Blog Post 20: Closing Post

Dear moderator,

Thank you for looking at my blog! I hope you like my work. Please click onto the AS Research and Planning label in order to view my research and planning evidence.
Thank you :)

Cathy Ly (candidate 3122)

This blog is now closed.

Blog Post 19: My Finished Adverts

Personally, I'm really happy with how my adverts have turned out as I feel like they successfully convey the fun and friendly brand image that I tried to create for YourFood as well as the quick delivery that they provide. I hope that are memorable adverts through the comedy and mockumentary film style and are therefore convincing enough to attract the TA to YourFood.

Overall, it was quite tough in making these adverts due to the tight time frame that we were given, however, I'm really proud of how much I was able to achieve and I found that it was an incredibly fun experience which has allowed me to learn a lot in editing and filming and grow as a person.

Blog Post 18: My Target Audience Feedback

I showed the 6 people that I had surveyed earlier (Bobbi (17), Simon (17), Minh (19),  Roland (20), Chi (23), and Scott (24)) and my mum my finished advert in order to see what they thought of it and any feedback and improvements that they could give me. I asked them several questions and then later gathered together all of their answers to come up with a summary of what they said.

Questions Asked

Summary of Overall Answers

I would not have been able to see the flaws in my adverts without these criticisms mainly due to the fact that I had been so used to my adverts after working on them so intensely so it was extremely useful to get a verdict from fresh eyes in order for me to be able to improve in future projects. In hindsight, I would have done several things differently such as imposed the YourFood logo more explicitly and explicitly advertise the product in order to prevent confusion on what the adverts are advertising. I would have also filmed some of the shots in better lighting in order to make colour grading easier to do.

Blog Post 17: My Adverts Review

My advert review was a more polished version of my rough cut. This meant that it included the shots that I had been missing previously, fixed continuity mistakes and plot holes, tighter cuts, better voice overs and was better sound mixed with the dialogue, voice over, music and diagetic sounds not overpowering one another. I create this in order to show my peers and teachers to get more specific criticism that would make my advert look more realistic and refined.

I found the critism I got back from it extremely useful as people picked up on some small colour correcting issues that I wouldn't have been able to see myself such as the last few shots in both of my adverts being slightly too red and not matching the rest of my adverts. Some text issues were also pointed out such as the word 'online' looking weird due to the large gaps beside the 'l' and the 'i'. All of these were issues that I would not have been able to see myself, especially due to the fact my eyes were used to seeing these adverts over and over again so new eyes watching the adverts were extremely appreciated.

Blog Post 16: My Rough Cut

I first created a rough cut by piecing together my best shots that I had filmed in order and adding some music that I intended on using. I did this in order to be able to see a rough version of what my advert would look like in the end and see if all the elements would work together well and also be able to receive new ideas on fixing plot holes and criticisms of adverts such as shot framing or dialogue from others.

I found this extremely useful as it highlighted everything that I was missing early on which saved me a lot of time. It meant that I was able to focus on redrafting sections of my storyboard in order to fix certain plotholes - such as the narrator being kicked out of the house even though he had been outside in the rest on the advert in my 2nd advert - with ideas inspired by the criticism I recieved as well as plan a new shoot board that included these new shots and old shots that needed to be refilmed which saved me a lot on time during the reshoot and meant that I was more organised.

Blog Post 15: My Shoot-Board

I created an initial shoot board in order to make sure that I would be able to film all of my shots in an order that would be most time efficient. I first ordered all of my shots that I had created on my storyboard into groups based on the location that they were filmed in. Then from that I ordered them so that the outside shots would be filmed first as we had a limited amount of sunlight to film in. From there, I added in the dialogue lines, cast and props needed, and the time dedicated to film them beside the shots in a table which became my shoot board. I then redid this process for my second shoot with all the new shots that I wanted to create and refilm.

1st Shoot Board Page 1

1st Shoot Board Page 2

1st Shoot Board Page 3

1st Shoot Board Page 4

1st Shoot Board Page 5

2nd Shoot Board for Reshoot Page 1

2nd Shoot Board for Reshoot Page 2

I found that a shoot board was essential throughout my filming weekend as there was so much going on with organizing props and actors. Therefore, the shoot board helped to ground me and acted as a base for me to refer back to whenever I was confused. Finally, the two columns that I added at the end, titled 'no. of takes' and 'best take', really helped me to save a lot of time during editing as it meant that I could find my favorite shot quickly.

Blog Post 14: My Kit List

A kit list is very important when borrowing and sharing kit from somebody or from an institution as it tells you exactly what you're borrowing and therefore exactly what you have to return later on. Without a kit list, it'd be extremely easy to forgot smaller parts of equipment such as a spare battery or the shoe of a tripod which would cost a lot of money to replace and create a large inconvenience to everybody. I did not have a partner so I only referenced the kit list to make sure I was returning everything, however, a kit list is also essential to make sure you handover the correct amount to your partner so that they may also be able to use the equipment effectively.

The Equipment Release Form

Equipment Contract for Home Release

Kit Checklist

The kit release process made sure that my parents and myself were aware of the responsibility that I was bestowed with the kit. Through this process, I saw how essential it was to take care of the equipment and use it seriously which I find would be very beneficial later on in life in the instance that I was to borrow equipment from a different institution.

Blog Post 13: My Time-Plan Crew And Cast List

I created a time-plan in order to have a set time frame in which I could tell my actors to arrive at. This, in turn, made me a lot more organised and prepared than I would have been. The cast list was also essential as it meant that I knew that everybody who I had down would be free on the day and therefore I wouldn't have to worry about uncertainty.

Timeplan and Cast List for the 1st Weekend

Timeplan and Cast List for the 2nd Weekend

The lists helped to create a timeframe that I had to work on at the weekends which, as a result, made me more organised and time effective when I was filming. It also helped to reassure my actors and get them into the right mindset as I could explain to them what was happening and when so they didn't have any ambiguity which would've worried their parents.

Blog Post 12: My Location Reccie, Risk Assessment And Location Permissions

I created a location reccie and got location permissions in order to ensure that they were free and suitable for my advert to be filmed in and to ensure that nobody would get angry at me filming on their property without their permission. Additionally, by going to the actual location to take the location reccies, I was able to see the physical layout of the area and therefore plan my shots around it and see if there was enough space to film in it.  I also created a risk assessment in order to prepare for any dangers that I may encounter whilst filming my adverts.

Location Reccie of Road Ran Down

I decided to film on this particular road as it was situated in a pedestrian zone and therefore meant that I had a lot of space to film and didn't have to worry about cars getting in the way.

Location Reccie of Pizza Express Filmed Outside

(v rainy) Location Reccie of Mannoush (Original Shop to be Filmed At)

I filmed outside these particular shops as they are within a pedestrian zone which allowed plenty of space for camera equipment and different shot types and angles without the interference and danger of cars.

Location Reccie of Living Room

At first, I decided to film in the living room as there seemed to be a lot of space however, it later proved to be too crowded and so I moved all of the living room scenes into the dining room which is connected to the kitchen.

Location Reccie of Kitchen

Although the kitchen looked small, there was plenty of space outside of it where I could shoot into which was ideal for the shots that I wanted.

Location Reccie of Outside of House

The road that I filmed on was a very quiet road so there weren't any issues with filming outside the house such as noise or traffic.

Risk Assesment and Signed Location Permissions

Despite getting verbal confirmation from Mannoush (the first shop that I filmed outside for my test and rough cuts) they had an inspection for my actual shoot so I had to find a different shop last minute and ending up filing outside of Pizza Express who also luckily agreed. Nevertheless, the location permissions ensured that nobody got angry at me filming and nothing else went wrong.

Blog Post 11: My Practice Shoot/Edit

Before filming my actual adverts, I filmed a practice shoot which I edited on my phone. I did this in order to see if my storyboard worked in real life and if all the shots were achievable. I filmed all the shots on my phone as it was the most accessible device I had on hand and then later placed all of the shots together in order and roughly edited them on an app called FilmMaker Pro.

This was extremely beneficial to me as it gave me a rough idea of how long I would actually need in order to film my adverts, which was about 3-4 hours, which helped me in creating my time plan and ensure that I would have sunlight in my shots. It also helped to reaffirm that all of my shots were actually possible whilst also pointing out any continuity errors present that I would have to fix in the actual shoot.

Blog Post 10: My Advert Storyboards

I created storyboards in order to help further visualise what my adverts would look like. I did this by retyping out the timelines with the specific framing that I wanted the shot to have and then drawing out the separate shots on sticky notes which I gathered onto an A3 piece of paper. I deiced t kept the dialogue and visually drawn shots separate so that it wouldn't be too messy and therefore easier to read.

Written Storyboard for Advert 1

Visual Storyboard for Advert 1

Written Storyboard for Advert 2

Visual Storyboard for Advert 2

This was extremely helpful to me as the storyboards were a lot more specific than the timelines. Therefore, my classmates and friends could give very specific criticisms such as on how certain lines of dialogue, that I had planned on including in the advert, were phrased. I was also given several suggestions on how I could use certain props, such as have the narrator hid behind a houseplant at the star of Advert 1, better. Finally, my teacher helped me decide what sort of framing was most effective for each shot.

Blog Post 9: My Advert Timelines

I create timelines for my advert so that I could start visualising the shots that I would include and have an idea of the pace that I would need to create in order to fit the entire story into 30 seconds. I create them digitally so that they would be easier to edit and wrote down the action that would occur in one column and the dialogue one next to it. Through reading the dialogue aloud, I would have a rough idea of how long the shot would take.

Timeline for Advert 1

Timeline for Advert 2

This planning was extremely beneficial as it meant that I had to cut down on a lot of unnecessary detail which would have slowed down the pace of the advert. Therefore, the timelines were essential in creating a good pace in my adverts. The timelines also helped clarify what my adverts would look like and therefore allowed more specific criticism.

Blog Post 8: My Initial Proposal

I create an initial proposal as I had an initial idea that I wanted to note down and work on before I forgot it. It was also crucial for me as it was something physical for me to give to my teacher and my class mates so that I could receive criticism and feedback on it in order for me to improve it. We spent a lesson writing down our initial ideas before presenting them to our class in order for the feedback to occur. The brief demanded that the adverts where to be tailored for an audience of 16-25 year olds, focusing on region and youth. From my previous research, I had found that this audience was interested in documentaries such as 'Blue Planet' and so, inspired by genre hybridity and parodying from the 'Michael Jackson Pepsi' advert, I tried to parody the documentary style in my adverts. Furthermore, in order to show a focus on region and youth, I tried to plan the story so that locations familiar to the audience would be included (eg. terraced houses) and had a cast of late teens.

Initial Proposal Pg. 1

Initial Proposal Pg. 2

The feedback I got back from my class was essential as it helped me ensure that the narrative that I had wouldn't be too complex and that I wasn't trying to be overly ambitious. I was reminded of SMART and therefore redrafted my initial proposal down into something that I could manage and create in the timeframe given.

Blog Post 7: Research Into Existing TV Commercials In Other Forms (eg. Online, Print, Billboard)

I also researched existing TV commercials, specifically ones in print and billboard format. I felt that this was important to do in order to be able to see all aspects of a marketing campaign and therefore understand marketing better as a whole. I did this by looking at posters and billboards that I had remembered or had seen, on the motorway and on the tube, or ones that I had found online which I then analysed. Here are two of the ones I looked at.

Warburtons' Royal Wedding Poster

Analysis of Warburtons Poster

American KFC Poster

Analysis of KFC Poster

I found that looking at posters was really beneficial to me as it highlighted two things to me that were essential: a colour scheme and a slogan that was short but sharp. All the posters that I looked at were also very simple with a clear message. This helped to give me several ideas on how I could make the storyline of my adverts simple and not overwhelming.

Blog Post 6: Research Into Existing TV Commercials (Other Genres)

I researched into other genres of existing TV commercials so that I could find conventions I think are present and consistent throughout TV adverts. I did this by creating a Youtube playlist and saving any adverts I thought would become useful to my research. Here are two adverts that I researched.

My playlist

M&S Advert Analysis

Aldi Christmas Advert Analysis

This research was also helpful as it showed me the conventions that I should follow so that I could create an effective advert that is suitable for TV. For example, I found out that I should use an ending title card showing the logo as nearly all adverts do this to provide anchorage to the advert and provide clarity on what is being advertised.

Blog Post 5: Research Into Existing TV Commercials For Take-Away Food Delivery Services

I looked into already existing TV commercials for takeaway food delivery services as I wanted to find conventions that these adverts all shared and the expectations that they had created for audiences to have of adverts. Through finding out what the conventions were, I would have a structure that I could build my advert on. I was also able to see how different audiences chose to represent and present their brand values which helped to inspire ideas on how I could present YourFood as being regional and youthful. Here are two adverts that I looked at.

My Playlist

Deliveroo Advert Analysis

hungryhouse Advert Analysis

I found this very useful as it helped me come up with several ideas for my adverts and I managed to find serveral aspects that were common among these adverts that I also wanted to try and include in my adverts such as the use of comedy, genre hybridity and intertextulity. Additionally, it also allowed me to see the stlye that food delievery services usually followed and therefore what the audience would be expecting.

Blog Post 4: The Target Audience (Males And Females Aged 16-25)

The target audience was important to research in order to ensure that the advert would appeal to them and therefore have a chance to successfully persuade the audience into ordering from YourFood. I looked at their lifestyles and what they look for in order to ensure the advert would gratify their needs and to see what I could include in my adverts that would interest them. I surveyed 6 people in total, 3 females (Bobbi (17), Minh (19) and Chi (23)) and 3 males (Simon (17), Roland (20) and Scott (24)).

Questions I asked

Summary of answers I recieved

UK Tribes Summary Pt. 1

UK Tribes Summary Pt. 2

Tribe Icons as seen on 'www.uktribes.com'

I found it particularly useful to look at their daily lives and their interests and dislikes. Through doing so I was able to understand the TA audience better and therefore adapt my advert to suit them more (eg chose what to intertextualise in my adverts later on) particularly through the use of surveys filled out by them which I created a summary of. I also found that it was useful to look at the UK tribes, created by Channel 4 which categorises their audience into small groups.

Blog Post 3: The ASA BCAP Code

I researched the ASA and BCAP in order to see the rules and regulations that my adverts would have to follow in order for them to be seen as appropriate to air and to prevent my advert from being taken down and therefore become a waste of money.

BCAP

ASA

Key Regulations I Found Important

Through researching the different types of adverts that have and haven’t followed these regulations, I was able to see a range of particularly interesting adverts which are extremely innovative such as the Cadbury Gorilla ad which introduced genre hybridity. I also found that in the BCAP, articles 4 and 10 were particularly useful in helping me see what was an appropriate idea for my adverts and they also pointed out issues that I may have overlooked such as giving the delivery person a helmet. I've embedded above the Cadbury Gorilla Ad that was named advert of the year by Time Magazine and McDonalds' Dead Dad Advert which was bad for being insensitive.

Blog Post 2: Channel 4

I researched Channel 4 in order to see the style that the Channel has and, therefore the style and types of adverts that they broadcast throughout the week. I'm aware that Channel 4's target audience consists of 18-30 year olds (stated on the PSB Remit) and that my TA are 16-25 year olds which crosses over with Channel 4's demographic. Therefore, I did this in order to see which type of programmed attracted specifically my TA the most in order to see the time in which my advert would have the widest reach.

Channel4 TV Guide for Fridays

Channel4 TV Guides for Tuesday

Channel4 Target Audience 

Channel4 Background Information

PSB Remit

Channel4 Scheduling

Channel4 General Statistics

I found this particularly useful to look at each of the programme's ratings and demographics and to look at the TV guide as it gave me a structure to work around and through looking at each show’s ratings I could see which time was most suitable to air the adverts at. I ended up settling on airing the advert at 7pm on a Tuesday between Hollyoaks and Channel4 News and 9pm before Gogglebox on a Friday as all three of those shows have a high demographic of young adult, in particular, university students. I also found out that all the adverts on Channel4 included a shot of the app being used on a smartphone which I kept in mind and used later on in my adverts.