LO3 - Evaluation

Weekly blog updates are required, as with every unit. Please remember to
take photos/screenshots as you film/edit. You might find it easier if you note
down a record of what you did each day in a diary form.

Please use the following guidance to help you with each week.
THESE MUST BE COMPLETED IN DETAIL. INCLUDE IMAGES AND BE SPECIFIC!

Week 1 This week was spent on idea generation

What have you been asked to
do?
Why have you chosen this target
audience?
What two productions have you
decided to make? How do they
allow you to improve your skills?
How did the focus groups help
you to select your idea?
This week we have been asked to think of six ideas,
three ideas for a shot film and three for a music video
that will be targeted towards 25 to 40 years olds or for
5 to 10 year olds. We had the choice between
creating a music video and a short film or a radio
drama or an animation, I chose to create a short film
and a music video because I plan on creating a
music video for my final major project meaning this
will be good practise to help myself get ready for my
final major project.
I chose 25 to 40 year olds instead of 5 to 12 year olds
because I thought that it would be much more
interesting and allow me to create a production with
some kind of substance and cool ideas as opposed to
just a kid’s show. I also think for what I am trying to
create for my final major project which will defiantly
be targeted towards my age group or older the age
group of millennials would be more useful to analyse
and create for.
I have decided to create a music video and a short
film targeted towards 25 to 40 year olds. My first idea is
to have a short film which will be a horror where the
story focuses around a boy who loses his mother and
then she comes back to haunt him and ends up killing
him at the end of the production. My next idea will be
a music video for the song sympathy for the devil by
the rolling stones where the main character travels
through various different historical occasions and
scenarios that are mentioned in the song
Doing a focus group allowed me to focus together
my ideas and work out which of the three options for
my music video and short film I would create based
on which one would match the target audience best
and in what way this would be, I learnt that for my
short film creating my short film creating a horror

Are you on track for the week?
What work needs to be
completed for you to catch up?
Week 2
What did you find out about your
target audience through your
secondary research?
How will this help you in adapting
your idea to meet the chosen
audience?
How useful was interviewing
people from your chosen target
audience?
Was it difficult to get a large
response to your survey? How
could you improve the amount of
respondents for your FMP?
based around a teenage boy was fitting to the codes
and conventions this age group where looking for.
no
Focus group
This week was spent researching target audiences
While completing secondary research on my target
audience I researched different things that would tell
me about the demographic and what they would like
to see in a music video. For example I researched the
most common occupations of people in this age
group which are often professions like doctor’s
teachers and office workers but not at a high level, by
this I means that the millennials are typically low level
office workers or standard teachers and on average
not bosses or head teachers. This means in general
millennials are living and working in very average
housing and offices and often not owning their
houses.
Since I know the best way to get the target audience
enjoy my production is to help them relate to the
scenes and characters through references to things
that are relatable to them. By this I mean that I
discovered millennials often like to read literature so I
will make sure that in the background og my music
video are books or hints towards the characters
working in these common professions. I will also make
sure that the house I film in is one that most 25 to 40
year olds would find themselves renting or living in
which will mean a fairly small to medium sized
detached house in an averagely priced
neighbourhood.
Interviewing members of my chosen target audience
was very useful because it gave me a chance to get
in depth answers and responses from them that a
survey online just cannot produce. I was able to get
them to elaborate on answers too and get a better
idea of what they want to see.
It was hard to find a large number of people who
were of the correct age group to respond to the
survey since most of the people I know are around my
age and I do not really know many people that are
the correct age for this unit. For my final major project
I will make sure that I create a production with a

What have you found to be the
key things that you should be
targeting your audience with?
What makes this audience
different to the one you never
chose?
Are you on track for the week?
What work needs to be
completed in your own time?
Week 3
What genres have you chosen
and why?
What have you learnt from your
secondary research this week?
How will this influence what you
include in your productions?
target audience that is closer to my age group
meaning that when I send out the survey I can send it
to my friends who I am more confident will answer as
opposed to random people that I do not know
I have found during my target audience research that
the main things I should be focussing on targeting the
audience with is subtle hints ton their hobbies and
interesting and also by creating a production with
more adult themes since they will find it more
interesting. What I mean by this is the inclusion of
subtle hints like a PhD or books in the background of
shots. In addition to this I will try to create a storyline
that provokes thought since the target audience will
find this interesting.
yes
Weekly blogs
This week was spent researching codes and
conventions
I chose the genre of a horror for the short film because
out of my 3 ideas of different genres this was the one
that my target audience selected in their survey. For
my music video the genre I chose was more towards
the indie style again because this was the idea that
was chosen by my target audience. I decided to
focus more on the story my target audience preferred
as opposed to the genre because I thought this
would help me to create the best production possible
rather than just one in the best genre.
I have learnt a lot about the codes and conventions
of horror short films such as the locations, props and
types of actors that are most commonly used. For
example I learnt that horror short films are often filmed
in old abandoned house or run down mansions since
this appears scarier to the audience. I also
researched into the type of music that Is used in horror
films and found out that spooky or shrill high pitched
music matched the codes and conventions of horror
films perfectly. When researching into the codes and
conventions of rock music videos I saw that it was
mostly up for interpretation and mostly depended on
the actual song itself.
This research into the codes and conventions of horror
short films and rock music videos will influence what I
include in my productions in the way that I will make

What are the key conventions for
your chosen genres? What MUST
you include for it to be that
genre?
Are you on track for the week?
What work needs to be
completed in your own time?
Week 4
What have you learnt from you
primary research this week?
What developments do you need
to make to your production for it
to meet these codes and
conventions requirements?
sure my locations sound and colour all match the
codes and conventions of that genre. For example I
will use bright colours to make it look like summer in
my music video and use darker shades of blue and
under saturation in my short film to make sure it looks
darker and more depressing which matches the
horror genre.
For my short film my chosen genre was horror and in
order to make it match the key conventions of this
genre it would mostly have to be scary or involve
some kind of supernatural being. This is often shown in
horror films, aside from this colour and sound would be
important to solidify my short film in the horror genre.
Colours would have to be dark and full of shadows
and the music would have to be shrill and high
pitched giving a sense of suspense. For my music
video the codes and conventions of the rock genre
are much less strict and mostly just apply to the song
however the music must match the tone of the song
and since the song I chose was pretty happy and
upbeat the music video would have to match this.
yes
NA
This week was spent researching codes and
conventions
This week I have learnt about wat members of the
target audience want to see and expect to see in
both a horror short film and a rock music video. They
told make in my surveys that they wanted horror films
that feature suspense and have jump scares and that
wide open shots with lots of shadows in the
background mean that there is often tension in the
shots and a sense of foreboding. For my music video
the target audience said that they would like to see a
music video that matched the tone of the song and
also explored themes or ideas that the song
presented. They said that a good rock music video
would really bring the song to life or show the
meaning behind some of the lyrics.
For my short film I might slightly edit the story too be
more fitting to the codes and conventions of horror by
having the boy die actual talking to the spirit of his
mother through her old teddy bear as opposed too
having the ghost of her on screen. For my music video

How did processing the results of
your research help you to
understand it thoroughly?
Are you on track for the week?
What work needs to be
completed in your own time?
Week 5
What did you learn from your
planning?
How will this be useful as your
production process continues?
What issues did you encounter
whilst planning and how did you
overcome them?
How much work did you
complete outside of the lessons?
I am going to create a plot that focuses more on real
life issues rather than the original idea I had of
dancing through historical events, I am doing this
because I think this will mean I can more accurately
meet the codes and conventions.
Processing my results and my secondary research
allowed me to look more in depth into the answers
and make sure I fully understood what the target
audience wanted to see. An example of this is when
analysing one of the music videos during my codes
and conventions research it allowed me to pick out
clear point from the video that made it a certain
genre and transfer them into mine.
yes
NA
This week was spent planning your productions
From planning both my productions I learnt that
having a clear structure and outline for exactly what
and when you will be filming is very useful and can
help a lot when trying to create a production. This unit
has made me realise the importance of very clear
planning for my final major project. I also learnt that
story boards are very important to do after you have
written the script otherwise you can end up with
different ideas on each.
The planning that I have created in my planning
booklet will be useful because I have made a
detailed script and production schedule that I am
happy with and will be easy to follow. This means that
if I am able to keep up with the work load I will easily
be able to create the production I want rather than
having to compromise shots or locations.
Whilst planning my productions I didn’t really
encounter many major issues that really set me back
at all. That being said I did lose a storyboard which
meant I had to redo it but this was not a problem. I
also found I was slipping behind even on planning in
terms of keeping up with my production schedule.
I made the mistake of not doing much work outside of
lessons for my pre-production which, other than my
Shooting script for the music video, was completed in
class. This was a mistake that I will make sure not to
repeat during my final major project because the
allocated lesson time that we are given is not enough
time to complete all the work to a high standard.
Are you ready to film next week
and if not, what do you need to
complete to be ready?
Are your storyboards up to
standard?
Week 6
How did you find the filming
process?
Did you encounter any problems
during filming? How did you
overcome them?
After reviewing footage, what do
you feel you need to reshoot?
I am not ready to film next week since I still have not
organised who I will be filming with and where I will be
filming, this is due to the fact that one of my actors let
me down not only with being in the production but
also letting me use his house. To be ready to film all I
need to do is make sure I have people who are willing
to act.
My storyboards were up to a high standard but I have
recently lost them meaning that I need to complete
them again. Although this is a setback it has actually
worked out quite well because the storyboards I
originally had did not entirely match the storyline I
finally settled on and also due to my lack of drawing
skills some of the shots on the storyboard did not look
like they were supposed too.
This week was spent filming
I found the filming process good once I was actually
filming where I needed to be with all my actors but
actually organising that was very stressful since I didn’t
get the actors or the ability to use the locations that I
wanted. Although this is not ideal I made the most of
the situation I was in and tried to make sure the work I
did produce was good enough to submit or at least
to edit. Although I enjoy filming I think it would be an
easier process with actors who really enjoyed acting
rather than using my friends.
While filming I encountered many problems for
example when me and the actor James got to the
skatepark on the first day with a plan of what to film it
was way too busy so we decided to move on and go
to another skatepark but when we got the shortly
after he snapped his rear axle and we had to go
back to my house to put my back wheel on his bike
but the by the time we got back out it was dark. To
stop this happening on the second and final day we
went to a closer skatepark so that if we did have to
go home it wouldn’t be a big deal.
After reviewing my footage for the first time I was
happy with the shots I had I just realised that I needed
to get more in order to not only fill the time that I
needed to make the story flow better. For example I
found that although my short film made sense it didn’t
really make sense as the story it was supposed too so
mew and the actor James went to cemetery junction

What new techniques from your
previous units have you tried to
use?
Are the locations you filmed at
suitable to your production?
Are you keeping up with your
production schedule?
What footage still needs
capturing?
Week 7
How did you find the filming
process?
Did you encounter any problems
during filming? How did you
overcome them?
After reviewing footage, are you
happy with what you have
captured?
to film a graveyard scene there that brought the
whole production together.
I originally planned to use my techniques for lighting
that I learnt since one unit I chose to specialize in
them but unfortunately I didn’t end up hiring the
college’s lights in time. This meant that the shots were
often poorly lit and that I had to use my techniques in
colour grading that I have devolved over time whilst
making productions to make the short film and music
video from his unit look how I wanted them too.
The house in the music video and graveyard in the
short film were both very fitting and appropriate
locations for the genre and style of what I was filming
however the use of a skatepark in the music video
and the house I used in the short film did not match
the codes and conventions very well but more
importantly they did not match the target audience
well at all and this was something I defiantly should’ve
realised when filming and avoided
I have fallen slightly behind my production schedule
because I could not film on the dates that I wanted
too however I am still trying to use it to guide me as
much as possible even though my dates are slightly
behind.
At this point there is not much footage that still needs
to be captured other than the working scene in the
music video which needs to be improved upon.
This week was spent filming
This week I found the filming process easy since I had
mostly finished filming in the first week so this week
was just spent filming odd scenes that tied the
production together and would allow the story to flow
better and make more sense.
Due to the fact it was winter at the time of filming the
fact it gets dark at 4 makes filming difficult to get
done during limited daylight hours especially when
one shot can take about half an hour to walk too like
the graveyard scene in cemetery junction. I
overcame this by making sure me and my actors
were up early and ready to film all day to make sure
we got in before sunset, I also used my car to help me
get to locations quicker which was useful.
Since this was the final week of filming and I was
filming right up until the end due to actors failing to
show up when they said they would, I would say that
the footage I have acquired is nothing for me to be
satisfied with but is the best I could make out of the

Have the techniques you planned
on using turned out well?
Week 8
How are you finding the editing
process this week?
Have you encountered any
problems whilst editing? How did
you overcome them?
Are there any new techniques
you are trying to use during this
editing process?
Are you on track with all of your
work?
situations I found myself in. In order to avoid this in my
final major project I will make sure to use trustworthy
actors and always have a reliable plan b that is just as
good as plan A.
Most of the techniques that I have planned on using
will be done during the editing phase however I have
the shots to make them work. I also used to a
skateboard to roll along during panning shots for the
first time and I thought that it worked out but I have
learnt it important to be rolling and on a smooth
surface before the shot starts since when u push the
board the camera jogs slightly.
This week was spent editing
This week I am finding the editing process frustrating
since I regret not taking more time when filming to
improve the shots I got and to make them better and
match the story more, whilst filming I was rushing and
did not put the full time I should’ve into the shots I got
which is really showing when editing the clips. This was
mostly due to a lack of planning however I am editing
my short film this week and I feel as though I have
taken the clips I had and made the best I could in the
time I had out of them.
Whilst editing I encountered the problem of not
having anywhere near as much useable footage as I
thought I had so I have had to slightly edit the story so
that it make sense with the clips I have. Although this is
not ideal this is the only choice I really had to make
sure I at least had something to show. I think this
mostly comes down to a lack of planning which I will
be sure to remember in my final major project.
The main new technique I tried to use was adding a
white noise background to the TV in shot in premiere
pro, This did not work very well because when I filmed
the shot the camera was at an angle from the TV
meaning the rectangle of glitchy TV I tried to add
didn’t fit very well in the TV and made it look very fake
and tacky. This was a problem because I hadn’t really
though beforehand about how I was going to make
this idea work and if I had I would’ve know to shoot
from straight on to the TV not side on
Yes
What work needs to be
completed outside of lessons?
Week 9
How did you finding the editing
process?
Have you encountered any
problems whilst editing? How did
you overcome them?
Are you happy with the outcome
of your productions? Why?
How did your productions meet
your target audience?
What aspects of your productions
could have been better targeted
to your audience?
NA
This week was spent editing
This week I enjoyed the editing process more than the
week before since the production I ended up making
for my music video mostly revolved around a bmx edit
which what originally got me into media in the first
place so this was fun for my but I felt very rushed when
making it since I didn’t allocate myself enough time to
edit meaning I didn’t get to make it to the high
standard I would like too.
Whilst editing I realised that a lot of the shots I had
taken with the skateboard where shaky at the start so
I couldn’t use a lot of them and I also realised that the
tricks I filmed didn’t progress with the music very well
which meant that I had to re-use clips and stretch the
music video out as much as possible to make it work
to the timing it should’ve.
I am not very happy with the outcome of either of my
productions honestly because although they are okay
I feel as though if I had put in more effort at earlier
stages I would have been able to produce work that
was so much better. I have really learnt my lesson this
final unit and although I say this every time will not let
myself do so badly in my final major project. I have
started coming into college from 9 till 4 every day and
this has really helped me to increase the amount of
work I can complete. I feel as though if I had put in
this level of effort at the start of the unit I would be
able to really achieve something on this course.
My short film met the requirements of my target
audience since it was a horror with a short plot with
lots of room for interpretation which the target
audience said they liked in my target audience
research. I think however the age of the actor and
locations I used could’ve been improved to make the
target audience enjoy the production even more. As
for my short film I feel as though although my song
matches the target audience the actual content of
the music video would apply much more to younger
generations which means it was silly of me to think I
could make bmx interesting to the target audience as
a group.
For my music video the aspects that could’ve been
better targeted towards the target audience were
mostly just the locations and actors used. I also feel as

How effectively have you
matched the codes and
conventions you researched
earlier in the unit?
How do you feel your work
compares to existing professional
productions?
Are there any areas where your
production falls short? How would
you improve it next time?
What have you learnt about
yourself to take into the Final
Major Project? What do you
personally need to improve on?
though I could’ve included more props in the set
design that would make the target audience feel as
though the production suited them more. As for my
music video I feel like the storyline I ended up using
was the main problem that would result in the target
audience not enjoying my productions that much.
I feel as though both my productions match the
codes and conventions of the genre that they are
supposed to be. For example my short film is a horror
and I made sure to use the dark colours and creepy
music that are key parts of the horror genre. I also
received feedback on both my productions that said
they thought my short film and music video both
matched the codes and conventions of each genre
because of the reasons I have just mentioned.
I feel like when compared to existing professional
productions my work does not look very good and is
very clearly student work. The reason for this is a
combination between the lack of planning and time I
had but also due to the fact that the camera and
equipment I used it’s not up to professional standard
and although it is possible to use colour correction in
such a way that you end up with a professional
looking production I did not have time to do this. So in
answer to the question I think my production look very
bad when compared to professional ones of the
same genre particularly my short film.
The areas where my production falls short are in the
editing and planning stage but most of this is due ti
the planning and the amount of work I was doing at
the start as opposed to how much I needed to do. If I
had kept up with and been on top of the workload
there would’ve been more time for me to film my
production when and where I wanted and edit it how
I wanted too as well which would mean it would turn
out much better. What this unit has taught me Is that
for my final major project I need to work as much as
possible and always complete work on time to a high
standard.
I have learnt that I can do the work if I just sit down
and get on with it and that I need to be strict with
myself in making sure that I actually do this. If I am
able to come in 9 till 4 every day during my final major
project I should have no problem keeping up with the
work. I have also learned that I work better when
there is a clear structure to follow and it is clear to me
what I need to do next so this means I will have to ask
Adam and Sarah for help and direction more often
but this is not a problem as long as I then continue on
to do the work.
Are you on track with all of your
work?
What work needs to be
completed outside of lessons?
Week 10
How did you choose to pitch your
idea?
What made your pitch stand out
and be different? Why would it
convince someone to invest?
How did the pitch go?
Is there anything you would do
differently in your next pitch?
yes
NA
This week you pitched
I chose to pith my idea on PowerPoint with a script in
front of the whole class. I thought I would be able to
rely on my ability to improvise more that I could
thought because I found myself actually being quite
nervous for the pitch. I decided to just talk the
audience through the process and what I had made
rather than showing them the actual productions.
What made my pitch stand out was my extensive
research and survey saying that my idea was good
and matches the target audience I also tried to have
as much charisma as possible which would help
convince and investor that they should invest.
My pitch did not go very well and I ended up finishing
before the time I should’ve mostly because I was very
nervous and started to lose track of my though. This
was very disappointing because I used to consider
public speaking on of my strengths. I have learnt that
it is important to rehearse pitches more than I did this
time round so you know what to say and when and
you do not freeze under pressure.
In my next pitch I would make sure I am fully ready
and have rehearsed what I am going to say multiple
times to make sure that I do not lose track of my
thoughts or repeat myself. Often in front of a crowd it
can be heard to concentrate which is why it’s
important to know what to say.