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

How did you use new media technologies in the evaluating stage?

When doing my evaluating stages of the G324 I used new media to create videos, like the one above. I created these videos by importing logo images off of Google images onto Iphoto on the Mac, then I started a new Imovie project and moved the pictures from Iphoto onto Imovie and put them into an order so then i could record my voice over the clips. This method was simple and effective as rather than just uploading my script it is easier and more interesting to follow with a sequence of images. Also, using the editing programme I could insert examples of my trailer such as a shot of the bad lighting and other images. This therefore is easy to show a variety of images from the internet, my trailer and real media examples through a short video. To upload the video I used Youtube, Youtube is brilliant for putting my work on display and using embed codes to then post it on blogs.

For the other stages of my evaluation I have got snap shots of real media texts and drawn the comparison to my trailer. I did this by print screening the shots off of Youtube and then saving them to then upload to Blogger. This method is also easy due to fast speed connections with the internet and the use of distributing sites such as Youtube. With the selection of images it is simple to see the connections between my product and to real media texts.

As well as just using Blogger to write up my evaluation, I also used Microsoft Word to compare my trailer to my ancillary tasks. By having my ancillary tasks as PDFs I could print-screen images to then compare with links to each task. By putting all these images onto a document it makes it easy to show comparisons through the images and then use text to display justifications.

3. What have you learned from your audience feedback?

Feedback from class on the trailer rough cut: Demographic group B, C1, C2

They gave us feedback on music and sound effects such as they think there needs to be sound effects of high heels at the beginning. We discussed this and we wanted to add heel sound effects anyway so we added extra diegetic footsteps from the Mac at the beginning for the heels, we thought it was also necessary because the sound of the heels will automatically attract attention and connote importance and power of the female.

We also got feedback telling us to add music to our trailer to make the narrative flow better and get the audiences attention. We listened to all of the music on the Mac and found a piece of music which sounded like a modern pop song, it was upbeat and energetic. We added this non diegetic music to the whole trailer to help the narrative flow and keep the audience interested. The class also said the shot with the 'jack-the-lads' has laughing for a very short time at the end of the shot, they think this should either me extended or cut completely because they feel the shot should continue with the laughing or just cut it out so there is just a cheer. We discussed this in detail and first of all we decided we wanted to keep the little bit of laughter but then realised after watching again that it sounds like the shot us cut too short. So we extended the shot by a second and it flowed much better.

Also they said that the transition from the 'jack-the-lads' cheering is unconventional and quite tacky. We changed this transition to a cross dissolve. So from this feedback we learned that sticking to fades and cross dissolve transitions helped the narrative flow better and look neater.

They also said that they think there needs to be titles at the beginning, but as a group we said that it is not conventional to have titles at the beginning and that we are going to have a voice over with titles at the end.

Feedback from family and friends Demographic groups B, C1, C2, D

They repeated some feedback which can be a little unhelpful but the on other hand, reliable as it shows that a lot of people feel the same about some issues with the trailer and therefore these improvements will please a wide audience. Other feedback I gained from family and friends was that they thought some actions in the trailer could be emphasized with sound effects or music. We had planned to add an extra diegetic sound effect for the slap, so we had told them this and they thought that would be appropriate. Therefore we learned that the audience think that soap trailers should have melodramatic sounds and actions.

Feedback on magazine Feedback from class

The negative feedback helped me most as I could look at what they thought was wrong with my magazine and adjust it to improve it. My class said that the magazine cover is lacking colour and the layout is very bland. To improve this I looked at more existing products to see what colours are used, from my magazine research I have found that bright colours are used to make the cover stand out. So first of all I used a red block banner with white text for my important magazine information such as website and issue number.

However, after further feedback from my 2nd draft they still believed there should be more block colour on the magazine. So I used block red around the whole magazine cover apart from around the main image because the white connotes innocence which contrasts with the tag line, this would intrigue the reader to watch the soap to find out about the storyline. My class also said that the main tag line was a bit too comical and could be seen as a sexual reference, I discussed this with my group to see how they read it and they did not feel the same way. However, I believed changing it would be the best idea because some people obviously read it in different ways and therefore I picked a tag line which was more conventional and intriguing at the same time. They then agreed that this tag line was much better suited to the storyline of the pregnant teen.

Feedback From friends

They said my first draft seemed very bland and everything seemed placed and straight edged therefore I looked further at real media texts and found some taglines are placed over pictures and are diagonal with different shaped images. For my final draft I made my main tagline diagonal and overlapped the main image so the cover looked busier and more interesting and also more conventional for a soap magazine.

They also felt that there could be more information at the top of the magazine, therefore for my final magazine I put the Helen How road sign on a slant in the corner and put special edition in bold purple letters underneath. This meant that the road sign automatically referenced the soap and made the reader see the special edition in an image making it more appealing and interesting.

Feedback on Poster

Feedback from class

The feedback from my class on my first and second draft of my poster was that the font used for the tag line and information does not stand out and should be bolder. I listened to the audience feedback because the font on a poster is extremely important as it is the image that gets the audience attentions but the tag line and details that highlight the important information. Therefore I made my font white on my final magazine, so the white text contrasted with the black slate making it bold and easy to read. Also the colour white connotes innocence which highlights theme and characteristic on the poster.

Feedback From friends

From my first draft of my poster my friends said that the female character in green and white is odd because she is not central but stands out and there is no apparent colour code, or theme present on the poster. At first I did not want to use this feedback as I felt it was important her character was still on the poster. but after producing another poster with her still on it and receiving more negative feedback on the colour scheme I decided to crop the picture for my final draft. This then meant there was a clear colour scheme of black which connotes mystery and secrets and has an underlying theme of the soap being sinister due to events to come.

How did this audience feedback help me for my final products?

In conclusion, gaining audience feedback from more than one branch of people has helped me produce a product which is more professional, conventional to real media texts and more appealing to my target audience.

The feedback from my family and friends was most useful as the people are asked fit in a wide range of demographic groups and ages this therefore meant that by listening and improving my tasks with their feedback, I would then appeal to them. The wider the audience my product appeals to, the higher the viewer ratings and the bigger the success, so by using feedback from people in the demographic groups B-D I could appeal to a wider audience and attract my target audience of the younger audience too.

2) How effective is the combination of the main product and ancillary tasks?

Evaluation 2

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (part 2)

1.2.

3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8.

9.

1. This is an extreme close-up of Helen's red shoes walking on a path, this shot makes the audience active as they would want to know who the shoes belong to especially because they are red connoting passion, love and danger. This extreme close-up shot is used a lot in soaps because it builds tension and makes the audience keep watching to find out who the shoes belong to. Like the Kat and Alfie trailer we used the extreme close up shot to introduce the feisty female character, therefore we followed conventions of real media texts for the opening shot.

2. This shot is a mid shot of the 'jack-the-lads' cheering Helen outside the pub, mid shots are seen in soap operas a lot because they are a shot that clearly display the characters and also capture their conversation. This shot is not a point of view shot as they are looking at Helen as she approaches them. The shot denotes 4 boys cheering and pointing, this connotes confidence and bold. This immediately introduces the 'jack-the-lad' stereotype. The mid shot used has the same affect as the one used in the Kat and Alfie trailer as the mid shot displays people watching the main character.

3. This shot is a wide shot of a character getting out their car and looking at Helen. This shot introduces a character who lives in the village but does not have a main role, but they are still drawn to stare at Helen as she confidently walks down the road. This type of shot is used a lot in soap trailers and soaps because it introduces other minor characters and the impression the main character has on the village or street. The Kat and Alfie trailer captures the mid shot of two characters, we also used mid shots for dialogue in our trailer, this shows that we found recognizable shots in soap trailers and used them to fit with the conventions.

4. This shot is a long-reveal shot, where Danielle has her back to the camera as Deano walks passed then as he passes she turns round and reveals that she is pregnant. This subtle shot has a big storyline behind it as the trailer does not give away who the sad is. In soaps there is often reveal shots to be melodramatic and comical. This shot complies with the conventional melodramatic approach taken in Soap operas, also from real media texts I found a few long reveal shots, one being the Coronation one I took a screen shot of.

5. This extreme close-up then follows the reveal shot, this shot is also a reaction shot as Deano is showing his reaction to Danielle being pregnant. This short clip has opinion behind it insinuating people think teenage pregnancy is unacceptable. This complies with the Hypodermic Needle theory as we are feeding the audience the view that teen pregnancy is shocking and not normal. Also this extreme close-up highlights shock and disruption therefore complying with Todorov's theory of equilibrium as this shot highlights stage 2 as it shows a disruption in equilibrium.

6. This is a mid-over the shoulder shot of two characters talking as Helen walks between them. The mid shot is a convention is soap operas as it displays conversation well. So to add a storyline and a clue we have Helen walking between them, so the audience are introduced to some minor characters and how they feel about Helen. This type of shot is realistic as people do talk about people when they see them, therefore it complies with the Uses and Gratifications theory where the one of the audience's 'needs' is fulfilled as they can identify with this shot.

7. This shot is a long shot of Helen walking towards the camera, this shot gives her power and importance as she is centre shot and walking directly into the camera. It also denotes that she is the main character as she is alone and walking with the trailer focused on her connoting her importance. Like the Eastenders trial trailer, it highlights the main character and the main storyline in the same way, therefore I have used conventions of real media texts.

8. This shot is a long wide-shot. It shows Helen walking in the centre of the street with her children walking behind her, these proxemics between the characters denote Helen being in front and not looking behind connoting her lack of care for her children and her confidence.

9. This is the final shot in the trailer, it is an establishing shot of all the characters in Helen How and the road where the action takes place. It gives the audience a clear picture of who is involved in the key storylines as they are the prominent ones in the space around Helen and also the setting. This shot is also a shot that makes the soap look new as it introduces everyone and also leaves the soap trailer on a cliff hanger so the audience want to see more. Although, I was not inspired by a soap trailer I have still used real media texts to grasp ideas and use them to portray the same connotations.

By using conventional shots I have found in real media texts, I have tried to attract a similar audience. For Example, my soap trailer would appeal to a passive audience due to its encoded messages an example of an encoded message is the extreme close up on the eyes after seeing the reveal shot of the pregnant teen. This is an encoded message as it portrays the message of teen pregnancy to be shocking. Therefore I have used the Hypodermic needle theory to illustrate my messages and storylines, therefore complying with real media texts. Also, like the Virgin Media real media text, I have complied with Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze theory by showing closeup shots of Helen's legs and upper body, I did this to try and appeal to a male audience as well as a female audience as from research I found less males watch soap operas.

Evaluation: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

1. 2.

3. 4.

5. 6.

7. 8.

9.

1. This shot is one from the Kat and Alfie trailer for Eastenders. The shot first begins with an extreme close up on her boots then it pans up on her body to reveal Kat herself. The black boots stick to the Western theme however, they also denote provocativeness.

2. This shot is from the trailer for Kat and Alfie on Eastenders, the shot is a mid shot of Pat and Janine, they are looking at the camera which is like a point of view shot as Kat looks at them and they look back in disgust.

3. This mid shot is also from the Eastenders trailer for Kat and Alfie, the shot shows Max just doing an every day activity where he stops to look at what is happening.

4. This shot is from the Coronation St trailer for the wedding. This shot is similar to a reveal shot as at first Liz has her back to the camera then she turns around in the mid shot and reveals worry on her face.

5. This shot is from the Eastenders trailer for Kat and Alfie, this extreme close up shows the shock in a characters eyes connoting their view on the situation.

6. This is a mid over the shoulder shot for Becky and Steve's wedding trailer for Coronation St, this shot displays conversation and also leaves the space between the characters for the audience to see someone walk between them.

7. This is a mid shot from the Judgement Day trailer for Eastenders, this shot displays Max walking towards the camera, he is centre shot connoting his importance to the storyline.

8. This is a shot from a trailer for Eastenders based around the storyline of Bradley, the shot is a mid shot as Bradley and Max walk towards the camera. The shot makes them look important and significant.

9. Although this is not from a soap, it is a shot that influenced us on our final shot. This shot is from the Virgin Airways 25 years and still red hot advert. The women are lined up in the mid shot with some looking at the character, this makes them look important and like role models.


The real media texts I researched appealed to certain audiences with the use of these shots. For example, the shots are clear in reference to Todorov's theory who has distrupted equilibrium therefore this would attract a passive audience as the shots outline the distruption and storyline, so the audience do not have to think about what is happening, instead they can be injected with encoded messages and storylines like the Hypodermic Needle theory. Shot 9 denotes glamourous women walking together, because they are glamourous women the advert would attract males to watch complying with Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze theory as the men just look at the women for appearence not meaning. However, the real media text would also attract women as they may think it is a makeup or hair product advert because the women are glamorous.

Final poster

Final Poster

What I have improved due to feedback:

-I have added a black slate image as the border giving reference to the 'wipe the slate clean' also makes the poster more quirky and interesting

-The white tag line on the slate stands out more and could be seen as chalk, it is very bold and serif font making it more formal and serious

-I have taken the girl character out as her costume did not fit the colour scheme

-The fonts are bolder and bigger

Positive feedback:

-The slate in the background links to the tag line

-The tag line stands out more with white bold font and black background

-The sky has no writing on it making it more prominent

-The sign is clear with the information bold which stands out

-The white sign contrasts with the black slate and black costumes this implies Helen How is very innocent but now the Halls are moving in there will be many secrets.

-All the other characters apart from Helen are males which hints at the Male Gaze Theory as they are looking at her

Negative feedback:

-The information on the sign looks like a minor detail

-The main female character is not central

Poster 2nd draft

Poster 2nd Draft

Then improvements:

-The Helen How image has been put to the left hand side so the main character is in complete focus

-The tag line is bigger and bolder and is centralised

-The font on the sign is bolder and bigger

Positive feedback:

-Even though the tag line is bigger the colour of the sky is still prominent

-The tag line is short and relevant which is good as the audience will be able to read quickly and understand that the Halls are new to the soap

-Having the Helen How name on the left hand side makes it look more like a sign post

-The information on the sign is clearer and set out better

Negative feedback

-Information on the sign could still be bigger and bolder

-The girl in the green still doesn't fit in with the image and colour scheme

-Could have a border to make the picture more prominent and professional

-The font of the tag line could be different, so it stands out more

Poster first draft

poster 1st draft

Positive feedback:

-The image is in the setting of Helen How which is good as the audience will be able to relate with the village-like scenery

-There is a wide range of characters seen in the image, so the audience can immediately see there will be many storylines

-There is important information on the poster such as time, day and channel

-The picture is dark which has connotations to mystery and makes the storyline look sincere

-The colour scheme is black which also has the sincere and secretive connotations

-The sky is bright blue which would attract the audience also it connotes a fresh start

-The two characters at the front are the main focus which is intentional

Negative feedback:

-The name of the soap is in the middle which covers up the main character

-The font on the sign could be bolder and bigger

-The tag line is too small and the font needs to be more bold

-The character in the green stripey jumper seems out of place amongst the black colour scheme

-The character in the green is not looking forward which takes the impact away

-The tag line could be centralised so it is in focus more

Final cut of trailer

Trailer 2nd cut with changes made

What has been changed due to the feedback given;

-We added an up-beat modern song to make the trailer seem more professional and so young audience members will be able to relate to the trailer and therefore want to watch the soap.

-We added an extra diegetic sound effect of the slap which enhances Stephanie's anger to her husband.

-We also added extra diegetic sound effects of the clicking of the shoes at the beginning which invites the audience to want to find out who the clicking belongs to.

-We changed the transition from the shouting lads to Helen to a cross fade instead of the swipe, this made the clips fit better together better and smoother

-We also added a narration at the end of the trailer as it is conventional where the narrator reveals the slogan, the time, the channel and day it is on.

Now that I have improved this from the first cut I will get feedback and then see what else can be improved and edit a final cut so it is to the best standard.

Magazine final draft feedback

Family feedback

Positive feedback

-The tag line going in different directions adds interest

-Good use of exclamation marks

-Good bright colours

Negative feedback

-The images could have curved corners to make the layout look neater

-There could have been more information at the top of the cover

Feedback from friends

Positive feedback

-Good colouring behind the main image with a little bit of white still makes it neat but bold and stands out

-Having the images of the men around the girl on the main image makes the storyline have more possibilities and would interest the reader

-'2 weeks revealed' is in a good clear place under the logo and name of the magazine

Negative feedback

-One of the images overlaps another image a bit which looks messy

-There could have been a promotion or special gift offer to fill the space under the logo and name of magazine

Feedback from class

Positive feedback

-The colour red is very over powering so connotations are portrayed well

-The layout of pictures and coloured backgrounds is very neat and professional

-All the minor important details are present and clear on the cover

Negative feedback

-The white behind the main image makes the cover look a little messy and a bit blank

-The main shape of the images and tag lines is all square, not very varied and interesting.

Magazine Final

final final mag

Magazine feedback 2nd draft

Family feedback

Positive feedback

-Title is big and more obvious

-Better taglines because they are more interesting

-Good balanced layout of images

Negative feedback

-Could do with more images

-No promotions or competitions on the cover

-Bit blank and spacious around the main image

Feedback from friends

Positive feedback

-The title is a good clear size

-There is a bar code appropriately placed

-The tagline is relevant and interesting, it also stands out in the bright pink

-The website,issue number and date is good underneath the logo.

Negative feedback

-The area around the main image is too blank and needs a colour

-The layout needs to have more overlapping

-The tag line could be positioned differently for more impact

Feedback from class

Positive feedback

-Good layout with the banner and good choice of bright colours

-The price has been put into a bold shape with a bright colour makes it stand out

-There is now a small banner in red with the website, date and issue number which stands out and contains important information

Magazine 2nd draft

Magazine 2nd Draft

Magazine feedback 1st draft

Family feedback

Positive feedback

-Good relevant images

-Price is obvious

-Logo is good with the television screen

Negative feedbacks

-Looks blank

-Title isn't big enough

-Not eye-catching

Feedback from friends

Positive feedback

-Bright colours which are relevant to each storyline

-Nice layout with the other storylines down the side

-Obvious special edition at the top of the cover which makes it clear

Negative feedback

-The title is not clear and too small

-Nothing should overlap the logo

-There is not a date, barcode or issue number

Feedback from the class

Positive feedback

-The coloured sectioning around banner of storylines -its very conventional

-The bright pink tagline stands out and is relevant to the pregnancy storyline

-Good use of images with all different sizes

-The logo is interesting and quirky

-There is a price on it

Negative feedback

-The title is too small and not very clear

-There needs to be more overlapping

-The price needs a bold shape around it

-The '2 weeks revealed' shouldn't overlap the logo

-The overall colour and layout of the page is a bit blank

-The tagline is a bit too comical and could be seen as a sexual reference