I have learnt from this is how to use the camera in numerous ways in order to capture different shots and therefore make my final product much more effective and eye-capturing. So by doing a practice advert will help me in the long run as I have learnt new techniques which will make my work seem more professional and of a better standard. One technique that I have used in this practice task that I had not used before was a birds eye view shot. This is placing the camera above a place or person usually showing weakness within the character, but in this particular scenario I have used it to show the start of race between two people. From this it has taught me when I should and shouldn't use particular shots in different situations. For example using a close up of the two participants in the race to really captivate their facial expressions and nervousness for the race that's about to take place. 

What I have also learnt from this practice task is to really show off and capture the product that you're trying to promote or advertise and in this case, we didn't really do that until the end of the advert. If i ever produce an advert for a product in the future then I will try to include the product as much as I can in the most relevant situations.

Year 13 Practice Music Video

Below is what we done for my second preliminary task set, creating a music video to the song Candy by Maradona. This task also gave my group and I a rough idea on what we wanted to do for a final practical piece. I felt that this task required a little more thought and effort put into it as producing a music is completely different from a film opening. As this was my second preliminary task, it helped to give me a better insight on what I wanted to do for my final media piece.

In conclusion I believe that my second task wasn't as good as expected for a number of reasons. The first reason being we didn't really have many good ideas when it came to producing a music video so we were limited when it came round to actually making it. Secondly, the music video is only 21 seconds long where as it was meant to be 40 seconds - 1 minute long. This preliminary task was nowhere near as good as our first task which is slightly disappointing to say the least.

To the left is a picture of the album cover to the song candy shop by Madonna. This was the song given to my group and I in order to make a music video to. When we first heard the song our minds went blank as it's not the type of genre music we listen to so we had no idea what to do when it came to producing a music video. So in the end we just decided to do something random for it.



In the end we decided that producing a music video isn't want we want to do for our final media piece.

What I have learnt from this entry includes a variety of things. Firstly, from this practice task It has taught me to put a lot more effort and planning when producing a music video or any video for that instance and because of this, it shows how much little time and effort we put into this practice task as we didn't manage to finish the second task set. So in the future, I will try to be as consistent and productive as I can when it comes to being set a task such as the one above. However, although this task wasn't completed it also taught me a new shot which I plan on using in my final piece. The shot used is called a 'two shot' and this is when the frame encompasses a view of two people usually referred to as 'the subjects'. Typically this particular shot is used to show emotional reactions between the subjects but in this example we have used the shot to capture two people dancing. 

This entry has also taught me that as the task set was to produce a music video to the song candy shop - Madonna. That I should make a clear and obvious link to the theme, which is candy but we failed to do so. So in the future if I have to make a music video, I will be sure to make some sort of link to the main focus of the song.

History and Development of a Documentary

What I have learnt from this is how Documentaries first came along and the different elements that were put into making them. It has taught me about how much of a deficit films makers were at during the late 1800's and the early 1900's as they lacked the technology to produce even the simplest of films. This has also motivated me in a sense as many film producers back then had to use low state of the art equipment in order to make small movies lasting a couple of seconds/minutes and still managed to do the best with what they had and in modern society where we have some of the top of the range equipment and the potential to make extraordinary pieces of work. This has given me the motive to do the best I can with the equipment and tools that gets handed to me in order to make a worthy Documentary.

Target Audience

What I have learnt from this is getting a better general overview about the kind of people I'm targeting my Documentary at. So by producing a target audience sheet listing the different features and elements about them and the things they like, it will then help me to shape my Documentary in order to seem the most appealing to them and also to include different aspects which will draw in my target market. Also by producing a target audience sheet, it has taught me how to carefully select and make decisions based on the kind of people that I will be aiming my Documentary at and therefore has helped me to make fast decisions which will benefit me in the near future.

Audience Research

Above is the questionnaire I handed out in order to get a better insight about my target audience. Asking these specific questions will help me to produce my documentary in a way which is appealing to my target market. The first four questions are multiple choice just to make the recipients of the questionnaire feel more comfortable. The last two aren't multiple choice so they will require a lot more thought and time given to them. The last two are also the most important questions as it gives me a better idea about what sports to include in my documentary and also if a sports documentary is appealing to my target audience.

What I have learnt from doing this is getting a general overview on simple but necessary information about my target market in order to know what to include in my Documentary in order to make it seem appealing to my target market. This has also taught me what kind of questions to asking when waiting to gain information about a specific topic or subject, which will benefit me in the near future.

Audience Research Results

Q1) The first question I asked was
'What age group are you?' I asked this question because knowing this gives me a better insight into knowing the different age groups
opinions on a sports documentary. I also asked this particular question because I'm aiming my documentary at two different age groups which is teenagers 16-18 and adults which varies between 25-40. Although I'm aiming between this age groups, it doesn't mean anyone younger or older cant watch the documentary.

Q2) The second question I asked was 'Have you ever watched a documentary?' I asked this question primarily because knowing if my target audience had seen a documentary before would tell me if they'd understand the style and codes of a documentary. I also asked this question because as I'm doing a documentary for my media practical, I would need to know if my target audience hasn't watched a documentary before so when it comes to making one, I can make it clear what they're watching.


Q3) The third question I asked was 'How often do you watch documentaries?' There is a very distinct reason as to why I asked this question and it's because knowing how frequently my target audience watches documentaries tells me how much they enjoy watching them. The majority of the votes say that they rarely watch documentaries tells me that they aren't keen on them or it's because they don't have the time to watch them. Although a small percentage of the responses say that they sometimes watch documentaries meaning some of my target audience does enjoy them.


Q4) The fourth question I asked was 'Do you play any sports?' The main reason I asked this question was because  my documentary is based around sporting events so if I got a better understanding of the sports my target audience plays, I then know what sports to include in my documentary. All 6 of my responses claim that they play sports which is
terrific for me because I can do many sports in my documentary and making it enjoyable for all of my target audiences. This is also good because now the majority of my audience will understand what i'm talking about.



Q5) The fifth question I asked was 'What sports do you play and why?' I asked this question in sync with the fourth question. Finding out what sports my target audience plays is another key point when it comes to producing my documentary because now I can focus around specific sports rather than random ones. Although this game me valuable information, there was also one drawback to these results. The majority of the results said that they played football, so there wasn't a lot of variety.

Q6) The sixth and final question I asked was 'Does a sports documentary sound appealing and why?' I asked this question because it gave me an all round insight if people would watch my sports documentary. From the results that I attained, all of the respondents said they would like to watch a sports documentary. From these results I can shape my documentary to try and live up to my target audience's expectations.


From the results collected above, I have learnt a lot of information regarding my target audience and my Documentary. The first question told me the kind of people that were participating in my questionnaire and also if they would be interested in watching my Documentary. The second question let me know if my target audience were aware of what a Documentary was and knew about the different conventions that were included with it. The third question gave me a better insight into how frequently my target audience will go out of there way to watch a Documentary and also if it's in their best intention to watch Documentaries on a regular basis. The fourth question tells me me that all of the participants play sport so they are likely to be intrigued in watching my Documentary. The fifth question has taught me about the different kinds of sport my target audience plays so I will know what sports to included within my Documentary. The final question has taught me if my target audience will be interested in watching my Documentary and the results show that they will. From these results, they have informed me about the kind of things my target audience likes.

Institutional Research

From this entry, I have learnt more about a specific institution (Channel 4) and all the different elements that goes into producing and distributing different texts. It has also given me a better insight when it comes to comparing my text to the texts that they commission and has given me a rough idea if my final product will look like a real text that are produced and distributed by institutions in modern society. Also what I have learnt from this post is if my product would be acceptable for the big institutions in today's society and the kind of pricing that would be needed in order to produce my product.

Regulation Research

BBFC Guidelines

The BBFC stands for The British Board of Film Classification is the UK's regulator for the film and video industry. They were founded by the film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of films. They give out the age ratings U, PG, 12, 15 and 18. They are a designated body which gives them the legal power to rate and sometimes cut or reject works.

Their main purpose is to examine and rate films or videos before they are released in order to protect young audiences from unsuitable and harmful content. They also give consumers the information need to justify whether or not to view a particular film or video. They decide what rating/certificate a film is by watching the film/video all the way through, awarding a certificate and justifying why they've given it this rating.

The BBFC look at issues such as Discrimination, Drugs, Horror, Behavior which is easily imitable, Language, explicit scenes (Sex) and Violence.

Sex
There is a clear public consensus that some of the imagery and references to sex should not be passed as suitable for younger audiences. The BBFC reflects this through the age rating system - The U certificate rating only allows mild sex scenes for example; Kissing and references like 'making love.' When you get further down the spectrum, the use of sexual behavior gets more explicit meaning it's more detailed. At the bottom of the age ratings there's a special rating, R18, which contains certain explicit imagery of real sex. These types of images can only be rated 18 once they've been justified by context. The BBFC must also consider the legal issues that's associated with images of sex such as the protection of children-act and the 1994 amendment to the video recordings act. Which states that the BBFC must pay special attention to certain matters including 'sexual activity.'

Drugs
Films that depict drug misuse have been a major concern for the BBFC and for the society.The BBFC's guidelines prohibit detailed portrayal of illegal drug use which could potentially raise concerns for the public even if the rating of the film/video is rated 18. Any work taken in which may promote the misuse of drugs and any detailed portrayal of drug use that's likely to promote or glamorise the activity may be cut. Work that shows drug misuse whilst emphasising the dangers may receive a less restrictive age rating than works that present drug misuse in a neutral manner.
At the certificate U, the guidelines state 'No references to illegal drugs or drug misuse unless they are infrequent and innocuous or if there's a clear educational purpose or anti-drug message suitable for the younger audience.'

Language
The BBFC still continue to show that they are sensitive to how the public view bad language. Instead of the BBFC relying upon a list of swear words rated by offence, they have now taken into consideration 3 things; Strength, the Context the word(s) are used in and the Tone. The BBFC takes care to ensure that they surpass audience expectations at any age rating. More derogatory terms/phrases are removed from the younger age rating, while the strongest obscenities are restricted to the higher ratings such as 15 and 18. The BBFC perpetuate guidelines on the language that reflect public attitudes on the issues. Below shows what language can be used in throughout the age ratings;
U - Infrequent use of mild bad language.
PG - Mild bad language only.
12 - Moderate language only.
15 - There may be frequent use of strong language. Vigorous or repeated use of the strongest terms is very unlikely to be acceptable.
18 - There is no constraints on the language used.

Violence

The BBFC has a challenge to determine whether the violence in any given work is acceptable for the audiences. They must also consider potentially effects such as desensitisation or fear, as well as the more obvious concerns about encouraging violent behavior. The BBFC debates issues such as whether or not more sanitised adaptions of violence are in fact more harmful, because they don't show sufficiently the consequences of violence. Nearly always, it is the film which encourages the viewer to take pleasure in the pain and distress of the victim(s) that raises the most objections.

Certifications

The first certificate in the age rating is U. This stands for universal and this means that any film rated U should be suitable for children aged four and over. However when a child is as young as the age of four, it's a hard task to make a judgment on what might upset a particular child. In a U rated film, the BBFC only allows infrequent use of mild Language. For example terms such as 'damn and hell.' In a U rated film, the characters may only be seen kissing or cuddling and any more than this may have a negative effect on the child. There can also be some references to Sexual Behavior. However, there mustn't be any 'overt focus' on any sexual behavior, language or innuendo. Another topic which is of high concerns in U rated films is Violence. The kind of violence included will usually be very mild. They typically only include minor and brief fight scenes where characters will be placed in a situation of danger. It can also contain mild scary scenes but later on will be balanced out by reassuring elements such as music or comical themes. At a U rated film, there is not normally any references to Drugs or the misuse of drugs unless there's a clear and vivid anti-drugs message or educational theme to it in which the younger audience will understand. 

The second certificate which is PG. This stands for parental guidance and this means that some films are suitable for general viewing but could potentially contain some scenes unsuitable for children. In PG rated films there may be some mild bad Language, but the context that the words are used in are an important factor meaning if the language is used in an aggressive manor or if there's continuous use of the language then the work may be passed at a high category. Also in PG's, there will be infrequent and un-detailed use of references to Sex. But there will be ways to lessen the impact of sexual references such as using comedy. A quote from the BBFC's official webpage is 'Sex and references are treated the same irrespective of sexuality so there could be mild or un-detailed sexual references at PG.' Simultaneously, the Violence within PG rated films is mild and infrequent. There are many different factors when it comes to the violence portrayed in PG's, for example; there should be no detail of violence, there may also not be any scenes of how a injury was inflicted in detail and a scene may contain some blood. PG's don't tend to contain much threat or gore, and will only usually contain some jump/frightening moments or scenes. There may be inoffensive or passive references to illegal Drugs. There mustn't contain strong or in-depth focus on this topic and in-addition drug references are acceptable if there's a strong anti-drugs message.

The third certificate in the age rating is 12A and 12. Films or videos that have this rating generally means viewers under the age of 12 shouldn't view the product. If you'e under the age of 12, you can't see a 12A in the cinema unless accompanied by an adult. With a 12A or 12. the BBFC tend to be a little more lenient with the Language and allows stronger terms such as 'fuck'. It all depends on the context the language is used in, the individual using the language and the consistently at which the language is used. If the profanity is used in an aggressive manor could potentially result in the work being rated a 15. In a 12A or 12, the Sexual Behavior can be portrayed in a discrete approach. Simultaneously, verbal sex references must not go beyond what is suitable for the young viewers. Frequent and repetitive use of sexual references or innuendo are unlikely to be accepted into this age category. At a 12A or 12, there may be some uses of moderate Violence but there should not be any emphasis or detail on the injuries shown. However, sexual violence such as rape may only be shown briefly and must have a strong contextual justification.

The fourth certification on the list is a 15. This also applies the rule where anyone under the age of the certificate, in this case a 15, can't see the film or video unless they are accompanied by an adult. In a 15 rated film, there is no restrictions when it comes to the Language used. Even the strongest terms are used depending on the context they are used in, the individual that uses them and the tone/manner also. At a 15, Sex and sexual content can be portrayed and have no restriction but there is usually no vivid detail. There can be mild use of references to sex but anything that is offensive and crude will have to be justified by context. 15's can also contain nudity but not in strong detail. There can strong Violence shown but it shouldn't dwell on the distress and pain of the individual nor the injury beforehand.  Simultaneously, gory scenes are unlikely to be shown and the same with strong and sadistic scenes of violence. Drugs at this rating can also be shown but MUST not promote or encourage the miss use of drugs.

The last certification on the age rating is an 18. When a film is rated 18, this means that anyone under the age of 18 can't watch the works, so it's unsuitable for children to watch. In this age rating there is no restriction on the Language used meaning even the strongest of terms can be used. The terms used can be in an aggressive manner and not have to be justified by context. Also in an 18 rated film there's allowed to be strong and detailed portrayals of Sex. There are no constraints on the nudity shown. Strong and crude depictions of sex are even permitted in 18's. There is also no restrictions on the Violence shown and can even be portrayed in strong detail. Unlike other ratings, there can also be dwelling on the infliction of the pain/injury. The goriest of images are also permitted at this category. Drug taking can also be shown but it STILL can't promote or encourage the misuse of drugs.

Certification and guidelines for my product

For my media piece, which is a Documentary I have given it the a U rating. This is because it meets all of the different requirements in the U category and doesn't go beyond it. Seeing as it's rated a U, anyone above the age of 4 may view my media product. Although this can be viewed by anyone, there are also some restrictions we must follow as there will also be some younger viewers. For example; We will have to keep the language to a minimal meaning there won't be frequent use of swear words. Although there may some references used which is suitable for young viewers but nothing too strong which would have a negative effect on the younger audience. Seeing as we're recording many different sporting events such as football, many of the participants many use bad language due to a factor within the football game. My media piece won't contain any sexual content primarily because it's a sports documentary and there isn't anything relevant we can link to sport and sex. However, when it comes to the violence part, there could potentially be some mild fights within the football pitch between the players. There won't be anything more than mild violence due to the restrictions that the U rating has. There also won't be any mention of the word drug nor any reference to it.

By reading the guidelines that are expected from the BBFC for a U rated film, I feel that this has given my group and I a better idea on what my Documentary can and can't contain. I feel that nothing within my Documentary will go against these guidelines and therefore there's nothing that I can't include for my final media product because of this, I don't need to feel restricted on what I can and can't include which makes it easier for me and my group.

What I have learnt from this is that if anything challenges or goes against the BBFC's guidelines then I cant use it. So if my Documentary contained strong language such as 'fuck' then I won't be able to use that scene as it goes against the U ratings guidelines. It has also given me a better insight about the kind of elements and features that my text can and can not include. From this, it has taught me more about why they give certain age certificates for different products.

Ancillary Task: Radio Advert with script

Below is the script my group and I are using for our first ancillary task. The first task consists of making a radio trailer/advert for our Documentary. We thought we'd take it upon ourselves to make a script for the radio advert in order to make it easier when recording for the advert itself. What the main topic is regarding the radio advert is to find out why participation in sport has dropped over the years.

What our radio advert includes is four interviewees giving their opinions on children participating in sport nowadays. Which is the main focus within our Documentary, 'to find out why participation in sport has decreased over the years.'

The first interviewee states, 'Back in my day, kids didn't have video games.' What they mean by this is they also agree that participation in sport has declined over the years and are expressing their opinion by saying children didn't have video games in their day. They are saying that the reason participation has dropped in sport is because of the increase in technology these days and that kids would rather play video games than participate in sports.

The second interviewee mentions, 'My son plays football every week, he loves the sport.' This individual is the only one that disagrees with the idea that participation has decreased and uses the example that there son plays football weekly, which is suggesting that participation in sport hasn't declined over the years.

The third interviewee says, 'Kids just don't seem to be interested in sports these days.' This person always agrees that participation within sport has dropped off over the years. They argue that many kids these days have lost the interest to play sport. Which suggests that there are many factors as to why kids aren't interested in sport these days.

The fourth and last interviewee adds, 'I think we should aim to get children more involved in sport.' This individual also agrees that participation in sport has decreased but is the only one that suggests that we should take action and try to get them involved. This suggests that they wan't to keep children playing sport and to keep healthy.

Down below is the final version of my radio advert:

What I have learnt from this is how to prepare making a radio advert and the different elements that go into making one. By creating a script in preparation for making the ad, it allowed my group and I to get a better understanding of what to include in the advert and the different things we should mention such as listing the main point of the advert (Why participation in sports has dropped) and also mentioning a website where the people watching/listening to the ad can give their opinions. What I have also learnt from this is how to produce a radio advert from scratch which will benefit me when it comes to making my final product.

Ancillary task: Newspaper ad practice

In this post shows what we had to do as a preparation for our Newspaper advert and then add some minor details for the finishing touch. To start with we captured two pictures of Barney in front of two different goal posts. One of which is quite rusted and located on a scruffy pitch where as the other photo is captured on a new, up to date goal on a 3D pitch. We then merged the two photos together so it shows the two goals and looks like they're connected to one another. We also had some cars in the background and we didn't want this to distracted what's in the background so we decided to completely get ride of them and the results look very clean.

What I have learned from this is how to use the different tools within a certain software to completely manipulate and edit two photos and then have them both in one frame. This basic editing will provide worthy when it comes to editing my final product and for the near future. I have also learnt how to use the different editing tools within this software in order to change the effect of the photo.