Focus Group and Questionnaire

Comments on both designs. 1st design being the one with the male model in the field . 2nd being the girl taking a picture.

1. What is your first impression of the 2 designs?

Responses-

“They look very professional and clean.”

“I like it, the use of very little colour is effective and makes the writing stand out.”

“For the front cover i like the lighting behind the model in the first design, it looks very professional. The contents page is set out neatly and again the picture are very good quality.”

2. Do you like the overall style of the magazine?

Responses-

“Yes it looks modern and clean.”

“Yes its very easy on the eye and easy to read.”

“Yes, although the front cover does seem slightly empty on the 1st design, maybe if it had the Polaroid on it, it might be a little more eye catching. the overall design of the magazine, keeping it simple suits the black and white theme.”

3.What do you like and dislike?

“I like the layout of both contents and front cover, i also like the photographs.”

“I like the colours and layout of the contents, I don’t dislike anything but i think the front cover picture could be a little more clear.”

“I like the pictures however i don’t like the positioning of one on the contents.”

4. Do you think the my work fits the brief?

“Yes, they do look like college students”

“Yes, it does have everything asked for, the medium close up, the student.”

“Yes it all fits.”

5. Being at college, if you saw the magazine would you buy it?

“Yes because its something I’m interested in and its eye catching.”

“Personally I’m not interested in photography, but if i was i would buy it  because the pictures are taken well and it looks very professional.”

“I don’t think so, photography’s not really in my interests.”

6. As a student would you find the magazine useful?

“Yes, due to the articles etc…”

“Yeah, i like the editors note, its useful and friendly.”

“Yes if i was doing photography.”

Other comments i  have received were that in the first design, the main image doesn’t exactly look a lot like a student doing photography, also the location is not college related. One thing i got frequently was that the first design was slightly to bland, as good as it looked it needed a little more.

Comments on the second design were a lot better, i was told it relates more, you can see the student clearly with a camera. I personally think the second has a better representation of a student, it contains more iconic signs to the college student, the camera is a hint straight away an iconic item linking with the whole point of the magazine. the Polaroid is something that everyone loved, it finishes the magazine and gives it that little more it needs. The mise en scene of the magazine is  like by my peers, the layout, the design. From this feed back i feel i  have succeeded it creating a magazine with high like ability and verisimilitude.

Further research into magazine front covers.

 Digital SLR photography

I have researched into magazines, but only in general here i shall be discussing the aspects of a photography magazine. Although they may target slightly different audiences’ and servea different purpose, i see a relation between the 2. I feel i made the right choice in keeping it minimal, the mise en scene of this cover is all organized around the the primary image. This front cover has a few more plugs and interest lines to gain the readers attention and attract them to read the magazine. I personally felt as this would be a magazine, where the institution may be the college, it ma not have a wide range of competition in that market area.

This cover contains strong colours and bold titles, everything is kept neat and very clean, unlike the ‘showbiz’, gossip type magazines, which contain a very busy and hectic front cover. The colours of fonts and other pugs on the page are maintained at a very bland level, this is because the reader/viewer are meant to be drawn straight to the picture. A competition is featured as a lure, to gain the readers interest in a prize, this then selling the magazine. Photography terms are used to add to the iconic image of a photography magazine, the word ‘Aperture’ is straight away associated with photography and photographers.

A few things that have now been brought to my attention after viewing this. Featuring a competition will prover to be a good lure and selling point for my magazine. A bigger masthead maybe needed, as i feel mine may not be too eye catching. These are just a few things i may add to my front cover.

Migrain Assignment

1. What is the title of the film?

Harlow college and creation studios present the foundation degree in animation.

2. What can you say about the way in which the title graphics have been created?

The title graphics look slightly amateurish, i think this was created deliberately to make it look as though it was a student film, so the students watching it don’t feel intimidated by the high quality graphics and techniques that could have been used.

3.  Who is staring in the film?

Ben Murray Clube, Bianca Castro, Tony Nottage

4. Where are the stars names placed?

The 2 people staring in the film have their names displayed on the bottom of the screen. The interviewer has their name placed in the centre of the screen.

5. Why?

The names are placed at the bottom of the screen, i feel to be shown but not to impede the video, to make sure that the details are mentioned, but placed so they don’t interfere with the video. Not much normally happens in the lower sections of the video, this may also be why. The interviewers names is placed centre because she is seen as a more important role in the documentary.

6. and 7. Describe the key images in the film.

They key images are mainly the tea pot, it becomes a good idea and a good basis for the understanding that we are talking about animation. other images that appear important are the person being animated, to depict the movement that characters may have. the photoshop style window that most of the computer editing is happening in, i think this was shown because many people that would be watching are familiar with photoshop, so in all the stuff that’s shown comfort is found in something we recognise, so it seems less alien to us.

8. Talk about what images are used, stars, setting, colours, symbols. the General mise en scene.

as i mentioned the iconic look of photoshop is used to ensure the viewer that what their seeing is a lot like what they already know. the interview of Tony Nottage takes places in a cinema, this obviously relates the the whole film and animation concept, its as if its the home place for a film to be shot. Props are used in the shots, cables and wires, lights and more are left in shot, i think this was done because these are all things that can relate to animation and film making, they are all aspects you would. As though we are seeing the film and whats making it at the same time. these 2 main things suggest production and how the film has been constructed. I personally didn’t see a theme in the colours in any of the shot film and computer parts which had been added in, followed the blue theme. This colour conotates a very relaxed and chilled out atmosphere, it can also be inherited as very open and spacious. Maybe it conotates the course and what it will be like, a very open course, where your imagination and creative skills are left to be as open as you can. The costume, was very casual and low key, nothing brash and loud. This fits in with the casual laid back theme of the blue.

13. What do you think the film is about?

The film is about a foundation degree in animation and its aim to interest as many people as possible into considering taking the course.

14. What is its target audience?

The Target audience is students who will be looking into applying to colleges, so maybe year 10 and 11 students. Sex doesn’t seem to important when it comes to target audience, its more aimed and people with the creative edge.

Narrative

1. What clues are their to the narrative?

The main clues would be the interviewer, our natural reaction to seeing an interview is that we are going to be given information, not entertained. We are going to learn something about this particular person or something they are talking about. so straight away we assume is a documentary. Although it may seem far fetched, in the title sequence, you gain the impression that it might be something to do with sci-fi of technology, this is mainly from the blue motion background looking a lot like space or a type of circuit board.

2. what can you tell from the characters, and why?

The characters in all cases appear in a smart but yet casual manor. This is shown through their stance mainly, if you look look at Tony Nottage he isn’t sitting up straight as though at a formal meeting, he is slightly slouched and with his legs crossed, as thought he should be in that cinema watching a film. Ben murray is shot in his bedroom, straight away this takes out the whole formal element. The one thing that may contradict the whole feeling of relaxed and casual people is the room Ben is shot in, the room is very small this then making the frame very tight, constricting any space around him. This makes everything look compact and stressed, as though he is traped.

USP

1. what is the USP of the film?

The USP is the whole concept of the film, the USP is the fact that harlow are not only running an animation course, they’re are joint in with an animation company in doing it. The film its self has the selling point that it looks as thought it was made by a student, this is a great way to attract the attention of other students. A big flashy well made video would maybe put people off and intimidate them.

Signs, codes and conventions.

The teapot as i mentioned becomes and a code for the animation. Photoshop is a convention used to help us gain more understanding and become more familiar with the programmed they are using. The cinema conotes the whole area of film and reminds us of with we are watching is and what they are creating is.

Discus the Mise En Scene

In the interview in the cinema, the location plays a key part in the mise en scene, Costume also plays a key role is showing the fun mellow side. Props are used to remind us of the certain things that make a film, the leads and lights left in shot remind us how it was made, the props are shown using a high angel shot of the interviewer.

Discus how editing plays a role in the film?

The editing as i mentioned makes the film look amatuer, bring it closer to the students who will be watching this, and probably making something like it them selves. the edting also creates a very slow place for the film, following the casual theme with the colours, costume and other aspeacts of the mise en scene.

Shot Types.

The main shot type used would be the meduim close up.

Lighting

the lighting is mostly normal, 2 lights one higher than the other. both on oppostie sides.

Effects.

The effects are used mainly when information is being displayed, for example the title screen at the begining of whe some one is shown a name will appear with effects behind it.

Realism ‘Versimilitude’

I think the film is realistic, it doesn’t feature any out of the ordinary it contains factual and interesting comments. where its a documentry its hard for it not to be, the boy talking about his chosen subjects seems real, as though you can picture him actaully do that. The guy talking about how how he got into animation, seems realistic. He seems like some who would be incharge and in an area such as animation through his dress and general attitude.

Institutions

the institution is either, harlow college or Renier Van Loggerenberg. the effect this has is a slightly mixed reception, because some people may not have heard of the name, they will just not persue it any further, they will think nothing more off it.

Genre

Documentry, this is shown through the interviews and facts given.

Representation

Tony Nottage is represented in a good way, he is shown as inthusiastic and very drawn by what he is talking about, you can really see his passion towards animation and his work. he is represented by his clothes and stance also, which i have dicussed in previous questions

Audience

The audience is very clear, its aimed at young adults in college and their last years of school, considering what college and course to do. Its aimed and male and female mainly just people who are interested in art and animation, the creative type. Its mode of address is i guess the people they have used in the interviews, they are all fairly young, and cool.

Ideoligies

The ideologies of the film are mainly that no matter what race, sex age, you can do this degree its practical and very useful. The message is mainly to just come and play, come and get stuck in you don’t need to be a master to be able to do it.

Narrative 

The character roles are just to inspire the viewer into wanting to do what that person is doing. they play the roles of showing that every one can do it. this doesn’t exactly tell a story it just explain everything about the course and makes people want to take the course.