FMP- Progress and Development

This is an updating blog post on the progress and development I have made. Now I have my final photographs, I can add them into my template layout designs and see how they fit in with my slogans. I have also edited a lot of the images in Adobe Photoshop, trialling out different edits and filters that match with the theme of my adverts. For example, I chose to have a fairly dark, dimmed lighting set up throughout most of the photos, as I want the overall feel of the adverts to connote sadness, hurt and upset. This is because it will get me the most emotional response with my target audience and will make the theme more powerful and rememberable. Because of this, I will be effectively raising awareness on cyber bullying and the possible effects on the victims that are caused by this.

I have included two of the edited images below:

After the editing process, I inserted my favourite images into the templates that I have previously designed. This gave me an idea of what my final adverts may look like, I decided to change a few things around after doing so. I have included some more screenshots below of my progress up to this point:

This is what my final posters are going to look like. There may be a few small changes in the mean time, however this will be the design and overall look of the adverts.

FMP- The Photoshoot

Today is the scheduled date for my actual photoshoot, set up with me as the photographer and Maisie as the model. I have my own camera at home that I will be using, as well as all my props and equipment for each scene. I also have the makeup products that I used in my experimentation blog post, that I will be using for the special effects (bruises, cuts, etc) on my model. I will include a quick image below of the model:

I took a variety of images so I can pick and choose when it comes to adding them to my layout designs. I have also included a few of the photos from the main photoshoot below (all untouched):

The best images in my opinion are the ones with the model holding the mobile phone, as this is probably more relevant in modern day society as computers are less and less used. Also, the images with the computer look less professional, as most of them do not have a plain background. I will need to decide which looks best on my template designs.

One of the problems that I came across during this process, was that the location (my house) wasn't the best for the lighting element of the image. Because this photoshoot could only be scheduled in evening times, artificial lighting was the only option. Although at the time, this didn't matter because I wanted the images to be quite dark and dimmed anyway, connoting sadness and hurt. I am going to play around with the photos on Adobe Photoshop, trying different filters, edits, saturation, colour, etc. I will document this in a progress blog post.

FMP Experimentation and Progress Update

Following on from my layout ideas blog post, I have pretty much completely changed my idea and design, as I really wasn't happy with it. I have made the design a lot more simple and clear, which I think makes the overall visual more appealing and professional. I also came up with a few different slogan titles. I prefer the middle one personally, however they may change a little during the production process.

As part of my experimenting, I decided to put together a few layouts with slightly different fonts and slogans. The image is not mine and taken off Google Images for the purpose of this experiment. Also my own images will be used for the final project, I will also be using makeup to create skin bruises and cuts on the model. My idea is to have a physically hurt girl on the poster in front of a computer screen, symbolising that pain can still be felt even if it is not physical and through a computer screen.

I created the above designs on Adobe Illustrator, however my final project will be put together on Adobe InDesign, as this is a layout software and will fit the purpose better. As for the experimentation portion, I have asked a number of people which one was the most liked out of the three. It came back that the middle image was the most popular and that the slogan in this design was the most powerful also, combining to be a simple yet compelling poster.

I also did another experiment learning and practicing how to create fake bruises that look realistic with makeup. I already have an interest in makeup so thought this would be a better idea to do it in person, rather then trying to edit wounds on in Photoshop from scratch after. This is because it would be too time consuming to learn and then produce professionally in the time scale for production.

Below I have included some pictures of the bruises I created, I practised these on myself:

I also took a picture of the makeup that I used to create the bruises:

This will also be the same products that I will use on my model in the photoshoot I have scheduled for next Thursday. The items were chosen from the makeup that I already had, making sure that all the colours were matt for the most realistic finish possible.

FMP- Research Reflection

After gathering and presenting my research, I am going to outline how useful I found it when progressing on to the next stage. Because of many issues with the research at the beginning of the process (as mentioned in the previous research blog post and assignment 2 screencast) I completed the research at a later date.

The results that I accumulated from my interviews helped me with the understanding of both the parents and the child's view on social media. This then allowed me to create three different poster layouts that would attract the attention of both target audiences. This is because I found out that both audiences pay attention to awareness ads/posters in and around school, especially on serious and powerful subjects such as cyberbullying.

I think this research has helped me with what to actually create, rather than the design element of the process as neither interviewee's had experience with design and layout. A lot of the template design layouts that I created was simply from the ideas that I already had. What I mean by this, is that it was useful to find out whether to create more posters or online ads.

I have also made an experimentations and progress blog post, where I carried out a few tests and experiments on what I had already designed. This helped me a lot as I discovered which layout was the most liked and why. I am currently still continuing with this process now.

FMP- Research and Findings

The research that I have carried out was a combination of two different interviews. This has changed slightly from my original plan, as I have had a number of issues with the organisation of the focus groups. This plan was in fact plan C for my research! Plan A was originally to visit my local primary school and talk to a few of the older children for my research. However the school had contacted me at a later date, informing me that they cannot go ahead because of SATs at the time. My backup plan (plan B) was discussed with my tutor Jo, who gave me a contact that I could email, this specific contact is involved with two youth clubs near me. I emailed him and I received an automated email back, mentioning that he is currently on holiday and won't be back until 8th May, which would be cutting it a bit fine with the deadline. So that is the explanation of why I have resulted in plan C.

The Interviews:

The first interview was with Ruby, aged 13, which is part my target audience of children aged between 8-13. The other interview, was Heather, aged 48, who is a parent and is of an older generation. In these interviews I got a variety of results ranging from one extreme to the other. For example, one said that social media is a bad influence on younger children and that it could lead them to isolation and bullying. Whereas on the other hand, another said it is completely ok and that it helps children connect and 'fit in', actually avoiding the chance of physical bullying. Both of these I believe are valid reasons and because of the interview method, it has helped with the understanding of these points. This is because it enables people to explain their reasonings, as in comparison to a survey where the answers are very black and white.

The main points which I found out from Ruby's interview:

• That she is on Facebook purely for the games.
• Has Facebook and Instagram.
• Her mum does know about the social media accounts she is on.
• She knows everyone linked to her account.
• She does take notice of the posters around school.
• Is careful with her passwords and log in details.

I will a link to the feedback below:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EJglESQ_J5ST791qK6JJltDPEskuaoyqZhNLVaBuk64/edit?usp=sharing

The main points which I found out from Heather's interview:

• Was aware of daughter's social media account.
• Concerned of how much time her daughter spends on Facebook.
• Does take notice of the posters around school.
• Trusts her daughter to be safe with passwords.
• Is unsure of online games and if they use their own online messaging platform.

I will include a link to the audio of this interview:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5ozmGisBBAONVFmLWZGVHNQejQ/view?usp=sharing

FMP- Template Layout Ideas

On Adobe InDesign I have put together a simple layout design for a print poster. I used an image off https://www.dreamstime.com/ to help me with this, however I will be using my own photography in the final advertisements. I struggled to find an image that I liked and could use for this idea, so I resulted with the image below, which will be changed.

At the moment most of the text used is dummy text, although I have come up with the title 'You don't really know me', as I think this works within the context and makes the audience think. This is only a very first draft of what my poster might look like, however this may change throughout the production process.

I have included a screenshot below:

The picture I have chosen represents an unknown person using a laptop and suggests that he/she is up to no good. This is mostly because of the hoodie, which is stereotypically connected to rebellious teenagers and people who are doing something illegal. I also have added text message bubbles on the poster surrounding the person, which a lot of younger (and older) generations are very familiar with, which would then make the advert more relatable to the target audience.

I chose to put the text in the centre as it stands out and it is the only place where there is blank space, therefore being the most clear. The weaknesses of this design is that it is a bit busy and cluttered, making it difficult for the audience to identify a hierarchy. Also in my opinion it looks quite unprofessional, this is because the text and images aren't lined up correctly and appears amateurish.

With moving forward with this idea, I am going to think about other layouts that I can create, as I am not happy with this first draft as mentioned and explained above.

FMP- Issues and Resolutions

In this blog post I am going to identify some of the issues that I may encounter during the researching process, and how I can fix them. One that comes to mind immediately, involves my visit to the after school club for my focus group and if I can complete in time for the deadline. If there is an issue with this, I have come up with a solution. I am going to put together a series of questions that I would like to ask and also create a worksheet of some sort that the children can fill in. These questions and worksheets can just be emailed to the headteacher of the school and could be asked by someone who works there. This would mean that I would not need to be present and therefore would save a lot of time, I can then present the research findings as usual.

An issue that I could encounter with the questionnaires, is feedback from an irrelevant target audience. For example, if I am posting these surveys on social media sites, there is no way of knowing who is completing them and if their results will be useful for my research. Also the fact that my main target audience is of the younger age range, I have very few friends under the age of 16. With this issue there isn't really a solution as such, however I can still use this method because my next target audience is adults/parents and social media is a good way of connecting and would help me to gather feedback from this market.

Technical issues that I might come across would be anything that could go wrong with my photography equipment during the shoot. This would be a pretty easy solution and would involve going back to college and asking for some technical help and possibly borrow a new equipment.

If any issues un-predicted occur during the process, I will have an update blog post which will include my progress and any problems that I came across.