U30 LO4: Evaluation

Storyboard: The storyboards were used to plan how the advert would look when completed, which
guided me during the filming process. Although it gave me a general outline of what I wanted to
film; the storyboard proved somewhat ineffective. This may be due to fact that all the shots was
extremely similar in nature, which rendered the use of the storyboard to a minimum. The style of
my advert is Talking Head which means there is minimal movement, and is merely actors talking
to a camera, explaining what the product is and what it stands for. This made it hard for me to draw
a storyboard for the advert; but was still useful for mapping out my idea for editing.
Mind-map: Mind-mapping my idea proved very effective; it allowed me to compare ideas and
develop them further. Through out the pre production phase, I made multiple mind maps, for
different aspects of the planning. Initially, I produced a mind-map with a variety of ideas; with
different products, and different ways I would advertise them. I then used this mind-map to make a
decision on which product I would then choose to sell; this allowed me to see the possible styles
and aspects I could produce for an advert. After I had chose my product, I produced another mindmap depicting two separate, developed ideas. I then used these in a survey to collect feedback on
which idea was better. This was helpful as it not only allowed me to develop ideas, but allowed me
to see which one resonated better with my target audience.
Discussion notes: Whilst pitching my advert, those who were watching gave me written feedback
Visual style: I think the visual style of the advert was overall effective, it dull colours with bright
backgrounds, which added to the atmosphere of the content and the serious nature of the helpline.
The dullness of the advert was important as it didn't drive the audience away from the spoken
content and the message the advert was trying to portray. However, it could be disputed that the
advert may not be successful in captivating the audience's responses initially, as there is not bright
colours or music. Nevertheless, the lack of this features in itself may be engaging; the unique visual
style of the audience has the potential to engage and inform the audience. The talking head aspect of
the advert is supposed to allow the audience to feel as if they are having a direct conversation with
the actors. By placing the actors in front of a green screen rather than actually having them on
location makes them seem displaced from their surroundings; which is symbolic for them being
dissociated with their surroundings, due to drug use, or from grief of loosing someone from drug
misuse.
Soundscape: I believe that having no music in my advert is effective, so it doesn't draw attention
away from what the actors are saying. The idea for my advert is to be naturalistic; to feel as if the
audience is being told a story by someone they know. Pathos is the audience's association of
emotions with the content they are viewing, the connection in my advert personally would be the
feeling that they are in the room with these individuals. I believe that by adding music to the
background would disjoint the audience from the story, not truly engaging them in the pathos
aspects of the advertisement. Regarding the feedback received from the advert, I could improve
upon the sound levels, assuring the actor's words are clear and able to be heard.
Appropriateness to audience: My target audience is young people aged 14-24. I think this is the
right ages to market the helpline towards, as statistically, this is when people are more likely to face
issues with drug use and peer pressure. I believe my advert itself is appropriate for this target
audience as it contains actors who are of a similar age. The use of the backgrounds may cause a
sense of familiarity, normal places such as bedrooms, the park or at school may allow the audience
to identify with the people and the places in the advert. The audience may also be able to identify
with the story being told, having experienced something familiar or knowing someone similar to

who the actors are describing.

Comparison of finished product compared to original idea: My initial idea is very different from my
final product; after filming the footage for my initial idea, I decided that it would not portray the
message effectively to the audience. Previous Talk To Frank campaigns have used disturbing
imagery to communicate to the audience the severity of drug misuse, at the start of this unit, I
believed that was a technique I wanted to replicate. After filming my advert however, I decided to
take on a different angle and a much simpler form, focusing on the spoken content in the advert
opposed to the visual. I then remade my storyboard, and reinvented my advert. This not only
received feedback which was much more positive, but also communicated the ideas of the
campaign across to the audience.
Effectiveness of Techniques: I believe that the techniques used in my advert were effective. The use
of green screen was to a professional quality, and the lighting for the green screen is balanced;
making the green flat. This is effective for the visual quality as it makes the background light
balanced and doesn't show through the images.
Effectiveness of advert: I believe the advert was effective as it offers a fresh face on an old
campaign. It stills blends with the themes of the campaign; it targets the audience in a new way,
which may make them reconsider their thoughts on the "Talk to Frank" helpline. Despite it's
simplicity, the advert is stylistic in it's own way. It relies merely on individuals talking straight to
the audience, rather than portraying disturbing images, like adverts for the helpline had done in the
past. I believe this is beneficial for the company, as it may give it a chance to reboot and refresh the
image, making young people able to relate more to the information. The "shock factor"of the advert
may cause it to become a topic of discussion with viewers. This may cause an influx in popularity
for the helpline, but also potentially cause a decline in the use of drugs or arrests for drug related
crimes.
Technical qualities: The technical quality of the advert was overall of a good quality. The only
aspect that could be changed is the size of the background photos, as they are slightly too small for
the frame. Despite this small error, the feedback says the advert overall is off high quality; including
the green screen, the lighting and the editing.
Aesthetic qualities: The aesthetics of my advert aims to show the displacement of the actors from
their surroundings, in order to be symbolic for the disassociation from the world when subject to
issues related to drugs. The backgrounds show normal places, such as bedrooms, football fields,
parks and school hallways to show that the teenagers in the advert are average and relatable. The
first background in the advert however, depicts a hospital hallway, this communicates an idea of
tragedy to the audience, explaining visually that the young people In the advert are grieving.
Improvements: If I were to improve my advert, I would make the adverts learn their words before
filming, rather than having them read of a piece of paper. This may make the delivery of the lines
seem more natural and flow better. It would also mean that the actors would be looking directly into
the camera rather than slightly to the side, where the words are being held. Looking directly into the
camera may reinforce the idea that the actors are talking to the audience.