Introduction

Georgina Rees

Candidate Number: 8362

Centre Number: 16607

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Welcome to my blog. Here you will find my main product, which is an extract from a documentary, 'One Step At A Time'. Along with this, I have created a double-page spread from a listings magazine focused on the documentary and a newspaper advertisement for the documentary. I have also blogged all my work since July 2013 when I started this project.

Finished Documentary Extract - One Step At A Time

Finished Product - Double Page Spread From A Listings Magazine

Finished Products - Newspaper Advertisement

Introduction To My Blog

Evaluation - Q1 In what ways does your media product use, challenge of develop real media products?

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge real media products?

Evaluation - Q2 How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

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

I used the same typography for the title on each of the products so it is easily recognizable to the audience and to help create a brand identity.

The double page spread TV listing follows similar techniques, such as Barthes Enigma Code which attracts the eye of the viewer. The double page spreading follows closely to the codes and conventions of a double page spread and would instantly interest any documentary fan.

The large image of the protagonist grabs the viewer's attention as well as the bold typography which helps the reader to understand the genre of the documentary.

There are similarities throughout the products such as the use of orange and black font for the title; all of which help the viewer to identify the documentary.

In all three of my products, there has been a focus on the one main protagonist. When marketing this to the target audience, this will emphasize her importance and the audience will begin to recognize her.

The same typography is used to establish a brand identity, by creating an image that is used throughout marketing. I would also use the same typography and imagery when marketing through social network platforms, press releases and other marketing devices. I have created a Twitter account for my documentary, to help the audience stay up to date with the documentary as well as the main characters marathon training, up until the day of the marathon, to encourage the audience to participate in various forms of fundraising.

I feel social networking is used to connect the audience to the documentary. Social network sites also allows the producer of these products, potentially access to a mass audience. I have also included a QR code which links to the Teenage Cancer Trust website.

I feel this is beneficial as it is encouraging the audience to find out more about this charity which is one of the main purposes of this documentary. This may also influence the audience to spread the link onto other social networking sites to further enhance and gain a mass audience. As my target audience is marathon runners and aspiring young runners, the majority of this demographic group will be social network users. I am using this to my greatest advantage to attract my audience.

The genre of my products is shown throughout the conventions, colour schemes and mis en scene. I would use Facebook and Twitter page for viral marketing campaigns. However, I feel to really connect with my target audience, I would market this product in schools, at sporting events and in sporting magazines. The typography used throughout this production is very simple yet effective and may attract the viewer's attention through it's bold appearance. I feel however, the audience is attracted through the image that encourages the audience to want to find out more.

Henry Jenkins theory states that individuals tap into and combine numerous different media sources and that convergence is a cultural process. I feel I have incorporated this theory as my target audience can tap into my documentary through the use of social media and networking sites, QR codes as well as following Georgina's journey on her Twitter page.

The combination of the three products is extremely effective as it is clear the film is about Georgina, hoping to finish the Brighton Marathon; she becomes the icon for the film. The ancillary products work well together, encouraging the audience and readers to share the documentary online, through social networking which overall creates a strong awareness for both the Teenage Cancer Trust and the documentary itself. The colour scheme of my products were used to gain the attention of the audience and have done this through the use of bright colours. I feel I have successfully created a sense of brand, by using similarities such as the font and the protagonist throughout my production. 

Evaluation - Q3 What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

Evaluation - Q4 How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Textual Analysis - Newspaper Advertisement

Construction - Adding Footsteps

I felt there was too much white space around the title so I decided to add footsteps to make it more aesthetically pleasing. These footsteps also connotes the genre of the sport documentary. I then added the Teenage Cancer Trust logo as this is the charity which the documentary is based on and I felt it was necessary to promote this charity to the audience. I made the 'extra mile' font larger to draw the reader as well as adding an effect in Photoshop to make it stand out. From my research into double page spread listings, many include the vital details, such as the name, time and channel in which the programme is going to be broadcasted at the top of the double page spread, so I used this convention in my double page spread listings.

Construction - Media Magazine

In today's lesson, we had the opportunity to go the annual Media Magazine student conference at the Institute of Education. We listened to a variety of media speakers. David Buckingham spoke about marketing and young people which I found particularly interesting as it is related to business which I am hoping to study. After David, we were introduced to Robbie McKillop who directed 'A Young Doctor's Notebook'. Robbie spoke about the work he has been doing. The final presentation was from Laura Harvey from the CelebYouthUK project. Lastly, we heard from David Brindley who produced and directed 'Educating Yorkshire'. This was very interesting as I had watched the series myself and the audience was able to ask a range of questions/issues raised by the programme. This gave the audience a real insight into how the show was produced and constructed, as well as the issues that may arise when produced and directing a series, especially including a large number of children.

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Textual Analysis Of DPS TV Magazine Listings

Construction - Newspaper Advertisement

When creating my newspaper advertisement I firstly had to take a picture. I scheduled a photoshoot and took some images of my main subject but I wasn't happy with the outcome. I decided to look for other images that I had taken and found this image that was taken whilst on holiday in Dubai. Although not obvious, I feel this image is suitable as one of the main tag lines on my newspaper advertisement is 'Can she go the extra mile?'. This long stretch of road is showing that and linking back to the main subject of the documentary; the marathon. The picture was taken on a Canon SLR camera and was taken in black and white. I imported this image onto iPhoto and played around with different colours but after consulting my focus group, I decided to keep the image black and white. Although I could not find any newspaper advertisements for my genre of documentary, I feel it suits the sporting genre. I personally feel that the black connotes the physical and mental strain of the marathon whereas the white challenges this and shows the positive, thrilling moments when training and running a marathon. I decided to use the same font (Impact) on my newspaper advertisement and my double page spread to keep a consistent house style and so it can be easily recognised as a brand to the audience.

Construction - Archived Footage

After carrying out intense research on documentaries, I have learnt that a typical convention of a documentary is to include archived footage. I have managed to gain access to archived footage from the Brighton Marathon 2013 to include in my documentary. I feel this will help my documentary extract become more realistic. Prior to this, I recorded some individuals running along the seafront but felt this did not look realistic or effective.

Construction - Audience Feedback & Focus Group

After consulting my focus group, they suggested that I should include cutaways to engage the audience. I decided to put cutaways in whilst interviewing William about the subject he was talking about. This helped to keep the audience engaged as my focus group felt the interview was too long of just focusing on William.

Construction - Double Page Spread

1. Firstly, I positioned the image on the left hand side of the double page spread. Although I personally preferred the image on the right, from my research I identified that most images are positioned on the left. I cropped the image to cut the surrounding background out. I ensured the weight and treadmills were present to signify that this was taken in a gym. I also ensured the main character was wearing a Teenage Cancer Trust top to represent the charity that would be included in this documentary. This helps the audience to identify what type of genre this documentary will be focusing on.




2. Once the image was positioned, I then added the social media links to Facebook and Twitter as my target audience will be strong users of social media. This will also help to promote and market the documentary as it will encourage individuals to share and put links to the documentary.










3. I then decided added in the text on the right hand side. I decided to put the first two letters on the left hand side of the page to connect the two pages together. I decided to use a rhetorical question to help engage the audience and try to encourage them to watch the documentary. I then added the time and details of when the documentary will be broadcasted. I put around the date and time black lines to help it stand out. This was also a convention I found in my research that the well-known TV listings magazine TV Times does for the majority of their listings.



4. I then included the Teenage Cancer Trust logo so that the audience and readers can easily recognise that this documentary will include information on the Teenage Cancer Trust. This may also encourage the audience to watch this documentary as they may have been directly affected or had personal experience with the Teenage Cancer Trust.

  

5. I then added the main article text to my double page spread. I had separately drafted this on word to make it easier when inserting this. I used three columns as this was a typical convention that most double page spreads have. I decided to leave a space to include a pull quote.

6. I then decided to put a pull quote in. I decided to use "Like the marathon, life can sometimes be hard" and "I must believe". I feel these are in a sense emotive which may encourage the audience to watch the documentary. This was also a typical code and convention that I found in my research.

 7. Finally, I inserted a QR code and the page numbers onto the double page spread.

Construction - One Step At A Time

This is my unfinished documentary. I have uploaded this to show my progression as well as enabling my focus group to view my documentary to answer my audience feedback questions.

Construction - Double Page Spread

These print screens show how my ancillary products have changed after consulting my focus group. I was going to conduct an interview for the article, but I feel this wouldn't promote the documentary as much as it could and encourage people to watch the documentary. I feel if I write about the documentary and explain what is going to be included, without giving too much information away, more people would watch this. I also decided to start with a question to incite the readers to read more. At first, I was using the colours of the Teenage Cancer Trust, red, white and blue, but I have decided to change this and use more bright colours, to make the article more attractive and catch the readers eye. My focus group also thought it would be appropriate to have a QR (quick response) code to link to the Teenage Cancer Trust, to encourage the audience to read and find out more about this charity. These print screens show my progression of my ancillary products, and I am continuing to improve these to the highest standard by regularly consulting my focus group and looking at other double page spread in TV listing magazines.

Construction - Audience Feedback