Blog post 20: Closing Post

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Blog Post 19: My Finished Adverts

My finished adverts are the final products of my research, planning, shooting and editing. They were created with the brief and convention of food takeaway adverts clearly in mind.

Advert 1

Advert 2

I am very pleased with the outcome of my adverts as they match my original vision closely whilst still fulfilling the brief. They are tied together by a clear campaign idea and have a clear message, show branding and the products and services offered by the brand. It engages with the target audience, adheres to the ASA code and is in keeping with the Channel 4 public service remit. 

I have loved this process and have enjoyed watching the evolution of my ideas into a finalised campaign.

Blog Post 18: My Target Audience Feedback

I asked people within the target audience to give feedback on my final adverts. I did this by showing them my adverts and asking them 5 questions, which I recorded the answers to and then wrote up a summary of the feedback. This helped me to understand the positives and negatives of my adverts and how to improve if I was to do this again. 

Target Audience feedback questions

Advert 1

Initial thoughts of the adverts? 

Daisy (aged 16) 

• It was funny and memorable 
• Not relatable to her as she doesn't live the active lifestyle shown in the advert. 
• Likes the voiceover 

Tilda (aged 17)

• Funny
• Relatable generally
• engaging

Sachin (aged 17)

• Memorable, repetition of 'your'
• Funny
• Good use of music

What do you believe is the main message of the advert?

Daisy (aged 16)

• Easy
• Simple 
• Convenient

Tilda (aged 17)

• Food makes you feel better
• brings people together 

Sachin (aged 17)

• Reliable
• comforting

Does this advert convince you to use this service/app?

Daisy (aged 16)

• Yes
• looks easy and the food looks nice

Tilda (aged 17)

• Yes, despite not normally using the services 

Sachin (aged 17)

• Yes, specialises in North London
• Especially caters local area, desirable 

Does this advert appeal to you (16-24 year old)?

Daisy (aged 16)

• Yes, because the food looks nice and it's memorable
• Not entirely relatable, however, the advert still appeals to her in other ways 

Tilda (aged 17)

• Good message, appealing to her 

Sachin (aged 17)

• Yes, relatable 
• Pizza especially

What, if anything, would you change about the advert?

Daisy (aged 16)

• Nothing, it's catchy and funny

Tilda (aged 17)

• Add a bit more about the logistics of the app
• App specifics 

Sachin (aged 17)

• Mention quality

Advert 2

Initial thoughts of the adverts? 

Daisy (aged 16) 

• Good, believable performance from the main actor

Tilda (aged 17)

• Well paced
• Impactful

Sachin (aged 17)

• Memorable, for the comedy
• Funny
• very relatable 
• Great acting from actor 

What do you believe is the main message of the advert?

Daisy (aged 16)

• Easy
• Simple 
• Same as the first advert, clear campaign message

Tilda (aged 17)

• Easy food makes your day better 
• Makes life simple
• Clear campaign message

Sachin (aged 17)

• Reliable
• Same as the first advert

Does this advert convince you to use this service/app?

Daisy (aged 16)

• Yes
• looks easy 

Tilda (aged 17)

• Yes, maybe if slightly older

Sachin (aged 17)

• Yes, nothing to turn anyone away
• professional and intimate - well-designed app

Does this advert appeal to you (16-24 year old)?

Daisy (aged 16)

• Yes, because the food looks nice and it's memorable
• Also looks quick, simple and hassle free

Tilda (aged 17)

• appealing message

Sachin (aged 17)

• Yes, relatable 
• Matches current demand and trend

What, if anything, would you change about the advert?

Daisy (aged 16)

• Nothing, it's funny, good voiceover.

Tilda (aged 17)

• App specifics 

Sachin (aged 17)

• Nothing, in particular, seems inviting.

Reflecting on my responses, the feedback was accurate and I agree with most of the points mentioned. From this, I have learnt to keep my target audience in mind when crafting my advert. I have also learnt to show as many details as possible to keep the customer informed fully.

Blog Post 17: My Adverts Review

I submitted my adverts for review by my teachers and the rest of my class so they would help me to highlight any mistakes I had made or changes I should make. I uploaded my adverts to Youtube when I believed they were as good and final as I could possibly make them and then received feedback and changed my adverts accordingly. This was imperative to my project as I'd looked at my adverts so many times, I was sometimes unable to see mistakes that would be glaringly obvious to other media students. 

Advert 1 Review Notes

This advert received positive feedback and the message and branding were clear and easy to follow. However, there were a few changes to be made. The first was to shorten the shot showing the exchange of food between the delivery driver and girl. This was because it seemed unnaturally long and stagnant. Secondly, I was told to zoom into a few of my long shots to create more variation in my shots and see certain action better. Finally, I was given feedback that a few of my shots were graded incorrectly and therefore looked unnatural, this was changed by changing white-balance, saturation, contrast and red curve levels.

Advert 2 Review Notes

This advert also received positive feedback and the campaign theme was clear. Humour was also created at the correct moments and sustained to create engagement and memorability. However, there were also some weaker points that needed changing. The shot with the delivery man and boy exchanging food was again too long and over-exposed. This was changed by changing brightness, contrast and white-balance levels and the shot was cut down to make it flow more naturally. Also, one of the shots needed zooming in to focus on the action and create shot diversity.

This was very beneficial to my project as it helped to fine tune my advert by using opinions of media savvy people who are the correct target audience and therefore their opinions are vital. Also, it helped me to see weak points with my adverts that I couldn't see by myself and this gave me time to rectify my mistakes before the final deadline.

Blog Post 16: My Rough Cut

My rough cut was my first edit after my main shoot and before reshoots. This allowed me to highlight weak shots for reshooting, any potential mistakes in my timeline and storyboard and time to rectify this either in the edit suite, or plan for a reshoot.

Advert 1

Can't complete sound, some sound elements missing

My rough cut instantly highlighted a shot that required reshooting. This was the second shot, due to a continuity problem with the papers surrounding the puddle. My rough cut also needed more sound effects as the sound effects used were too sparse. No grading had been completed on my advert at this stage and the music did not exactly fit the time. 

Advert 2

Can't complete sound, some sound elements missing

My rough cut for my second advert also highlighted a shot that needed reshooting. This was shot 11, where the shot was too dark and the app was not in focus properly. My music didn't fit the exact time and the crescendo was in the wrong place. There was also no grading so my advert looked dreary and flat at times, this is unconventional for advertising so would need to change before my real deadline.

Further Actions 

After I completed my rough cuts revealing these problems, I arranged a second shoot to reshoot two shots and recorded more sound effects. I also edited the music so the crescendo was in the correct place and began to grade my final cut to follow advertising conventions.

This was beneficial to my project as it allowed me to see my mistakes with my adverts and this gave me an opportunity to self reflect and rectify my mistakes before I uploaded and submitted my final edit. It also allowed me to plan my reshoot and create my second shoot-board, making it easy to see my mistakes and then create a plan of action to rectify these mistakes and improve my adverts.

Blog Post 15: My Shoot-board

My shoot-board gave me a running order of shots throughout my day. This allowed me to schedule my cast, crew and shots to get the best results in an efficient amount of time.

Initial Shoot-Board

Advert 1

Advert 2

These initial shoot-boards were revised as the timings were too vague, there was no allocated timing for each individual shot, group and page numbers were not correctly completed.

Final Shoot-board

Advert 1

Advert 1

Advert 1

Advert 2

Advert 2

Advert 2

Advert 2

My shoot-board was essential to my project as it ensured I got every shot required for my adverts. It also created a list of roles, people and props needed so that my cast and crew always knew what needed to be done and how rooms should be dressed to create my desired effect. Time was also taken into account for shooting, equipment preparation, equipment assembly and disassembly and travel times between locations. This helped me to stay on time so I had arranged the right amount of working hours for my cast and crew so that my shots could be filmed with the best possible light - especially exterior shots. It was also helpful as I had to hand over my equipment in perfect working order to the student who was sharing equipment with me.

Blog Post 14: My Kit List

My kit list and release forms were essential for the making of my adverts as they allowed me to professionally use the equipment and take responsibility for the equipment used during my shoot day. The timing and logistics for this part of planning were also imperative as I was sharing equipment so it was my responsibility to look after the equipment while in my possession and ensure it was passed over at the right time to my partner.

Equipment Release Form 

Contract For Home Release

Kit Checklist

The kit list was essential to my project to ensure I had the correct kit to shoot the shots required.  The kit release form ensured the equipment was insured if any unexpected damage occurred due to uncontrollable factors. This was also necessary as my kit was to be shared with another student, therefore suitable timings had to be arranged to ensure both students had equal time with the equipment to be able to film both adverts successfully. Equipment hand over times also had to be arranged between the two students and between both students and the teacher. This was to arrange times for the equipment to be picked up and dropped off at the school, safe travel arrangements to be made to and from the school to avoid damage and times for equipment to be exchanged between the two students.  

Blog Post 13: My Time-Plan, Crew and Cast List

My time plan, cast and crew list were also vital parts of my planning process. My time plan formed the structure of my shoot day, making sure I was shooting at the right time to get the appropriate shots with the best lighting. My cast and crew list made sure I had arranged the correct people to help and feature in my adverts, resulting in the right people being in the right place at the right time.

Timeplan

Cast and Crew 

A casting brief was written in my initial proposal and final cast were included on my casting list as follows;

Advert 1

Actor - Matilda Mendick

Crew - Hugo Perrot-Barnaby

  Maisy Crabtree

Advert 2

Actor - Nader Beigi

Crew - Matilda Mendick

                   Hugo Perrot-Barnaby

         Maisy Crabtree

Props 

This was imperative to my project as it finalised who my actors and crew were. It also gave me a structure of timing for my shoot day, helping me when booking my actors and crew and also helping me to create my shoot-board with accurate times.

Blog Post 12: My Location Recce, Risk Assessment and Location Permissions

My location recce, risk assessment and location permissions were all vital components of planning for my real shoot. The location permission legitimised my shoot and ensured my shoot was carried out professionally and safely. My risk assessment ensured the safety of the cast, crew and general public while my location recce prevented any room dressing or camera placement issues on the day of the shoot. All of these stages of planning made sure my shoot ran smoothly, was carefully planned, safe and efficient on the day.

Location Recce

Advert 1, Bike Scene Location - Carlton Avenue

Advert 1 Park Location - Trent Park Promenade

Advert 1 Dinner Location / Advert 2 Interview Location - My house

Both Adverts Delivery Location - My house 

Advert 2 Bus Stop Map Location - Enfield Road, Oakwood

Advert 2 Bus Stop Location - Enfield Road, Oakwood

Advert 2 Eating Location - My house

Risk Assessment

Location Permissions

This was beneficial to my project as it legitimised my shoot and ensured that I had the correct permissions, planning on specific locations and safety procedures in place. This made my shoot run smoothly on the day; ensured the cast, crew and general public were safe and ensured the arrangements were all signed off by a parent and teacher.

Blog Post 11: My Practice Shoot/Edit

My practice shoot and edit gave a visual template for my real advert and helped me to plan framing, time lengths and performance for my real shoot. It also highlighted initial problems with different shots, locations and timings so that I could make adjustments before for my real shoot to avoid any unnecessary mistakes.

Advert 1

In the first advert, I saw that my room dressing on the last shot would have to be changed as the room looked bland and uninviting. Also, some shots needed to be faster or slower so I could fit my on-screen text and voiceover in the edit. Finally, I realised I needed to add some close-up on action to help the narrative flow and ensure my advert is comprehensible and can be easily decoded by the audience.

Advert 2

In the second advert, I saw that my room dressing on the interview room needed to be more obvious to clearly show the setting as a conference or business room. Also, I saw that the phone shot needed more close-ups so the text would be visible to the audience. Finally, I decided to change the camera angles of my interview scenario so that there would be no background clutter and there would be a clear understanding of the setting.

This was crucial to my further planning and project as a whole as it showed me what my idea would visually look like on screen, giving me a chance to finetune my idea before my first shoot. This practice shoot saved me time in the real shoot and in the edit. 

Blog Post 10: My Advert Storyboards

My storyboards were drafted from the basic layout of my initial proposal and timeline. It clearly broke down each 30-second advert into individual shots. This helped with the location recce because I could easily determine if camera placement would be an issue. It also allowed me to create my shoot-boards as I clearly knew each individual shot needed for my advert to flow and fit the brief.

Advert 1

Advert 2

My storyboards were beneficial to my project as they helped to show camera placement of shots, desired framing and area of action on screen. This helped me to effectively plan for the dressing of rooms, to ensure the correct camera placement; it also helped me to time my action for my shoots and adjust my timeline and edit accordingly as the frames and action within shots was clearly laid out for each advert. This made both further planning, shooting and editing easy as the structure was preplanned. This made the two coherent and this was extremely beneficial in the later stages of my project.