Photography which interests me.

Landscape / location photography -

What interests me about this photograph is the use of colour and mix of nature with a human
aspect of buildings. The shot in which it has been taken is aesthetic and captures
an interesting front view of the coloured buildings. I like the overall composition and detail of the image,
mostly the abstract effect the reflection of the housing lights onto the lake has. I also like how
the colours of the houses are different and not in a particular sequence, making the
whole landscape shot overall pleasing.

Nature photography-

I like how the close up photograph focuses on an interesting texture and two colours by using shallow
depth of field whilst still allowing many details to be obvious in the background. I have taken the photograph
in natural light and the photo includes a variety of natural colours - the blue sky, a green palm tree. The idea
that both the water in the fountain and ocean behind are moving intrigues me and tells a story as to
where this photo may have been taken etc.
The lighter shade of blue in the foreground and darker shade in the background is aesthetically pleasing in
terms of colour.

The process of adding an object within the frame of the photo or placing it in a position in front of the
camera to create an actual aesthetic effect projected onto the photo is something which I
would like to experiment more with. Using my lensball and prism has allowed white light and rainbows
to naturally be created. I enjoy the concept of making these effects naturally rather than photo-shopping
/ image manipulating them.

City light photography -
I like how this photograph contrasts natural colours and settings, from the sun setting in the background
and city/ night life shown in the foreground. The blurry, bokeh effect on the city lights makes the photo
look aesthetic and adds an aspect of something interesting / different, rather than normal lights.
I also like how the angle of the photo captures the main city from a distance and a quiet road. I like the
concept of the photographer focusing on the quiet road rather than moving down to a busier city, though
there is a glimpse of it in the background. There could be many meanings and stories behind this photo,
by showing a road leading to somewhere. The idea of telling stories through photographs interests me,
therefore this part of photography is something I would like to explore
and intertwine in my work for / in future projects.

( Example of a photographer that interests me )
Brandon Woelful 
Though portraiture is an aspect of photography which is not my first interest as much as other areas, it is still an area I would like to research and experiment with. Brandon Woelful's work is an example of an aesthetic I would like to experiment with, by further creating bokeh effects and bringing objects into photos to add depth and interest to the photo.

The colour scheme of the photos in image manipulation include blues, purples, white etc. Having a select theme to symbolise and have as a signature look is an aspect I would like to include in my photography.

The nun scene analysis - Cinematography and sound.

Cinematography -
The scene starts in a establishing shot with an overall dark, night setting. The shot is of a church with the only brightness coming from the inside lights.
The scene then cuts to show a dark hallway and introduces a character shortly after.
The white costume contrast with the dark setting,therefore allows the character to overall stand out.
( The mise en scene includes a priest costume and a lamp as a prop. There are two different colours and costumes on the priests, one bright white and one black. The difference in costume  allows a scary theme to be explored. Though there isn't many close ups of faces and makeup shown, the presence of the phantoms are powerful along with movements. The shot of a dark figure jumping out of darkness and scaring the nun dressed in white is an example of this. )
Throughout this continuous scene, the prop is again the brightness aspect. The camera movement varies from this light to the dark hallway creating tension. The camera is framed so that there is a clear view of the nun wearing white and later view of the other nun wearing black in the background.
The camera is never at a fixed point and has shaky movements. This keeps mystery developing and allows the scene to remain scary for the audience viewing.

Sound -
The sound throughout the clip is non diegetic and in sync with what is happening on screen. Tension continues to build for the audience as the clip progresses.
The lingering, whispering sound is parallel to the whole theme and adds mystery to the nun walking. Actions of the scary phantom are again parallel to the sound.
The loud, out of nowhere sound makes the audience jump. Without it, the effect would not be  the same.

Sound terminology

• Diegetic - sound within the film, sound that the characters can hear 
• Foley sound - sound added in post production to be in sync with what's happening on screen. This sound can be created with any props, objects etc.
• Score - music specially written for a film
• Soundtrack - songs being played, music not written for the film.
• Parallel sound - when the music goes with what's shown on screen 
• Contrapuntal sound -when music goes against the images e.g sombre music over a fight scene 
• Sound bridge - Sound that carries on through transitioning between scenes

Name: Annishah Razaq

Project Title: Induction project: Lucky Dip!

	What went well	What needs improvement
Context	I’ve developed my knowledge of using persuasive media techniques and exploring camera terminology, shots & angles.	I need to improve on pre-production to make sure everything gets completed to my best ability on time.
Research	The primary and secondary research conducted allowed our group to explore the history behind the product and view what appeals to the audience, to then advertise in a suitable way.	To improve I must understand  psychographics in more detail in order to then know more about the target audience
Planning and Practical skills	Planning the first part of the moving image advert for our group went well along with adapting and learning new things about Photoshop.	I need to become more familiar with Premiere Pro – therefore learn more transitions, creative ways to edit scenes etc.
Evaluation and Reflection	I have understood aspects of the project which did not go to plan and I have successfully learnt from this as part of self relfection for future projects.	I need to improve on evaluating how decisions made e.g in group work would affect everyone else.

FAIL

REFER

PASS

                                                                                                                                                                          

Evaluation

Lucky Dip! Evaluation.
Our product for the lucky dip! induction project is Pot Noodle and has been advertised through a print and moving image ad.

Skills developed. 

Throughout the induction project, I have broadened my understanding of using softwares such as Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Blogger and Google drive, and have initially learnt how to use and handle a camera. As this is the first occasion using Premiere Pro I feel as I have more things to improve on in terms of editing. I have fully understood the use of camera shots and angles and meanings behind this, learnt in the first few weeks of the induction project & have applied some of this knowledge to the final moving ad, however I feel that there are more shots and angles to explore as the course progresses and as I explore more themes from film and photography.
Handling the camera in a safe manner has been wonderful however I feel that I must be careful when transferring footage / photographs from SD cards to ensure nothing gets lost, as also learnt from our film advertisement.
I have developed my understanding of using Google drive by sharing and completing group work within our team on Google Docs / Slides. I have also learnt a new aspect of using a questionnaire on Google Docs which helped our group successfully gather primary research from our audience for the product Pot Noodle. This skill will allow me to conduct primary research if and when needed for following projects.
The introductory experimentation of Photoshop using own photography had allowed me to explore techniques such as the vibrance and filters of the photos on the software, shown on my edited photo of a Polaroid. Through further exploration of tools and filters / adjustments, my background photos shown on my print advert became blurred ( to allow the main subject of the advert to stand out ) and the backdrop had been edited to portray the colours of the top Pot Noodle flavours, found through conducting secondary and primary research - using the questionnaire on Google Docs.
New skills have been learnt when using Blogger, such as the process of labelling work into separate compartments and changing the blog layout for posts that are published to a suitable or aesthetic theme. One aspect I have learnt through some failed attempts of uploading images throughout my posts and must remember for future uses of the app is the process of uploading images - the images must be in JPG, JPEG or PNG. There is also a video size limit.

Teamwork. 

Working in a team has provided many advantages such as the process of intertwining may different ideas together, however it has also provided many challenges. These challenges have included frustration when a member has forgotten certain props to film along with challenges with editing. As part of growing, I have taken these challenges into account for future projects and will learn from them by keeping patient and including all solutions and ideas, to then progress and finish as a team.  As our group had also faced lost footage on the final day of editing, a solution as a team was required. Our group searched through previous, unused footage however decided to edit the advert so the main character was shown as enlightened after consuming the product. This means the main character had thoughts of playing better once he'd eaten the Pot Noodle. The group worked together to edit this and attempted to overall make the end of the advert as clear as possible. This has allowed me to reflect and learn to be careful with footage.
The participation of members in a team has also proven to be a challenge however I feel that one person must be a team leader. This may have helped keep our group organised and made sure there was constant planning / a realistic plan.
Further advantages included good communication when filming, allowing us to film the correct scenes from a suitable angle which included everyone required in the shot. The main characters performance went well as guided with the team.As there were certain members more experienced with camera equipment, help was provided therefore overall good verbal communication.
I have learnt that good communication and overall teamwork is an important aspect when working in the media / film platform.

Planning 
Planning for my print advertisement included blogging initial ideas based on the knowledge found from secondary research. I decided to focus the topic on the Pot Noodles campaign - ' you can make it ' and focus on the idea of people eating Pot Noodles after being active and busy. This topic and campaign shows a positive side to the product and includes a similar aged group as a target audience, varying from students with part time jobs and/ or at college and university students. The target audience therefore allowed me to include aspects that would be relatable- using the mobile phones and clothing in my print advert and the humour in the film advert.
After constructing ideas,I had planned to use and take photographs of a busy life. Planning at this stage included taking photographs when going along in my daily life. This included buildings, the train station, people in mass amounts of groups etc,
I had planned to use the photography studio by gathering two models and previously making sure they had been available. The photographs of them were exported and saved on the same day. As the first editing aspect began, the background photos had been edited into 3 colours, showing the top flavours again, as shown in a blogger post of a before and after train station photo. However, the print advert had looked too packed and did not allow the main subject, the Pot Noodle to show. This means the audience would have been distracted, therefore making the advert unsuccessful.
To continue the idea of an active / busy schedule, I had then used and brainstormed editing stages to make the advert less filled. Planning before editing for this final advert included:

•  Making sure I was knowledgeable on only using and blurring the portrait photos in the background.
• The slogan to use.
• The self taken photograph of a Pot Noodle
• The official Pot Noodle slogan, edited to be the same colour of the required Pot Noodle image ( blue )

From the change in plans, I have learnt to not over complicate advertising a product and to not lose the audiences attention from the main subject. However, blogging my planned, initial ideas allowed me to look back and change the idea whilst using the same photography / topic idea. Therefore indicating recording my planning stages is a effective and must be an aspect to include in future projects.

Planning for our film advertisement went well although there were some issues due to the requirement of the football kit being delayed. As planned, we spent 2-3 lessons filming the beginning of the advert, however, editing time had been delayed due to lost footage and lack of costume. Though a lesson was not in use due to attempting to find the footage, a lesson after in a short time was used for the voiceover, which has been included at the end of the ad. To improve teamwork skills and overall planning, in the future we must make sure members are being reliable on their part along with having a backup, clear plan in case of things like lost footage and be realistic with time.

Overall expectations of project-

To conclude, the overall project has been successful in terms of including primary and secondary research however can take into account psycho and demographics more in order to fully take use of the research and understand the targeted audience as much as possible. More camera techniques including movements and angles may have been used in the film along with making sure all shots are in focus in order to fully explore the learnt content and make the advert as appealing and persuasive for viewers as possible by also consistently keeping their attention. 

However, parts of the film advert which had advantages includes the initial slow paced, sad background music as a non digetic sound, then transitioning to happier / upbeat music after the consumption of the noodles.As a parallel sound, this further indicated the main characters happiness and overall provided clarity for the message of the advert. Though lost footage, the clairty in message and making sure the overall moving image made sense met my expectation.
Though aspects such the end shot out of focus have not met my expectations of cinematography, the use of humour in the advert has and was a successful aspect, as it involves knowledge learnt about persuasive techniques from the first stages of the entire project and has allowed our group to apply this.

Though my print advert has not met my expectations as a whole,there are smaller aspects that have, along with being a small success. This includes the colour use and meanings behind this, along with a catchy slogan and font colours, further relating to the flavoured Pot Noodle. The blurred background images allows the Pot Noodle to be in the foreground however improvement is required in terms of making the advert look more realistic and blending / making the main subject look more natural into the background. This would be an important aspect for me to change and take into account in future projects.
Also for future projects, I hope to learn more about the use of Blogger and be at a high, familiar standard with the app along with hoping to improve my Photoshop skills. The project as a whole has been  productive with advantages at times however there have also been challenges in which I will learn from in terms of teamwork and editing. 

Final Pot Noodle moving image advertisement

Our final Pot Noodle advertisement includes an exploration of humour and a setting of a basketball court including two main characters.

Aspects of the advert that went well include the initial wide shot clearly showing Demaru, the main character and the steadiness of the shot with the camera on the stationary tripod. 

The main characters shown are in sporty costumes, which not only links to the adverts topic but inforces Pot Noodles idea of young adults being active and consuming the noodles in a healthy manner, decreasing the ' lazy ' stigma around the product. 

The body language of the main character walking out of the gate successfully shows his frustration and adds to the humour aspect of the ad. Though the movement of the actor was angry, the performance was amusing to our target audience ( found when shown to our classmates )

Other factors such as props were used ( basketball ) as part of mise en scene however improvements can be made in terms of editing and sound - e.g editing the wind and background noise out of the shots of Demaru on the bench. 

Further Improvement towards the end of the advert includes the movement aspect. The end shot of the Pot Noodle is quite shaky by being hand held and out of focus, which could be improved by placing the camera on a tripod or on the table, keeping focus on the pot noodle and having the background blurred. This means the initial idea of using shallow depth of field may have been used.

As we also unfortunately lost footage of Demaru getting better at basketball therefore beating Jamal towards the end of the advert, our group improvised and zoomed into Demaru smiling. This indicated his happiness after eating the noodles and hope for himself playing better. 

Slow paced, sad background music had also been added as a non digetic sound. After consuming the Noodles, happier / upbeat music had been added. As a parallel sound this further indicates Demaru's happiness. 

Final Pot Noodle print advertisement

For the final print ad, own photography has been included involving techniques created by using the 3 main light setup in the photography studio, along with photoshop. The meaning behind the photos involves the idea of the majority of our audience always being busy and on the go.

The advert represents two busy people, using their mobile phones and overall being occupied. Reasoning behind this includes attempting to make our target audience feel as though they can immediately relate to the advert by seeing something they do, use and act like in their daily lives. The blurriness of the people in the background allows focus on the main subject - being the Pot Noodle and could further represent how ' blurry ' someone may feel when they're hungry.
Though the models are on their phones, the overall idea of the advert is to show how young people are busy with schedules, university etc. To improve the advert, I could photograph the same young people moving around inforcing the ' active ' idea in more clarity and include the ' you can make it ' logo / campaign by Pot Noodle.
Photoshop has been used to include text and blurred images along with the different colours replicating the top pot noodle flavours. The background images had been taken in the photography studio and edited to a coloured backdrop.
The official Pot Noodle logo has also been included and photoshopped so the background colour of the logo matches the main Pot Noodle flavour.
Aspects of the ad I would improve include the realness and blending of the pot noodle into the rest of the photo. This will be an aim for myself when further skill developing in Photoshop in future projects.
I could also improve on the costume detail aspect. Though the characters are wearing casual, trendy clothing which makes our target audience further relate to the advert, they could wear sport like, active clothing etc.