Finished Trailer.

Evaluation 4. How did you use new media technologies in the construction, research, planning and evaluation stages?

We used lots of different technology to be as efficient as possible throughout planning, production and editing.



Panasonic HDC-SD80- I used this camera for mainly still shots which was my main aim when constructing my soap trailer. I thought that the shots needed to be clear and have correct framing. Then I could adjust these shots in post production. I used the zoom option effectively as at times we were filming in small spaces and we didnt want any shadows in the background of shots.




Tripod- The majority of shot types in soaps are steady and you never really see hand held shots unless the producer feels it would be more effective. I feel that my use of tripods has developed as the tripod needs to be positioned in the correct place in every location to really give the audience a clear message of what the soap is going to be about. I feel that i have developed my media skills by being able to adjust all types of shots to reflect a certain meaning to the audience.






IPhone- My iPhone allowed me to record vital information on to my blog from wherever I wanted, this was important as I could take a still image and post it directly on to my blog. For example when i took location photos and developed key ideas without having access to a computer we passed a typical setting and as a result we took a picture and we could instantly upload it to blogger.Then from there I could elaborate on it. I feel that this technology allowed me to speed up the process and still capture vital information. I could get an image on and then explain them on my blog in detail.I have learnt that having 3G has allowed me to show evidence and planning clearly.

Voice Recorder- The use of a voice recorder was important when capturing our voiceover. We have learnt that the quality of the voice recorders is dependent on background noise so we ensured that we recorded in a quiet place so we could give a clear message. We could also create multiple voice overs which we were intending to use. However we decided not to in the end, however we had the choice and the voice recorders gave us more ideas to play with.


Facebook- I found facebook very useful throughout planning and production. I was able to also receive feedback when posting my video on facebook to an open public. I could upload and use photos on facebook which i could then edit in photoshop. As facebook is a social networking site it also allowed my video to be shared to a wider audience. As a result i could receive a lot more critical feedback.





Blogger/Blogger App- I have learnt that blogger is an easy and effective way of recording my ideas. Whether it was on a computer or my phone application. I could upload images aswell as information at any time to ensure that i didn't miss out on any evidence of planning. Also blogger helped me to express my work and the receive feedback from an unknown audience. I feel this helped me because i could sort of see my work from someone elses perspective. Also blogger has allowed me to express my work in more of a creative way. I've used images, text and videos to reflect my ideas in an efficient way. Finally blogger was helpful in keeping work in order and as soon as it was published i could make changes.

Adobe Photoshop- My development on Photoshop has allowed me to create a professional billboard poster and TV listings magazine. I have learnt how to use blending options in an advanced way so that images blend together and feel more as an item. I feel I have developed this into all my work now as when I want to edit an image I can open Photoshop and no exactly what to do. I found it difficult at first when trying to edit my sold sign into shot, however after continuos use of blending options and peristent work I finally placed it in the right position for it to work.

I used Youtube in two different ways. Firstly when researching into conventions of soaps I used Youtube as an internet source of research as I could view documentaries and the making of Soaps. However on the production side I used it to Embed my drafts and receive feedback through the use of Web 2.0. I found it useful as without understanding how to use I would never have got initial ideas as well as critical feedback.



Youtube-

Evaluation 3.What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

The demographic of channel 4 is that a programme:

-Demonstrates innovation,experiment and creativity in the form and content of programmes
-Appeals to the tastes and interests of a culturally diverse society.
-Makes a significant contribution to meeting the need for the licensed public service channels to include     programmes of an educational nature and other programmes of educative value exhibits a distinctive character.

Our first idea was that we would have a scene which introduced as much about our soap as possible. Firstly the character would enter a car. We had the idea that our non-diegetic sound (theme tune) would play as we press the radio button. From there we cut all the bits that are not worth seeing and have a tracking shot of the location. From there we zoom in onto certain characters and give the audience an idea of their roles. At the end we decided to have our character picking up and putting the sign down on the ground then entering his house. We have contacted Peter Lane through our family members and he has agreed to lend us a sign for our trailer.  Our main aim was to try and introduce our target audience to the soap in general by using a character in a similar situation.

 

Research: Questionairre.

1.       Do you enjoy watching soaps?

Yes (9)  No (1)

2.       Would you enjoy a soap directed for a younger audience?

Yes (10) No ()

3.       Do you prefer modern or traditional soaps? Why?

Traditional (3) Modern (7)

People preferred modern soaps as they were more current and easier to relate to.

4.       What time do you usually sit down and what television?

Between (6-8) 4

(8+) 6

5.       Do you watch channel 4 often?

7 people said they did but only for Hollyoaks.

6.       Is E4 a channel that interests you?

The majority of people said that they watched e4 for repeats and also for soap advance. Which meant that they watched Hollyoaks a day in advance.
7. Do all the titles make sense?
Yes (3) No (7)
8. Is there a range of characters?
Yes (4) No (6) most of the people said they would prefer if there was more females.

5 Males, 5 Females, Aged 16-18

My questionairre showed me that the majority of young people would accept a soap which is more focused on teenage life. Some said that they would prefer traditional soaps however the majority said they were cliche and that the storylines were farfetched. Many people said they would rather sit down after 8 oclock as this was the time they had to relax. Channel 4 wasnt a popular channel however most of the males said they would only watch hollyoaks for the attractive female purpose. As a result when creating our soap we are going to take these aspects into account.

We decided to make a few changes as a result:

Changing the title of 'Cultural Differences' to 'Different Conflicts'.

We added a young attractive female to entice a male audience.

Evaluation 2. How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

Evaluation 1. In what ways does my media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

1.It took us quite a while to decide on a name for a soap however when choosing our locations the street I was filming on was 'The Crescent', I thought the name felt upper class and I wanted to shock the audience when they realised the soap was reflecting the lifes of middle class people. I also thought 'The Crescent' was distinctive and would stand out from all of the current media soaps. Therefore I thought it would be successful to use a different approach when it comes to the name.

2. The choice of settings and locations were very important. I wanted to use as many stereotypical settings as possible, as a result we tried to show a pub and an offlicense. I didn't get caught up in showing them for too long so I decided to show basic glimpses so that the audience can see they are going to be present when the soap starts. 

3. Costumes and props was a difficult aspect to address when filming. I had to be organised and ensure that every character wore the correct clothing, this was to reflect their personalities in the soap and allow the audience to establish an idea of what they are going to be like. I thought that the props in shot needed to be relevant therefore we decided that anything that was not involved would be taken out, so that our frame would only contain what we wanted the audience to see.

4. The camerawork and editing took a lot of thought to ensure that all the shots were suitable to reflect a certain meaning. For example when I used a close up on Kieran's face to show his facial expression and alter the mood. I did this deliberately to allow the audience to understand the characters personalities a bit more. I used smart transitions to ensure that our music fit the style of trailer. I feel I was most successful at showing this when the radio is pressed and the music begins to play.

5. I used a Sans Serif font and I decided to keep the information on the screen to a minimum. I tried to finish my trailer in a similar style to current channel 4 trailers. I did this by fading the name and when it was going to be shown onto the page. Then I wanted the channel 4 logo to appear at the end as this is the last thing that audience will see. I wanted my font style to be distinctive and be seen and people think 'The Crescent' I thought that I would use a formal style to reflect the upper class style which goes with the name, this would continue to emphasise the class status involved, but then create a shocking moment for the audience when they realise they have been fooled.

6. Thinking of storylines was a very effective part of planning as I had many different ideas. My first story is 'exam stress' I thought that this was relevant and would appeal to our specific demographic as they will be going through the same process at some point if they haven't already. Another storyline I hinted at was 'different environments' where we included a shot of a young female behind the bar. I tried to suggest that she would be a matriarch and take a similar role to which Peggy Mitchell took in Eastenders. I also used one more storyline which was 'loneliness' I used this storyline to include an older character so we would have a range of character like in real soaps.

7.  Introducing characters was difficult because we needed to ensure that the clothing, facial expression and pose was all correct to give off the right signal to the audience. I wanted to show the audience there personalities and these 3 aspects were vital. For example when using Tom standing on the edge of the road, his clothes are very ragid and he seems angry for some reason, this signals to the audience immediately that there could be trouble when it comes to this character.

8. Special effects are a huge part of soap trailers so we tried to make the most of what we had to offer on Final Cut Pro. I used a title screen effect to give the reader the name and time and then a transition with a bright light. I thought it improve professionalism and gave our trailer a more appealing factor. I also thought it wasn't something that was going to really jump out but it would be seen and appreciated by the audience.

9. The use of logo was important as we used synergy. I showed the channel 4 logo in the top right hand corner and made it slightly opaque so it didn't draw the attention away from the trailer. I then complimented this by using a larger image of it on the last shot. I thought it would be best to leave the audience with what channel its shown on so that if they miss the date or time they could look out for it in TV listings magazines or on TV guide.I thought it was important to try and use a similar convention of using the logo as important iconography.

Finished TV Listings Magazine and Billboard Poster

This is my finished TV listings magazine and billboard poster. I tired to show as many typical conventions of both pieces to meet the main purpose of informing.

Research into TV Listings Magazine

TV Listings Magazine Research

Bright colours are the main feature in all listings magazine to reflect the major soap storylines for the week. Different shapes and patterns are used in different ways to try and make the soaps seem appealing to the eye. As a result the audience will buy the magazine just to receive soap gossip.

The Magazine consists of 7 photos which is a lot of manipulation in such a short space however it is set out in a way that all the storylines are easily readable.

I feel that when creating my main story introducing my soap I will use a similar approach. My main image will cover over half a page and be used with an appealing strapline in a bright colour. I feel that this will make the story stand out from the rest and transfer the key information straight into them. The main purpose is to inform so I will have to make my soap seem the best out of all the programs on show