TV AD GROUP PREPRODUCTION TASKS

Your group must now complete the following preproduction tasks  before you create the final selected advert. You can all work on them together or divide up the workload.


TREATMENT

Now you have researched ideas and selected an advert , you need to create a treatment for your planned advert for the producer of the brief  ( David) to approve . You can create a long blog report or a Powerpoint presentation  and it  must include the following information :


Client  ( chosen brand )

Deadline  ( use David's final deadline date of   27/1/16 ) 

Technical resources needed ( camera, props,  costume, video editing software etc.)

Cast and crew needed ( actors, directors,editors etc.)

Technical limits  on advert ( e.g your advert must be between 30 seconds  and 2 minutes in length, any limitations on technical  quality due to quality of cameras, inexperience of filming and editing etc. )


Who are the regulatory bodies responsible for legal and ethical monitoring of content of a television advert ? ( e.g ASA)


Any potential legal and ethical issues in advert ? ( representation of gender/age/race etc, copyright e.g copying other works) 


Summary of content of advert ( the basic narrative )

Specific target audience of advert  ( age/gender : your advert should be aimed at young people) 

How the advert targets its audience ( characters, settings , use of music etc.)

Message of advert ( which selling techniques is it using and how  )





STORYBOARD

Create a handdrawn or digital storyboard that explains a minimum of 12 key shots from your advert, including camera shots, angles, movement and relevant use of sound, including scripted dialogue.






LOCATION PRODUCTION SCHEDULE

Create a filming production schedule ( in grid form)  for the filming of your advert that details the specific locations,  risk assessments ( possible safety/technical problems for each location )  and planned filming dates for each part of your advert.  You should also state whether permission is needed to film in each location and if so, who you need to ask.

You should aim to finish filming by Thursday 19th January.

RESEARCH FOLDER 5 : Evaluation and handing in

EVALUATION OF RESEARCH 


After your focus  group has been completed and summarised on the blog, you need to evaluate  your research and assess its quality and its effect on your production ideas.

Write a blog post which summarises and describes the types of research you completed , and then explain which research was most useful in terms of  defining  your audience , brand, product and content of advertisements.  Also , which research was the least useful and why ?






HANDING IN RESEARCH FOLDER

You should now present all of your research  in a folder folder, with your name clearly stated on a cover sheet , a  contents page and a bibliography ( list of websites and online sources used in your research). This must  include the following :



Cover sheet   ( including your name and "research folder")

Contents page listing the research tasks

Annotated secondary market  research ( facts and opinions about your brand direct from internet)

Primary research ( examples of questionnaires)

Blog summaries of primary research tasks ( questionnaires and vox pop audio interviews)

Audience Profile

Blog report of focus group and production research

Evaluation of research

Bibliography ( list websites used in research)



Please copy tasks into Word and  use separate pages for the different research tasks 

RESEARCH FOLDER 4 : FOCUS GROUP

You now need to have a focus group meeting in your production groups (2-3) to discuss the content of all of  your competing products and production ideas  and decide which is the most creative idea and effective advert  concept to take forward to the production stage.

This will be based on how well it fits the brand, audience response to the product, a clear target audience and an imaginative and suitable concept for the potential  advert.  This idea will then be taken forward by the group and produced.

For the focus group you will need :

Completed secondary market research, , primary audience research  and audience  profile.

Evidence of ideas for the potential adverts productions: form, style, content of ad and technical  methods to be used.

Explain the points discussed and the reasons  for your group's decision  in a blog report.

This report must also include the following :

List and explanation of possible filming  locations , props , equipment and personnel ( actors, directors etc. ) required for the effective completion of the advertisement.  You will all be editors so make sure you list this role for everyone.  Explain how you will be booking  filming equipment  and what is available to you  ( check with Graham if you are unsure ). 

A list of interim deadlines planning when you will complete the various stages of production.

(Your final deadline for the assignment is  January 27 2017  and you must complete storyboarding and scriptwriting , draft shoots , filming and editing of your television advertisement and  a detailed evaluation of the final product , as well as leaving time for reshoots and delays in filming. )




Explain the possible placement of chosen advert  (  time , day , television channel  )  and its likely industry production budget .

Use  THIS LINK  to decide on a channel and state how much  a "spot" ( screening)  for your advert might cost to run.

RESEARCH FOLDER 3 : Create an audience profile

Using the information gained from your various research methods, research , create a detailed profile of a typical  member of your ideal target audience for BOTH of your products. 

This should include the following information :

     Age, gender, ethnicity, sexuality ( if relevant )

     Use  and purchase of media and other relevant products

     How they spend their spare time

     Psychographic and socioeconomic profile ( use BOTH  sections on the first page  of this link  )       
                                                    LINK 


You should try to create the idea of a specific  person who is a typical  member of each of your product's ideal audience.


   

   

RESEARCH FOLDER 2 : Primary research into your product ideas

You now need to complete some primary research ( research materials you create yourself) to find out what your audience  feels about and responds to both of your product ideas .You can also you use this task to ask your audience for ideas about the possible content of your advert.  You will be using both closed questions ( which ask for simple factual responses  ) and open questions ( which ask for more detailed personal responses).




1     Design a questionnaire  to give out to members of your target audience ( 5 minimum). This should be a mixture of open and closed questions to find out basic information about them , what  they feel  and know about  the lifestyle your products appeal to, similar products, their spending patterns ,  and  their initial responses to  your  product ideas and any advert ideas.

You should also attach a summary of your product ideas.

When these questionnaires are completed, save in your research folder.


Write a short blog post summarising the key responses people made to your questions and any unusual or significant patterns of responses  e.g most people agreed with a specific question etc






2  Record audio responses ( 2 minimum) to  a couple of your open questions about your products/adverts  on your     smartphone. These should be longer more detailed answers  and should give you more information about how your audience responds to your ideas.

Write a short blog post summarising the audio responses and how they may have helped you with helping to select a chosen product and planning an advert  e.g  their answers have helped you plan the content of the advert , the questionnaire indicated the price of the product should be cheap etc.







You will be evaluating and summarising your research when your research folder is completed.

RESEARCH FOLDER 1 : Secondary research into your brands

To help select and plan an effective television advert , you will be completing various types of research into the possible  products, brands ,  audiences and content  of your television advertisement and keeping it in a Research Folder. 




The first section in your research folder is Secondary research (existing  facts and opinions ) and for this assignment will be  about your chosen brands for both product ideas.


 You need to search through a range of reliable sources ( online newspapers, charity websites etc.) and select relevant factual information ( statistics , dates, technical specifications, sales figures ) and opinions ( online comments ,  newspaper articles, blogs etc.) about both  your chosen brands ( or nearest rivals) that will add valuable content and meaning to the selection and planning of your advertisements.

 (If your brands are  original ,  you will need to research facts and opinions about a similar brand that you may be in competition with.)


You should find at least six different resources in total , and they should include both facts and opinions. You should not use wikipedia as it is not a reliable or accepted source of research.


Print out the resources, highlight/underline  the key information or quotes  and keep them in your  research folder.

TV ADVERTS : 2 initial ideas

Television Advertising : CREATING INITIAL IDEAS

Create  the content of two  initial ideas for television adverts for two  different original products, events, services or charities.  These can include sketches, mood boards, found images and  written  description and must cover the following areas :

Brand and product  (  can be original  or existing brand, should be an original product)

Target audience of advert ( age, gender, interests, location etc. )

Characteristics of product (  USP , advantages over similar products / brands , brand identity such as logo , colour , tagline etc.)

Initial ideas about form and style of possible adverts

Initial summary of content of possible adverts

Initial ideas about technical conventions  to be used ( colour, lighting, use of camera,editing, sound mise-en-scene etc. )

Initial ideas about  content of advert

( narrative, locations, characters, tagline etc. )

ASSIGNMENT A : Advert analysis

ASSIGNMENT A :  Television Advert analysis


Analyse and compare three television advertisements in detail in a written report which you should publish on your blog.

Your work will need to analyse the adverts using the  following headings and explaining as many of these terms as possible to gain a good grade;

• Form realist/anti-realist, animation, talking heads, series, documentary
• Style humorous, surreal, dramatic, parodic,nostalgic 
• Technical methods : Mise-en-scene, iconography,use of camera( movement  ,shots and angles,  editing( cuts and fades, pace) , sound and  music), graphics , special effects
• Selling Techniques : celebrity endorsement, lifestyle appeal, creating and emotional response or association (fear, compassion, social position), creating a memory of the product ,
• Characteristics of the product : benefits offered, advantages over similar products, USP (unique selling point), brand identity.

Try to find contrasting advertisements to allow you to show your knowledge of as many of the categories listed above as possible.

You can use previous work and examples as the basis for this assignment. 


DEADLINE : THURSDAY 13 October 2016

ANALYSING ADVERTS : KEY TERMS

Here are the key terms you will need to analyse your adverts in homework tasks, presentations and your first assignment . Other blog posts have a range of examples to help you understand them further.


FORM

Realist/antirealist
Animation
Talking Heads
Series
Documentary

STYLE

Humorous
Surreal
Dramatic
Parodic
Nostalgic


TECHNICAL METHODS

Use of Camera  

shot types :  closeup, long shot etc.
angles :  high angle/low angle etc.
movement : pan , tilt, zoom etc.

Editing ( cuts/fades , pace and rhythm )

Lighting and colour  ( warm/cold, light/dark etc.)

Sound ( use of music/ sound effects/dialogue)

Mis-en-scene ( everything in the scene : props,costume, objects etc.)

Iconography ( the hidden  meanings and connotations  behind the props, costumes, objects , lighting, colour, sound etc.)


SELLING TECHNIQUES

Lifestyle appeal

Celebrity Endorsement

Creating a memory in the target audience ( can be through humour, repetition, slogans etc.)

Creating an emotional reaction in the target audience


CHARACTERISTICS OF PRODUCT

Advantages over other similar products

USP ( unique selling point )

Creating a strong brand identity ( using images , logo, colour, music, messages, slogans and taglines etc.)

 

ADVERTISING EXAMPLES : car adverts

CAR ADVERTS

Target audience  : more likely to be older men

For example , here is  Matthew McConnaughy in an advert for the new Lincoln car.

STYLE :  Dramatic , with elements of humour.

TECHNICAL CODES :   

Use of camera :  e.g closeups on the main character's  face , panning shot showing the brand logo of the car.

Lighting : e.g warm, brown sunlight.

Sound :  e.g blues music symbolising the American location.

Mise-en-scene and  iconography :   e.g The wedding ring  the shirt and tie symbolising his married status and career success.  The bull, symbolising masculinity, power and speed. The open road ahead, symbolising freedom , the future and independence.

SELLING TECHNIQUES :   Celebrity endorsement , lifestyle appeal, humour.

PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS :   None explicitly stated in advert




Not the differences ( and some similarities)  in mis-en-scene and iconography in this advert.

Volkswagen Tiguan advert  LINK

And here's a list of cliches in car adverts and more examples     LINK

ANALYSING ADVERTS : Technical codes and selling techniques

TECHNICAL  CODES

You will need to analyse the technical methods and filmmaking techniques used in the adverts you are studying and how they are used to sell the product to the audience. 
These are as follows :

Use of camera ( angles, shot types, movement )

Editing ( use and pace of of cuts/fades etc.)

Lighting ( light/dark , warm/cold)

Sound ( use of music, dialogue and sound effects , sting)

Mis-en-scene and iconography  Everything in the scene, especially use of costume, props and setting.  See this post for further explanation




SELLING TECHNIQUES



Lifestyle appeal      Many adverts will use lifestyle appeal . The main characters in adverts will often be people the target audience wants to become ( wealthy, successful, attractive,thin , happy etc. )  and will therefore link the product to this.

The other ways lifestyle appeal is used in adverts is to create characters that are the same as the target audience...fairly average in appearance/status etc. That way the target audience may feel the product in the advert is for them.

Adverts may also use minor characters who are of lower status or are shown as poor, unattractive, stupid etc.  to show the target audience what happens when you don't buy the product, and to contrast effectively with the main character.


Celebrity endorsement  This connects with lifestyle appeal as the chosen  celebrity should be someone the target audience looks up to , and is usually successful, rich and/or attractive. They should also possess some of the same qualities as the product or link to the product in some way.

Creating memory of brand /product in audience  ( using repetition, images, slogan , humour , memorable sting , logo etc.)

Creating emotional response in audience (  guilt, desire, fear, pity, jealousy etc.)

Most adverts will try to provoke an emotional response in their target audience that connects with them personally. Sometimes the advert is explicit and obviously trying to provoke strong emotions, and other times it is more subtle.

Creating  overt/hidden messages      

An overt message is a clear and explicit  message....the story of the advert and the basic content of the advert.

A hidden message is an underlying secret  message which the advertisers may not want to state explicitly ( for legal or ethical reasons) but which the audience may pick up  e.g  If I buy this product I will feel attractive, if I don't buy this product I will look older etc.

ANALYSING ADVERTS : Forms and styles of advert

There are roughly 6 different forms  of television advertisement.
These are:

1. Realist Narrative,
2. Anti-realist narrative,
3. Animation,
4. Documentary,
5. Talking Heads,
6. Stand Alone/Series

An example of a realist narrative:
This would count as a realist narrative, because it appears to be set in real-life.  The product suggests that this is a normal day-to-day occurence in the Redknapp household. A realist narrative advert is an advert with a story, appearing to be both believable and realistic.

An example of an anti-realist narrative:
This advert counts as an anti-realist advert – because although there is a story behind the advert, it is obviously fictional. Unlike the realist narrative, this is not day-to-day behaviour. You do not see a community of people known as ‘the Smarties’ dressed in morph-suits that live in a tube in real life.

An example of an animation:
An animation is simply what it says on the tin. It is an animated production. This means that although there are voiceovers, and maybe CGI, there are no actual actors running around. animation is used for different reasons where live action is inappropriate for the message, style and content of the advert.

An example of documentary:

A documentary advertisement uses a  lot of factual information and relies mainly on informing the audience rather than just entertaining.

An example of talking heads:
'Talking heads' is where the people in the advert talk directly to the camera.Direct human contact, facial expressions , eye contact and the human voice are used to sell the product ,often by emotional appeals to the audience. It is often used in charity adverts, where people who have benefited from the charity speak to the viewer, often thanking them for their efforts. This one, for California Tourism is showing famous actors and personalities trying to convince you, the viewer, to come to California.

An example of a series advert
A series advert is simply an advert that continues in a series. They often tell a continuing story that evolves throughout the series, attempting to keep the audience interested in and familiar with  the characters, the plot and hopefully the product.

STYLES OF TV ADVERT

You need to discuss how your chosen advert fits into the following categories :

1 Humorous  ( lighthearted and funny in tone)

2 Surreal  ( strange or unrealistic  elements )

        3 Dramatic ( realistic, serious and emotional in tone )

                           4 Parodic ( copying or referring to other media products like films or other adverts )

TECHNICAL METHODS : Camera shots , angles and movement

SHOT TYPES 

Establishing shot. Opening shot or sequence, frequently an exterior 'General View' as an Extreme Long Shot (ELS). Used to set the scene. 

Long shot (LS). Shot which shows all or most of a fairly large subject (for example, a person) and usually much of the surroundings. Extreme Long Shot (ELS) - see establishing shot: In this type of shot the camera is at its furthest distance from the subject, emphasising the background. Medium Long Shot (MLS): 

Medium shots. Medium Shot or Mid-Shot (MS). In such a shot the subject or actor and its setting occupy roughly equal areas in the frame. In the case of the standing actor, the lower frame passes through the waist. There is space for hand gestures to be seen.

Over the Shoulder ( OSS) shots are often used to show conversations as you are able to see a virtual closeup of the person talking but also the person they are speaking to.

Close-up (CU). A picture which shows a fairly small part of the scene, such as a character's face, in great detail so that it fills the screen. Close-ups focus attention on a person's feelings or reactions, and are sometimes used in adverts to show people in a state of emotional excitement, sadness or joy. 

CAMERA ANGLES

Angle of shot. The direction and height from which the camera takes the scene. The convention is that in 'factual' programmes subjects should be shot from eye-level only. In a high angle the camera looks down at a character, making the viewer feel more powerful than him or her, or suggesting an air of detachment. A low angle shot places camera below the character, exaggerating his or her importance. An overhead shot is one made from a position directly above the action. 

Point-of-view shot (POV). A shot made from a camera position close to the line of sight of a performer who is to be watching the action shown in the point-of-view shot. 

CAMERA MOVEMENT

Zoom. In zooming in the camera does not move; the lens is focussed down from a long-shot to a close-up whilst the picture is still being shown. The subject is magnified, and attention is concentrated on details previously invisible. It may be used to surprise the viewer. Zooming out reveals more of the scene (perhaps where a character is, or to whom he or she is speaking) as the shot widens. Zooming in rapidly brings not only the subject but also the background hurtling towards the viewer, which can be disconcerting. 

Pan. The camera swivels (in the same base position) to follow a moving subject. A space is left in front of the subject: the pan 'leads' rather than 'trails'. A pan usually begins and ends with a few seconds of still picture to give greater impact. The speed of a pan across a subject creates a particular mood as well as establishing the viewer's relationship with the subject. 

Tilt. A vertical movement of the camera - up or down- while the camera mounting stays fixed. 

Tracking (dollying). Tracking involves the camera itself being moved smoothly towards or away from the subject (contrast with zooming). Tracking in (like zooming) draws the viewer into a closer, more intense relationship with the subject; moving away tends to create emotional distance. Tracking back tends to divert attention to the edges of the screen. The speed of tracking may affect the viewer's mood. Rapid tracking (especially tracking in) is exciting; tracking back relaxes interest. In a dramatic narrative we may sometimes be drawn forward towards a subject against our will. Camera movement parallel to a moving subject permits speed without drawing attention to the camera itself. 

Hand-held camera. A hand-held camera can produce a jerky, bouncy, unsteady image which may create a sense of immediacy or chaos. Its use is a form of subjective treatment.