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

When making our documentary we wanted to follow as many conventions as possible in order to make our documentary appear professional. One of the first things seen in a documentary is a montage in some form, a quick paced selection of shots aimed at setting the scene for the film and grabbing the viewers attention. Our montage features right at the beginning of the footage and is a collection of photos we thought appropriate for setting the scene and to place questions in the viewers mind. At the beginning of our documentary the montage sequence uses exposition- it exposes to the viewer the key themes of the documentary that will be shown through the documentary. I feel this was an effective part of the film as it cements what the documentary is going to be about in the viewers mind. However, I feel that the Photo taken image of the girl smoking could have been framed better as she is sat centrally from our photo and should be towards the left hand side more, this is shown below.
montage

Interviews were a key feature in the opening of our documentary and took up a large section providing key information and opinions to the viewer. We took careful consideration when thinking about the set up of the interviews, the location and the props that would be featured in the cameras view. For our first expert interview with Cathy Fox we recorded it in a small office where she regularly worked. It was realistic and contained a computer and desk to make it look like her place of work, we also Shot to far away, not set had her stop smoking aids, tar and phlegm jars very well places on the table within the cameras view to link the props to the topic of the documentary. We ensured Cathy sat on the right of the screen and looked across the open space to the left; a convention that we observed was common amongst other documentaries that we had analyzed. We set up a similar style when interviewing our second expert Jake McGee. In addition we tried to film all subjects in light open rooms or outside to ensure the lighting was more natural than artificial and where possible used smaller rooms to avoid the sound echoing. Interviews with experts are used to authenticate views that have already been shown and cement the idea in the viewers head. For the vast majority we used actuality, film footage of real life events to make the viewer believe what we were telling them and also to make the documentary more interesting rather than just relying on found footage constantly.
Interview with Jake McGee

Throughout the whole clip we had a music track playing over to make some areas sound more dramatic and to introduce a new dimension to the film. At various points in the documentary we made the music extremely quiet to allow the viewer to focus on the information being given and we also raised the music levels when there was no voiceover or interviews to be heard. The music contained no lyrics so it would not be seen to distract the viewer from the main intentions of the documentary. There was also a voiceover running across the whole documentary that we used to add extra information and to set certain scenes. We ensured that the voiceover was clear and at the same volume throughout, as we had done with the music to ensure the documentary sounded professional. This was not a stated convention as such but a definite need to make sure the documentary did not appear amateurish. Throughout filming we tried to vary the camera angle as much as possible however in parts like the interviews this was harder as there were certain conventions we had to follow. For introducing the Sixth Form College Solihull we used an establishing shot with a tilt, a common convention we had seen in Sound bar used other documentaries watched previously. For the cutaways shots we used a to check sound levels number of over the shoulder shots to try and vary the shot types and try to avoid using so much found footage which can appear dull and boring to the viewer. We also used some archival or stock footage Example of an also with our actual footage to add another depth establishing to our film and make the overall effect more shot interesting. To avoid just watching stock footage straight on the screen we filmed it in the style of an over the shoulder shot to add some interest. For the expert interviews we added text over the footage on the bottom half of the screen. It gave simple details of their name and position and was common to introducing a person giving some form of expert view. We kept the text simple and used a white font to ensure it was readable on the screen. We kept both text fonts the same on both expert interview to ensure continuity was seen in the film. We also added text over the close up of the lighter flame for the title page and again, kept this text simple to avoid overcomplicating the title. We thought it gave an effective image and we were pleased with the result.
How the original graphic looked without the image over the top. How we created it in final cut express
Interview with text giving extra information

When adding transitions to our documentary we wanted to stay away from the more complex ones as we believed that these may take the viewers attention away from the core information being given. Due to this we used only a few fade in, fade outs and fade to blacks as we believed that this was all that was needed. In addition we chose only to use transitions at key points such as a change of topic, or introducing a new part of the documentary. This was because we were happy with the effect that the straight cut gave. This was good as when watching other similar documentaries they also used more straight cuts and simple transitions throughout. The main documentaries that influenced us were public affairs documentaries such as Panorama etc. They are factual and informative and are usually shown on public services broadcasters such as BBC1 and Channel 4. These are also seen as polemical as they can draw attention to a perceived wrong and have a significant impact on the viewer as I believe our hard-hitting style does.
Transition as it appears on the timeline

Documentaries we watched during the research and planning stages helped us to know which conventions to add to our work, the images are hyperlinked to the relevant clips.

We watched many documentaries when at the research and planning stage of the process, a few that stuck in my mind were Morgan Spurlocks Supersize me and the BBC 1 Panorama documentaries. Supersize me is a theatrical documentary as it was released in the cinema and shows elements of both reflexive and performative modes. Our documentary however is more like the Panorama style documentary and mainly shows 2 modes, expositional as opinions and factual information are given along with narration with influences from social realist cinemas.
TARGET AUDIENCE Our target audience was males and females between the ages of 35 and 60 and the majority would be parents of teenagers that smoke. They would be of all ethnicities and would be in social classes A B and C1. Despite this, many people thought that our documentary was aimed at younger people, something we may need to think about marketing better. I would also argue that all social classes would be watching the documentary and it would not be specifically certain social classes.

When making the magazine article we also had a number of conventions that we felt appropriate to follow in order to make it as professional looking as possible.
Masthead Byline

Title

Standfirst Byline

Main Image

Rule of thirds

Broadcasting info

Smaller Image Block Text

Drop Capital

Channel Info Pull Quotes Photo credit Page Number

When making the article we considered many points, common conventions seen in articles of this nature along with the magazine it would be featured in- Radio Times. We made sure that the masthead stood out to catch the readers attention and there was a standfirst added to break up the text heavy page. We felt that without the standfirst the page would have too much text, as the next page is dominated by the image the text had to be crammed to a certain extent. The main image is clear and plainly lets the reader see what the television programme is going to be about, we also felt that in a number of ways this challenged certain conventions. There are not a great number of magazines that use an image to fill an entire page. We thought the effect it gave was a lot better than anything we could create by using smaller images. The smoke that can be seen makes the picture a little more shocking and is a great way to make the article stand out. We spent a lot of time choosing colours that would work together and eventually settled on purple. However I am still not convinced this was the colour that went with the article best.

Pull quotes are used to break up the text and pick key points from the article that would be seen and read first. We found them to be good as they grabbed the readers attention without distracting from the original point of the magazine. When making the radio trailer there were many conventions that were a necessity for us to follow. We used the same voice that we had used for the voiceover to add continuity to our work and made sure she spoke in a steady and clear voice. This ensured that all information could be clearly heard. The majority of the radio trailer were clips taken from the actual documentary to give people a feel of what the programme is going to be like. An extract is shown below from our radio trailer:
Facts dominated the radio trailer by shocking the listeners. Smoking is the greatest single cause of premature death in the UK Broadcasting information, said clearly whilst getting the relevant information across. LIGHTING UP THE TRUTH ABOUT SMOKING, TUESDAY 8PM, BBC1.

Another key convention was ensuring that the broadcasting information was clearly heard. At the end of the trailer we clearly state the time, day, channel and title of the documentary to ensure any potential viewers know where to find the documentary. Clips throughout radio trailers that we listened to were short, quick and straight to the point. If they did give any facts they made sure they were concise and could be picked out immediately.

Radio trailer mix produced from various tracks overlapped with a music track, the same as the one on our documentary with sound levels and spacing.

2) How effective is the combination of your main task and ancillary tasks?
Overall, we felt that our 3 media products showed continuity throughout and linked well together. We also thought that both the magazine article and the documentary along with the radio trailer and the documentary showed various Magazine strengths when shown together. article I believe that the radio trailer is the weakest of all 3 pieces as we did not have as much time to spend perfecting it as we did with the other 2. There were pauses in the radio trailer that could have been Improved, however I felt that the broadcasting information was very clear and concise. This could be due to the fact that the programme we created it in, Garage Band was new to all of us. Also, we did not have the relevant knowledge or experience to be able to perfect our trailer. Despite this however I do feel that it works well with the documentary, especially as the same voice was used in the radio trailer and the documentary, showing the audience the continuity between products. In addition the same background music that was used in the documentary has been used as a base for the radio trailer, a way to tie the two together and show they are part of the same product. A main problem that we encountered was target audience and many people said that our target audience should have been teenagers. I feel that this may have been true for the documentary and radio trailer, however I feel that the magazine may have been targeted at older people, therefore showing a floor with how our pieces work together. I believe that the magazine trailer and documentary work well together, as the information given across in the article mirrors that shown in the documentary, through both the experts, vox pops and voiceovers. Extracts from the documentary are shown in pull quotes and in the bulk of the article giving readers an insight into what the film may feature. This aims to promote the documentary in the best way possible something that the radio trailer also aims to do. Overall, I feel that our main task works well together with our ancillary tasks as when looking at them you would be able to see that they linked and worked well together. You know from the facts that they are all about the same topic and I believe this comes across clearly in all 3. With the only major flaw being the different target audiences that some pieces seem to be aimed at, and in future we would try to rectify this and spend more time on the radio trailer.

3) What have you learned from your audience feedback?

We made a questionnaire to hand out to people to gain feedback about our 3 media products. It was constructed so it was easy to complete and gave space for any comments the viewers had to help us with our evaluation. We handed the questionnaire out to 40 people trying to get a range of ages, however this was difficult as the majority of people we are in contact with are younger. When analyzing our questionnaires we had asked 19 males and 21 females, with 20 being aged 15-18 and 20 being 19+. We thought these ages were appropriate as it gave us an even number of ages and a varied set of results. We asked questions about all 3 media texts however asked more in depth questions about the documentary, as we felt it had a lot more areas to comment on. We got both positive answers and points to be improved upon which we found to be very helpful. One question we asked was if the viewers thought the music was appropriate. We received comments such as helped with the documentaries message and wasnt too upbeat or too boring- it captured my interest we felt that this was pleasing result as we spent a lot of time selecting the music for our documentary, to ensure it had the right feel. Another question regarding the documentary was did you think the montage section at the start of the documentary was appropriate? We had comments on this question such as It established the documentary and It was clear and easy to know what the documentary was about. We spent a lot of time on the montage section trying various images and clips before eventually deciding and we are Do you think the photo sequence and title glad it received positive feedback. screen introduced the documentary well?
Results from the montage question

After looking at the results of the documentary section of the questionnaire, some areas we believed could be improved was yes the target audience. When asked if they thought the documentary was appropriate no for parents many people said it was not and should be aimed at teenagers more.

This could then be confused as our target audience so this may be something that we need to address. In addition, people also said that our footage was biased towards anti smoking greatly. Even when filming we had planned to veer towards the anti-smoking angle but I definitely feel that we could have included both sides of the argument. We also asked questions about both our radio trailer and magazine article and obtained some interesting results. When 35 asked if they thought that the radio trailer 30 gave enough advertising information people replied with Gave time date and chan25 nel information clearly. This was a result 20 that we were pleased with as it was defi15 nitely something we wanted to make sure stood out. When asked their overall opin10 ion on the radio trailer some points for im5 provement were long breaks in between 0 each clip made it seem boring we didnt Yes No Don't know spend as much time on the radio trailer as we may have liked as a lot of time was dedicated to the documentary. Ideally we would have spent more time perfecting the radio trailer to make it up to the same standards.
Do you think the documentary was appropriate for the target audience?

The feedback for the magazine article was all very positive with people saying that the main image grabbed you and was professional. This was encouraging as we were unsure whether or not to use such a large image but people seemed to like the dramatic image that we picked. People also said that the magazine showed a form of brand identity something which we had looked to achieve by using the same person in the magazine and the documentary, creating continuity for the viewer. For each media product we also asked for our viewers to rate it out of 10, 1 being poor and 10 being excellent. The graph below shows the break down of peoples opinions of our work. The graph shows nobody out of the 40 people asked rated any of our 3 products below 5 out of 10, an encouraging result.
25

20

15 Documentary 10 Radio Trailer Magzine Article

0 5 6 7 Rating 8 9 10

4) How did you use media technologies in the construction, research, planning and evaluation stages?
When we created all 3 of our media products we used a wide range of technologies and programmes to help us produce the most professional looking products possible. In our initial research and planning stages, we also used some form of technologies including Dell computers. On the computers we then used search engine Google to find relevant documentaries which were similar to our Internet idea, we then watched these documentaries on programmes websites BBC iPlayer and also 4oD. In addition we also used resources off the colleges interactive media centre to watch and analyze and found short clips on YouTube to be helpful as well. All of our research and planning was uploaded onto an online blogging website, blogger.com, and was displayed in chronological order. Work could be uploaded to blogger in a number of different ways. It could be directly typed onto the blog and then uploaded or could be written out on Microsoft word first and put into either one of two internet programmes, Scribed or Slideshare. This then makes the overall look a lot more effective. One final way of uploading onto blogger could be in an image or jpeg format. For pieces of work that were handwritten we used the flatbed HP Scanjet scanner to import them onto the computer and make them in a format compatible with blogger.
HP Scanjet scanner

When making the documentary part of the coursework we used a Cannon video camera to capture the main bulk of our footage. Whilst filming we ensured that the camera was in focus and the lighting levels were appropriate. We did this through the cameras main menu to ensure the footage would be useable when transferred to the computer. Transferring the footage to Apple Macs is a relatively simple procedure as the film saves onto a hard drive and is able to be transferred through a USB wire.

In addition while filming we also attached a directional microphone, this was good as it helped reduce the effect of wind on the recording and made the sound very clear and professional when we watched the film back. Finally we attached headphones onto the video camera to help us determine whether or not the sound levels were appropriate when we were actually filming the documentary.

Cannon video camera

For post production we used an editing programme on the Apple Macs called Final Cut Express. This allowed us to cut, add text, arrange, add transitions and titles to our documentary to make the overall film look professional. If we found there were any issues with the sound levels we could also alter these in Final Cut Express quite easily and could lower the music levels as well to make voices sound clearer. The first step in the Final Cut Express process was to Log and Transfer our footage which meant Apple Mac to import it to the actual procomputer gramme. We also found the ability to alter speed a useful tool as we were able to speed up and slow down clips to create an effective result without distorting the footage. Once all footage was imported it could then be arranged, Final Cut edited and voiceovers and music could Express be added as appropriate. As a group we liked the programme as we found it easy to use and found that it produced a high quality finished result. Below is how we saw the Final Cut Express programme and the key parts of the programme that we regularly used to help us edit the documentary.
Viewer section allows previewing Timeline Canvas displaying clip

Music track

Cutaways

Sound level bars

For the production of the magazine article we used Dell computers and the Adobe programme InDesign as it allowed better and easier manipulation of images and text etc. We were familiar with the programme as we had used it for coursework in previous years and found it easy to use especially concerned with the images. We used a camera to take the images for the article and were able to easily upload them onto the computer using a USB lead. We Adobe In Design then used the place tool on InDesign to add them onto the article and resized them in paint to avoid distorting them and making them pixilated. Adding text on InDesign was a relatively easy process as text boxes could be drawn anywhere on the page and moved around with ease. Choosing colours and fonts for the texts was also a simple process and the colour tool could be used to pick out specific colours from anywhere on the page, including images. In addition, boxes that held the text could be filled with a block colour and rotated quickly which we used to create the pull quotes in the centre Choosing colof the text section. To save the ours easily magazine article we exported the document and saved it as a jpeg file which allowed us to then open it in a number of different ways. When producing our radio trailer we chose to use the Apple programme Garage Band as it was simple and easy to use and we found it gave good results. In Garage Band, clips were able to be cut easily using the sequence at the bottom of the page, they could be listened to also to ensure that they were being cut at the correct place.

Working with this programme was a lot like working in Final Cut Express, clips could but cut by simply dragging in with the mouse and sound levels were able to be checked in a similar way. Something we thought was helpful was the clock situated in the middle of the screen as it ensured we did not go over the recommended time but our radio did not lack information either.

Clips were put together and cut as a sequence

In addition to this we were also able to check sound levels quickly and easily in order to achieve a professional sounding result. As a whole we found that Garage Band was a good programme to use as it was easy to use and didnt take much working out as we were on a short deadline. It created professional sounding results and was by far a better programme to use than any I had used previously.
Vox pops taken from our documentary

Background music, the same as that in the documentary

Timings

Record button allowing footage to be recorded straight to the track

Shots ready to be cut

Music can be taken straight from iTunes