Saturday, 25 October 2014
Unit 1 Evaluation (Public Information)
I started this unit by looking at different advertising campaigns. I did research on different charities, ones that support important issues. I looked at bullying, death penalty, alcohol abuse. Research was a strong point for me as I found it interesting; looking into different charities and their backgrounds. I grouped all of this research and put into a blogger post.
Eventually, I chose to do a poster for alcohol abuse. I researched further into this particular topic to see what campaigns for alcohol were the most hard hitting. I eventually thought about using newspapers. I could take words from newspaper headlines and incorporate them into the design of my poster as newspapers are always about important issues. The ideas linked. I think that in this design process my ideas developed well, however I could have developed the final design for the poster a little more and maybe made it a bit more interesting and creative.
I decided I wanted a wine glass to be my main feature, whilst including the newspaper clippings. I put the clippings in the wine glass. The clippings were words associated with binge drinking, and it was as if every time a person took a sip they were becoming the words. Im happy with this poster as it includes all the different things I was trying to convey.
We then had to choose "causes for concern". We were given different ideas to start out with, I chose the death penalty as it is something that interests me. I began with collecting some images about the death penalty. I started with 3 initial ideas. Such as the noose, a grim reapers axe and the letters "DP".
I chose the noose as my final design. This was to be printed in a banksy style. We did a workshop where we experimented with graffiti on different background materials such as newspapers or tracing papers. I used different colour graffiti cans and different colour paints. This went very well.
We also used celebrities and mono printed them. I did iggy azalea and did hers on a green and pink background. It was interesting to see the different techniques and how they worked.
Next we had to choose a current topic or issue that was in the media. I chose to do the floods that occurred around Christmas. I ripped up different types of magazines all in different shades of blue or a greeny. I also got a picture of a mermaid and stuck it in the middle of my collaged background. I then used the words "dripping, flood and weapon".
After doing all these exercises, I had to focus on my final piece. I had to choose another idea to focus on. I chose bullying. I began finding images and mindmaping ideas for bullying. I started to think about posters, film and ad campaigns. My ideas began to develop after the research. I came up with a logo, after doing different designs to test out which one I wanted to use. I then used that logo and tried creating it differently, e.g.: ink, paint, etc. Then I came up with a TV advertisement. I sketched out some initial ideas and eventually developed it into one I was pleased with. My poster design had to be powerful but simple as that was my aim- to keep the campaign simple. It involved the use of text from newspapers (the idea taken from my first poster campaign with alcohol awareness) and I used the slogan "words are weapons". I then sketched out charity freebies. I wanted to do something that no one had done before, but keep it as something that people could still use.
I decided to do socks, with my logo on. The socks were white, keeping it simple, but with the red logo to create a powerful image that would be remembered. I uploaded all of my mind maps and ideas onto a design board.
Thursday, 18 September 2014
Evaluation for Bullying Campaign
Throughout the process of construction for my campaign I have exhibited many different qualities, some of which include: doing research, making initial designs, developing my designs further, taking those designs onto photoshop and manipulating them, to finally create end pieces for my my design board.
To begin our advertising campaigns we started doing research on the topic we chose. I chose to do bullying as it is a subject close to heart. After choosing this subject I began researching it to find out a little bit more about what I wanted to make my charity on.
I then decided on doing a charity and campaign specifically for bullies themselves. I realised that there are plenty of charities to help victims but none to help bullies to stop themselves from bullying. From there my ideas and designs took place.
I began with the logo. I made a mind map of different ideas until I found one that suited the purpose. After playing around with it I realised my campaign name would be "beat bullying", and that my logo should be red. I picked red as it is a dangerous and bold colour, I believe it will catch eyes and therefore reach more people overall. I made my logo on photoshop and started with typing two "Bs". From what started out as a simple two letters became something a little more creative and I decided I wanted to stick with a simple design that still got it's purpose across. I coloured the two letters red and put them next to each other, ensuring that I lowered the opacity of one of them and overlapped it- creating a shadow effect. Although my work on photoshop hasn't been as advanced as it could have, I definitely feel I have extended my photoshop knowledge and learnt new things in the process. I manipulated my logo by changing the angles and formations of the image.
After my logo it was time to create my poster. Again I wanted something simple yet effective. I outlined the words "words are weapons" onto card and drew the outline of a gun. I went over this in black and it looked very effective over white card. I then decided to make a collage using newspaper clippings. This collage would consist of words associated with bullying, particularly cyber bullying as it is the most common and easy form. I stuck them around the edges of the main slogan and this made for a very powerful poster. I then made it on photoshop. Using a plain black background I began my poster. I typed out the slogan I wanted to use and coloured the words white. This was dramatic and gave the point across straight away. On google I found a website that generates newspaper clippings, and from there I typed in the words I wanted and stuck them on to photoshop. It was all relatively straightforward but the process itself definitely made my photoshop skills improve and after a while I got the hang of it.
Through comparing previous work on Photoshop to this piece of work it's made a significant improvement. My design board contains my storyboard for an advert, my freebie, my logo and
my final poster design. To create this design board I had to piece together the different elements of my campaign. They all fit in nicely.
For my freebie I decided to make socks. The reason I chose this is because no one ever gives socks away as freebies, and I didn't want to make a pencil or USB or something that is common. Giving out socks for people to wear represents the charity and promotes it- it's also a constant reminder about the charity. The socks themselves are rather plain, I created them on Photoshop. By editing in my logo onto the top of the socks, I then changed the opacity and formation of it to make them look more realistic. It was quite a simple process.
My storyboard for my TV advert was made by hand. I thought this would be better as I could draw and write more accurately than I could on Photoshop, in order make it clear. The advert itself is aimed more towards bullies than victims; it's showing the effect that their words and actions have on other people- it's quite dramatic.
Once creating all of these individual parts, I pieced them together and put them onto an A3 sheet on Photoshop. I placed them in order of significance and tried to make it look simple but creative. The entire process of creating things to go onto my storyboard was long and took me a while, however through it I have learnt many new skills which will be useful in future exams.
To begin our advertising campaigns we started doing research on the topic we chose. I chose to do bullying as it is a subject close to heart. After choosing this subject I began researching it to find out a little bit more about what I wanted to make my charity on.
I then decided on doing a charity and campaign specifically for bullies themselves. I realised that there are plenty of charities to help victims but none to help bullies to stop themselves from bullying. From there my ideas and designs took place.
I began with the logo. I made a mind map of different ideas until I found one that suited the purpose. After playing around with it I realised my campaign name would be "beat bullying", and that my logo should be red. I picked red as it is a dangerous and bold colour, I believe it will catch eyes and therefore reach more people overall. I made my logo on photoshop and started with typing two "Bs". From what started out as a simple two letters became something a little more creative and I decided I wanted to stick with a simple design that still got it's purpose across. I coloured the two letters red and put them next to each other, ensuring that I lowered the opacity of one of them and overlapped it- creating a shadow effect. Although my work on photoshop hasn't been as advanced as it could have, I definitely feel I have extended my photoshop knowledge and learnt new things in the process. I manipulated my logo by changing the angles and formations of the image.
After my logo it was time to create my poster. Again I wanted something simple yet effective. I outlined the words "words are weapons" onto card and drew the outline of a gun. I went over this in black and it looked very effective over white card. I then decided to make a collage using newspaper clippings. This collage would consist of words associated with bullying, particularly cyber bullying as it is the most common and easy form. I stuck them around the edges of the main slogan and this made for a very powerful poster. I then made it on photoshop. Using a plain black background I began my poster. I typed out the slogan I wanted to use and coloured the words white. This was dramatic and gave the point across straight away. On google I found a website that generates newspaper clippings, and from there I typed in the words I wanted and stuck them on to photoshop. It was all relatively straightforward but the process itself definitely made my photoshop skills improve and after a while I got the hang of it.
Through comparing previous work on Photoshop to this piece of work it's made a significant improvement. My design board contains my storyboard for an advert, my freebie, my logo and
my final poster design. To create this design board I had to piece together the different elements of my campaign. They all fit in nicely.
For my freebie I decided to make socks. The reason I chose this is because no one ever gives socks away as freebies, and I didn't want to make a pencil or USB or something that is common. Giving out socks for people to wear represents the charity and promotes it- it's also a constant reminder about the charity. The socks themselves are rather plain, I created them on Photoshop. By editing in my logo onto the top of the socks, I then changed the opacity and formation of it to make them look more realistic. It was quite a simple process.
My storyboard for my TV advert was made by hand. I thought this would be better as I could draw and write more accurately than I could on Photoshop, in order make it clear. The advert itself is aimed more towards bullies than victims; it's showing the effect that their words and actions have on other people- it's quite dramatic.
Once creating all of these individual parts, I pieced them together and put them onto an A3 sheet on Photoshop. I placed them in order of significance and tried to make it look simple but creative. The entire process of creating things to go onto my storyboard was long and took me a while, however through it I have learnt many new skills which will be useful in future exams.
Beat Bullying Freebie (Socks)
For my freebie to convince people to donate or support the campaign I have decided to give away socks. Socks are an everyday essential and so I feel that they are a good thing to give away. The top of the socks present the red logo which supports the elimination of bullying.
Here are my socks. Again I'm focusing on the "simple but effective" technique. They are plain white with the logo printed on the sides and front. The logo is less bright than usual to create a blending technique.
Here are my socks. Again I'm focusing on the "simple but effective" technique. They are plain white with the logo printed on the sides and front. The logo is less bright than usual to create a blending technique.
Beat Bullying Logo
This is the start to my Beat Bullying logo. I have taken two B's and changed them to the colour red.
I have here changed the opacity of both the letters and overlapped them. This looks simple yet effective- like my campaign is aimed to be.
Thursday, 11 September 2014
Final Poster Design for Bullying Charity
Here I have begun my final poster design by opening a new page in Photoshop. I chose to change the color of the page to black, ensuring that my words will be bold and stand out against this black background. I then selected the 'Text' tool and typed 'WORDS'. I selected a text that was fitting to the subject at matter and chose white as my colour as it is bright and noticeable.
I finished typing my text. The phrase "words are weapons" is a metaphor to indicate that cyber bullying or simply name calling is hurtful and a form of bullying too. I used a picture of a gun too. This adds effect to the whole 'weapon' metaphor and gives a physical element to the poster.
Here I have began adding 'newspaper clippings' of words that are associated with bullying. This is so that it is similar to my initial design that was drawn up in my sketch book. The fact that the words are newspaper clippings shows the importance of bullying as it is implying they are from headlines in the newspaper. I think this is quite powerful.
This is my final design. The newspaper text clippings are surrounding the main slogan and the image of the gun remains. I think this is simple but effective way of getting my message across. It's straightforward and easy to identify the main message.
Thursday, 19 June 2014
My Charity Brand Statement for Bullying
My charity is going to help support children who are being bullied as well as the ones who are doing the bullying. There will be a number of support mentors who will be suited to different different types of bullying. A certain person for cyber bullying, a certain person to help the bullies, a certain person to help end adult bullying...theres someone for everyone.
My logo will be quirky and memorable and will have bright, bold colours.
My charity name will possibly be something made up of alliteration and maybe even a few other language devices.
My poster will hopefully be quite dramatic and will hook the audience whilst making them aware of bullying. It will probably be mostly picture based and I would like to use dark colours. I want to base it around the idea of one image of something powerful with a smart caption going across it. I also want to shadow the background out to make my image stand out more.
The target audience for this campaign will mostly be children and teenagers, but can obviously go up to adults as bullying occurs everywhere.
My tagline will again be memorable but I would like it to be different to the usual ones you see.
Mindmap of initial ideas for bullying campaign
Here I have collaged a few ideas for my bullying campaign. I'm interested in some of these slogans as they are quirky and clever and I myself would like to use something like this. I also like the images that have used words rather than pictures to describe the emotions and actions of bullying as this is memorable and more complex than your typical bullying image. The colours used are varied and some of these posters contain quite a few elements of humour.
Bullying Research Information Charities
I have selected bullying as my personal issue to base my charity organisation on. I have found a charity called beat bullying that is an organisation to prevent all kinds of bullying and encourage children or perhaps adults to speak out about their situations. The website for this isn't very informative about the background and history however it does say how the website works:
http://www.beatbullying.org
"After you've registered on the BeatBullying website, you can talk to a mentor and get help whenever the chat room is open (between 8am - 2am). If you are very unhappy or feel like you want to hurt yourself, you can ask a mentor to refer you on to a counsellor, or contact a counsellor directly who will be better able to support you.
There are even online parenting courses to help encourage parents to protect and speak to their kids about the bullying.
http://www.beatbullying.org
"After you've registered on the BeatBullying website, you can talk to a mentor and get help whenever the chat room is open (between 8am - 2am). If you are very unhappy or feel like you want to hurt yourself, you can ask a mentor to refer you on to a counsellor, or contact a counsellor directly who will be better able to support you.
If you want to talk about a problem you've got with bullying, just send a mentor a message from the ‘I need help’ section on the right side of this page, or talk to them in the chat room. At the moment, BeatBullying has funding to keep our qualified counsellors online seven days a week from 8am-2am. If you need help outside of these times, you can call one of these helplines:
- ChildLine | 0800 11 11ChildLine is the free, confidential helpline for children and young people in the UK. You can talk to ChildLine about anything &emdash; no problem is too big or too small.
- Samaritans | 08457 90 90 90Samaritans is for anyone who is suffering and needs to talk, including for those feeling suicidal. You can talk about anything you want to, you don’t have to tell them your name and they can even call you back if you want. Call 08457 90 90 90, or email jo@samaritans.org."This is the beat bullying website layout. It isn't the most complex or entertaining but it gets the purpose across. It has a chat room for people all across the world to share their bullying stories or seek help. It has resources, information, mentors, posters and a donations page.The target audience for this website is mainly kids and teenagers. You can tell this by the logos, the posters and the visual imagery used on the site. Also this website is easily accessible and so therefore easier to use for kids.This is a poster campaign from the company. It is child like and may not be as responsive as some charities as it is for younger kids.Another website I have found is Cybersmile. It is a good way of addressing all ages and is particularly aimed at bullying on the internet.The graphics on this website are really fun and the general layout of the website is interesting and different. It would appeal to many and encourage them to talk about their experiences and seek help. There are again a numerous amount of pages and different options to help you get over your bullying experiences and report the bullies.This help and advice page is particularly powerful. It has a range of different age groups and advice sections to ensure it reaches its target audience- everyone! It has a variety of colours and is attractive to look at. The general design aspect is related to the online world and has been well selected.My last charity is Bullying UK.
There are even online parenting courses to help encourage parents to protect and speak to their kids about the bullying.
Thursday, 5 June 2014
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol was one of the most important artists of pop art, which became extremely popular in the second half of the twentieth century. Though he is best remembered for his paintings of Campbell's soup cans, he also created hundreds of other works including commercial advertisements and films. This inspiring artist and filmmaker is considered a founder and a major figure of the pop art movement. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1928, Andy Warhol graduated from the Carnegie Institute of Technology before moving to New York. His first big break was in August 1949 when Glamour Magazine asked him to illustrate an article called "Success is a Job in New York". Although born Andrew Warhola, he dropped the 'a' in his last name when the credit mistakenly read "Drawings by Andy Warhol."
By 1955 Andy Warhol had almost all of New York copying his work. He was well known for creating ink images with slight color changes. Andy Warhol was into doing popular items like Coca-Cola bottles and celebrities faces, like Marilyn Monroe. His Campbell's Soup Can is a classic and an easily recognized work of Andy's. In the 1960s, Andy Warhol also made a series of films about time, boredom and repetition like Empire and The Chelsea
Hannah Hoch information and my own designs.
Here is a page of information and photos from Hannah Hoch.
Here is my Hannah Hoch collage for 'floods''. I have created the background using different tones of blue ripped up from various magazines. I then used an image of a mermaid and the words 'dripping', 'flood' and 'weapon'. These words represent a relation to the floods. The mermaid is an icon used for destruction. The background is the sea.
Here is my collage for 'Degree or no degree. That is the question for unemployment.'
I have annotated Michael Gove as a devil as he is ruining education. I have used words related to degrees. 'Humilitation' is placed above Michael Gove (no wonder why), whilst things like 'jobless' and 'a hard test' represent just how hard it is to get a degree and be employed. The headless man with 'Future?' above his neck is supposed to show how our future and money are the only things in our minds, and there is more to life than just that.
Dada- art movement.
Dada was an art movement.
This page explains what Dada is and gives examples of the work produced during the era.
Here is a page of Dada typography. I came up with a few designs and ideas.
My Cause For Concern
Here is my page for my cause for concern. I have chosen to do the death penalty. At the top of the page I have included a few images and a slogan to help me brainstorm some ideas.
At the bottom of the page I have come up with 3 different designs. I then chose the first one.
Here are my final designs used on a variety of different canvas' with a variety of different painting materials:
My next one was used on grease proof paper and i used a blend of black and white paint to create a dramatic effect.
I used a piece of card and the colours copper, blue and yellow to stand out and draw attention to the noose.
For my final one I again used grease proof paper but this time used spray paint instead of regular paint. I used blue and silver. This gave a nice emphasized effect.
Ideas for final NHS campaign; photo collage and 3 different initial ideas.
Here are my 3 initial ideas for my NHS campaign. "Don't be a burden" has been used to make people feel guilty whilst giving them a slight glimpse of the future.
"Don't be a prisoner, take control of your alcohol." This rhymes so is catchy, whilst making people think about how they are a 'prisoner to alcohol' using personification.
"Every sip is a sin" using a religious perspective to make people feel guilty about abusing alcohol. Telling them it is a sin will make them think twice.
Here is a brainstorm of pictures, slogans and explanations for my final design.
"Don't be a prisoner, take control of your alcohol." This rhymes so is catchy, whilst making people think about how they are a 'prisoner to alcohol' using personification.
"Every sip is a sin" using a religious perspective to make people feel guilty about abusing alcohol. Telling them it is a sin will make them think twice.
Here is a brainstorm of pictures, slogans and explanations for my final design.
Sunday, 20 April 2014
Researching the work of Banksy and aggressive messages behind the graffiti.
Here are 3 examples of aggressive messaging behind Banksy's work:
Example one features a tired looking male painter standing next to the painted on word, “FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS” written in all black, all uppercase letters. Over those words is the text “CANCELLED” in white, all uppercase lettering with a red rectangle background, as if to signify that the notion of following one’s dreams has been cancelled. This perhaps suggests that the public continuously follow the crowd and that no one has the bravery to do what they want. It shows that everyone is a sheep; meaning they copy and do the same thing. This is a symbolic statement as it encourages the awareness of the importance to 'follow your dreams'. This graffiti was perhaps painted to make people realise that they should be doing something that they want to, something that makes them happy. The tired old worker could be there as an example. His facial expression portrays a form of regret and basic sadness- could it be that he wishes he'd followed his dreams? Also the violent coloured text (black and red) is not only to ensure it stands out but also to emphasise the importance of being your own person.
This example of aggressive messaging is less elaborate than some. It details two policemen, both of the male gender, kissing. This piece of work would encourage a lot of controversy as they are high-up servicemen and it may be seen 'wrong' to be homosexual in that line of work. This is one of my favourite Banksy pieces as it is simple yet effective. This image would definitely raise a lot of concerns or anger perhaps, as the public and perhaps government may believe that by having homosexual servicemen, they are unable or unsuitable to defend our citizens. It may be seen by people as encouraging the public to be homosexual, which a lot of narrow-minded individuals have expressed. I think this piece is inner aggressive; by which I mean it doesn't need texts or headlines to show the meaning. It's bold and could be perceived as quite outrageous, but it portrays the message clearly. The colours used are simple statements- simple like Banksy's intention of this art work. The message could be "It's wrong to judge on sexual preference." or perhaps Banksy is angry with the public for discriminating against homosexual servicemen. "Whatever sexual preference, they still protect us" would be a good moral for this particular piece of art.
My last example of aggressive messaging is this one. A maid, 'sweeping something under the carpet'. Maids are well known for keeping things clean and sanitary, they also hear and see everything that goes on within a house. This picture isn't as aggressive as most, but is more secretive perhaps. The maid might be covering up a secret or a lie or maybe something symbolic and a deeper issue like domestic abuse. Again there is no text, leaving the message of this image to the viewers. I believe it should be something like "what happens at home is unknown" or "each family has their secrets". I think the subliminal message behind this is more to the point and to make you think. It also could be perceived as something judgemental. Trying to raise awareness that you shouldn't pick on someone or make their lives difficult because you do not know what is happening in their home life. There are many different ways this graffiti work could be perceived, it is down to how you yourself portray it.
I believe this is the most extreme of Banksy's work. It features a young girl frisking a soldier up against a wall. In the image the girl is wearing ponytails and a pink dress, representing purity and innocence. The soldier, in olive-green clothing and with a machine gun laying to his side, is contrasted with the young girl and represents aggression. The frisking of the soldier represents the dehumanization of individuals as the way they are treated is based on their religion or ethnicity. Using irony, Banksy invites observers to contemplate the cultural barriers that prevent people from fully recognising the humanity of others. This is a powerful piece that represents a very touchy subject for many. It sends out an aggressive message of what racism is doing to the world. Using a little girl makes people think deeper as it may show that kids are being brought onto Earth with the understanding that certain religions or concepts are wrong. This Banksy image has colours which makes it easy to depict the innocent from the wrong. It's a strong message and is one of my favourite pieces.
Thursday, 3 April 2014
Final Campaign Poster
This is my final campaign design. The background is a grungey tide dye print, which adds a little bit of effect but mostly makes my text stand out more. My news article is behind the actual wine glass because it represents an event happening in the past due to alcohol. The reader is about to pick up the wine glass but recalls this event, and there are many 'warning' signs to stop them from drinking.
The words inside the glass indicate thoughts in their families/friends heads. They are cruel but truthful words and they are trapped in the glass, like the thoughts are trapped with the families.
'Every sip is a sin' is like a warning sign. It is stuck on top of everything else as a final warning and a message to warn that it is not good to drink.
I have made the glass 3d by using a pop out feature. This will really stand out to the audience and potentially help to make it memorable.
Thursday, 20 March 2014
Aggressive NHS Advertising Campaigns
I have chosen to do drinking campaigns from the NHS.
The video I have selected is a powerful and emotional one, that could raise some ethical issues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhBX32wID28
The video begins with a man lying on the floor. We cannot see his face but his clothes are torn and rugged and stained with alcohol or sick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAmI1MJECZ4
The video I have selected is a powerful and emotional one, that could raise some ethical issues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhBX32wID28
The video begins with a man lying on the floor. We cannot see his face but his clothes are torn and rugged and stained with alcohol or sick.
It states how much alcohol he's consumed. This would have a big effect on the audience as they would then begin to see how little alcohol it takes to become in this state of mind. The bold text and different color scheme around the 'five pints' writing further emphasises the point of the alcohol consumption and its effects.
The rest of the advert continues with the alcohol consumption listed, and the anonymous faces. The cutting out of faces isn't for emphasis but rather to make you think that it could be you lying there, unconscious. This girl has a mobile phone in her hands and is receiving texts from worried friends- to which she cannot reply due to her paralysed state. The mobile also suggests that this advert is aimed at teenagers- as they are the biggest target group for alcohol binging too.
This video gets more effective as it goes on. This shot is gruesome and distressing for viewers. It shows someone lying in their own pool of sick, due to drinking. This advert could easily reach its target audience as it's shots feature hard-hitting but realistic scenes from a typical night out. It's target audience are probably mainly teenagers but obviously adults too. Not so much younger kids as they cannot drink and therefore do not need to be aware of this.
This advert is more effective than a traditional print based campaigns because it focuses on realistic effects of alcohol. As it's a video it can fit different visual elements of the effects of alcohol in, whereas traditional print can only fit one still image- therefore not addressing all of the effects of alcohol. It is better to have a video as it can be more emotionally intense and encourage the viewers further more to get help or information.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAmI1MJECZ4
The video begins with a woman dressing. Her hair is messy, her makeup smudged. She is stepping into tights with holes in. Her house is dark and messy, with a menacing atmosphere.
The woman then advances to the bathroom, where she continues to throw up in her sink. She then purposely drags it through her hair, ensuring it is everywhere. The moral of the video is still not entirely clear, however the effects of the steps she is taking when dressing herself are interesting and could be seen as weird to the target audience.
She then walks through the house, smudging her makeup down her face on purpose. Still smiling, as throughout the whole video. The viewer might not understand these unjustified acts just yet, but they will soon learn the point of the video. She is 'getting ready' by ruining her appearance and making herself look just as you would at the end of a night out.
The end of the video comes. A bold, white text appears with the rhetorical question of 'You wouldn't start a night like this, so why end it that way?'
This question is very powerful. It has the potential to make the audience really think about what they are doing. It is one of the most powerful videos I have seen. I think it's really good at addressing the audience and making them think and wonder about their behaviours. The entire video was spent with the girl undressing, destroying her outfits, putting sick in her hair, smudging her make up, pouring wine down herself and house.. it all links up to the fact that this is what usually happens after a night out. The video is making you think about what happens towards the end of the night. It's telling you that you wouldn't go out looking, smelling or feeling like that- so why come home like it? It's making you visually see the different aspects of alcohol consumption and the effects on you as a person- especially how you look. It's more hard hitting than factual, as it makes you think more than telling you information. It's subtle but effective, and a powerful way to address the audience- whom I think are mainly teenagers and young adults, as perceived by the age of the girl in this.
My conclusion after watching both videos:
I feel that videos are much more powerful than a still image. Videos have various different visual elements and contain many more realistic scenes. Videos can mainly be less factual but because they are so powerful, it doesn't matter. Videos effectively communicate to the audience because there are a wide range of different devices you can use. You can submit unconscious messages, you can change the sound effects to make them more emotional, you can position people and the subjects differently. Videos generally contain many more things, seeing as they are moving images they usually have a moral or story line, and because they are long you can fit different things in. By this I mean that in a still image you can only really fit one type of alcoholic effect or visual element in, but in a video you can fit a range of different things in. Still images usually contain lots of facts and figures, whereas videos don't contain a vast amount- not enough to bore you but enough to help you. I feel that videos are generally more powerful and helpful in submitting not only unconscious messages but important and helpful messages to the target audiences- which can range from very young to very old.
Monday, 17 March 2014
Awareness Campaign Videos (homework)
The first video I'm going to assess is a mental health awareness campaign:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TCqm0V8nerY
I think this video is ethically appropriate and explains fairly well the effects and thoughts of a mental unstable citizen.
The video begins with with a young Irish woman waiting for her bus. It is night time, the dark sky could represent her dark and unpleasant feelings as dark colours are usually associated with being unhappy. The woman's thoughts are being expressed aloud, yet she is not talking. Her thoughts consist of questions she is asking herself, she is worried. She asks things such as 'what if I fail my driving test?' This indicates that she expects the least of herself.
Her pace continues rapidly as her thoughts quicker and become harder and worse, she begins questioning her existence. There are no sound effects or music being played as the main feature of the video are the echoes of her voice. This suggests that her thoughts are important and the only thing she can think about are upsetting and hurtful things. The echos emphasis not only how important her thoughts are but also in a way how important mental illness is- it has the power to dictate your life.
Towards the end of the video a man joins her and asks if she is okay. She hesitates but then replies. The end draws close and soon the screen is filled with bold white text, giving messages about how problems can be solved and who to contact for help. The bold white writing gives a final emphasis and effect and stands out to the eye. The text is accompanied by a mans voice, again confirming the importance of mental illness. I like this video as it is ethical but still remains emotional and interesting. I think it would have a huge impact on viewers and would potentially help many to overcome or get help for their illnesses.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TCqm0V8nerY
I think this video is ethically appropriate and explains fairly well the effects and thoughts of a mental unstable citizen.
The video begins with with a young Irish woman waiting for her bus. It is night time, the dark sky could represent her dark and unpleasant feelings as dark colours are usually associated with being unhappy. The woman's thoughts are being expressed aloud, yet she is not talking. Her thoughts consist of questions she is asking herself, she is worried. She asks things such as 'what if I fail my driving test?' This indicates that she expects the least of herself.
Her pace continues rapidly as her thoughts quicker and become harder and worse, she begins questioning her existence. There are no sound effects or music being played as the main feature of the video are the echoes of her voice. This suggests that her thoughts are important and the only thing she can think about are upsetting and hurtful things. The echos emphasis not only how important her thoughts are but also in a way how important mental illness is- it has the power to dictate your life.
Towards the end of the video a man joins her and asks if she is okay. She hesitates but then replies. The end draws close and soon the screen is filled with bold white text, giving messages about how problems can be solved and who to contact for help. The bold white writing gives a final emphasis and effect and stands out to the eye. The text is accompanied by a mans voice, again confirming the importance of mental illness. I like this video as it is ethical but still remains emotional and interesting. I think it would have a huge impact on viewers and would potentially help many to overcome or get help for their illnesses.
Thursday, 13 March 2014
Assessing Alice Hill's Public Information analysis. 13/03/14
Here are some screenshots of Alice's work:
Highlights: I like how Alice used both a poster and video to discuss. This gives the entire evaluation a little more variety and looks into campaigning in two different types of ways. I also like how in her evaluation, Alice talks about who the target audience is and how it could effect them. I like how she mentions the ethical issues and how that could impact on people viewing or reading the poster and video. I think she has successfully mentioned all the criteria needed for this to be a successful evaluation. She has looked into the visual elements and the thoughts that the audience may have. Alice's work is at an A level because she has included everything she needed to, gone into great detail about all advertising campaigns and has written a lot about the ethical implications of each poster and video. Her work is enjoyable to read and is good quality.
Next Steps: Use a larger range of vocabulary when describing elements of the video or poster.
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