Embedded Files
11/11/24
Today was the beginning of our options project 2 - characteristics and contexts in media and communication. This project will last around 7 weeks, from today (11/11/24) to 06/01/25 in time for our last two remaining projects. This project will give me the opportunity to work on my professional skills, and my ability to work with clients. I have been given the options to either find an outside source client, or to create a product for the Cirencester college media team (the client). I have set myself the goal of finding an outside source client within the next four days, and if not, I will happily create a product for the Cirencester media team. Until now, I have been thinking about what businesses/personnel I could reach out to, in hopes of them hopefully wanting to be a client for my project. So far, there are two places/establishments that I am very interested in reaching out to, these being: The Gloucester Food Dock, and Sherborne Cinema. Gloucester Food Dock is a reasonably new hospitality business, found in Gloucester Quays. The food dock offers a range of different food and beverage options, and has so far been very popular with Gloucester locals. It is a blend of many different small food businesses, all sharing a specialty of dishes from all across the globe. It would be interesting to get in contact with one of the smaller branches inside of the food dock. Sherborne Cinema is an independent cinema found close to the Gloucester City town centre. It is a former church hall that in the last 10 years, has been transformed into a 1 screen local cinema, showing the latest released, and arthouse films. The exterior shows a small, friendly building, with a vintage and nostalgic look. The interior is truly impressive. It is inspired by the 1930’s golden age of cinema, being engulfed by a seam of red, gold and blue surroundings. I will be messaging these establishments, and hopefully can get a response soon.
Gloucester Food Dock
Home. “Home - Gloucester Food Dock.” Www.google.com, 2024, images.app.goo.gl/JcTPzAgt14u3jevJ6. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
Sherborne Cinema
History & photos : Official Website. “History & Photos : Official Website.” Www.google.com, 2024, images.app.goo.gl/gJNY4RcvZrSqUs4o9. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
LEARNING OUTCOME 1
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Understanding Client Briefs
There are a range of different types of client briefs that can be used for a product. There are six different types of briefs, and they can be used/applied based on the demands of your client. The six different forms that you can apply to your work are: formal, commissioned, negotiated, informal, tender and contractual. It is possible that more than one brief could be applied to your project, and this can be determined by a range of different considerations, these can be things such as creative considerations, deadlines, budgets, logistics, legal, ethical considerations, it's purpose, and the audience. Briefs set out by the client will contain both explicit and implicit information, so it is important that we analyse the different types of briefs clearly, and gather necessary information from the client as regularly as possible. It is vital that you identify what type of brief the client is laying out for you, so that you are able to meet their requirements, and essential demands set out for the success of the project.
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The Type Of Brief I Am Working Towards
After analysing the different client briefs, and investigating the way the briefs fit within the requirements from the client, there were two types of briefs that I believe are most fitting to the requirements. The two types of briefs were: a negotiated brief, and an informal brief. There are a few things that could make the clients requirements fit a negotiated brief, as me and the client discussed different needs, and negotiated little parts on the products structure. I believe the informal brief type is also fitting, as our discussions so far it the parameters of an informal brief. But overall, I believe that the one brief that is most fitting to the requirements set by the client is the informal brief. So, with the discussions and needs of the client, the brief set is informal. Being conscious of the type of brief set, is useful for me to clearly set out what is necessary and needed from me, to create a successful product.
Type of brief I am working towards = INFORMAL Brief
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Research Into Sherborne Cinema
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Conventions And Theories
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Two Similar Advertisements - Codes And Conventions
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Contact/Correspondence With Client
After messaging Sherborne cinema with a brief explanation as to what I'd like to collaborate on, as well as why, they have replied. With the reply, it is stated that my message timing was ‘impeccable’ as the cinema is closely approaching its 10th anniversary, and they would greatly appreciate a promotional video to be made. This is very exciting news, finding a client can be a difficult task, but being able to collaborate with a business as unique as this is very exciting. Sherborne has asked me to come down to the cinema, to commence further negotiations. This will help establish a brief for the product, helping me to gather and understand in more depth what the client needs to be included. We have arranged to meet on Friday (3 days from now) at around 11am. This will give me a chance to meet the client(s) and look around the cinema itself. I will also be able to answer any questions that the client has, and highlight areas around the cinema that I could potentially film.
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What Conclusions/Findings Can Be Found From My Undertaken Research?
The research undertaken has been impactful for understanding the company, it’s requirements for the advertisement, and the certain conventions that are common with similar promotional videos. Relevant conclusions can be outlined through my research into the company, my research into two similar media products, and the media conventions and theories relevant to the nature of and demands of the business/client.
When researching the company itself, and looking into the cinemas building, I saw that there were many different areas of the building that were essential to include. I believe that some of these areas were the reason for that memorable experience that the cinema strives for. The biggest example of this is the auditorium, as while researching it, it emphasized the feeling of the room being the main attraction when customers visit. This is where the screenings take place, and where the most vintage 30s designs and details are found. So after undertaking my research of the cinema, it was clear that the auditorium had to be included, as it is one of the main focal points of the cinema, and one of the main selling points.
When looking into the theories and conventions that could be applied, I came to the conclusion that structure is essential for a successful advertisement, and also that every person that watches the advert is watching it for a specific reason, that possibly being social interaction, entertainment, or education (Blumler and Katz). Making sure that the advert has a structure is important, as it is a sort of skeleton for your product, allowing you to insert all of the visuals and audio that you have planned for beforehand, as well as implementing all the important information that has to be expressed for the customers. With the Blumler and Katz theory, this underlined the necessity of making the product as efficient, interesting, and as informative as possible for the audience.
The two adverts were also effective at drawing. A conclusion on how effective implementing a voiceover is. A voiceover is an effective way to share all of the information to help inform customers in such a small duration. Both the black country living museum, on the cineworld advert, both used voiceovers. And with both of their short durations, it made it apparent that voiceovers are most effective for short duration advertisements, instead of something like a walk and talk or a piece to camera.
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Ideas Development
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Target Audience
The cinema is targeted, and available to everyone who would like to visit the establishment. This is apparent in my initial meeting, as it was stated that the cinema finds it important to create a warm, welcoming, and community experience. With their clear highlighting of a community aspect, it is shown to be apparent that Sherborne Cinemas most frequent customers are families.
Ages of around 5-35 years old are the most recurring demographic/spectrum of ages for the cinema, and there are many reasons for this. One reason for this could be the inclusivity of people who have difficulties with going into cinemas. For example, if you have a child who has difficulties with loud sounds and harsh lighting, it would be more convenient to take your child to Sherborne Cinema, instead of others, as they have a smaller screen, less puncturing speakers, and less harsh lighting, making it more accommodating. Another reason for the recurrence of the 5-35 demographic, is the actual films that the cinema screens. Due to only having one screen, there are only a select few films that can be shown in a short amount of time, the most of these are PG-12 rated films, making it accessible to families. And with it releasing new films two weeks after large corporation cinemas, it may be easier for customers to sit in Sherborne's screening room, instead of a busy, large scale screening room inside another cinema.
In conclusion, after discussing with the cinema, being present at screenings, and being with customers. It is apparent that Sherborne Cinemas target audience is any age, but more focused on being suitable for children and families. And any other factors that come in to play aren’t relevant, or applicable e.g. gender, race, religion etc.
Target Audience = Any age, including children and families.
Production Context And Content
What might the production include?
Interior Shots
Filming the interior of the cinema is a crucial inclusion. Filming Sherborne Cinemas interior will be important for informing the audience on what will be waiting for you when you visit, showing you what to expect, and what will be available to you. It also gives me a chance to show the viewers the unique features, and brilliance of the cinema. Highlighting the authentic seating, warm lighting, distinctive paintwork, and handmade signs. Filming the interior gives me the chance to convey the cinemas identity and soul, and what makes it so different compared to other cinemas.
Exterior Shots
Exterior shots will also be very important for the product. The exterior enables me to establish the cinema, and show its whereabouts, helping the audience with finding the building. Winging exterior shots will also help convey the buildings history, with it standing since the 19th century, emphasizing its authenticity, and unique identity. The exterior will be the first part of the cinema you will see, so it is important that the building is shown to be distinctive and memorable.
Voice Over
A voice over may be something that is included in the production. Voice overs could be a useful tool for sharing information to the audience, helping to promote the cinema. This form of providing information would be very effective, and would not interfere with any visuals in the promotion. And flipping this, the visuals can potentially help inform the information being provided. With the duration of the product (1-2 minutes), being able to provide information in a swift manner is very important in helping the information be effective, and informative.
Information
In this product, the information provided will be the most important factor of the production. The reason for this, is that the information will be crucial for communicating the selling points, distinctiveness, and whereabouts of the cinema. If the product is released on the cinemas social media accounts (including its website), current customers, and potential future customers would experience/view the product as a source of information of the cinema, helping us promote the whole establishment. Overall, the information that is intended to be covered in the product is the main reason for this product being created.
Suitable Production Techniques
There are a range of things you have to consider for the production stage, including the techniques, approaches and equipment. For production techniques, you need to cover a range of different details, these include details such as: locations, production equipment, single camera use, suitability for audience, and the intention of b-roll. For this product I will be shooting on location, which means that I would be visiting the actual Sherborne Cinema building to film footage for the promotional video. Filming on location is more effective for this product, instead of using a production technique such as a green screen, or just using images. The equipment used during the production stage is extremely important, the equipment can be the most impactful on the production value, overall quality, and perception being displayed. A Canon DSLR will be the camera of choice for this production. The DSLR is not exactly a really large camera, so it will be perfect for filming the interior of the cinema. I’ve also chosen it due to its easy manoeuvrability of lenses and the navigation of its settings. A tripod will be crucial, both for interior and exterior shots. Using a tripod is an effective production technique for the stabilising of the camera, enabling you to shoot static shots, tracking shots, panning shots, or all three without the camera actually moving. These are the two pieces of of equipment that will definitely be used during the production, but there could be more such as: Lenses, mics, multi-cam etc. A production technique in relations to the suitability of the audience is the duration, and making sure I have enough coverage. During production, I must take as many shoots and more, so that I can have some choices for the 1-2 minute duration. Considering this, I must still remain within the parameters set by the client.
Wider Marketing
There is a lot of potential for wider social media marketing with the cinema. There are three main areas where the product can generate more awareness, one of which is Sherborne Cinemas official website. The website is the most important and most active page used by the cinema, it is where customers book tickets, find out screening times, and receive information. Placing the promotional video on this website would maximise the amount of viewership, and the products overall purpose. Uploading the product to the cinemas social media pages (e.g. Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok) would be useful for expanding the viewership, and possibly reaching new potential customers for the cinema. Also, using social media would mean that the product could reach all age ranges, and a range of people from the Gloucester area. This informs local people on the whereabouts of Sherborne Cinema. Using advertisement methods such as the cinemas website, and using a collection of social media pages would widen the amount of viewers, promoting the cinema and it’s services.
Meeting With Client And Visiting Location
15/11/24
Today, I was able to go down to Sherborne cinema, and meet Shawn, the cinema's assistant manager. I arrived at the cinema at around 11am, where I was greeted by Shawn, who let me into the building. Briefly, I was told about Sherbourne’s history. It was an old community centre which was refurbished into a cinema in 2015. It has one screen, using authentic 30s chairs from Blackpool. The interior consisted of hand-made signs, with red and gold found all around the building, which I think is very important to the character, and transparency of the cinema. After discussing Sherborne’s history, I was then able to go into the screening room, where I could look at the area that was most popular. It is a very nice area of the cinema, the 1930’s inspiration is covered throughout, being engulfed by golds, blues and reds. I took some pictures, so that I can have a clearer picture of the cinema when I am not there during the creative process. It is clear that this is the area that the client wants most coverage of, as this is the main area of interest for the audience. When taking pictures, I focused in on a few details, such as: hand written details, the type of lighting the room uses, the warmth surrounding the seating, statues, art, and authentic objects. These are going to be crucial features for establishing the personality of the cinema, and what it stands for. After this, there was a screening, so it was interesting to see customers, and how happy they look when coming to the cinema. Personally for me, I believe that this is the most important thing to the cinema, creating an inviting, warm and exciting experience for the audience/customers. After looking at the screening room, for about an hour me and Shawn spoke about what exactly he and the cinema as a whole want in the promotion. Due to this discussion, I was able to highlight the key features needed for the product, some of these were the cinema's values, the authenticity, the niche experience, the environment, the community, aesthetics, the essence and charm, price and value for money, and disabled access. I am excited for the progression of this project, as I believe that this is a place that genuinely cares for its customers, and their experience.
Images Of Location
Notes Taken while Meeting With Client
During our first initial meeting, it was crucial for me to take notes, mostly for what the client would like in the product, and the certain approaches that could be made. There were many topics discussed in the initial meeting, and I believe they were important for the progression of the project. One of the more significant areas that was discussed was what exactly the cinema represents. There were many different recurring themes when covering the cinemas representation, these were: Family, low profit, community, togetherness, niche, warm experience, inviting, residential, charming, respected, value for money etc. When discussing these things, it was clear that it was very important for Sherborne Cinema to be reflected as a family friendly cinema. This is projected throughout the cinema, there are many PG and universal (U) films screened, and there are many features that are implemented to make families and their children feel comfortable.
One thing they were clear on was their inclusiveness of children with disabilities, by doing something such as having quieter audio, that they can alter at any time to help ease the process, this provides a more pleasant experience for customers, and families. Taking these notes was partnered with taking photos around the building, which both helped expand my ideas, and the parameters of where I could potentially film inside of the cinema. If I was to undergo this meeting again, I would audio record our discussion, and the decisions we made (with the permission of the cinema of course). I will implement this into my next meeting, as a proof of evidence, and for my further development of the project. Having in-depth notes and recollections of key discussion points is very useful for the development of ideas and the production stage of the project, and I believe is an important stage for implementing the key requirements set by the client.
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Ideas Presentation
Summary
Due to the cinema not having enough time to be directly involved, this made it rather difficult to establish a final idea. But in an email, the cinema stated ‘would it be possible for you to come up with something that you are happy with and if we are happy with it too we will use it?’. This means that the client would prefer me to choose an idea myself for them, and they will use the final product of it if they like it. This has already been quite informal with the brief already, but this is a significant task to do. I decided to choose the swift moving overview idea, which will be around 2 minutes long, uses voiceover, and shares the who, what, where of Sherborne cinema. Now that the cinema have given me the responsibility to decide, this decision has to be right. In my opinion, I believe this is the best idea moving ahead.
In summary, the idea chosen is the swift moving overview. I believe that this is the best idea to go with, as it is the most effective idea for providing important information in a short format. This short runtime, also the use of footage and voiceover is the most flexible, as well as most effective for the cinemas social media pages, and retaining the attention of the customers.
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