Re shoot ad 1

As I will be filming again tomorrow I've made a list of things I will have to do to make this ad perfect;
Find a suitable piece of music
Shoot each shot from a different angle
Ask actors to dress smartly (with ties, posh skirts, and heels! (generally looking more sopisticated.)
Open Passort at picture page
Use more lighting!

Over View

I believe I have basically met the dead line as the running ad (ad 2) needs a few more shots to make the story more stereotypical and easier to understand. (Post 13th July!); Don't presume your audience knows what message you are trying to put across!

I've made draft of the other two ads which means i've met that deadline!

My plan now is to make a new shooting schedule as i haven't got one that is up to date.

My plans for January are to obviusly complete my other ads; For ad 3 I have decided to use a green screen for when they are in the lift, my reasons for this are to make it look more realistic ad to obviously make it clear to the audience where exactly the characters are.

For ad 1 I shall re shoot use the same props I used last time (Phone, knife, two pairs of glasses, Bag and book, a phone and passport) As there are often used for identification in any crime /mystery genre. I may have to use more lighting for the darker shoots that needed to be brighter. I have also been told to give it a little more pace and a sence of urgency so it is unquestionably linked to the mystery genre.

Other tasks will be to find someone to do a voice over for each advert, find a suitable piece of music for each and complete the logo.

Ad closest to complete

Ad 2 needing just a few adjustments

My second advert went really well. I chose a new locating on the spot so as to not drift the actors away from the warm very far but other than that I did keep to the story board other than forgetting a few crucial shots.

The camera work was complimented but the story being told apparently didn't make much sense. I was advised to include a shot of each person looking at their watch; a shot which i knew i had forgot to include once i watched it; that'll teach me for not getting my story board out while filming, although it was windy!
The actors were naturally complaining of the cold so i'll make sure i give them far more warning next time then I won't feel rushed then either!
I'm going to have to also use more shots at different angles of the couple together, with the glasses on and re-do a shot that has a little to much lighting.

Another point suggested to me was that i choose the music before i start shooting again so i have an idea of the pace: I chose OK GO!
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=pv5zWaTEVkI

2nd reshoot of ad 1

I did a re shoot for ad one but the battery ran out! And the charger insert was broken. Wasn't happy!
Although I had much better lighting, more space and an actor that didn't laugh when being filmed like i had in my first attempt!

Ad One

The filming i've just done for my first ad certainly isn't the best; the lighting's poor and I couldn't finish it because the camera went funny!
I'll have to re- shoot in a different location anyway to make the lighting better, and so there is more space.

A couple of things i did like about my 1st ad though; was my idea of one of the characters looking inside two draws and finding something interesting in the second. I also liked the different use of camera angles and shot lengths I had.

Problem with Re-shoot ad three

Well I filmed ad 3 once again and now I'm pulling my hair out! because i couldn't use a lift i made my own and am not sure if i'll be knocked down for it. And i have absolutely no idea how to use Abdobe premiere pro! so not only have i got trouble with shooting but now i have to spend time learning how to use a new program! Ahhhhh!

Right then! Now i'm going to have a looky see what aspects of an opticians advert prof's have used that I may have not thought of yet...........................
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2Sbe73D9WnM
Now this one is more like my original idea because it is set in many different locations in terms of how someone not haing glasses effects others. Its about 36 cuts in one minuet so it's quite slow paced my second advert is likely to be this slow as many shots will be focusing on objects.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TF55tW1bTIw&feature=related
This one has around about 45 cuts and the same principle of my current adverts in that it almost has a genre; with the jump cuts and the close ups. The fact that there are only two characters; One Male and one Female. Again, quite like mine

Ad 3 too long!

I have just realized my advert is far too long! Being 27 seconds long and only having filmed just a third of the ad! In preparing my filming i have given them too much to do so i now have to make sure they know exactly what to do so their actions are put down to a minimum.

Further more i have also realized i need to use high key lighting to ensure the audience can engage effectively with the actions on screen.

Also in discussion with my teacher I have now need to reconsider the order of some of the shots and to also ensure i have a clear establishing shot at the beginning of the advert.

Finally i need to include one or two stereotypical shots of a man and woman getting ready to re-enforce the verisimilitude of my advert.

Problems!

As much as I thought Ad 3 could be done without any problems I've recently realised I was oh so wrong!
First of all I had a problem with people not wanting to be filmed in bed! Because they're frightened they look awful! As well as the fact that both people very often not being avalible at the same time. That was annoying! I therefore decided to get some new actors! This raised more problems though, because places I want to film in are now less availble. A lift for instance is going to be harder now to be able to use; I went into 'tescos' the other day and ended up having to ring Ireland for permission to use their lift for filming eventually finding out they weren't even there!

I also realised I may have to start the whole thing again because one of the actors didn't have proper glasses but used sun glasses instead! We can't have him using them in an office room now can we?! I may either have to change my idea about the office if i want to keep that footage. :-S

From this i have learnt that i will need to pre-plan and inform people before hand as well as telling them everything they will need to bring. (such as glasses, costumes e.c.t.)

Ad 3; Setting, props and characters

Here are the pictures of the setting and characters that i thought of for my third advert;

Setting

Originally the advert will be set in a bedroom.

Actor's and actresses

Props

The alarm clock will be used obviously to wake the couple up but at different times

And two pairs of glasses (One for each main character of the advert)

Ad 2; Setting, props and characters

Here are the pictures of the setting and characters that i thought of for my second advert;





Setting

This is where the first actor will be seen at the beginning of the advert


These are all the shots where the two actors will be seen running.




This is where the actress will be seen looking around


More shots of running destinations







Props











Actor/ Actress

Ad 1; Setting, Props and characters

Here are the pictures of the setting and characters that i thought of for my first advert;



Setting



Actor/Actress

Props

Recording my first ad

I have decided to shoot my third advert to begin with as there won't be any complications in terms of avalibility of actors and the fact that the start is based at home it's convinient really!

Researching my target audience

I looked at the following opticians on the internet:
Specsavers http://www.specsavers.co.uk/
Optical express http://uk.opticalexpress.com/spectacles.html
Boots opticians www.bootsopticians.co.uk/
Each opticians advertise glasses to be made for every occasion having the opportunity to purchase normal, designer, or sun glasses, therefore being able to aim at a mass audience; people of all ages, class, gender e.c.t.

All the opticians have a website address which obvoisly benifits the internet users and therefore made eaiser for the buyer.

I also took note from the websites that pictures are taken of a pair of glasses at a high angle shot enabling the buyer to view the whole frame and glass as well as giving an unquestionable identification of the object. I will have to consider this in the makeing of each advert.

New ideas

The adverts now being changed quite a bit all have the following things in common;

• Only one boy and one girl
• The logo and the voice over at the end.
• Concept of glasses being found at the end of each advert

All three adverts will have a different genre. The first being a mystery, second; an action which will be the advert with the split screens, and the third will be a romance

Having thought about what actors and actresses I will need I have figured the age of them will range from 17 - 30's so it is not just one age group that are being represented.

My Logo

My Logo: I decided to take my opticians name literally and use a maginfying glass in my logo to enlarge the text.



I found that the other optician's logo such as 'specsavers' generally use logos that are simple but effective. Hence, i have made mine in this way

Logo

I have designed a logo for my opticians that would be shown at the very end of the advert; reading 'Looking Glass Opticians' with the two "oo's" being shown as glasses (drawn in ruff below)

Since then i have made the following changes to my adverts;
Logo
Concept of the story line in each advert
Less actors! (now only two in each (one guy and one girl))

Use of more props
Each advert in one set location (with exeption to the thrid)

Textual analysis and Changed idea

Research advertisements 

The following analysis of adverts are related to , theme, style, narration and form that influenced the decisions made for my own adverts. 

Title of Ad: Specsavers Two for one

Company: Specsavers

Product: Glasses 

Textual Analysis

-Whole advert is fast paced 

- Many different distances of shot however CU/MID are most prominent  

-There a couple of jump shot transitions and the use of tracking movements of the male emphasize the pace of the advert.

-The lighting ambient to create an atmospheric setting.

-The two different perspectives of the characters signifies the number of glasses in the Specsavers offer.

-The different atmospheres connote the different designs Specsavers have to offer in their store.

-Sound track is fast paced with no lyrics again adding to the speed of the advert

Key Concepts

-The advert is targeted at adults, or rather partners that both possibly need glasses as the protagonists of the advert are a  relatively young couple. 

-Furthermore the advert is also targeted at partners regardless of what their age.

-The representation the happy couple of the end implies the people it is aimed at will also be happy once they have bought their glasses.

-The ideology of this advert is that partners should stick together whether they are in a crisis or buying spectacles 

Changed Idea

Talking to my tutor we figured out that my original idea wasn't so fantastic, Although the idea of advertising an opticians stayed.

After handing in the various drafts for my story board I have decided to link each advert by basing them on different genres, them being; Romance, Mystery and Comedy.
Each of them also link by there being only one male and one female character in each. Eventually finding the glasses they have misplaced.

One complication I may have; is finding actors for it! So if there are any volunteers don't hesitate to tell me you’re up for being a star of one of my adverts! :-D

Codes and conventions of an advert and First ideas

Codes and conventions

• Using a celebrity to gain product popularity- Pepsi used David Beckham, Britaney Spears e.c.t. to gain audience recognition to their adverts   
  
• Being unusual - The new Vodaphone adverts go against all the codes and conventions other than this one!
  
• Having a brand name- Specsavers brand name is well known because it is repeated on every one of their adverts
  
• Using a popular song-  Women's Razor blades advert using the song" I'm your venus"
  
• Catch phrase- Calgon- "Washing machienes live longer with Calgon"
  
• Fear factor- ( If you do n't use the product, you won't get the girl) -Lynx
  
• Guilt sceems- on't leave loved ones without
  
• Most used camera distances CU/MID- makeup adverts in particular do this- No. 7 
• Create an episode to link the adverts together 

First Ideas

When searching for insperation in a creative advertising book, I took my glasses off for a minute and stared at them. It was then I decided to advertise an opticaians ('Looking Glass Opticians')

Each of my adverts would have a number of people in, answering the following questions

Ad 1. What distance do you need your glasses for?
Ad 2. When do you need to wear your glasses?
Ad 3. What couldn't you see before you bought your glasses?

Each advert would have a question that is answered by about 10-15 people.

Each Actor in Ad 1 would be in a setting realted to the distance appropriate to what they say.
Actors in Ad 2 will have actors in a range of settings such as class rooms, in a car e.c.t.
Ad 3 will need a range of props such as books, computers e.c.t.

Each of these would end with a voice over saying "What ever you need your glasses for 'LookingGlass' opticians has the right ones for you"

I haven't yet decided whether the question should be spoken at the beginning of the advert at all yet as it may keep the audience intrigued about what exactly the advert is about.

Inspiration and the ASA

There was a particular advert that caught my eye when watching this as it reminded me of the text I read last month (Post 13th July) on "changing attitudes":
The Pepsi advert with the child at the vending machine. The child uses a well known brand to reach the drink that he wants even wasting money in the process. Implying that the drink is worth three times as much as the original brand he buys.
So to follow suit, I need to find a well known branded product and use it only to retrieve the product I wish to advertise to indicate that it is better than the best.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri3XqFzcc_k&feature=related

Having recently gained knowledge that the ASA and the importance of the institution have their own website I decided to browse it and http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/about/short_guide/

From this I found out that ASA are an institution which deals with mass media texts and considers the textual analysis and audience when analysing adverts. It is therefore important to consider the ideology of other advertisements as well as my own.

 In addition to this advertisements must provide rich story telling techniques; narrative and different genres

Researching adverts

I found a book in the Library: Advertinsing by Frank Jefkins
The first chapter, I think contained the most importat information on
'Marketing communication'
"Has to do more than infor. It has to persuade...has to influence choice"

"advertising is the means of making known in order to sell"

'Value of simplicity'
An advertisement can be so clever that all that is remembered is the gimmick or perhaps a very interesting picture, not the advertiser, the product or the offer. One of the most brilliant advertising campaigns was based on the simple saying "Players Please" with it's double meaning... Cleaver, but not noticably so!"
So in hind sight I must make my adverts simple for them to have the gratest effect and increase the possibility of them being easily remembered.

'Changing attitudes'
"advertising...usually to change or influence attitudes"
"persuade people to buy product A instead of product B"
"including point of sale"
"people are prepared to pay higher prices for purer, healthyer or safer" products.
By having another product in an advert to compare to my own will enable me to give the impression that my product is far better

"Including action"
"not just concerned wth giving information. It must do it in such and original, characteristic and persuasive way that the consumer is urged to take action."
I figured then that by viewing other media text made previously I should get ideas but still make it my own by giving my adverts a particular uniqueness

"Communication barriers"
"If readers, listeners or viewers misunderstand the advertising message, the campaign is a waste of time and money."
"We know what we mean- but do other people? We must never assume that people know what we are talking about."
I learnt in through reading this part of the text that I will need someone to analyse/ View my work to see if they understand the message i am trying to put across before I send it off to be marked!

Adverts and their relationship with audience 

Advertising is an expression and part of an economic system. Each economic system has an interesting relationship with the social system, political system and cultural value. Whatever be the character of the economic system, there are three basic features which are common to all: 

a) determination of goods and services and the quantities to be produced or offered; 

b) allocation of resources according to priorities of production-mainly land, labor and capital; and 

c) distribution of goods and services among individuals and groups. We are not concerned here about the relative importance of state intervention and market determination of these three processes.

These three processes condition the development of every society. Advertising is a major component of each one of these three processes. If advertising is a process of mediation between the producer of goods and services and the consumer, to that extent it contributes to the development not merely of the economy but also of society

The Brief

My course work task outline is to: A series of 3 adverts for television (approximately 2 minutes in duration

"Why use advertising?"

• "increase sales of a product or use of service"
• "Improve firms 'corporate image': to persuade people that the company is benevolent and trustworthy."
• "designed not to challenge bad images but to change people's perceptions of the company... by building the company as a brand"
• "change people's behavior: anti-smoking, anti- drugs, and healthy eating campaigns 

I looked at this book for inspiration as to what my advert would be about. The second point appealed to me the most as persuasion is a key point to follow as if you aren't persuasive people are not going to by your product. 

Ways of seeing- John Berger

Quotes in "Ways of seeing" By John Berger 

"Within publicity, choices are offered between this cream and that cream, that car and this car, but publicity as a system only makes a single proposal...that we transform ourselves, or our lives, by buying something more"- Whatever audiences have already it is the publisist's job to persuade us to want more regardless of whether we actually need it or not. The competition between two similar companies with only secure customer's attention more

"Will make us in some way richer- even though we will be poorer by having spent our money" It is suggested by the publishers that we will be richer in buying a product; a contradiction which audience seem to ignore. When it is a companies main aim to thrive on the economy an eliminate their competition. 

"Visual messages cause a brief stimulation of the imagination, whether forgotten or not, by the way of memory or expectation"  this is backed up by Dominic Strinati's claim that "image is more important that the substance of text" therefore what ever product i choose to advertise if it is not remembered the first time it has been watched it will be recognized easily when seen again. Though most importantly an advert does not ever refer to the present, only mentioning the past and speaking of the future. Implying that the product will improve their future in some way.

"Publicity begins by working on natural appetite for pleasure" - often products are made just for the point of customers happiness rather than actual needs as institutions play on this fact by manipulating desires into their campaign

s for their product brand.

Heinz Beans

I have completed my Heinz Beans poster recently.

After learning to cope with all the layers. I was able to use the program relatively easily.

I made a rather simple poster with a heinz beans tin cut into a heart

For the Text I used capital letters for it to stand out and used another layer to give it a shadow and a little more character.

I also painted on a boarder to give it more colour.

My blog

This my very own blog for my A2 course work. It will be used to keep a diary of all the videos and links that may help me to create an advert and to help me reflect and evaluate what I have achievend and what I have learnt