Radio advert evaluation for media

1. Lisa Burton

2. I created my own bedding music so that I could comply with copyright. It meant that
I didn’t have to ask for permission for the music which made the project more
simplistic. Creating the music myself allowed me to tailor it to exactly what I wanted
to use. If I made the music and I wanted to change it, I could do this easily of off the
master copy.
We used 3 people for the voices because we thought that variety of voices
would catch the target audiences attention because it may not be what they are
used to hearing. The 3 voices also provided a way to split the information up for the
listener. Ben had the clearest voice so we put him first in order to communicate the
clear and simple message. I then read a line because my voice was a little less
clear and enthusiastic. We found that my voice went well with the contact
information because I had good rhythm with the words.
We departed from our original plan a little because we were going to use a
copyright free track as bedding music but instead I made the music myself. I think
this worked better because it gave the advert a unique side, because bedding
music is normally very ‘same old, same old’ but I think we made the radio advert
different from a typical advert. Other than the change in bedding music, we stuck to
our plan well and I am glad that we chose not to change anything else.

3.  I was in a group with Ben and Tobi. We wrote the script together on
‘Celtx’ including the 8 main components of a radio advert. We then
moved onto recording the voice. This took 3 attempts. Making sure
that the voices were clear enough was a challenge that we faced
because we needed clear recordings with no background noise or
muffling so that the message of the advert could be understood.
After recording the voice overs together, we needed to create
another recording which would be used as the title of ‘waves surf
shop’. We therefore recorded this, but we had a problem with
echoing. When the individual editing process began, I tried to
minimise the echoing on audacity and iTunes. I was successful to an
extent but it couldn't be eradicated completely. I then moved on as
an individual to make the bedding music myself. I created a drum
beat using my voice and added a defined tune with backing
harmonies. When I added this to the voice over, I had to change the
levels and edit the volume during certain areas of the advert to make
parts of the advert more emphasised than others. My last challenge
was to try to merge all 6 recording strips on audacity into 2 before
exporting the final radio advert as a .WAV.

4.  We used many advertising techniques such as;
 Repetition: to make ‘waves surf shop’ familiar to
the consumer
 Bedding music: to make the consumer remember
the tune every time its played
 Contact details: so people can find ‘waves surf
shop’
 Advertised 20% off: to draw people in for the one
time offer
 Rhetorical questions: to make listeners think, and
decide for themselves
 Enthusiasm: making people notice the
voices, different to some normal adverts

5. A computer. I used the computer for Audacity and iTunes. I used the program
audacity to create, record and edit the bedding music and import and edit the voice
over. Without audacity or a computer I wouldn’t have been able to edit the voice
clips together, and I wouldn’t have been able to edit the music. Audacity made it
easy for me to create my own music because of the simple inputs, then just
pressing record and stop. I also used the program iTunes to create the music. I
especially used it to remove a lot of the echoing from the clips.
The voice recorder. Without the voice recorder I would have had to use a
microphone straight into the computer or have another device which had a
recording facility. I used it for the voice over and to create the title name of ‘waves
surf shop’. The voice recorder was very simple to use. I used the simple buttons of
‘record’, ‘stop’ and ‘playback’. Recording the clips was very simple, and so forth
listened to them back to make sure they were usable and that they had minimal
back ground noise. Collecting the clips was quick from the usb cable which I
attached from the recorder itself to the computer.
The microphone. I used a microphone to record the bedding music.
Without the microphone I wouldn’t have been able to create a track as clear as the
one that I did. Without one, the tracks would be very muffled due to having to use a
lot lower quality equipment that a microphone. I would have also found it very hard
to overlay tracks and to keep the beat constant.

6. It wasn’t difficult to use any equipment as I had used it all before. I
didn’t attain any new skills, although I polished my prior knowledge.

7.  I used the voice over so that the listeners could pick up lots of direct
information about ‘waves surf shop’
 I used my own beds because it meant that they would not be copyrighted
and so that if the listeners heard it again they would know what the advert is
about. I wanted the audience to remember the tune, and for it to have an
impact on them so that as soon as it came on, they’d know what it is about.
 I used only tailored information for the advert because it meant that it would
be straight to the point and that only important things that I wanted the
audience to know would be used. Unnecessary information is not needed
because an advert has to be short to keep the listeners enticed and
interested.
 My group and I had enthusiasm for the voice over, because it is important to
the listeners otherwise they may not be as interested in the advert.
Enthusiasm can also draw attention to the advert when it is played between
other adverts.
 Although the information was tailored we made it dense so that lots would
be communicated, but only things that we wanted the listeners to pick up on
were included. The information had a good rhythm and we were confident
from feedback that everything could be understood.

8. We were representing ‘Waves surf shop’. The whole advert is about
promoting the shop in Poole. I used contact details, bedding music, a
voice over, relative information, a one time 20% off offer, repetition,
rhetorical questions and enthusiasm to give the listeners
good, detailed information that will impact on their minds once the
advert is over.

9. This was the final feedback that I received;
 Bedding music too loud
 To much irremovable echoing
 Some muffling
 Any SFX?
I knew that my final product had problems, which were all picked up in
my feedback. I am very happy with my feedback as I can agree with all
of the points. If I were to make the advert again, I would record the
voice over with less echoing because I was quite distracting from the
rest of the advert. I would also make the music clearer and crisper so
that the whole advert would be more recognisable and this would make
it more appropriate for a radio advert. This feedback made me realise
that I can use very simple techniques effectively and give me a solid
final product. I understand the idea of using SFX because these could
make the advert more appropriate.