Wednesday 28 March 2012

4. How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

When creating my different products, I had to uses a rage of different technology, in which I found that some where more effetive and easire to uses than other. Heres a rage of the technologys I used:
Google
YouTube
Twitter and Facebook
Surveymonkey
Slideshare
Jamendo
Windows Publisher
Canon ixus 105
iMovies
Panasonic HDC-SD900
Photo Explosion Image Editor

How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

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Tuesday 27 March 2012

3. What have you learned from your audience feedback?

To gain understanding of what my audience think about my different proucts I used social networking sites both facebook and twitter to gain a direct view from my audeince. To see thier respons to the poster, cover and trailer and allows me to see the way  in which my porducts have been succesfully and what the strengths and weaknesses of my products.

Magazine Cover
 



From posting the magazine cover on ‘Facebook’ and ‘Twitter’ it allowed me to gain comments from my target audience that let me see their direct views on what they thought about the magazine cover.  Looking at the different comments I found that most of them were positive, saying that the different images used work well and braw attention to the magazine. Though with the my chosen colour scheme I found that the comments were mix with some of my target audience liking it and other thinking that it could be improved to make it more noticeable.

Poster











For the poster I posted it on ‘Facebook’ and ‘Twitter’ it gain the direct views of my target audience, this meant that I was able to see their views on the poster. Looking at the comments I found that my target audience liked the colour scheme being that they felt it made the poster stand out and highlight the characters and the plot. Though with this one of the main things to improve was the positioning of the logo as it blends into the background.    


Trailer

By posting the trailer on ‘Facebook’ and ‘Twitter’ it allowed me to get the views of my target audience and by using social networking sites it allowed me to get the audience direct views on what they think. I found that the comment about the trailer was mainly positive saying that it kept them interested in what they were watching. With the music fitting in with the action and the transitions working well to show the plot line. However with this one of the main comments for improvement was about the continuity of the trailer. 
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Along with using social networking sites I created a survey using  SurveyMonkey in which it allowed me to embed the survey on the social networking sites and again a better understanding of what they through about my different products.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.
Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.


1. For my audience feedback survey I had more females fill it out than males being that my target audience was more female base being that from my research I found that soap appeal to female more than male.

2. I got people from our target audience to do the questionnaire, being that this meant that I could get the response form the right age rage and see the way in which they reacted to my products.

3. By asking what my audience felt where the strengths allows me to see what I have done well. From there comments I found that they liked the colour, “The use of colour through out links them together”. Along with this I found the way in which the characters were shown different products appealed to them, “The characters are clearly shown”. They also mentioned the trailer, “The drama in the trailer is good”, also with others saying, “It keeps me hooked” which was the aim and “I definitely want to see more about Hatton Park”. Showing the way in which my audience was positive about the different products I created. 

4. By finding out what my target audience would change it means that I can see what did not work so well in my different products. For the ancillary products I found that my audience said that they to “bring over more of the plot lines”, this was a good comment as it was something I found to was hard to bring over in the images.  Along with this they said that “the magazine is a bit busy”, through when looking at other magazine covers I found that many had a busy layout. Along with this someone said “I would also change the magazine covers colours as you can’t see some of the text”, this was a good point and next time I need to make sure that the front and colours are clear for the audience to see. Then with the trailer I found that they felt they “would like to see more drama in the trailer” and saying “you could give away a little more about the characters”. When creating the script and storyboards we need to have through more about the best way to portray the characters clearly.  
  

5. To find out if my magazine would be successful I want to see if my audience would buy the magazine, finding that 66.7% said yes with only 33.3% saying no. These manly said that it was because “I don’t really buy them”. Where as those saying yes felt that “the characters are brought over well”, that it showed “different stories”. These were things that I tried to bring over in my cover. “After watching the trailer, I would buy the magazine because the cover shows it has a feature on Hatton Park and I want to see more.” This is what I want to gain from my different products.

6. To make sure that my poster fulfilled its purpose I ask my audience if the poster made them interested in the soap. From this I found that everyone I ask said yes saying that “the bright colours and highlights characters relationship”  was a reason why the poster appealed to them, the main reasons was due to the way I conveyed my characters “It shows the characters clearly”. However with this someone said that I “could give away a bit more to make it more eye catching”.


7. To see what my audience rated my trailer I got them to rate it out of 5 and then find out the reasons they thought this. Saying that it “could bring over the plot more, who the characters are” also “I like it but not very clear”. I think that we need to make next time that the possible plot lines come over clear but with this the audience seam to like the trailer and would go and watch the soap.

8. To make sure that the different products I create I ask if the would make my audience watch the soap. All of them saying yes, “it looks like it could be good” which is what I want the audience to feel about the soap. “The magazine and the poster advertise the soap well”, this is good as I need to make sure that the ancillary product brought over the soap well. With other saying that it “make me interested in what its going to be about” with was the over all plan for each of my products.  
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Audince Interview
 I had audience interviews with different members of my demographic. Doing interviews meant that they were about to give their full view and not have a word limit. I have edited the different responds to bring over the main points of what they were saying.


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Throughout creating my different products I used feedback from my target audience to help me to develop my products in a way that appealed to my target audience. By using the social networking sites throughout the construction allowed me to gain a direct idea of what they thought of my product and how I could make it more successful. By using audience feedback I was able to make sure that I created a successful product. Being that I was able to develop and changed my product by what they were saying. Seen with the trailer in which posting it on social networking sites and holding focus groups meant that I was able to see what my audience like of what we had done and see how we could develop it to make sure that the music worked and that the characters were clear. I used the same methods of my poster and magazine cover to make sure that my audience understood the soap from the image and the titles.













Friday 23 March 2012

2. How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?



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‘Hollyoaks’ creates a package of their upcoming week, ‘fire week’ including a trailer and poster from looking at these and comparing them to the media package that I created looking at the different ways they created a brand identity and the different techniques that I used to create a brand identity across my different products.




I found that one of the main things that the trailer used to create a brand identity was by using the same characters, doing this allows the audience to see who the main characters are involved in the up coming plot line. This is something I did with my trailer and poster, by including the same characters it allows the audience time to identify with them before the soap beings. Along with seeing who the main characters will be, uderstanding the type of charatcers they will be.


Another thing that ‘Hollyoaks’ trailer and poster did to link them with including the same titles and information that the audience need. These where place in similar areas, with it being at end of the trailer and on the far side in the dead areas on the poster. By doing this the audience are able to understand the link and gain the information that they need, having it at then end means that they are more likely to remember it.  For my trailer and poster I place mine information in the same place being that hopefully it will have the same impact on the audience. Along with showing the same information I made the front used of the titles in the trailer and poster the same doing this create a brand identity across my poster and trailer. ‘Hollyoaks’ also did though being that they did not uses as many titles it is hard to see but it does create a brand identity for the trailer and poster.       

The main link created between the trailer and poster is the theme of fire and can be seen in the trailer through the characters movement with it coming from there hand, and what they are saying, whereas in the poster the characters are on fire. Creating this clear link between the poster and trailer allows the audience to see that they are part of brand identity. By using the theme of fire it highlights the way in which the episodes are going to explosive. Where as in my trailer and poster I did not have a theme across the different texts, however for each of them I clear show the soaps logo. In which it brings over the way in which the soap is set at a school and is aimed at that age rage. By using it across my products it allows the audience to see how they are part of the same identity.   


I was unable to find a magazine that linked in with the brand identity because the magazine cover are created by a different company, however with my magazine I was able to put in links that made it part of the brand but still keep an individuals magazine cover that brought over the soap and other programmes.

Tuesday 20 March 2012

1. In what ways does your media product uses, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?


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Director's Commentary



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For our trailer I found that I mainly followed conventions, we did this with our choses in music. Having the song reflect what is being shown allows the audience to gain a better idea as of what the plot line will be. Seen with the ‘Eastenders’ Kat and Alfie trailer in which they uses music to reflect the theme of the trailer being in a western style. Whereas the music we used fit in with the target audience, being upbeat and pop music.      

The shots types that we used throughout the trailer were conventions. Seen by the way in which we used close up, which I found were typical used in the ‘Coronation Street’ ‘This is my Lucky Day’ trailer used conventional close up to highlight the character’s feelings and lets the audience to gain a understand of who the character is. We used close ups throughout our trailer being that we felt that this would allow the audience to gain an understand of the character is. Seen by the close up used on Jessie that allows the audience to see the way in which she is annoyed.



The way in which we end the trailer follows the conventions being that it gives the audience all the information about soap that the audience needs and by having it at the end means that the audience is likely to remember this. Looking at the way ‘Neighbours’ ‘600th episode’ trailer end it follows convention by allowing the audience to see what the advert was about and when and where the soap will be on. This is what we include at the end of our trailer, however to appeal to a younger audience we had the titles coming in and out to get their attention. Then by using the logo over it allows the audience to easily to see what programme is.   



The way in which we used costume was conventional, being that we felt it would allow the audience to gain a better understanding of the type of character they are. Looking at the way in which they used costume in the ‘Coronation Street’ trailer the uses costume to reflect the way in the other characters did not think the wedding was going to go well. Whereas in our trailer the costumes used bring over the different stereotypical reputation of the character, seen with what Elizabeth wears, using dull colours and the glass reflect to the audience the way in which she fills the role of a typical ‘nerd’.     


I also found that it was conventional that for trailer to include titles in the trailer to bring over a clear image of what the up coming story will be able. This can be seen in the ‘Neighbours’ trailer in which it uses a rage of short one word phases that brought over the clips there were showing and to highlight to the audience going to happen. Where as in our trailer we uses to title to bring over what will be the storylines. Though along with this we uses the same phrase but changing the last word to bring over continuity which is also seen through the colours used. By following the conventions it has made it easier for the audience to understand what they are being shown.  

The location we chose was conventional to our target audience and looking at other films and television programs aimed at teens they use the same school location. Being that the audience are familiar with it and it allows them to gain a better understanding of the plot and characters. By using the school location in our trailer it meant that we were able to clear bring over to the audience watching it who it was aimed at and what it would be about.


We did not uses many props in our trailer however what we did uses was conventional to our audience being that they were typical things that they would understand. Such as using the note book for Elizabeth brought over her character to the audience and allows them to instantly know what type of person she is. The other main prop we used is also conventional being that of mobile phones; we used these to highlight the relationship with Jessie and Billy. However using the phones appeal to our target audience being that they identify and use mobile phones more that other age groups.