Finished Documentary along with Evaluation

 After a long editing process, mostly focusing on increasing audio, compiling clips and making them match the voice over, among several other tasks, I have completed my documentary and uploaded it to YouTube. Here it is for you to watch. 

The effectiveness in  regards to the documentary mostly settles around the part gathering several of my points and being able to convey them in a educational format, the documentary allowed for me to provide a visual component along with a audible component, making my points stand out more and deeper the meaning of my points and the usage of consumerism within the digital age.  I have learnt how to be able to use editing software more efficiently and gained experience from it, gaining new techniques, such as being able to display images/statistics along with my work, also the use of scrolling credits. I have also benefited from it by having a clearer idea of how to complete and meet briefs, which'll help with future briefs as I am able to show clear presentation and have awareness about what to include and how to fit the AC components within my work to meet the brief. The main setbacks were due to COVID and the circumstances that they bring, meaning I had to work from home, however I overcame this and regardless was still able to produce a product that met the brief. 

Overall, I think my product has stayed true to my initial ideas whilst still being able to expand on them along with others, I feel my mind map displays this well as many factors documented there are included within the documentary along with other additions. I feel I've managed to keep up with things such as feedback and respond by correcting them as soon as possible, in order to maintain the best product possible for the brief. Examples such as correcting my rationale in order to document things better. I am happy with the results that have been made by this and happy with the improvements I have done so. 

Script

 The digital age, also known as the information age is typically used to refer to the time period when the introduction of technology such as the personal computers began, it started in the mid-twentieth century and has continued into present times. This has allowed for the ability to transfer information at a much easier and quicker rate. 

This has adapted several forms of our use of consumerism within the current age, the easy aspect of having all these forms of payment at your disposal has become a very appealing view for our society. Why send a cheque and have to wait several days for it to be delivered then for the money to be processed into your account when you can do a payment through your phone or use online banking which is much faster? It also becomes much more reliable as you don’t have to worry about the human error of postal services and such, which is a possibility you have to consider. Although this does have its pros, the cons are that due to the digital revolution, many jobs that once were ever so common have become very rare. However the postal services are able to rely on the digital age via shopping websites which need their products to be delivered however by doing that local business and market retailers who suffer. This signifies the point that no matter the benefits of the digital, someone or something also suffers from it. The statistics show that with the use of technology, cash is becoming a far less popular form of payment, getting challenged by things such as debit cards, who are becoming much more popular. However how long will it last before things such as Apple pay and E-Pay take over, this becomes significantly more relevant with the changes to support the environment, will the production of plastic cards be changed for more payment via phone? Especially with the consultation exercise in October 2018, the Government made regulations to ban the sale of plastic straws, cotton buds and stirrers, subject to certain exemptions, which came into force in England in October 2020. A ban on cotton buds is already in place in Scotland too. But how long will it take for further bans to be made? I bring this up in regards to the usage of paper money, cash as a currency, with such changes being made into taking care of the environment, is it too far fetched to presume that similar changes that have happened to cotton buds to be made into effect with currency and cash specifically. With the rise in popularity of usage over the recent ages, credit cards and debit cards have made quite a significant introduction as they are able to play a role as being used on both online and traditional forms of shopping as opposed to cash. Especially when keeping up with recent times, in the current COVID era, the reduction in interaction also signifies for safety but also the change in times with socializing becoming ever more a rarity outside of the digital realm. 

Gaming has been able to introduce an extension for consumerism within the production of micro-transactions within games, these engrose the users into the digital world providing exclusives within a fictional world in order to appeal to them more due to the cheapness in comparison to the real world.They are able to simulate forms of wealth they perhaps will never be able to experience in the real world.

 As of now the digital age has severely impacted even traditional forms of consumerism, both positive and negative, as advertisements for shops can be witnessed online, tempting potential customers to arrive at the shop to purchase things however with this we have also seen the rise in online shopping which has began dominating traditional forms of consumerism due to the ease of how it is to purchase items through the digital age, being able to do so quickly and from the comfort of your own home even. You can see why people may prefer this and why it has made strides,exceeding expectations and performing particularly well within the digital age of consumerism. Especially with the COVID era affecting us all, online shopping has become a significant medium for purchasing things as opposed to other sources of purchases. Feeling a lot more safer within their houses and being able to conform to the safety restrictions easier. The downside to this is that it has tremendously affected small brand shops, even large ones as due to the wide accessibility and availability to what they can purchase many are forced to close down or declare bankruptcy. 

Data Analysis of the survey I conducted currently shows that big brand shops and online shopping are mostly commonly used with small brand shops not being used as frequently. 

The two most popular choices were cash and debit, for most common forms of payment. With E-pay being the second most popular choice, however credit card and cheques weren't chosen. 

Most benefits mentioned regarding online shopping are about its quickness and relation to the current situation of COVID and how it makes it easier. 

The majority agree that online businesses are negatively effecting traditional businesses with a slight margin disagreeing. 

All the people who took the survey had said  they've purchased a micro-transaction, which shows a keen interest in them for people and how ingrained within the culture of gaming they have become.

The people were split on the significance E-pay, credit cards, and debit cards will have on the environment in terms of reducing usage of plastic and paper, which contributes to the idea that people are unsure of the necessity for such additions to forms of payment in a manner of speaking. 

As displayed within this image, I’d like to provide additional evidence to support the fact that cards amongst other forms of payment are significantly stacking the board against other methods of payment such as cash. These statistics were made by statista, this statistic illustrates the different payment methods in the UK of 2018, we can even see that within pre-Covid era, cash was already in decline, it has only become more obsolete due to these times.

Another statistic to support my claim provided by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco of 2015, which also displays that said decline of cash isn’t purely within the UK and expands to other areas of the world.  

Overall, it seems we are witnessing a change due to the digital age within consumerism as previously mentioned several types of traditional means are evolving with the times, whether these changes will be permanent is up for question, however one thing is for certain that the digital age is affecting our way of living, hopefully for the better. 

Survey Analysis

I made a survey which contained numerous questions in relation to the direction I'd take with design of my product. 

My first question that I asked was in regards to what colours were found most calming, I thought this made sense as it gave me insight into possible colours to use for my product, I felt calming had the right tone as not only did it bring the positivity of happiness but also has that stability that is important for mental health. As we can see, blue was the most chosen answer, by quite a large margin, I must say. The two that followed most behind was white and green, with black being the least chosen colour. I have kept this in mind by deciding that the main colours I should have for my product are blue and white, these colours blend togetheer quite well, and are quite symbolic of the sky and clouds or the sky and doves, overall these are well known to be quite calming sights as a whole and I think a good choice from the evidence shown to support it. 

The next question I asked was in relation to Covid 19 and its negative effects on mental health, I did this as to gather the significance it has had on my target audience whilst also taking into account modern times and relevant occurrences, rather than mental health exclusively. As we can see, the majority answered that they did think Covid 19 had negatively effected their mental health, which shows the importance of mentioning it within my advert as to help people feel more connected to it and the relevancy to themselves and therefore something I should definitely make mention of.  

Another thing to expand from my previous question was asking those who said yes or unsure to explain how it effected them. I did this in order to get a clearer perspective of the problems young people had been facing as a result of Covid 19 and how it has effected their mental health, similar to last question, it helped me gather an idea of some possible things to aim my advert towards in terms of mental health and the importance of maintaining it is, despite these times. 

I then asked if they thought information about smiling and mental health would be helpful for people, to which all agreed, this gave me a definite reason as to why is should be included within my product, as not only did it help spread the Happy Foundation's message of smiling and overall positivity but it also makes it aware the seriousness of mental health and how smiling can improve it in many factors. 

I then proceeded to ask for my final question if animals such as cats or dogs made them happy, I did this specifically to relate to the client's brief and create something people could smile at. I wanted to make sure that from the evidence I could gather if it were a good idea to include an animal within my advert in order to create more happiness and joy to be spread, from this data we can conclude that the majority say that yes, they do indeed make them happy, with only one person saying no, this definitely helps shape my idea and allow me to see that is of my best decision to include an animal within my advert as it seems to be a smart idea that appeals to both the target audience along with the client as a result of this. 

Overall. I find that the evidence provided by this survey has been very beneficial in giving me a good idea of what to include within my product, numerous things such as colour scheme, along with information and other visual components. I am happy to have so much information to work with so that I can provide a high quality product that lives up to the information provided. 

Flat Plan for Print Media

I have made a flat plan to display my initial thought process of how I want my print media for the client to look like. Helping clarify some of the typical features shown within an charity advert to help make it recognizable. 

 If unable to fully see said images, the top features the masthead, the slogan/tag line underneath including some direct address. Underneath that, in the middle we have the dominant image, with two sub images beside it, all featuring captions beneath them. Lastly, we have the sell-line along with the essential information at the bottom, covering a large portion to indicate the significance of it. 

I have decided on this layout as it clearly draws the viewer to this product, creating awareness of such issues, which helps for the client and myself as it meets the requirements for the brief. I want the sell-line essential information as big as possible, I did this as several charity adverts have this as a typical convention, allowing for the clear display of the information required to get into contact with the company.

I received some feedback after I showed this to some viewers, in which one stated that the placement of things was good however, he thought the images could be scaled a little better, in particular, the dominant image, however asides from that he thought it was good. Another person stated that the layout was good, and that in terms of design it was very well done. I am very appreciative of such feedback and will aim to correct anything of the likes within my actual product for my print media. 

Rationale

 

Smile campaign rationale from LeviPhillips

I have received feedback regarding this rationale from my peers, Luke Wilson, Bruno Singer, and Lewis Thompson, who all commented on it and regarded it as made very well and good. This is vey pleasing news to hear as I hope to keep my work up to a professional standard and be very informative in regards to what I intend to do.

Here's some reviews upon the rationale, as to provide a little visual evidence for it.

Pre-Production

 

Risk Assessment Form – Part A

 

Production Name:	Consumerism- The Digital Evolution	Organisation	Sunderland College (Bede Campus)
Production Address:	Durham Rd, Sunderland SR3 4AH	Producer / Editor   Tel:  Mobile:	Levi Phillips  0121DO1
Start date	2/12/20	End date	22/01/21
Distribution  Who gets a copy of the assessment	Levi Phillips, Drew Naylor
Outline of risk assessment  Summary of what is proposed in terms of sequences and set ups.	The outline is that I will be producing a documentary regarding consumerism and the contrast to traditional forms in comparison to the digital age.
Team members / experts / contractors / contributors etc.  List those involved	Levi Phillips
Locations  Outline locations involved – indicate any which are hostile environments	The Studio, located on the 1st floor of the Art Building of Bede Campus.
Assessor Name   Signature	Drew Naylor	Date completed
Authoriser  Name  (if not Assessor) Signature		Date authorised

 

Hazard list – select your hazards from the list below and use these to complete Part B
Situational hazards	Tick	Physical / chemical hazards	Tick	Health hazards	Tick
Assault by person		Contact with cold liquid / vapour		Disease causative agent
Attack by animal		Contact with cold surface		Infection
Breathing compressed gas		Contact with hot liquid / vapour		Allergic reaction
Cold environment		Contact with hot surface		Lack of food / water
Crush by load		Electric shock	X	Lack of oxygen
Drowning		Explosive blast		Physical fatigue	X
Entanglement in moving machinery		Explosive release of stored pressure		Repetitive action	X
High atmospheric pressure		Fire		Static body posture
Hot environment	X	Hazardous substance		Stress / anxiety	X
Manual handling		Ionizing radiation		Venom poisoning
Object falling, moving or flying		Laser light
Obstruction / exposed feature		Lightning strike		Environmental hazards
Sharp object / material	X	Noise	X	Litter
Shot by firearm		Non-ionizing radiation		Nuisance noise / vibration
Slippery surface		Stroboscopic light		Physical damage
Trap in moving machinery		Vibration		Waste substance released into air
Vehicle impact / collision		Managerial / organisational hazards
Falls from height		Management factors  (lack of communication, co-operation, co-ordination and competence)

 

Risk matrix – use this to determine risk for each hazard i.e. ‘how bad and how likely’	Likelihood of Harm
Severity of Harm	Remote  e.g. <1 in 1000 chance	Very unlikely  e.g. 1 in 200 chance	Unlikely  e.g. 1 in 50 chance	Possible   e.g. 1 in 10 chance	Likely  e.g. >1 in 3 chance
Negligible e.g. small bruise		X
Slight e.g. small cut, deep bruise	X
Moderate e.g. deep cut, torn muscle	X
Severe e.g. fracture, loss of consciousness	X
Very Severe e.g. death, permanent disability	X

 

  

 

Risk Assessment Form – Part B

 

Activity1 – Each individual activity you are proposing:			Location – where this activity will take place:  studio	Dates / times:
Hazards2  List what could cause harm from this activity   e.g. falls from height, trip hazard, fire, etc.	Who exposed  List who might be harmed from this activity  e.g. staff, contractors, contributors, public, etc.	Risk3  For each hazard, decide level of risk as if you were to do the activity without your controls	Control measures  For each hazard, list the measures you will be taking to minimise the risk identified  e.g. appointing competent persons, training received, planning and rehearsals, use of personal protective equipment, provision of first aid, etc.	Risk3  For each hazard, decide level of risk once all your controls are in place
E.g., Hot working environment	Presenter, camera crew, lighting crew, director		Airconditioning, keep doors/ windows open, have regular breaks
E.g. Object falling, moving or flying	Presenter, camera crew, lighting crew, director		Cameras, lights and other equipment should be stationary when recording,
E.g. Obstruction / exposed feature	Presenter, camera crew, lighting crew, director
E.g. Sharp object / material	Camera crew, lighting crew
E.g. Lack of oxygen
E.g. Physical fatigue	Presenter		Take regular breaks, use a chair when presenting if needed

The first place that comes to mind when it comes to locations is the studio, as it features great lighting, tons of space. Along with warmth, which although sounds like a rather strange reasoning, I find it to be important as it helps with maintain focus within the photoshoot. Different forms of lighting and a greenscreen, which allows for easier editing when it comes to the print advert, as cutting out certain things to replace the background is easier. Another location is behind the art department building, which provides the massive area of open space with the field, along with the privacy of the building covering you, which hopefully allows for less disruption, another factor that the studio benefits from. The other is at home, which allows for privacy and depending on the location it has good lighting however because of the location not being on campus it makes it harder if you wish to have other people be in your advert that aren’t from your household. ​

 REQUIRED EQUIPMENT/RESOURCES LIST  

 

FILM TITLE: 

PRODUCER/DIRECTOR: 

 

RESOURCE REQUIRED	RESOURCE LOCATION	RESOURCE OBTAINED
Premier Pro	College	X
Camera	College
Tripod	College
SD Card	Home	X
Openshot	Home	X
Webcam/ Phone Camera	Home	X

Pre production location scout from LeviPhillips5

Due to the circumstances caused by COVID, things had to be changed in order to fulfill the lock-down regulations, things such as working at home, which has definitely brought a change to my original plans, therefore filming from my home became the new location, which got rid of several risks that were brought by working in the studio, different equipment also had to be used, this has been made clear within my work by the presentation of the location of equipment, the ones shown at home became my new equipment for producing my documentary. This is due to the fact the equipment at college became too difficult to attain and alternative solutions had to be made, in order to overcome this hardship. Using equipment such as my webcam and openshot as an editing software, in the stead of the original equipment.