jennysa2advertisingblog

Evaluation 3

2009-05-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

Evaluation Part Three

Having now completed my three adverts I believe that they are ultimately quite successful in portraying the message I wish to put across. Eventually I reduced the size of the film and added it on ‘Facebook’ and ‘YouTube’ for people to comment on. I was then able to receive feedback and gain an insight as to how effective an audience believed my work to be.
Advert one was the least popular as it was found to be uninventive compared to the other two. Although quite effective in portraying the required message. The audience recognized that one of the characters not see as well without his glasses, which was an action that we was of ultimate importance to this advert, as the catch phrase at the end gave it meaning.
The shot of the knife however was often considered to be too long and therefore wasted time to get to the point. Overall though the narration was considered to be extremely luring and the catch phrase made clear at end why the men were looking for evidence. A major downfall to this ad however was that audience could tell that the lighting is different at different points of the advert making it a little less effective than it could have been.
Advert 2 was liked for its imaginative narrative. Having had so many familiar destinations in the background, the audience were particularly entertained by this advert. Again, the basic concept was considered to be rounded off well with the message at the end.
Media students were the only ones that generally recognized the good use of green screen. However they did point out a downfall: that in some of the shots you could still see a green outline around the actors, instantly making it apparent that I had used SFX for this advert, making it less professional.
In regards to the three of them as a whole people recognized the fact they were all particularly different to one another in the narration and style. However, they generally approved of the voice over as it "rounded it up nicely" and the logo was identified as the main connection between the three adverts. Most also approved of the different catch phrases for each ad and that all three made a clear connection between the character's actions to the company; 'Looking Glass Opticians' In particular though, the use of imagination in the making of all the adverts was the greatest complement.
Considering the codes and conventions of an opticians advert I kept to using the normal mid shots and close ups as do the pace of the adverts also follow the conventions. Limited diegetic sounds are also used throughout my adverts which is a subverted convention in the fact that professional opticians adverts ambient sounds are often more prominent than music. I have also subverted the conventions in terms of how I tell a story within my advert.
When comparing my adverts to similar media texts I would suggest that my editing in particular could still be improved on, as professional advertisements obviously only cut to a different shot when needed. I one the other hand made a fault in making a shot that should have been one on it's own into two separate ones, clearly being unprofessional. I would consider the voice over for each of my adverts to be near the professional standard however, having each message clear and precise in all of them like all voiceovers in ‘Specsavers’ adverts for instance “get two for one at ‘Specsavers’”.
I do believe my adverts have been produced to a high standard, having used a professional program for the application of a green screen in my second advert. I was therefore able to incorporate some clever effects to make it more appealing to viewers. However the amount of decisions that were changed prolonged the time that it took to create the adverts, therefore if I did have to make the adverts again I could use my new found skill with Final Cut express and not have so much restrictions as to what my adverts can consist of.
The trio of Looking Glass Opticians adverts follow some of the codes and conventions of an advert. The first being that all of them have catch phrases to have audience recognision. The third advert consists of ‘an element of surprise’ which is again a clear convention of an advert. On the other hand, by subverting particular advert conventions we were able to provide the audience with mini film like adverts that are all ultimately still effective. Advert 3 in particular is based on a children's amusement book, but was successful because it received audience recognision.
Having looked over my advertisements in a speculative manner I would suggest that I would make each of them connect with each other far more if they had to be created again. I would use Final Cut Express to my advantage and have all three adverts have evidence of the use of professional technology and therefore link together better together. I am however pleased with the particular way in which we connected each advert to 'Looking Glass Opticians'.
The time of day that I would have to show my adverts would be when in the day time for the consumption of audience that are often at home. As well as in the evening when popular soap operas such as 'Eastenders' or 'Coronation Street' are on as adults with the knowledge that vision is important will be watching television at this time. In terms of who I would suggest would direct and produce my adverts I would have Director Mike Bigelow to direct advert 3 who created the amusing over 60’s advert, Director Luke Scott for advert 1 so the needed atmosphere can be created. I would use Cris Mudge to direct my green screen advert having directed what seemed to be a man on top of a gondola cable.

Evaluation Part Two

2009-05-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

Evaluation Part Two

Advert One

Having chosen to base each advert around one specific film genre, they still go alongside the post-modern theory that style is over substance. It is the substance at the end of each of them that puts the message across but it is the style of each of them which attracts people to watch the complete advert. The target audience are in need of glasses and vision, and they can be of any age, gender, race e.c.t.

The first advert is set in an office; a suspects office. For audience recognition that it is our advert, the narrative is almost story like. It begins with an establishing shot of the office. The music playing in the background is used to create audience ambiguity. The men are then introduced coming into the office with a mid shot and both begin to look for evidence. The mise- en- scene for this advert is particularly effective having both of the characters in suits it signifies to the audience that they are dealing with an important matter. The use of the plastic bags for the evidence gives a realistic approach to the mystery genre and keeps audience intrigued about what they may find. Props are also used throughout the advert as evidence to also make the audience question the most important thing that they are ‘looking’ for.

The editing is slow throughout the advert to engage the audience slowly and further their questioning.

Lighting used in the advert is ambient creating a naturalistic atmosphere and engaging the audience further.

A range of mid shots and close ups are used to gain audience recognision that the men are both wearing glasses whilst looking for evidence. A distinct signifier to show that glasses are needed is through the use of a blurred vision of the passport before the character puts his glasses back on, suggesting he cannot do his job without them.

As the characters are both 'looking' for evidence until the closing, it links properly with the voice over at the end as it suggests that the main ideology is that, there is no need to investigate or to appear professional when 'Looking Glass Opticians' has what you need.

Meaning has been created in this advert through the use of music to help the audience engage effectively whilst keeping them in suspense. In this way the advert would keep their attention until they have seen it all, and to potentially find out what the characters are actually looking for.

Advert Two

The advert begins with a mid shot of a girl frantically looking for something. Fast pace music is played to emphasize the characters urgency.

Another way in which the feeling of urgency is created is with the use of editing, becoming faster as the advert progresses.

The application of a green screen is used to present to the audience the extent the couple travel to find one another, when effectively all they needed to do was stay in their own county to find one another.

The voice over emphasizes this point and gives the implication that you neither have to look that far to "find what your looking for". All the shots are mid or close ups to accentuate the importance of the character’s glasses.

The music in this advert is particularly fast paced to highlight the momentum of the characters and to again keep the audience engaged. Being a non-diegetic soundtrack though, it ultimately subverts the conventional 'presentational' form, as the advert does not have a direct mode of communication at any time.

Meaning has been created in this advert with the character's frantic expressions, which do not disappear until they find each other. Therefore with this use of mise- en- scene the audience can relate to the actors disposition and be relieved for them once they have found each other. The ideology of this advert would suggest that the audience will also experience such relief and happiness once they have bought a needed pair of glasses at 'Looking Glass Opticians' as the actors have done.

Advert Three

At the beginning of this advert there is an establishing shot of a kitchen and a voice over is used to narrate the beginning of a short story. Mocking music is played in the background to add comedy and to keep the audience engaged. Whilst the story is being narrated, the characters act accordingly. Unlike advert two, conventions are followed as there is a mode of communication although it is not direct to the audience. The ideology in this advert is that, person will stop themselves from looking stupid if they buy glasses from our brand.

The facial expression of "Mr Twit" at the closing of this advert is the peek of the comedy and therefore an action for others to avoid; as stated by the voice over.

The fact that we used a glass eye prop is the object which adds comedy for the audience however, it could be seen as being too different from the other adverts,

It is the use of narration that creates meaning in this particular advert as audience will stay amused whilst being told a story. Therefore with the continuous voice over not stopping until the closing, audience will stay engaged throughout.

The voice over in each advert show consistency, by beginning with a negative and each time ended with "Find what you’re looking for...." Another similarity that each of them share is that they always end with the company logo, giving the option for further audience recognition. Although, one negative aspect in particular is that the adverts are all considerably different from each other but the general message of all of them could be considered clear.

Overall it was made sure that there was good usage of props in the first advert to establish the mystery genre that was chosen. With the use of fast paced music and character expressions a sense of urgency was created to accentuate the romance at the end. And with an effective use of narration in the third it provided comedy and wit for audience amusement. With all these attributes in each, audience's attention is attracted and the required message was put across.

Evaluation Part One

2009-05-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

Evaluation

Part One

After choosing to go into advertising I began to research advertising (See post "Researching Adverts" 13th July 2008) Having scanned through John Berger's 'Ways of Seeing', 'Advertising' by Frank Jefkins and 'Creative Advertising' by Mario Pricken I was able to distinguish the codes and conventions of an advert (See post Tuesday 30 September 2008) from this i learnt a number of ways in which an advert can target it's audience in different ways (Also see post 13th July 2008) I did find though that different types of advertisements had particular conventions of their own therefore I had to specify my search further once I had decided on a product.

I then began brainstorming my ideas. It wasn't until I decided to advertise an opticians and came up with the brand name and a logo for "Looking Glass Opticians" (See post 5th October 2008) that advertising ideas were realized. I was then that I needed to begin finding out the conventions for an opticians advertisement. (October 8th 2008) I originally chose to go with the basic conventions of having CU's and mid shots as well as having a male and female to ad romance to my adverts. I did not keep to mainly having diegetic sounds however having chosen to revolve one of my adverts round a story book.

I had to research my target audience (See Post 15th October 2008) Finding out that I had such a wide target audience I was not limited in what messages or ideologies I had to put across. However, through this I learned that it would be grown adults that would pay the most attention to my adverts.

Having started off on my own, it was my responsibility and my role to originally come up with an idea, research and make story boards, e.c.t. Once my partner joined my group we then shared the roles and responsibilities. Having bought the mac I was generally doing most of the editing, as my partner was sometimes unavailable and not particularly confident when using the mac anyway. When filming however we generally worked together and ideas were always seconded by each other. It was also my role to find actors, props and settings and to have the right equipment at the right time, them being; camera, tripod, green screen, batteries e.c.t.

I further researched audiences relationship with advertisements as well as the ways in which I could advertise my product.(see post Sunday, 13th July 2008)

I then analyzed similar company’s advertisements and the way they advertised their products- (see post "changed idea" 8th October 2008) I then decided to connect my three adverts by having two characters in each who are both "looking" for something.

To make the adverts original I revolved the three of them individually around a particular genre. I therefore had to research into the particular genres I wished to use. Originally deciding to use comedy, romance and mystery (post same as before) I aimed to specifically have one male and one female in each advert to again show consistency. It was then my responsibility to begin story boarding my ideas. ( see post), although they did eventually change over time mainly because of issues with the settings or lighting.particularly with the romance and mystery adverts. Changes ultimately needed to be made however; it was not guaranteed that new actors would be available. Consequently, I had to use two males in advert 1. (see post 18th February Filmed Ad 1)

Since partnering up with Erica (see post 28th January 2009) many changes have been made and the final outcome was quite different to what we had in mind form the beginning although, the advertising of opticians always stayed the same.

Another aspect that I needed to work on was to be more organized with the actors that I used. To ensure they can film with me when it is best for both actors and directors. From this I learnt that from being more organised I could potentially have more time to film by having equipment ready before I even began filming. This is also what influenced me to change decisions in the past because I had not thought about availability of actors, props and settings properly so it therefore encouraged me to be more realistic.

A further problem that was eventually dealt with, was that there was no way I could edit what I had filmed with Erica outside of school (see post 8th March 2009) which prevented us from progressing in any way. After purchasing a mac however we advanced steadily.

Having made so many mistakes with lighting (see post 24th February 2009) , I have learnt that I need to asses the best time to film in the settings I choose by going there at different times of the day with the camera and reviewing when the best source of light for the affect I want in each advert. To check this I would put each test of light on to my mac.

ad 3 complete

2009-04-10T17:49:00.000-07:00

ad 2 complete

2009-04-10T17:06:00.000-07:00

Ad 1 complete

2009-04-08T06:05:00.000-07:00

Linking each ad by changing the voice over

2009-04-07T23:45:00.000-07:00

After going into school yesterday and virtually completing all the adverts it was decided that because each of the adverts were quite different we needed to link them with the voice over at the end. The Twits advert almost had to begin with a negative to enable the audience to understand the concept of two "twits" needing glasses. The voice over founded eventually said "Don't be a Twit; know what to expect at Looking Glass Opticians".

By having this voice over as a negative the catchy "Find what your looking for at Looking Glass opticians" had to be scrapped. For the green screen ad (ad 3) the preferred phrase was "No need to look all over the world, find what your looking for at Looking Glass Opticians" The Mystery ad (ad 1) voice over was far harder to come up with but eventually this was decided; "No need to investigate; find what your looking for at Looking Glass Opticians" Therefore all the adverts connect as they have a similar voice over at the finish.

Improving the logo

2009-04-07T01:20:00.000-07:00

I decided to add a little more professionalism into the design of the logo as it looked amateur. I attempted to blur out the writing which was not inside of the looking glass by adding the "edge blur" effect, adjusted the colour slightly so it wasn't so bright with the "Antique" effect. I used"boost colour" to give the blue more depth and finally used "vignette" to take in the edges of the picture.

The new creative ad

2009-03-27T08:46:00.001-07:00

Having worked out how to use green screen my filming and editing quality has improved greatly and my teacher and I figured that the running advert did not reach the same standard and was is too similar to the new ad. I have decided that I will use an extract of the filming i did to get myself into university, as it was considered to be my best piece of work I have ever done; before the green screen of course.

It basically started off as a filmed version of of Raul Dhal's 'The Twits' whereby Mrs Twit plays a tick on her husband by 'popping' her glass eye into Mr Twit's mug of beer. Obviously the connection to the opticians is the glass eye but I still require a connective pun..

Here is the evidence of my story board that I had made ...I do appologize for them being the wrong way around , I do not have a working photo copier. So i took a picture of it with my laptop\s camera

ad 3 green screen

2009-03-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

Having had to buy my own mac from the lack of avalability. I have progressed in skill and officency when editing film. Buying final cut express software didn't only take a great lump sum out of my savings it has made me more confident in what techniques I use for my adverts.

I was able to conquer green screen and effectively adding artistry to my recent advert:

It consists of a couple "looking" for each other all over the world, eventually finding one another in the heart of London

I'm obviously yet to ad a logo and the voice over to finish it off.

Ability for new ideas to arise....

2009-03-08T01:15:00.000-08:00

Now having the 'Final Cut Express' program I would like to learn how to use green screen for one of my adverts. Obviously the two characters I choose will again be 'looking' for something so I figured if they look for each other; similarly to the running ad. I then could effectively have them searching 'all over the world' for one another. Then i would be able to insert well known destinations in the background, such as the leaning tower of pisa, Big Ben e.c.t.

Ad 1 and a new mac

2009-03-08T01:07:00.000-08:00

Having not learnt by my mistakes up until now I haven't captured the best footage. Now that I have my own mac though, I have been able to take it with me when filming. Being able to do this I had no issues with lighting whatsoever other than when the light outside began to darken over time. Ultimately I am currently editing ad 1 at it is going rather well.

Another advantage when having my own mac is that I have no restrictions as to when exactly I can edit my footage and have more time to learn about the software that I have specifically bought.

During the process of filming I discovered a way of blurring the camera focus to portray the fact that the characters cannot see without their glasses. This effect was rather successful.

Another lesson I did learn that I followed through was that I would film the whole advert in one shot so i didn't have to spend so much time re-adjusting the tripod to finish of a shot I could have done earlier.

Further textual analysis

2009-03-07T04:17:00.000-08:00

Title of Ad; Levis 501- A Midsummer Night's Dream

Company: Levi

Product: Jeans

Textual analysis

- Advert acted out as a modern version of a shakespearian play revolving around the genes the protagonist is wearing and how confident he can be whilst he is wearing them.

-Beginning with a longshot to establish the setting, stage like curtain are drawn and white text is shown enabling the audience to disguingish the reason for such narration.

- The content of the narration is used to compliment the jeans "So is mine eye enthrallèd to thy shape". suggesting the female interest also admires his Levis

- A low angle shot of the protaonist's solioqy brings further attention to the jeans as does the close up of the man slightly pulling them at the beginning of the advert.

- The logo at the finished is possitioned in the centre of the screen on a high angle long shot big enough to distiguish but small enough to still see the characters in the shot.

Being a narration the editing flows and is not too fast.

Key Concepts

- The advert is targeted at fashinable men aged 18 and up- The protagonist having had a love interest as well as enemies

- The representation of the couple at the end implies if a man wears Levi Jeans he will recieve jealousy from others however he will also gain a love interest.

- The ideology of this advert is that if a man wears the right Jeans he will not be "affraid" any longer and therefore be confident infront of others and have women confessing their love for him.

Progress

2009-02-24T09:31:00.000-08:00

Since the beginning of my course I have gained the knowledge of the utter importance of lighting. And it is now going to be one of my main concerns when filming.

My basic planning has been improved a little although I still need to be far more organized so in that respect I have only progressed moderately. I still need to remember every time I film to have props i need ready, avalible actors, appropriate lighting, the story board the camera and the tripod.

I have also learnt that I need to explain to my actors more thoroughly what I would like them to do, rather than expect them to know exactly what my partner and I am thinking. I have been quite successful in keeping to what I have learned. For example one girl we were filming with had absolutely no idea what Erica and I wanted from her so I decided to show her by getting her to step behind the camera and watch me do the actions I needed her to do. In this way she was able to distinguish how much she should move in one shot and the type of reaction we required her to have.

I have been having a lot of trouble recently having to keep asking for a macbook to take out when they are never there. I have figured that if I have a mac with me when filming I can figure out whether the lighting is adequate or not. So my progress is to take up my uncles offer in buying me a mac and finally being able to get some serious work done.

Problem again with Ad 1

2009-02-24T09:19:00.000-08:00

After putting our filming onto the mac Erica and I were disappointed to find that the filming we did for Ad1 is far too dark and the camera is constantly trying to re-focus. We have learned that we will need a different sources of lighting to make this particular advert look more professional and also to never depend on sunlight and blinds allown.

Ad 2

2009-02-22T15:01:00.000-08:00

I believe that the filming we did for ad 2 was quite successful as the light wasn't too bright, although it still could have been darker. The light seemed to disapear incredibly quickly once the sun began to set with the trees in the woods not exactly helping.
My brother had to be in this advert too, to his dismay. And although unprofessional I was the other actor: After asking a great number of people to film they all seemed to be too busy so me being infront of the camera was unfortunatly the result of this.

I figured there were some shots I could potentially film to make it more proffesienal such as an over the shoulder shot and a point of view shot. More importantly though I would like to include a CU of both my brother and I together meeting one another to finish the advert properly as well as the finishing touches with the voice over and the logo

Filmed Ad 1

2009-02-18T08:05:00.000-08:00

Erica and I have finally been able to do some filming today although we had to make a few changes From the original idea:
Firstly through lack of actors over the half term Erica and I had to comprimise. Instead of having the continuity of a male and a female part in every advert I had to use my Father and Brother who were the only people avalible and prepared to film with us.
We also had to change the setting as last time we filmed in an actresses house so we filmed in an office where my Father works.
The ending also had to be changed as two males gazing into each others eyes is not exactly stereotypical to any advert we therefore got both of them to throw away all 'evidence' they had found and made sure we included a number of different angle shots of both the actors with their glasses on.
As my brother looks a little young I attempted to cover his blemishes with make up, but he wasn't having none of it. So we gave him the glasses that looked more sophisticated and didn't make him look like he was 7 years old. We had to put up with his laughter for a time so that took more time.

I would suggest our filming went well as, although we had to ajust the lighting quite regularly we tried to keep it consistent.

New Storyboard Ad 3

2009-01-28T13:08:00.001-08:00

Editing and comments

2009-01-28T13:05:00.000-08:00

Taking into consideration the advert I was looking at (21st Jan) Erica and I figured there were a great many close ups that we hadn't recognized being so prominent before. In effect, advertisers clearly have the intention of showing the glasses often and ensuring they are as noticeable as possible.
We have both therefore learnt that to illustrate clearly what we are advertising; we must use more close ups of the product.
Another point that has been made by my teacher, is that there are far too many long shots for the filming we have done for it to be a fast paced advert. Although, Erica did notice the fact that the shots in the advert (21st Jan) are never one full length; part each shot had been cut out to enhance the urgency and pace of the actors. As a result I attempted to do this with the footage we recently filmed. It turned out to be quite effective in fact.

Filming

2009-01-28T12:26:00.000-08:00

(We filmed this 27th Jan) Edited 28th and 29th

This is just a short clip of what we've done so far; after realizing that the lighting would have to be far more natural for this advert to work to the right standard.

As talked about on (28th) We took into consideration that we could use long shots if we used jump cuts of the same shot, shortening them and effectively making the editing faster.

After deciding on a different setting..

2009-01-28T12:18:00.000-08:00

Erica and I were able to film to a good standard in this advert however having restricted time to do it in we did not get enough filming done and will potentially need to re- film completely when time is not restricted or have the same actors in the same place once more but without the time restrictions.

New Partner! And a possible Setting of Ad 3

2009-01-28T12:13:00.000-08:00

Another student in my class, Erica was having a little trouble with her course work. Feeling thoughtful, I weighed up whether it would be an advantage to me, as it was to her, to commence my coursework process with a partner. I figured that two minds are quite simply better than one, It will enable us to see things from another persons perspective, and if we get a good grade both of us would have effectively benifited from each other.

Once this decision was made I informed her of the product I was advertising and presented her with my story board, logo and new idea we both got to work instantly. We decided it would be wise to take some pictures of the setting of ad3 and here they are....

Apart from being quite lovely pictures I figured that this wood was a little too dence to be the right setting as we need a little more of an eerie setting as the light was also far too bright.

Bing! An idea!, Oh, and a story board

2009-01-22T08:28:00.000-08:00

On asking the question to a friend where could a coulple be 'looking' for each other i answered nearly instantly myself; In the woods!
So I will hopefully have some actors ready for monday and will be filming in the woods near school, I'll go have a look if it is definately suitable tomorrow though as it would be a big problem if it isn't. So fingeres crossed!

Not so quick thinking batman!

2009-01-21T09:48:00.000-08:00

So exams have finished for now it's back to the course work time missy!

As my optician's name is Looking Glass Opticians and I have it in my head that the voice over will say "Find what you're looking for at Looking Glass opticians" there is only really one advert of mine that fully portrays this message and that advert is ad 1; that I am still yet to do! I figured that the advert that I am going to have to story board again will be better off with characters that have glasses on but are looking for each other... Now to think of a setting......

Wondering where i got this new insperation and knowledge?
From a advert i've watched about 10 times before!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TF55tW1bTIw

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

Future plans

2009-01-08T00:17:00.000-08:00

Find person to do voice over for each ad
Find music for each ad.

Film Ad one again, using HD camera (It'll be far better in high quality)
Film and edit the rest of ad 2 I also thought about using split screen http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=O3_JUGQ1Fjw

I think I may change story board for ad 3, also get new characters maybe base it on a different genre.

Reasons for last point; I'd like the actors to be more accessable, And the story i am trying to portay it quite hard any way.

Shooting schedual....

2009-01-05T01:17:00.000-08:00

November 16th Ad 3 Filming
November 17th Ad 3 Editing
November 23rd Ad 1 Filming
November 24th Ad 1 Editing
December 1st Ad 3 Filming
December 2nd Ad 3 Editing
December 3rd Ad 3 Editing
December 7th Ad 2 Filming
December 8th Ad 2 Editing
December 9th Ad 2 Editing

Re shoot ad 1

2008-12-15T13:04:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-15T03:39:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-10T07:38:00.000-08:00

Ad 2 needing just a few adjustments

2008-12-08T04:21:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-08T04:19:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-24T15:06:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-17T04:20:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-03T08:46:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-03T04:22:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-02T00:46:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-23T07:01:00.002-07:00

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

2008-10-23T07:01:00.001-07:00

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

2008-10-23T06:59:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-15T03:07:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-15T02:14:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-14T10:19:00.001-07:00

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

2008-10-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-05T01:48:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-13T02:59:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-11T07:19:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

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

jennysa2advertisingblog

Evaluation 3

Evaluation Part Two

Evaluation Part One

ad 3 complete

ad 2 complete

Ad 1 complete

Linking each ad by changing the voice over

Improving the logo

The new creative ad

ad 3 green screen

Ability for new ideas to arise....

Ad 1 and a new mac

Further textual analysis

Progress

Problem again with Ad 1

Ad 2

Filmed Ad 1

New Storyboard Ad 3

Editing and comments

Filming

After deciding on a different setting..

New Partner! And a possible Setting of Ad 3

*Bing!* An idea!, Oh, and a story board

Not so quick thinking batman!

Future plans

Shooting schedual....

Re shoot ad 1

Over View

Ad closest to complete

Ad 2 needing just a few adjustments

2nd reshoot of ad 1

Ad One

Problem with Re-shoot ad three

Ad 3 too long!

Problems!

Ad 3; Setting, props and characters

Ad 2; Setting, props and characters

Ad 1; Setting, Props and characters

Recording my first ad

Researching my target audience

New ideas

My Logo

Logo

Textual analysis and Changed idea

Codes and conventions of an advert and First ideas

Inspiration and the ASA

Researching adverts

The Brief

Ways of seeing- John Berger

Heinz Beans

My blog

Bing! An idea!, Oh, and a story board