P2 - SECONDARY RESEARCH

 

SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT

According to Stacey McLachlan at blog.hootsuite.com, "of course you want to rack up your followers, but ultimately, the greatest measure of social media success is an engaged audience, not just a big one." I love this sentiment because, in the world of advertising, I believe it's much more valuable to keep a niche audience truly engaged than to grab temporary attention from a larger group. To engage someone is to create a fan, and when you're marketing a TV show you're going to want fans. Indeed, she goes on to say that, "as a business, it’s quality, not just quantity, that you should be striving for." 

So, with this in mind, how do I engage people on social media? When marketing Croak, I think I would benefit from finding a niche in the market for TV dramas - something like 'oddball murder mystery'. To measure engagement on social media, there are a few metrics to consider:

• Shares or retweets
• Comments
• Likes
• Followers and audience growth
• Click-throughs
• Mentions (either tagged or untagged)
• Using branded hashtags

As an example, the new Xbox Series X used the hashtag #poweryourmemes

STRANGER THINGS PROMOTIONS

These experiences are entirely unique to “Stranger Things” and ensure that the show remains top of mind with audiences both offline and online.

sprinklr.com

unusual, innovative

engage your audience!!!!!!

maintain the momentum

capitalise on the 80s vibes

attract people over to netflix - they want people to join netflix

product placement - not bbc though - make fake brands playfully real

call line

INTERACTIVE - needs to be engaging to bypass the hundreds of things we see all the time, constant stream

vr video

PRACTICE - EXAM STYLE QUESTIONS

 

Q.7 - EVALUATE THE USE OF A PRODUCTION SCHEDULE FOR AN APP [18 MARKS]

• 3 PROS 
• 3 CONS
• project management software can organise better - can't manage a team with prod schedule, not visual or appealing
• app needs visuals
• contextualise
• POINT - EVIDENCE/CONTEXT - EXPLAIN 

A production schedule is helpful for the organisation of events leading up to a final version of the project. First of all, it will tell your team the personnel involved in each task - there's a column for crew's names, allowing you to assign certain members jobs. In addition to this, a production schedule will tell you the specific timing of each task. This makes it easier to get crew together for development or meetings. Your production schedule provides a list of the equipment needed for a task, making it much more viable to take heavy equipment on location; you're less likely to waste effort because everyone knows what to bring and when. Unfortunately, though a production schedule is helpful for organisational purposes, you'd need a Gantt chart to account for contingency time - if someone can't make a meeting, you'll have to make up for that lost work. An app will also need visual planning before scheduling to make it can happen; a Gantt chart would show this visually. It is also a lot easier to read a Gantt chart than a production schedule, making it another necessity for easy distribution and viewing by members of the crew. You'd need both to get the best use out of a production schedule. You may also benefit from project management software - it encompasses all of these scheduling tasks and also visualises tasks for easy viewing. It will also make contacting your crew more efficient so that everyone can do their jobs at the right times.

PRIMARY SOURCES

FINDING YOUR OWN DATA BY DOING RESEARCH YOURSELF

SECONDARY SOURCES

FINDING DATA FROM RESEARCH SOMEONE ELSE HAS DONE ALREADY

STUART HALL REP[RESENTATION THEORY!!!!!!!!!

planning software - microsoft project

camera

crayola crayons 

ugly unformatted notes to write up later

what do you need from a client?

deadline

target audience

the task and medium

existing products/house style (logos and colours)

genre

purpose of the product or project

resources

budget

VISUALISATION DIAGRAMS FOR POSTER - BASICALLY THUMBNAILS

if i did an app i could make it with drawn characters

exam paper and insert

the insert is the brief/scenario

FORMAL/INFORMAL

LEGALLY BINDING

CONTRACTUAL - BRIEF IS OUTLINED WITHIN A CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT

TENDER - CLIENT PUBLISHES AN AD FOR THE WORK, PEOPLE PITCH TO THEM AND THEY PICK ONE

COMMISSIONED - THE COMPANY SPECIFICALLY ASK PEOPLE TO CREATE THE ADVERTISING, PITCH ETC. 

what MUST you deliver?

what do you have creative control over?

OPEN - You have the freedom to make some decisions.

IMPLICIT - Inferred from the brief.

CONSTRAINTS - Boundaries that projects must work within (ethical, legal, time, cost etc.)

EXPLICIT - Clearly stated requirements that must be met.

P1 - NARRATIVE ARC (IMPROVED)

P2 - BE ABLE TO PLAN A CROSS-MEDIA ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN TO A CLIENT BRIEF

This unit's brief is to create a cross-media advertising campaign to promote our TV show for BBC3.  We have to include three different media types across old and new media, conforming to the individual conventions of each. The aim is to promote a new product (the show) and the site it is hosted on (BBC3). It's important to note that we have to comply with legislation set in place by the ASA, OFCOM and BCAP to avoid unnecessary offence or distinctly negative publicity. Also interesting to note is the competition streaming sites and media companies at large face from Netflix, and what can be done to compete in a productive and effective way. 

THE CONTRACT

OPEN 

You have the freedom to make some decisions.

• media types
• create the logo
• the aesthetic and graphics
• the mobile app and quiz

IMPLICIT 

Inferred from the brief.

• don't miss deadlines
• has to be BBC branded
• be in line with other BBC marketing and standards - do research 
• don't spend money on expensive celebrity endorsement
• has to feature the main characters 
• convey the tone of the show and hint at plot points

CONSTRAINTS 

Boundaries that projects must work within (ethical, legal, time, cost etc.) 

• £15,000
• no offensive stereotypes
• represent your target audience
• keep to relevant legislation 

EXPLICIT 

Clearly stated requirements that must be met.

• one piece of media has to be released after episode one
• has to include an interactive content eg. an app with a quiz
• cross-media
• must comply with legislation
• do your own research into the demographic

THE SHOW

I'll be advertising my previously pitched TV show 'Croak', created for BBC3 and their demographic of 15-21 year olds. It'll be interesting to go back with new knowledge of advertising and see the show in a new light. The original demographic I had was based on economic and ethnic background - further research would mean taking into account psychographics as well. I could, for instance, build up a consumer profile based on my idea of the average fan of 'Croak'. Market research will definitely come into play here so that I may find further data on audience pleasures and competitors and the like.

During Unit 21, I conducted some market research and a focus group from our school (part of the target age group) to inform my TV show planning. The data was a helpful resource in decision-making, for example:

In terms of legality and ethicality, I don't think there will be major problems with the promotion of 'Croak'. Guidelines set by the ASA give a very good idea of what-not-to-do and there are distinct points to consider:

• HONEST
• TRUTHFUL
• DECENT
• ACCURATE
• SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE
• LEGAL

The particularly challenging (or upsetting) themes in Croak would have to be murder or violence, something to keep in mind when creating promotions above the line as opposed to targeted adverts. It's likely a good idea to look at how other semi-humorous murder mysteries present themselves on television adverts and the like.

I think that a lot of mediums could be helpful for reaching a target audience, one such being social media. There's so much going on in advertising nowadays that it would be impossible to ignore newer media, certainly because it's changing lifestyles so fast. One example of social media interaction with fans from a TV show is the Umbrella Academy twitter account, affectionately nicknamed 'Brelly' by actors in and fans of the show. Branded twitter accounts are a fantastic way to gauge your audience's opinion without imposing on them, as they may very well have found the account without prompting. 

TV and radio advertising is liable to reach a much wider audience than a twitter account because they're above the line, and therefore not targeted at anyone's interests (further than just the channel or radio station they're tuned in to). Billboards and posters are also above line, the least personal you can get.

[NOTE TO SELF: REWRITE THE STORY!!!! RECONSIDER CHARACTER DESIGNS]

null void        

CAMPAIGN LOGISTICS

SCHEDULING - WHEN DO YOU RELEASE MARKETING?

CONTINUITY, BURSTING OR PULSING MODELS

CONTINUITY

- keeps product continually in the mind of consumers

rule of seven - takes seven nudges to get someone to take action?

campaign schedule - when you're going to release bits (not production schedule)

NOTES

incentives to download app - effect on show? access to certain things??  

M1 - EVALUATE DIFFERENT CROSS-MEDIA ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS FOR CONSISTENCY OF MESSAGE

 COMPARING ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - NEW CONSOLES 2020

MICROSOFT - XBOX SERIES X

SONY - PLAYSTATION 5

EXPECTATIONS

I'm expecting there to be synergy between the two campaigns - the companies have been competitors for as long as I personally can remember. Social media makes it easier for them to interact in the public eye and so recently they've been using their online presence to do just that.

THE COMPARISON:

P4 - FINAL SCRIPT

 FINAL DRAFT

P1 - DESCRIBE AN EXISTING MEDIA ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN

 AN ONGOING ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN

VALENTINO #EMPATHY

Valentino launched their #empathy campaign for their Autumn/Winter 2020-21 collection. Its self-proclaimed aim is to 'bring intimacy to the forefront' with a concept highlighting friendship - no doubt influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic that has defined the year. 

It's cropped up online, seemingly the best place to advertise as a fashion company as the world is today. Their official campaign video (below) is a compilation of home footage depicting a fantastically diverse range of people. Its message, I predict, is going to be something about people from different backgrounds coming together in these 'difficult times' - I'm certain it's going to capitalise on the Covid crisis to push their advertising 

In an interview with vogue, designer Pierpaolo Piccioli states that 'solidarity is part of our culture'. He's making an interesting implication about the advertising campaign I'll be looking at here; it's appealing to 

AIMS & OBJECTIVES

Generally, the main aim of advertising is to persuade people to buy your product. Fashion campaigns are the same, although they seem to take up a category of their own. I've noticed a trend in Valentino's advertising with this campaign that seems to be appealing to a section of the market who value charity. They've been donating money as a company:

TARGET AUDIENCE

DEMOGRAPHICS

According to investopedia.com, demographics are the 'study of a population based on factors such as age, race and sex'. It's 'socio-economic information expressed statistically' - basically, the percentage of an audience that's made up of a certain type of person (eg. women, caucasians, millennials etc.).  

For this campaign, I doubt they would stray from their usual target audience. No matter how out-there your fashion campaign is, it's still got to sell your seasonal collection - Valentino have to appeal to their usual customer base first and potential new customers second. Both are important though, which is why the #empathy campaign is painted so humbly. 

Data from yougov profiles

Valentino is most popular with Generation X (1965-1980) according to Yougov. This is what I would have expected from a relatively expensive clothing brand - it wouldn't be as affordable to young people in the current economic climate. I would assume that the clothing and messages Valentino sell, as a brand, are catered to Generations X and younger. Baby Boomers only make up 10% of this data; I don't think the brand is catered to them as much (however they make up a portion of the demographic, meaning that they're important either way).

If we take a look at the Valentino website, items seem to be listed from around £100-£400. I would expect members of Generation X to be able to afford keeping up their (although obviously not the entire age group) more than younger groups.

Yougov also shows the breakdown of Valentino's gender demographics. They're close because Valentino offers both men's and women's clothing and accessories. They advertise with a gender spectrum in mind rather than simply men or just women. I would expect the demographic to be skewed towards women - not because I believe women are inherently more susceptible to fashion brands, but because I believe that the fashion industry is based on the idea that women can always be better. The industry has definitely changed for the better in recent years as social priorities have changed, but taking advantage of insecurities society has projected onto people (particularly young women) is still a surefire way to sell clothing in 2020.

The #empathy campaign makes use of both female and male models - particularly with their promotional posters. 

PSYCHOGRAPHICS

Psychographics is the classification of members of your market based on human traits that group them together. Here, they're separated into seven categories:

LEGALITY AND ETHICS

The Valentino campaign must consider and conform to ASA guidelines for advertisement, as with every campaign. The use of multimedia advertising within a campaign makes it more complicated to track involved laws, but there are certain things you must consider for every advertisement you put out.

Relevant for this campaign, for example, are the guidelines:

These two are examples that Valentino must follow for this campaign specifically. 3.1 is more general - you must not mislead the people buying your clothing or other items. 6.1 seemed more relevant to this campaign in particular because of their use of the public in one of their Youtube videos advertising the line:

Of course, these people are all friends of creative director Piccioli. They would still need to ensure everyone was happy to appear in the video in order to use their faces in the advertisement. 

TARGET AUDIENCE, CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS AND SHOCK ADVERTISING

 

PSYCHOGRAPHICS

• MAINSTREAMERS
• ASPIRERS 
• SUCCEEDERS
• RESIGNED
• EXPLORERS
• STRUGGLERS
• REFORMERS

CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT AND INFLUENCER MARKETING

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT?

• TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC - CLASS, GENDER, AGE ETC.
• GEOGRAPHICS - GEOGRAPHICAL STATUS
• PSYCHOGRAPHICS - PERSONALITY, LIFESTYLE, VALUES ETC.

HISTORY OF CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT

• 1950s DORIS DAY HARVESTER ROAD ROLLING EQUIPMENT
• 1970S COKE ADVERT WITH PEPSI CHALLENGE (1975) ADVERT 1979 JOE GREENE
• 1980S CO-BRANDING MICHAEL JORDAN NIKES (1984) AIR JORDANS - MORE HANDS-ON APPROACH FROM THE CELEBRITY
• 1990S RISE OF TECHNOLOGY AND NICHE MARKETING SHAPED ADVERTISING - A TRIBE CALLED QUEST AND SPRITE
• 2000S INFLUENCER MARKETING - RUNNING DIALOGUE, MORE INTERACTIONS (ZOELLA, KSI, LIZA KOSHY)
• 2017 KENDALL JENNER PEPSI AD - SHE CAN JUST STOP POLICE BRUTALITY - TRIVIALISES URGENCY AND MINIMISES THE ISSUE

CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT

BLACK OPIUM - YVES ST. LAURENT

Endorsed by Zoe Kravitz

1. WHY WERE THEY CHOSEN? ZOE KRAVITZ WAS CHOSEN FIRST BECAUSE SHE'S A MODEL - SHE'S THE TYPE OF CELEBRITY USUALLY USED TO ADVERTISE PERFUME. MEMBERS OF GENERATION Z AS WELL AS MILLENNIALS WILL RECOGNISE HER - I RECOGNISE HER AS AN ACTRESS AND MODEL (AS WELL AS BEING THE DAUGHTER OF LENNY KRAVITZ). I BELIEVE THE PSYCHOGRAPHIC CATEGORY THE TARGET AUDIENCE FITS INTO IS ASPIRERS, AND SOCIAL GRADE B. 
2. WHAT WAS THE AIM OF THE ADVERTISEMENT? TO SELL A PERFUME TO YOUNG ADULT/ADULT WOMEN. IT DEPICTS A DARK AND INTRIGUING NIGHT LIFE.
3. WAS IT EFFECTIVE IN ITS USE OF THE CELEBRITY? YES - SHE'S EYECATCHING AND FITS THE TONE OF THE ADVERT/THE TARGET AUDIENCE

INFLUENCER MARKETING

SHOCK ADVERTISING

BENETTON - AQUARIUS CAMPAIGN, UNHATE - VATICAN SUING YOU

PEACE, COMING TOGETHER DESPITE DIFFERENCES - PROMOTE LOVE OVER HATE

ROAD SAFETY PSA - THE BOY WHO DIDN'T STOP, LOOK AND LISTEN

D1 REQUIREMENTS MET

THE RUNDOWN

The brief for this project was to write a screenplay for a short dramatised sequence to garner interest from the chosen target audience - 15-21 year olds. We didn't need to angle it to please TV executives and commissioners, as it was already commissioned. This also means that we've been tasked with writing a spec script, which uses technical details like camera angles, shot types and sound. It had to be 10-15 minutes (in script terms, pages) long. We picked a scene from the show we pitched in Unit 21.

The idea for a show I've created is an oddball mystery drama, such as Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and Agatha Raisin. It's inspired by shows that interest me personally because they blend dark themes with comedy and silliness.

GENRE

As previously stated, I wanted my idea to reflect oddball mystery series I've seen. The genre is an interesting one, seemingly based on the subversion of the conventions of other genres. It's meant to shock and entertain you, make you laugh with one breath and then cry along with the characters in the next. 

I want to strike that balance in Croak, wherein viewers care for the characters and laugh with them at the odd things going on. It brings in elements of mystery and comedy dramas to create something silly, but enticing and puzzling. 

I think my script reflects the mystery elements of the story more than the comedy angle, but I was sure never to take myself too seriously when writing it. The subject matter could be dark, but Croak's tone is consciously light. The juxtaposition is supposed to be a bit jarring and weird. 

TARGET AUDIENCE

Our brief was to target 15-21 year olds, the intended audience of BBC3. To cover BBC3's target audience, you'd be hard-pressed not to mention the audience pleasures it tends to cover (and therefore whether I've followed or broken them as a convention). We have:

ESCAPISM/DIVERSION

WATCHING SOMETHING IN ORDER TO ESCAPE FROM REALITY, FOR GRATIFICATION OR A DISTRACTION. 

SURVEILLANCE

A WINDOW INTO THE LIVES OF OTHERS, OR THE WIDER WORLD. VIEWERS LEARN FROM CONSUMING MEDIA THIS WAY.

PERSONAL IDENTITY

VIEWERS MAY RELATE TO THE CHARACTERS OR SITUATIONS DEPICTED IN THE MEDIA.

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

VIEWERS MAY:

• USE THE MEDIA AS A TALKING POINT WITH OTHERS IN THEIR LIVES.
• FORM A BOND WITH THE CHARACTERS DEPICTED IN THE MEDIA.

These are the things we find in the media we consume. I was aiming to fulfil the audience pleasures of escapism, personal relationships with characters and personal identity. I've always found comfort in fiction and the ideas I have conform to the desire to share that feeling.  

Something I find relevant to both the genre of my drama and the viewing habits of my target audience is the idea of comfort, which is slightly strange in a mystery series. I simply mean that certain series, like for instance Agatha Raisin, Miss Marple, Murder She Wrote and Poirot are all examples of murder mysteries wherein the cast of characters you become attached to are likely to be safe as they solve crimes. Viewers aren't on their toes waiting for their favourite characters to die because the shows focus more on telling compelling mystery stories to engage brains but not shock and dismay. I believe many people enjoy this kind of low-stakes mystery story, however complex and impossible the crime may seem, because it really appeals to the audience pleasures of both escapism and, most importantly, personal relationships with the characters. No matter how many times you awe your audience with a character death or a twist, there's always going to be something comfortable and reliable in stories with such a predictable outcome. 

CHARACTERS

ARCS

I wanted to show improvement in Fen's character throughout the show to reflect the morals of opening up to people. She would start as someone closed-off and difficult to talk to and change to allow friendships to blossom. In this, I'm conscious of human nature and - despite my show's silly and supernatural elements - I would like the characters to reflect reality even if they're exaggerated. Fen will never become a social butterfly, and that's perfectly in line with who she is. She doesn't become a new person, she just ends up molded by those around her. 

Lotus, whilst being an antagonist, is never portrayed as evil. Despite the show's theme of murder, I wanted to keep the line between good and evil blurred. This reflects the time we're living in and the shows we see popping up constantly - something like Line of Duty, which has greatly influenced the public's expectations for characters and people tend to expect a greater degree of nuance from the media they consume. This influenced later decisions about Lotus, such as her involvement with the case and the reasoning behind her actions. I'm very interested in morally grey characters, certainly with a concept that doesn't take itself that seriously like Croak. 

I wanted the dynamics between characters to shine throughout the series, finding that I tend to enjoy a fun group of characters more than I do other elements of a story. A good cast can even carry a dull story, creating attachments to the characters that make viewers care about what happens to them and laugh along with them. 

STORY

I wrote the story loosely following Todorov's narratology (steps listed below). 

EQUILIBRIUM Fen is looking for a new story but stuck with the regular ones, like coverage of pet contests and the missing items column in the university paper.

DISRUPTION There is a death in Ngaio. 

RECOGNITION Fen is on the case and immediately becomes obsessed not only with covering it for the paper, but solving it single-handedly. 

ATTEMPT TO REPAIR Fen chases clues and spirals deeper into conspiracy, she figures out her family secret about being witch hunters.

NEW EQUILIBRIUM Fen has friends she can talk to and the town has settled again, the case having been solved.

One notable convention of the mystery series genre I've broken is that Croak's mystery is non-episodic. The same mystery takes place over the course of the series, which goes against the formula set up by pioneering mystery stories set in sequence (like Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes). This was a conscious decision made to set up the world and story before perhaps diving into an episodic mystery format in later seasons. I think that something more involved would be more popular nowadays. 

My original synopsis for Croak was as follows:

"A die-hard journalism student, determined to write a big story and get into the business, latches onto every small thing life throws at her. Fortunately, this small thing in particular grows and grows - until she realises she might just be in over her head. What else to do from there but dive right in, headfirst?

We follow our protagonist, Fen Marsh, as she uncovers and unravels a mystery way larger than herself - it's something that eventually forces her to spend time with others and get to know them. It has themes of opening up, as opposed to keeping your thoughts and feelings to yourself. Her interaction with her brother at the start of the series is conveyed purely through texts and calls, in contrast with the end of the series wherein she'll be talking to others freely and making time for them."

I think I've honoured the concept whilst adding mystery to the story for further public appeal. The difficult part was finding a middle ground between my vision and something appealing to the widest audience possible. 

chosen extract

The part from my story I chose to write was a scene from the 'attempt to repair' stage, where Fen is following someone she believes to be the killer into the tunnels under the town. This has plenty of potential to be tense and, importantly, end on a cliffhanger.

I think that this has the potential to gain the most traction - it has action and a clear story arc within its episode. The entire show I chose to set at a time when the campus will be mostly empty, to save money on extras. 

At this point in the story, Fen is still on the left side of her character arc. She's in equilibrium approaching disruption as she gets sick and realises she needs help from those around her. Again, I think this will resonate with a lot of people even if they don't notice it happening - it'd difficult to communicate your feelings sometimes and Fen is an extreme manifestation of the desire to get things done yourself. The message of finding strength in other people is a universal one, something that BBC3 would be able to promote as educational without it feeling too forced. 

IN THE END

I think that the script I wrote fulfilled the BBC3 guidelines given whilst conforming to my genres of mystery and, to a lesser extent, comedy. The dialogue is natural whilst giving us an insight into how Fen thinks, and how selfish she can be without thinking. 

I've chosen a time in the story when the character still has some growing to do, and a time when there's an active mystery to solve. I think it's interesting enough to draw in viewers whilst conveying character. 

ADVERTISING - KEY TERMS

 THE MEDIA

CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION THROUGH WHICH NEWS, ENTERTAINMENT AND EDUCATIONAL/PROMOTIONAL MESSAGES ARE SPREAD.

A MEDIA PRODUCT

A SINGLE PRODUCT OF MEDIA (ie. A BOOK, A GAME, AN APP)

MEDIUM

THE FORM THE MEDIA TAKES AND THE METHOD OF DELIVERY.

MEDIA PLATFORMS

THE TOOL BY WHICH INFORMATION AND CONTENT IS DISTRIBUTED TO THE AUDIENCE (ie. SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM, WEBSITE, VIDEO GAME)

MARKET

ALL THE CONSUMERS WHO USE A CERTAIN TYPE OF PRODUCT (ie. CORNFLAKES)

MARKET SHARE

THE PERCENTAGE OF THE MARKET WHO USE A CERTAIN BRAND (ie. KELLOGS)

MARKET RESEARCH

GATHERING INFORMATION ABOUT THE TARGET AUDIENCE AND THEIR NEEDS & PREFERENCES. USED TO TARGET THE RIGHT PEOPLE.

BRAND AWARENESS

THE AIM OF ADVERTISING, USUALLY. 

SEGMENTS

AUDIENCE SUBGROUPS - DEFINED BY CHARACTERISTICS LIKE LIFESTYLE.

AUDIENCE PROFILE

SPECIFIC DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES OF AN INDIVIDUAL AUDIENCE MEMBERS.

UNIQUE SELLING POINT

CHARACTERISTICS OF A PRODUCT THAT MAKE IT STAND OUT. (APPLE'S UNIQUE SELLING POINT IS THE BRAND ITSELF)

VALUE PROPOSITION

A PROMISE TO THE CUSTOMER OF THE SERVICE OR PRODUCT BEING VALUABLE AND WORTH THEIR TIME (ie. COCA COLA PROMISING TO MAKE YOU HAPPY, HIGHLIGHTING AUDIENCE PLEASURES IN SERIES TRAILERS)

ONLINE ADVERTISING

POP-UPS

ADVERTS THAT APPEAR WHEN USING A SPECIFIC WEB PAGE.

POP-UNDERS

ADVERTS THAT APPEAR WHEN YOU CLOSE A WEB PAGE.

WEB BANNERS

ADVERTS ON A WEBSITE HYPERLINKED TO THE ADVERTISER'S WEBSITE.

EMAIL MARKETING

ADVERTISERS SEND ADVERTS TO YOUR INBOX IF THEY HAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.

CONTEXTUAL ADVERTISING

ADVERTS LINKED TO RECENT INTERNET SEARCHES YOU'VE MADE (ie. ADSENSE)

SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING

COMPANIES PAY SEARCH ENGINES TO DISPLAY LINKS TO THEIR WEBSITES, AND THEIR PRESENCE RANKING HIGHER ON SEARCHES.

VLOGGERS AND BLOGGERS

ADVERTISERS OFFER FREE PRODUCTS TO INFLUENCERS (ie. ZOELLA)

THE AIMS OF ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS

1. CREATE AWARENESS OF THE BRAND
2. INTRODUCE A NEW PRODUCT TO THE MARKET
3. INCREASE SALES AND ACHIEVE LARGER MARKET SHARES THAN A COMPETITOR
4. REBRAND AN EXISTING PRODUCT
5. GENERATE FEEDBACK
6. ACHIEVE A COMBINATION OF THE ABOVE

CALL TO ACTION

ANYTHING USED TO ENCOURAGE/PROMPT AN IMMEDIATE PURCHASE OR RESPONSE (eg. BUY THIS PRODUCT, SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL, GO TO THIS SOCIAL MEDIA POST, INTERACT.

ABOVE THE LINE ADVERTISING

ADVERTISED TO A WIDE MARKET, RELATES TO THE MASS MEDIA, CAN'T DIRECTLY CONTROL WHO YOUR AUDIENCE IS (eg. TV ADS, BILLBOARDS - MOSTLY OLD MEDIA).

BELOW THE LINE ADVERTISING

ADVERTISED TO SOMEONE PERSONALLY WITH THEIR SPECIFIC INTERESTS IN MIND, MORE PRECISE AUDIENCE (eg. WEBSITE COOKIES, TARGETED ADVERTISING, ADSENSE - MOSTLY NEW MEDIA)

SYNERGY

TWO COMPANIES COLLABORATING AS A MEANS TO AN END, USUALLY HIGHER SALES.

LEGAL & ETHICAL ISSUES AND CODES OF PRACTICE

THE ASA (ADVERTISING STANDARDS AGENCY)

An independent regulator for the UK's media - they monitor advertisement and try to regulate content so that consumers aren't taken advantage of as much as they could be. They pick up on trends and complaints to ensure advertising is safe for consumption and meets these standards:

• HONEST
• TRUTHFUL
• DECENT
• ACCURATE
• SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE
• LEGAL

It's considered common decency to follow these guidelines,- however if an advertiser refuses to listen and their advertising breaks these rules, the ASA can refer them on to OFCOM or Trading Standards. They have an independent council in order to keep up with current public opinion and ensure the most effective regulation.

NON-COMPLIANT ADVERTISEMENTS (FROM THE ASA WEBSITE)

The ASA lists online advertisers here that have refused to comply with their guidelines. For example, the well-known health food shop Holland & Barrett is filed in this section for breaking the standard of 

    TRADITIONAL MEDIA

honest

socially responsible

truthful

decent

legal

accurate

shock tactics havea libne they dont cross

ADVERTISING LAWS

dont encourage illegality, antisocial behaviour, unsafe

ASA - independent regulator for uks media

pick up on trends and complaints

referral to ofcom or trading standards if the ad refuses

independent council decides

advertising standards authority

TV ADS

bcap for tv and radio

cap for online, print and soc. media, direct marketing

asa and ofcom regulate

different mediums - communications act 2003

risk licence revoked for cchannels and advertisers

CLEARCAST - owned by 6 channels to defend against asa complaints

high success rate

eg. 99.9 percent or 'up to 100 percent' effective gets around law

clearcast - 

script for ad 

sent to clearcast via copycentral

respond in 4 days mostly

or you gotta substanciate alongside your script - explain yourssekf

then if both parties are happy, good to go

waste of money to make the ad before asking

planning is so important - what you submit MUST be the sameas what you submitted

clock no. attached to the ad for cfinding later

clearcast approves

weird spoof ad with getting bloodstains out instead of sauce or something

ADVERTISING (notes)

 MEMORABLE ADS

THE CADBURYS GORILLA

HASTINGS

SAUVAGE WITH JOHNNY DEPP

SNICKERS

ADVERTISING ON DIFFERENT MEDIA PLATFORMS

RADIO ADVERT

• DELICIOUSNESS
• 'Everyone loves kit-kats - you probably want one now!'
• Aimed at a wide range, but sweets are often advertised to children and parents. 

TV ADVERT

• NOVELTY
• 'You'll be cool and mysterious if you buy our perfume.'
• Celebrity endorsement.
• Aimed at men who could be fans of Johnny Depp.

MAGAZINE ADVERT

• RELATABILITY
• 'This sofa is cosy, buy it to be cosy.'
• Readers of the magazine - tailored to middle aged women?

KEY MESSAGE, TARGET AUDIENCE

WHAT MAKES AN ADVERT MEMORABLE?

I'm really interested in the theory behind advertising, the strategy that goes into convincing members of the public to buy things. Whilst not being on board with capitalism as a whole, I'm truly invested in the how and why of its systems. Advertising is impossible to avoid, which I believe is unethical - that being said, it's fascinating and you can learn so much about 

wackaging/being weird (and why that's saturated nowadays) - constant one-upping

being catchy/earworms

being controversial/backlash (nike, greggs vegan, keurig, that one where kendall jenner stops a riot with pepsi)/boycotts - people getting angry will do your advertising for you

showing support for an issue (both for good reputation and backlash from opposition like nike)

so bad it's good (perfume adverts like sauvage, my favourite advert because it's quotably funny) 

humanising social media brands (not tv but interactions between brand ambassadors)

obligatory capitalism mention - so many brands vying for public attention, overwhelming

Press releases

ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS

CROSS MEDIA

TRADITIONAL MEDIA VS. NEW MEDIA

INTERNET ADVERTISING

• COOKIES
• POP UP ADS
• PRODUCT PLACEMENT
• BRAND TWITTER HUMANISING
• EMAIL MARKETING
• WEB BANNERS 
• SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING
• ADSENSE EW

ABOVE VS. BELOW THE LINE ADVERTISING

ABOVE -> BANNER IN THE STREET

BELOW -> TARGETED ADS ON YOUR FEED

POP-UPS

POP-UNDERS

WEB BANNERS

EMAIL MARKETING

CONTEXTUAL ADVERTISING

SARCH ENGINE MARKETING

VLOGGERS AND BLOGGERS

CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT

BLACK OPIUM - YVES ST. LAURENT

Endorsed by Zoe Kravitz

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT?

• TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC - CLASS, GENDER, AGE ETC.
• GEOGRAPHICS - GEOGRAPHICAL STATUS
• PSYCHOGRAPHICS - PERSONALITY, LIFESTYLE, VALUES ETC.

PSYCHOGRAPHICS

• MAINSTREAMERS
• ASPIRERS 
• SUCCEEDERS
• RESIGNED
• EXPLORERS
• STRUGGLERS
• REFORMERS

M1 - SCRIPT CONVENTIONS AND FORMATTING

RULES

• FOR THIS PROJECT, WE'RE WRITING A SHOOTING SCRIPT. WE'VE ALREADY SECURED FUNDING (ACCORDING TO THE BRIEF) AND SO DO NOT NEED A SPEC SCRIPT. I'VE COMPLETED DRAFT 2 AND REALISE THAT I SHOULD INCLUDE MORE TECHNICAL DETAILS, LIKE CAMERA AND SOUND DIRECTIONS.
• SCENES SHOULD BE INTRODUCED WITH A SLUG LINE DETAILING THE TIME AND PLACE THEY TAKE PLACE. EVERY NEW LOCATION IS A NEW SCENE. 
• IN DIALOGUE, THE SPEAKER SHOULD BE IN CAPITALS SEPARATE FROM ACTION BLOCKS. DIALOGUE SHOULD BE WRITTEN UNDERNEATH, INDENTED AND SEPARATE FROM ACTION BLOCKS.
• PARENTHETICALS ARE INDICATIVE OF SPEECH CHANGING TONE eg. (SOFTLY) I'M HERE. vs. (BRASHLY) I'M HERE.
• ACTION SHOULD BE IN THIRD PERSON AND PRESENT TENSE. 
• WHEN A CHARACTER, PLACE OR IMPORTANT DETAIL IS INTRODUCED THEY SHOULD BE IN CAPITALS.

FORMATTING 

• YOUR SLUGLINE, OR SCENE HEADING, HAS TO GIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TIME AND LOCATION OF THE SCENE.
• ACTION BLOCKS TELL YOU WHAT'S HAPPENING BETWEEN DIALOGUE - FOR THE ACTORS AND ALSO CONTAINS DIRECTIONS FOR THE CREW.
• CHARACTER NAMES IN ACTION BLOCKS MUST BE WRITTEN IN CAPITALS WHEN THEY'RE INTRODUCED. AFTER THAT, THEY CAN BE LOWER CASE. YOU USE THEM TO SHOW WHO'S SAYING WHAT.
• DIALOGUE SHOULD BE WRITTEN UNDER CHARACTER NAMES. 
• PARENTHETICALS TELL THE ACTOR HOW SOMETHING SHOULD BE SAID (IN THIS EXAMPLE, IT'S USED TO MENTION THAT ONE OF THE CHARACTERS IS SPEAKING IN VOICE-OVER).

AS FOR MY OWN SCRIPT:

SCENE HEADING 'EXT. TUNNELS UNDER NGAIO - LATE EVENING'

ACTION BLOCKS ' WE SEE THAT HER FACE HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY FLUSHED'

CHARACTER NAMES 'FEN' 

DIALOGUE 'PULL... PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER.'

PARENTHETICALS:

P4 - DRAFTS

      

DRAFT 1

DRAFT 2

P3 - Script Planning

 

This is my timekeeping plan, made to ensure things get done on time and I don't get hung up on perfecting certain things. Schedules are always a helpful thing to keep when you're working to a deadline - scripts are commissioned with deadlines laid out. Productions require everything to be organised (typically the job of the producer and 1st assistant director).

P2 - Developed ideas

 

I have decided to go with idea 2. It strikes me as more interesting than the other, and less linear. 

P2 - INITIAL IDEAS

 

PARAGRAPH HERE (deleted it by accident)

P1 - SCRIPT ANALYSIS AND THEORY

P4 - PITCH IDEAS TO CLIENT

THE PITCH




THE PRESENTATION

SELF EVALUATION

The pitch was a fairly daunting task for me as I get anxious presenting ideas, but in spite of this I ended up enjoying this unit a lot more than I expected. On the whole, I've become more confident in my ideas and a bit more comfortable presenting. My passion is something I could see coming through when I answered questions about Croak but my main pitfall is my nervousness. I think my practice pitch was a bit more successful in this regard; I keep noticing my deep breaths while I'm talking, and this is down to my desire to cram all of my points into a limited amount of time. My main gripe with my presentation here is a lack of story - I don't explain exactly what happens in each episode, or give a synopsis. This is something to take forward into Unit 22, when I use this idea to write a script. 

D1 - Discuss client considerations (+ retrospective)

THEMES

TITLE

The title 'Croak' has a double meaning. It can mean the noise a frog makes, or dying. The idea here is to make light of the more serious meaning by pairing it with something silly. The concept of croak is based around contrasting the gritty reality that is usually shown on BBC3, or at least provide something more whimsical and with more metaphors about real issues than actual issues. Of course, the characters will go through regular struggles - these are just part of being human. 

As I've said, he title refers both to the mystery of the disappearing frog and to any potential murder that could take place within the series. The plan for series 1 was to go lighter on the crime aspect in order to tell more of an abstract, quirky little story. However, upon consuming related media (in particular, Agatha Raisin) I've realised how fun a murder mystery can be. It would fit the strange tone of the show and make it a little meatier.

CHARACTER

My characters - specifically the main cast - are all different people with differing goals and motivations. It took a while to figure out characters that wouldn't only suit the BBC3 audience, but entertain them too. That fulfills the audience pleasure of escapism. The characters in general, though, fulfill the idea of personal identity - the relatability angle. 

Croak is very much a story about Fen Marsh, my main character, learning to find value in other people. The use of a paranoid, antisocial protagonist who grows and learns fits the subject matter extremely well, I think. Cults and societies are typically known to prey on isolated people and Fen makes an effort to isolate herself from others. 

CULTS, SECRET SOCIETIES AND THE FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN

I talked at length about secret societies both in my pitch and my proposal. I have a personal connection to this topic because a family member is part of the Freemasons, which has always been a source of fear for those outside the know (myself included). BBC3 doesn't have many shows about secret societies or cults, and if they did it would be interesting to see how they wrote them. Something important to me, personally, would be a layer of observational comedy about the fear the idea of a cult instills in people (as is the British film industry way). When you think cult, you think dark rooms and blood and sacrifices, because that's what pop culture would have us believe. I think there is humour in investigating a cult, only to find out that the reality is quite disappointing - in Croak, the twist is not that there is a terrifying cult of murderers, but a vulnerable girl protesting the only way she can see will help. I do love a happy ending, and that will contribute to the whimsical feeling of the show. It might be nice to see a happy ending on BBC3, where gritty reality often takes a hold in the end.

One example of a cult story is Midsommar, a brightly-lit and peculiar horror film about a cult who isolates a woman from the people she knows. I think it's a great piece of work to take inspiration for Croak from - particularly because it's so atypical for the horror genre. The colours, white in particular, are bright and overwhelmingly clean. It's whimsical, much like I envision Croak to be. One part of Midsommar I think would be really interesting to explore here, without turning my show into horror, would be the recruitment methods cults use. My protagonist, Fen, is someone who believes she is mentally untouchable at the beginning of the show. She'll learn and change by the end but this attitude is a key feature of the show.

WITCHES AND THE SUPERNATURAL

One particular thing I'd like to address is the presentation of witches in Croak - specifically with regards to magic. Croak is low budget, and so there can't be exciting effects or anything like that. Croak is more involved in the sense of community witches have and the repercussions of breaking trust. The reveal of witches is more important than their magic, though in future series that could come into play. This series sets up a lot of things for future viewing, and so it is the perfect contender for a second series. 

REPRESENTATION OF MINORITIES, CASUAL OR OTHERWISE

I was also concerned with the presentation of the characters in Croak as diverse and different to each other.  BBC3 is focused on educating its viewers on the world, and despite its otherworldly feel, Croak still needs those fundamental parts for it to fit the client's vision. Being white myself, it's still strange to see that so many media executives (and consumers) don't value the representation of other races as much as maintaining the status quo. It isn't surprising, considering that priorities for companies nowadays rely on the same sorts of people they have for years and years. The least I can do, as a member of this generation, is provide a diverse cast to challenge the norm. 

 

In terms of sexuality, I can speak to representation in a more personal way. Being bisexual, I often notice the lack of representation in the media for sexualities that aren't straight or gay - it's fantastic that things are opening up nowadays but it's imperative to keep it up. The general public's understanding of, for example, asexuality (no sexual attraction) and pansexuality (attraction regardless of gender) depends on their representation in the media. It's the same for the concept of gender nonconforming, or being non-binary. As a new generation going into the creative industry, I think it's up to us to keep pushing for this to help the world learn and grow. Future generations of children will be more comfortable exploring their identity if they see a range of them every day.

AUDIENCE PLEASURES

I would like to speak to the idea of escapism with this idea. I've always loved escapism - in books, comics, TV and my own head. Stories with the ability to transport your mind to new places and immerse your in the action are second to none and I absolutely adore them (coincidentally, my favourite book as a child was E.D. Baker's 'The Frog Princess' which may have influenced my story idea via some sort of magical osmosis). The bottom line is this: escapism will always be an incredibly important aspect of fiction and TV shows would 

A CROAK RETROSPECTIVE (CHANGES FOR UNIT 22)

In order to bring Croak to pre-production, certain changes would have to be made. In addition to this, I have some changes I'd like to make to the story in order to make the series more interesting.

INITIAL THOUGHTS

For the final version of the idea, certain things would have to be adapted and built upon. For instance, I would need to flesh out the storyline as more than a supporting document. It was difficult to figure out a solid plot whilst planning for the pitch, but Unit 22 is much more story focused. 

The characters driving the story would need some work in this case; as of now, they're limited to a main cast. Minor characters are often (but not always) important in making a setting come to life - certainly a town. One way to keep the cost for hiring actors down when filling Ngaio town and campus is to give a reason in fiction, like I've used the idea that the university is on break and only a few students are left behind. 

MURDER

For Unit 22, it would be much more interesting to integrate a murder mystery into the story. For this reason, I've edited my episodic breakdown on its original post in a different colour. I regret not leaning into Croak's other meaning, but I think at first I was apprehensive about more mature themes in what I saw as more of a lighthearted show. I do love murder mystery as a genre and the many different ways you can explore characters and setting through it, so I believe it's a good call to put my foot down and do something fun with the concept.