Evaluation- Rosie
1. What aspects of pre-production were vital during the preparation stage of your project?
The treatment was vital for the preparation stages. This is because it contained all the most important information. Deciding on and writing the target audience was vital as it determined the style of our production.
When we drafted our plans, the first thought we had was to target the insert to University students who are new to the area. We wanted the insert to be informative and interesting and most importantly appeal to the target audience. The treatment allowed us to plan all of this information. Our first idea targeted predominantly males. The idea was skate culture in 'Bored of Southsea' and Albert road. Having this idea fell through, we changed the idea to nightlife and things to do in Gunwharf Quays. This used the same target audience as our original idea. This allowed us to target students and feature student deals and inserts within our broadcast.
2. What were some of the biggest challenges that appeared during the filming period?
The biggest challenge we faced was the weather, we found that if we filmed during the bad weather, there would be a safety risk as well as a poor quality of filming. The biggest challenge of the entire project involved the filming period. We could not find any person willing to be filmed on camera. Our original interviewees fell through and this lead to us having a whole folder of detailed pre production work for a production that we could not follow through with. This was the biggest challenge we faced in the assignment. We worked well as a group and used this to our advantage when conducting our filming. We decided to give the project an informal style. We incorporated lots of cutaways and a variety of camera shots in order to make up for this. I feel we overcame the challenge well as a group given the time period we were given after the previous idea fell through.
3. Describe 3 filming techniques that were used during the production period?
I panned the camera when filming, this is to increase the range of shot and keep the audience interested. Moving camera techniques are more interesting than still shots.
When on camera, the presenter (Emily) was seen in a range of shot types for example a medium close up as well as movement while speaking. This adds interest as well as giving a casual feel to the insert which is perfect for our target audience. I used hand held following the presenter. Long shots were used to set the scene and show the audience the surroundings. We also did a tracking shot to add interest.
4. Do you think the finished product will communicate effectively with your target audience?
I think the style of the finished product will communicate well with the target audience. This is because it has a casual and informal style.The music used is laid back which works well with the production. The camera angles and cutaway shots add a lot of interest to the insert. The casual yet informative style will attract the target audience. We knew how to work the camera to the advantage of the target audience. This is because we, ourselves, are the same as the target audience.
5. How was sound recording conducted throughout the production period?
We used part direct address to the camera and part voiceover. The sound was edited into the production in the editing stages of the project. Music was also overlaid.
6. How effective was the teams management throughout the project?
The teams management could have been improved. Our main issue was that we were let down last minute by Bored Of Southsea. I feel we overcame this issue as a group and we worked as well as we could in order to get a final insert. Unfortunately we were let down by all possible interviewees. We overcame this by generating the style of our insert into a short advert for Gunwharf Quays which is targeted at young people in the area for example new Uni Students who would like to know what to do in the area.
Before the issue of changing our ideas arose, the teams management was very effective and we met all pre production deadlines and had a successful first pitch.
7. Name 3 potential Health & Safety hazards that you observed during the location scouting phase?
Potential hazards of our filming were: Rain - we overcame the weather issue by waiting until their was a clear day to film. However wind was an issue in Gunwharf and effected the sound quality.
Another hazard was moving traffic and cars in the area. We overcame this hazard by crossing the road safely.
Using the tripod in a busy area created a hazard. This is because there was a lot of people in the area and we tried to use as little space as possible. We overcame this issue by waiting for a space/gap ready to film.
8. What 2 things would you do differently next time?
The biggest issue of the assignment was time management. This is because we changed our idea after being let down by Bored Of Southsea which was our interviewee for the project. After this we came up with a new plan of action. Unfortunately we could not get interviewees. This drastically effected the overall project. Next time I would choose a more local and/or reliable source for an interviewee and have back up plans right from the start of the project.
Another thing I would do differently next time is the filming techniques. The sound quality was not as good as i had hoped due to the wind and the type of camera. A separate microphone would have come in handy when we recorded the sound. This would have left the insert feeling more professional.
9. Describe the style of presentation used throughout production?
The style of presentation is casual and informal. Our main target audience was under 30s. The mode of address is casual and informal, this gives off a friendly and welcoming feel to the insert. This is a good technique as it is trying to market Gunwharf and persuade people to visit. The script was informative yet friendly. Visual codes used included casual clothing and interesting camera techniques for example arches and pans.
10. How does the presentation style cater to the taste of the audience and the type of production?
The presentation style caters to the taste of the audience and the type of production. This is because the overall insert has a casual and informal style. Our target audience is young people and people looking at visiting the area. The production was very informative, letting guests and tourists know which areas to visit and what there is to do in Gunwharf Quays.
So in the end, the style of the production works well with the purpose of our insert. The broadcast works well as an advertisement.
11. Describe the issues that occurred during filming
The main issue that occurred when filming was the fall through of our interviewees. When we asked people to be filmed they objected and as we were pushed for time we needed a back up plan. Our back up plan quite simply involved the use of our footage in a different aspect. We used the footage to market Gunwharf quays. This was needed in order to complete the insert. This was an issue which we resolved by changing the style of the insert. The style is very friendly, informative and persuasive. We faced this issue due to the change of our idea, we knew it would be an issue and worked our hardest to overcome the problem as best as we could.
