in what ways do your media product, use develop or challenge forms and convections of real media products? Jack Lawrence

1. Evaluation Question 1
- In what ways does your
media product use,
develop or challenge
forms and conventions of
real media products?
By Jack Lawrence

2. Codes and convections are very useful to
audiences and institutions as they allow them to
recognize different types of media products
through how they are constructed and presented
visually. Jason Mittel argues that industries use
genre to sell products to audiences, I therefore
have tried to create a genre throughout my
media products.

3. The genre of sport I have decided to choose to
represent through my ancillary products on is
scootering which is a relatively new sport which
involves performing tricks and maneuvers with a
scooter. This sport is similar to the likes of
skateboarding and Bmxing.

4. My double page spread follows many of the codes
and convections of double page spreads within
listing magazines.

5. Through my gathered research I collected, I
created a slide share presentation which explains
these features. Link to presentation. The main
presentation
aspects the presentation comments on are;
 The Text
 Titles
 Layout
 Quotes/Pull Quotes
 Information supplied
 Images
 Fonts

6. The first convection I added to my Double page spread
was the key title.
The key title, 'Scootering is the best thing I have ever
done,' it’s a declarative statement which leaves the
reader in no doubt of what its purpose is. It also
informs the reader of the topic of what the
documentary is about which is the extreme sport
'Scootering'. I made the title be in a larger font which is
the same as other double page spreads which I found
through my research.

7. I did not include minor images within my double
page spread as I wanted to include more text
and furthermore I have also used an image
which covers the complete right half of the
page. This graphical aesthetic creates a more
minimalist and dramatic appearance to my DPS
which is effective. The DPS promotes the genre
and identity of the sport to almost be a lifestyle
and a way of life which is appealing to the
teenage male target audience.

8. When taking my photographs for the double page
spread I had a lot to consider. I had to consider
the framing of the shot, the use of natural
lighting, the timing of when the trick is
performed, what's in the background and
foreground, the focus point of the shot and the
angle of the shot. I also made full use of the
natural lighting as the pictures were taken in the
summer holidays. Here is a link to a post in my
blog in some of the possible pictures I
considered to use. Link to blog post

9. I also carefully planned out the
framing of the shot
considering the rule of thirds
allowing the focus point (the
subject) too stand out.
Furthermore, I used a slight
low angle shot to allow the
trick being performed seem
more impressive as it make
the subject appear higher up
in the air. This follows codes
and conventions of similar
products such as shown on
the right side

10. When experimenting whist taking
the photographs I included part
of the ramp in the foreground to
help add interest. This reinforced
the mise-en-scene of the imagery
creating an urban and hard
edged ascetic appearance. This
also allowed me to use this part
of the ramp to write the
important details of the subject
on it. The ramps are a useful
backdrop using natural frames.

11. I included the feature of a 'Drop Capital' as this a
stereotypical feature of double page spreads and
it can help add interest for the reader. A 'Drop
Capital' is when the first letter of the paragraph
is in a bigger size font. A common feature of
double page spreads which adds interest for the
reader is too include the use of a quote or a pull
quote.

12. I include a quote in the middle of the text on the
left hand side of the DPS to achieve these
benefits. The quote I used was 'I have made my
best friends through this sport and they have
been a big part of my life'. I also added speech
marks to the quote to give it a sense of realism
that somebody has actually said it and makes it
more believable for the reader.

13. I also added the feature of including lines in my DPS to
show the different features of the DPS to stand out
more effectively as well as creating a more neat and
professional appearance. I have also added the
horizontal lines throughout the DPS such as
surrounding the quote, surrounding the important
details of the programme e.g. channel it appears on and
at the top of the left hand side. Due to carefully
planning out the framing of the photograph allowed me
to use the horizontal line of the coping of the quarter
pipe ramp.

14. For the title of the documentary, I used the same
font 'Neou' as the font I used for the title in the
documentary extract. I downloaded this font
form a website called DaFont which is free. This
font has very similar aspects to the fonts used in
already existing scooter videos which I have
found through my research.

15. Here is a screenshot from my documentary extract
presenting the font I have used. An example of a
video which uses the similar font and
appearance which I found through my research
is Tommy Dang The Uk Experience. A screen
shot of this is shown as well.

16. Throughout the rest of the DPS I have used the same
font to keep the consistency through out. I presented
the font in a range of styles such as the size of the font,
Italics and bold. I made use of the bold feature when
mentioning some of the subjects which are included
within the documentary. This enables their names to
stand out for the reader. in terms of applying audience
uses and gratification theory it provides the reader with
satisfaction if they recognize the names, satisfaction
that they are knowledgeable about a niche sport
encouraging them to feel a sense of identity with the
brand but it also provides expert information to
audiences who will learn from the magazine and feel a
sense of loyalty to their educators. As theorist Stuart
Hall explored in Encoding and Decoding (1973), this
helped cement my ‘preferred meaning’.

17. I also put the date and time of the
documentary in an italic style to
make it stand out to the reader as it
is important information about the
programme. This is often used in
double page spreads such as the
ones I analysed. I also followed
the stereotypical convection of
double page spreads which is too
make use of columns.
When manufacturing the DPS I
had to carefully adjust and consider
the words I was using to produce
more even looking columns. I used
columns to keep the DPS
organised and in effect more
readable.

18. Through my research into scooter
magazines such as Scoot Mag,
Scoot Nation and French Toast. I
discovered that the use of social
media throughout the sport is
very popular. The theorist David
Jenkins wrote in 2012 how
important media convergence is,
particularly to the digital native
target audience of teenage males
that I was aiming at. The most
common websites used were
Facebook and Twitter, however I
also noticed the use of QR codes.

19. This influenced me incorporate one
into my double page spread as a
unique feature. I created a QR on a
website called QRstuff.com which
is free. The QR code now allows
the reader to scan the code on a
mobile device with a camera and
takes them directly to video of the
documentary extract which is on
YouTube. Another feature of the
magazines which I recognised is the
use of text which is carefully placed
on objects outlines within the
images. An example of this is
shown in the 7th Edition of the
French Toast scooter magazine.
The titles such as 'Ryan Williams'
are placed in line with the stairs. I
feel it gives the text a more natural
and ascetically looking appearance.

20. Before manufacturing my documentary extract I
researched into the codes and conventions of
documentaries and I have created a presentation
on Slide Share. Here is a link to the presentation.
Key features I wanted to incorporate include;
 Voiceover
 Interviews
 Shot types/Movement
 Sound
 Narrative Structure

21. I also watched examples of videos on YouTube covering
the topic as well as other examples of documentaries on
sports. I also had to decide the narrative structure of
the piece and decide what purpose I wanted it too have.
Through my research I discovered that scooter riding as
a sport is relatively un heard off. So I therefore wanted
to make the purpose of my documentary extract to
educate the viewer about the sport and the lifestyle of
the sports participants. I also wanted to show the range
of tricks which can be performed.

22. Throughout my documentary extract I also used the usual
convection of using interviews. I used interviews to
make the documentary more valid and to gain a sense
of realism. It also allowed me to educate and inform the
viewer about the sport. I also collected a range of
different angles when filming to keep the viewer
interested and engaged. I used a tripod to allow the
shots to be steady and still. It also allowed me to frame
my filming more effectively and more carefully think
about what I am going to take.

23. I also used background footage during the onscreen interview
to keep the viewer engaged and entertained. An example of
this is when I used background footage of the scooter shop
when the interviewee was talking about the scooter shop.
This technique is called a 'Cut Away'. I used
the interview to allow the subject to give their own personal
views, opinions, explanations and to offer information. I
chose not to use archival footage within my documentary
extract as I wanted all my footage to be first hand and I felt
the talent that I have captured where up to a high enough
standard of tricks where performed. If I was to make the
full documentary I would most likely use archival footage as
it would allow me to show previous scooter events such as
the ISA's ( International Scooter Association). It would also
allow me to show how the scene of the sport can differ in
different countries. Such as in Australia it is usually seen as
big tricks where as in Europe a more street/technical style
is stereotypical.

24. The choosing of the soundtracks was an
important task for my documentary extract.
After much listening and researching I
decided to use the soundtrack 'Crave You'
by Flight Facilities. I chose this song due to
its change in pace throughout the song
which allowed me to emphasise through my
footage. For example on the fast paced parts
of the sound track I showed fast paced
montages of tricks being performed. Where
as on slower parts of the song I would
cutaway to the interviewee or use the effect
of slow motion. The songs I used also
included many 'drops' which allowed to use
the landing of tricks on these points which
really empathised how good the tricks are. I
also had to adjust the sound levels at certain
points through out certain points of the
documentary to allow the cutaway to be
more effectively heard for the viewer. I had
to rise the sound levels of the interviewee as
his voice was fairly more quiet than the
soundtrack.

25. I have used a very wide range of different camera angles and shots
through out my extract. I have used both tripod and free hand
footage. When filming the subjects performing tricks at the skate
park I would get low with my shots to enable a low angle shot.
This allows the subject performing the trick to be bigger and
more impressive. The main tripod use was when I filmed the
interview as I wanted to receive steady shots as this is what is
seen in real media products. I had to edit the clips together
very carefully for example not have too many tricks being
performed on the same particular ramp as this can make
the documentary extract less interesting and appealing for the
viewer. By filming at a large range of ramps and locations it
allowed this problem not to happen.

26. I had to edit the clips together very carefully for example not have too
many tricks being performed on the same particular ramp as this
can make the documentary extract less interesting and appealing for
the viewer. By filming at a large range of ramps and locations it
allowed this problem not to happen. Throughout my process of
producing this ancillary product I experimented with the range of
video effects which are available in the editing programme I used,
IMovie. Examples of some of the video effects which I tried out are
aged film, flipped and cartoon. However, overall I felt that the black
and white effect was most effective and this was the video effect I
used in my final product. A black and white effect is often used
in documentaries and can allow the producer to express
their imagination and create a mood.

27. My newspaper article follow many of the codes and
conventions of existing newspaper articles. I followed
the stereotypical convection of having the most important
text in the most biggest font to empathise its importance
and to represent the bigger the font the greater its
importance it has. This is evident in my newspaper article
as the name of the documentary is in the biggest font.

28. My research also showed that previous already existing examples
had a very minimalist appearance with, title text included. I have
attempted to mimic this look and style. I feel this style works
very well with the area of the documentary i have included as
through my research I discovered that most of the
media concentrating on a similar topic to mine
included a very minimalist look. Such examples of
this include Bmx magazines such as Ride UK Bmx Mag and Dig
Bmx.

29. The picture I took for my
Magazine article is of the
professional scooter rider
Ryan McNamara taken in a
local shopping center. I
choose this location as
through my research I
recognised that a lot of
existing articles from the
same or similar topic
magazines included an
element in their photographs
of being in a street or a public
place. The picture is also shot
in an evening to prevent
members of the public from
getting in the way and
potentially causing nuisance.

30. My examples I researched also showed that the television
company's channel logo was usually included and was
fairly large to empahise its place. I have achieved this by
finding the MTV channels logo image and placing it as
a new layer within my magazine article.