13. Closing Post

Dear Examiner,
Thank you very much for reading and reviewing my blog. To find the posts that are relevant for this project, please select the "AS Research and Planning" label along the right-hand side of the page.

This post is now closed.

Thank you,
Candidate 4123

12. My Final Production

These are my finished 4 finished posters:

Advert 1

Advert 2

Advert 3

Advert 4

11. Production Review: My production and my intended improvements

I decided to ask the media staff to review my adverts a couple of weeks before final submission and I prepared some questions to ask them. After a general discussion with them and the intended target audience, I decided to make some amendments in order to improve my production work.

Advert 1

Advert 2

Advert 3

Advert 4

Mrs Blackborow Review

• WWW: My questions centred around the overall design of the pack shot and logo and the consistency between the adverts. 
• EBI: For Advert 1, I decided that the connotations of a man giving a woman a deodorant may be different to what I was aiming for. Therefore, I changed the item that he was giving her to a chocolate from a box of chocolates. 
• EBI: Similarly to Advert 1, I decided that Advert 4 allows for connotations different to those that I am trying to create as the man in the background begins to look more creepy instead of sad. Therefore, I have decided to re-shoot this without the man in the background. 

Mrs Dymioti Review

• WWW: My questions centred around how the unisex brand identity is highlighted through use of text along the bottom. 
• EBI: From this discussion, I decided I wanted to improve the smoothness of the edges around the female model's hair, and I decided I would use the clone stamp tool to do this. 

Sam, Media Technician review

• WWW: My questions centred around the intertextuality with famous films and the appeal to the Total Film audience.
• EBI: We also talked a bit about grading and I decided to adjust the saturation and contrast of some of the adverts to make them 'pop' a bit more.
• Advert 3: I decided to add some blur to the background to make the focal image stand out more. Hopefully this will improve the quality of the advert. 

Target Audience Review

• WWW: I asked them about the tagline and they felt it hooked the audience and expresses the brand identity.
• EBI: As a result of our talk I decided to make all the blue boxes along the bottom the same shade of blue and to ensure the colour is consistent throughout the adverts. 

My key

WWW: What worked well

EBI: Even better if

10. My planning evidence

During the pre-production phase, I have taken several steps to prepare and organise for the production and post-production phases. I will display all of the pre-production work I have down below:

Location Report: I have listed the possible issues with the locations I plan to use and how I aim to avoid these.

Cast, Costume, Hair and Make up Table: This table will allow me to inform my models of where they need to be and what they need to bring.

Branding: I have created a simple pack shot and logo for my print adverts ready for the post-production phase.

Risk Assessment: For each advert, I have listed the possible risks that may occur and how I plan to minimise risk of injury or damage to equipment.

Flat plan: I have drawn flat plans for each of my adverts to allow me to visualise my ideas more clearly. 

I am now ready for the production phase of the project. 

9. The practicalities of photographing: when and where production will take place and with who

I have created a summary table with all the information that I need for each shoot to take place. This includes: information about where and when it will take place, who the models are and what they must wear/look like is included. This allows me to keep my shoots organised and makes it easier to inform my models about this information.

8. The planning I intend to complete in order to ensure a successful outcome for my production

In order for my production to be successful, I will take a series of steps during the planning phase. These are the steps I will take:

• Risk assessment: This will include any possible health and safety risks which may arise during the production stage and how these can be prevented so as to be certain that no harm is inflicted on anyone and that the kit doesn't get damaged.

• Location Report: I will make a list of the locations, allowing any issues about each location to surface so they can be resolved before shooting.

• Cast, Costume, Props, Hair and Make up Table: For each advert, I will use a table so nothing is forgotten on the day of shooting. This will also help me stay organised so I can remind my models of what they need to bring and/or wear to the shoot, and what their roles will be.

• Flat plan: I will create a flat plan for each of my adverts in order for my shots to appropriately match with the advert I am trying to create.

• Summary Table: To conclude all of the key information, I will create a summary table which I will use on the day of production to avoid any mistakes. This will be presented in Post 9.

• Branding: I will create my logo and bottle to be prepared for editing.

Completing all of these steps will ensure that I am fully prepared for the production and for any difficulties which may arise. 

7. My Statement of Intent

Below is my Statement of Intent:

6. What I have learnt about industry in relation to print advertising and how I intend to use this knowledge and understanding, to ensure my production is appropriate to the media industry context of the set brief I have chosen.

ASA
Throughout the planning process, I have to ensure that all of my ideas will allow adverts to be created which are appropriate and abide by the advertising codes laid out by the ASA, as suggested by the brief. 

If any of the codes laid out by the ASA are breached, and there is a complaint about this from a member of public, the ASA decide if they should uphold the complaint or not. If it is upheld, the advertiser must amend their advert or remove it completely. 

I have picked out some key requirements that I think are most relevant to this task from the non-broadcasting code on the ASA website: https://www.asa.org.uk.

• To ensure that my advert is legal and honest.

• To ensure that the marketing does not materially mislead or clearly exaggerate the capability or performance of the product.

• To ensure that the marketing does not mislead the consumer by hiding information or presenting it in an unclear or ambiguous manner.

• To avoid causing serious or widespread offence on the grounds of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age.

• To avoid causing fear or distress without justifiable reason; if it can be justified, the fear or distress should not be excessive.

• To avoid reference to anyone who is dead, or reference them in a cautious way  to avoid causing offence or distress. 

• Marketing communications must contain nothing that is likely to condone or encourage violence or anti-social behaviour.

• To not portray or represent anyone who is, or seems to be, under 18 in a sexual way.

• Promotions must not be socially undesirable to the audience addressed by encouraging excessive consumption or irresponsible use. (no alcoholic drinks in promotions directed at people under 18).

I have researched print adverts that have broken some of the ASA codes. This advert for Killer Heels is an example:

• This print advert tallied up a total of 81 complaints to the ASA.

• There were complaints about sexism as many believe that it trivialized and stylized violence towards men, through the graphic image of a small businessman impaled onto a large shoe heel with a pool of blood on the ground.

• This very graphic image also received complaints due to the fact that it caused fear and distress, which was seen to be as excessive and therefore breached regulation 4.2 of the ASA non-broadcasting code. 

• The NMA, who published the advert, attempted to defend it by suggesting that a deliberately unrealistic image is used to portray their message, reducing the feeling of distress. 

The following print advert is an example of one which did not receive any complaints as it did not breach an of the ASA codes:

• This advert is suitable for public viewing as it does not cause any offence to any social group and it advertises the product fairly and truthfully.

• Additionally, the advert does not contain any inappropriate or scary images and portrays a message which is in no way harmful to society or individual consumers.

In short, for this particular task, I will create an honest and truthful advert which avoids images of nudity and alcohol. In addition to this, I will ensure that my advert is appropriate for under 18's to look at, as they are a part of my target audience and I will ensure that my campaign does not cause any offence especially in regards to gender and race. In doing all of this, my adverts will be appropriate for public viewing and abide by all of the ASA codes.

Total Film
My adverts must also appeal to the audience of Total film magazine, as this is where they will be placed. Total film magazine is a monthly British magazine published by Future Publishing. Each magazine issue focuses on the film industry and aims to appeal to film fans. It contains reviews on recent blockbuster films and exclusive interview with people related in film. As well as this, it contains letters/emails submitted from readers of the magazine giving their view on a recent film release and 'sneak peaks' from upcoming releases.

I will make certain that my adverts are suitable to be placed in issues of Total Film magazine by referencing popular films such as La La Land, Forrest Gump and Spiderman through recreating well-known poses from these films. This will create intertextuality. For the fourth advert, I will use a cinema setting because this is a place in which the audience of Total Film will relate to and will lead them to personally identify with the advert. While doing this, I must ensure that the target audience suggested in the brief is also appealed to.

5. What I have learnt about the representation of events, issues, individuals and social groups in print adverts and how I intend to demonstrate this knowledge and understanding in my production in order to communicate meaning successfully.

An important part of my research involves investigating how issues and social groups are represented in various adverts. I have annotated some of the ways in which specific adverts have represented various social groups in society and why they have done this.

• These two adverts are part of the CK1 campaign, advertising a unisex fragrance.

• In both of these adverts, there are both male and female models and they are presented with equal prominence. This is vital, especially when advertising a unisex product, because the product's advert must have features which appeal to both men and women, in order to ensure that they are meeting the needs of their target audience through equal representation. 

• The advert on the right features models that represent a variety of ethnicities and the overall campaign is quite ethnically diverse, especially in comparison to other fragrance campaigns. The advert on the left only features white models, however this is compensated for by other adverts in this campaign which represent a range of ethnicities.

• In regards to sexuality, both of the advert on the left do not suggest any specific sexual orientation, however the advert on the right presents two heterosexual couples but a lack of LGBT couples/people.

• Both of these adverts feature only young models, as the target audience of this product is mainly older teens to young adults. These young models are coupled together in the advert on the right, which may be what the target audience aspire to replicate.

• This advert is for two Axe deodorants, one targeted at men and one targeted at women. 

• As products for both men and women are being advertised, both a man and woman are present in the print advert. They have taken on quite stereotypical roles. The man is wearing outdoor clothes and is gardening, a role which is generally associated with men and the woman appears to be wearing a formal summer dress while walking her dog. The advertisers have chosen to reinforce gender stereotypes in order to appeal to their audience who are likely to fit into these stereotypes. 

• Both the men and women of the target audience will aspire to appear this way in order to be attractive to the opposite gender, as the advert suggests. 

• Unlike the CK1 advert, there appears to be a lack of representation of ethnic groups as both of the models are white. Through further research into the Axe advertising campaign, I have discovered that many of their print adverts have the same lack of representation as they often only use white people and present stereotypical heterosexual people. 

After thorough research into how existing adverts represent individuals and social groups, I wish to explore various representations of ethnicity through the inclusion of a variety of ethnic minority groups, as this is a way in which I can ensure that my adverts appeal to a larger proportion of my audience of 16-25 year old males and females. I aim to reinforce gender stereotypes as this will ensure that I can create a sense of attraction between the male and female models. Additionally, in order to ensure that my adverts are youthful, I will aim to use models which are within the age range of the target audience, allowing the adverts to be more relatable to them. 

4. What I have learnt about the content and appeal of print adverts and how I intend to demonstrate this knowledge and understanding in my production in order to communicate successfully with the target audience.

It is crucial for every print advert to appeal to its target audience so the product may sell. Through looking at other advertising campaigns, I have discovered how to ensure that I successfully appeal to my target audience. 

Firstly, I must understand the target audience I are aiming to appeal to. For this task, the brief states that the target audience is 16-25 year old males and females. It also states that the adverts must express the brand values: active, youthful and unisex, which will allow the adverts to appeal to the specific target audience.

In addition to this, it also states that the adverts must be suitable to be placed in Total Film magazine. From this, I have come to the conclusion that the adverts must appeal to people who are likely to buy and read this magazine i.e. an audience that is passionate about films and who regularly buy DVD's and/or go the cinema regularly. In the media pack released for Total Film magazine, it states that 52% of its readers regularly go to see films at the cinema as soon as they are released. From this, I thought of using a cinema setting in one of my adverts, in order to tailor it to the readers of the magazine in which it will be placed and to allow the audience to identify with the advert. Furthermore, my other three adverts will be based around well-known films such as La La Land, Forrest Gump and Spiderman, in order to achieve intertextuality, appeal to the Total Film audience and spark discussion amongst film fans.

Total Film magazine audience:

• are dedicated film goers.

• often young film professionals or young students/graduates (average age: 26).

• enjoy sharing knowledge of film with their peers.

• enjoy going to the cinema regularly.

• want to know the latest news on Hollywood Blockbusters, stars and new releases.

• often have an aspiration of working in the film industry.

• regularly buy DVD's (average of 32 DVD's bought in 12 months).

• are drawn to Total Film's full colour images, bold fonts and bright colours.

In order to appeal to my specific target audience, I must adhere to Bulmer and Katz's Uses and Gratifications Theory, in order to communicate successfully to my audience and encourage them to buy my product. There are four main factors to which I must take into account:

1. Identify- being able to recognise the product or person in front of you and role models that reflect similar values to yours, inducing an aspiration to be someone else.
2. Educate- being able to acquire information, knowledge and understanding.
3. Entertain- what you are consuming should give you enjoyment and also some form of ‘escapism’ enabling you to forget your worries temporarily.
4. Social Interaction- the ability for media products to produce a topic of conversation between other people and spark debates amongst peers.

Below are three examples of adverts that have successfully appealed to their target audience:

• This is advertising an Old Spice deodorant.

• This advert appeals predominantly to its target audience of 18-34 year of males through the use of a well-known actor, Neil Patrick Harris. I intend on using a respectable male actor who is within the age bracket of the target audience and who they would see as aspirational. 

• Also, through the use of intertextuality with the show Doogie Howser, (a show in which the target audience are likely to be familiar with), humour is created by a sense of overconfidence. This is a show which Neil Patrick Harris is well known for featuring in. 

• It allows the audience to identify with the male model and temporarily entertains through the use of humour.

• This is advertising two Axe deodorants: one for men and one for women.

• As the advert must appeal to both 18-24 year old men and women, both are included in the advert. The man is holding jump leads for the car and the woman is holding a fueling nozzle with petrol leaking from it. Both of these roles and the petrol station setting are relatable to the audience, encouraging them to make a connection with the advert. 

• The need for entertainment is gratified through the use of comedy of the leaking petrol, suggesting an attraction between the man and woman, which is what the audience may aspire to have. The humour may encourage the audience to have a discussion with their peers, making the advert gratify the need for social interaction. 

• This advert is for Dove deodorant and roll-on.

• This campaign must appeal to its target audience of over 50 year old women. Therefore, the focal image of the advert is a smiling middle-aged woman that the audience can identify with.

• The confidence of the woman is something the audience will aspire to have: through the suggestion that she has become more confident after using the product, the audience may aspire to do the same, therefore encouraging them to purchase and use the product.

After this research, I was able to build on my own ideas which were more suited in appealing to my target audience through consideration of Uses and Gratifications Theory.

3. What I have learnt about the codes and conventions of print adverts and how I intend to demonstrate this knowledge and understanding in my production in order to communicate meaning successfully

Through my extensive research into various print adverts from several campaigns, I have recognised some recurring codes and conventions that are often used. From the analysis of three conventional print adverts, I have come up with a list of common conventions. As mentioned in the brief, my adverts must fit the brand identity and the conventions of magazine adverts. I will use my list of conventions in order to achieve this. 

List of conventions:

• The pack shot is usually placed in the bottom right hand corner and is relatively small in comparison to the focal image, but big enough for the audience to see clearly.

• They usually feature one focal image (but this is not always the case) of a model who has similar characteristics to the target audience in relation to age, gender etc. in order to make the advert more relatable.

• Most print adverts also display a variety of colour, in order to catch the eye of the audience and to make the product look more appealing. It is also conventional to have a specific colour scheme for a product's print advert which is carried through the campaign, to allow people to associate the specific combination of colours with that product. 

• There is also often a tagline which is associated with the product which can be situated anywhere on the advert, however is commonly found beside the pack shot. It is usually in the same style, colour and font as all other text on the print advert. 

• It is usually the case that the content of the adverts (text, packshot, etc.) is in colour and contrasts with the background, allowing it to stand out.

• The information given about the product is usually very minimal as more focus is put on to the print advert being aesthetically pleasing and eye catching. 

• In addition to the tagline there is often other text, usually a short sentence/phrase to try to further encourage the audience to buy the product. 

Below I have analysed the use of conventions in three individual print adverts, in order to learn more about how and why they are used so I may incorporate them into my own print adverts.

Through this research into the conventions of print adverts, I began to think about how I could incorporate them into my own research. I plan to use a pack shot along the bottom right or left in my adverts to show the target audience what it will look like, as well as to solidify the brand identity. Additionally, my models will reflect on the target audience, i.e. they will be 16-25 year old males and females. This is to create a sense of relatability for the target audience. I have decided that the product name will not feature as large as it was in my flat plans, but instead will be in the top right or left corner and much smaller, as this is more conventional for print adverts. Finally, the text in my advert will be of the same font and colour and the tagline will be along the bottom beside the pack shot. Following these conventions will make my adverts look more natural which would allow me to create an advert that my audience would expect. 

2. Existing adverts/campaigns I have researched and how these have influenced my ideas

Research into existing adverts and campaigns was a vital step I had to take to enhance my knowledge on the conventions of advertising this type of product and for the specific audience of 16-25 year old males and females. It also allowed me to develop my own ideas as well as to research how to fulfill each requirement of the brief in more depth . I created a visual collection of all of the helpful pictures I found, allowing me to create a mood board which encapsulated my initial ideas.

I then began to look into specific adverts in more detail in order to develop my ideas further:

• This Axe advert inspired the ideas for two of my adverts in particular. Where there is interaction between a male and female in my Spiderman advert (but with Spiderman upside-down), I plan to use a similar positioning of the models looking at each other, as this suggests attraction between the two people and also abides by the ASA code.

• Although the pack shot for this advert is in the top right-hand corner, I plan to place mine mainly along the bottom. However, I have incorporated the placement of the text beside the pack shot from this advert, as shown in my flat plans. 

• I was inspired by this advert more than other Axe/Lynx adverts for its appeal to both men and women because it is advertising individual products for both. The male and the female are given equal prominence, inspiring me to do the same: I am advertising a unisex product so I must also appeal to both males and females. Therefore, as well as the inclusion of both males and females in all of my adverts, they will always both be presented equally i.e. they are portrayed as of equal importance through the framing. 

• My adverts will feature a male and female who will be doing a common task/activity which will bring them together.

• Unlike the Axe advert, this Denver advert features a pack shot as its focal image with a background that is out of focus. To an extent, this inspired me to create something similar by putting the pack shot in the foreground and the models in the background.

• The text used in this advert contrasts with the background well. It is also in capitals, which may improve the look of my own advert if I chose to use the same contrast for text to allow it to stand out. 

• It is interesting to see that the largest text is used for the slogan and not for the brand name, allowing the advert to get the audiences attention first and then providing detail. This is something which I will incorporate into my own adverts.

Researching different advertising campaigns and how they are executed allowed me to form my own ideas on how to advertise my product appropriately and effectively, as well as following the conventions of other deodorant adverts. My research into other campaigns allowed me to develop ideas about my USP, which is currently that the deodorant gives you 24 hour odour protection. However, this is subject to change as I research further. Looking at adverts which appeal to both males and females was also a significant step in my research process and allowed me to think of adverts that had the same appeal. 

1. How I intend to fulfil the requirements of the brief I have chosen

For this task, I have chosen Brief 2 as I believe that it is the one in which I can portray the brand values most effectively. Additionally, it is the one that is best suited to my abilities. This post will explain what ideas I have formed in response to the brief and how these ideas strictly follow what it requires. 

In order to fulfill the requirements of this brief, I will create four A4 full-page magazine adverts in order to advertise a new unisex UK deodorant called Wave. There will be at least two different models, at least one male and one female both aged 17, ensuring that my adverts appeal to and are suited to the client target audience of 16-25 year old male and females. In addition to this, each advert will feature a different main image. I will also achieve this by making sure that all of my adverts strongly and consistently express the three key brand values: active, youthful and unisex.
The USP of my Wave deodorant will be the 24 hour odour protection that it will offer, tying in with the tagline well, in suggesting that the deodorant will keep you fresh all day. While including this, I will ensure that my adverts abide by the rules of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) by making sure that they avoid causing offence or being inappropriate.

I intend to use some of the techniques suggested on the brief, including intertextuality and humour, making my adverts more memorable and encouraging the target audience to be more engaged. I will also ensure that my adverts are conventional, both for the target audiences I am trying to appeal to and for deodorant adverts in general. I will ensure that I follow the conventions of print adverts in order to appeal to my audience by following Uses and Gratifications Theory.

For all of the adverts, I will include the same tagline along the bottom: "Stay fresh with every move" This tagline links to the brand identity by suggesting that you can use Wave for "any situation" and stay active. To create a pack shot, I will photograph an existing deodorant bottle and then use Photoshop to add a logo and some unique detail to make it look professional and realistic. I will make sure not to use any found images in my pack shot in order to avoid copyright issues and ensure that I follow the brief. The deodorant pack shot will be used along the bottom of all of my adverts because this is a conventional place to put it. The same issue applies with the logo, which will be present along the top of each advert, as this is a conventional place to put it. Also, I will ensure that each individual advert is different by using at least two locations, including a park and a cinema. I will use these settings to create original photography for the backgrounds of my adverts to go along with the unique focal images. 

I will ensure that the adverts are suitable to appear in Total Film magazine by using intertextuality, through references to well-known films, creating humour and allowing the adverts to appeal to young people who read this magazine. The films I will reference are La La Land, Forrest Gump and Spiderman by recreating well-known poses from the films. One of my adverts will be located in a cinema allowing the Total Film audience who frequently visit there to relate to the advert. Although all of the adverts in my campaign link together, they are still all quite different and therefore would all be placed in different issues of Total Film Magazine. For example, on the cover of the upcoming April 2018 issue, there is a section about the new Avengers: Infinity War film which encourages me to suggest that the advert I will create with intertextuality to Spiderman should be placed in this issue, as the audience is more likely to be interested in this advert. 

I have created some basic flatplans to portray my initial ideas in response to the brief. To create these, I have used images that I have found online for this task. I have intended for these ideas to appeal to the target audience of 16-25 year old males and females as they portray very youthful and sporty/active themes, which also creates a consistent brand identity between my advert flat plans.

I have ensured that these initial flatplans fulfill the requirements of the brief as much as possible, however further detail which I cannot express through these rough flatplans will also help with this. 

Homeland Continuity Task

1. What was your role in the task and what did you actually do?

My role in creating this short Homeland style clip was to be in charge of sound. I had to ensure that the characters lines were audible and clear enough for the microphone to pick the sound up. I also had to make sure that there was no other unnecessary sound which would mask the dialogue or which would make it difficult when it came to editing the final piece. In addition to this job, I was also partly in charge of mise-en-scene, making sure that the room was ready for the shoot and that it looked appropriate. 

2. What factors did you have to take into account when planning, filming and editing?

Throughout all three of these processes, we had to ensure that we were creating a piece that was in the style of the TV show Homeland. This was important to get right from the beginning, especially when preparing the script as the dialogue had to be similar to that of a typical Homeland interrogation scene. We also made sure that the appropriate costumes were worn by the actors. A shirt and blazer were worn by the interrogators, as interrogators from Homeland would also wear something similar. The lighting was an important factor in making the clip more like Homeland. We ensured that there was low-key lighting from above and increases the amount of light on the table by using a table lamp, making the shots look less grainy.

Continuity was a factor which we also had to take into account, especially during filming and editing. The position of the folder in each shot consecutive shots had to be accurate, something in which we found challenging to achieve when it came to editing. 

3. How successful was your sequence? Did you manage to demonstrate match-on-action, shot-reverse-shot and the 180 degree rule? Did you achieve continuity overall?

Overall, I believe that the sequence was quite successful. I included a match-on-action at 0:10 with the opening of the door which was continued through two shots, which I believe to be quite accurate. During the conversation between the interrogators and the Ambassador, I included a shot reverse shot and used the 180 degree throughout to ensure that there were no transitions between shots that looked like jump cuts. Overall, I achieved good continuity, however there was an issue with the folder on the desk between shots as it was in different places when we shot from different angles, making it harder to achieve continuity when editing. I attempted to mask this where possible by using a master shot but in some places, the folder appears to jump position from one scene to the next. 

4. What have you learnt from completing this task?

By completing this task, I have obtained a better understanding of continuity and how to ensure that your footage flows well. The importance of prop placement is now a factor that I know to give more attention to. I have also learnt about the importance of a master shot between reverse shots, in order to show more in one shot. Editing this sequence has allowed me to develop my editing skills, especially as I have more knowledge in how to edit a more realistic looking sequence than I did when I last edited, through the demonstration the techniques in question three.