Evaluation Question- What have you learnt about technologies from the process of contructing this product?

Although I had used some of the programmes before at a basic level, such as Photoshop and windows movie maker. At the beginning I was able to work on Photoshop fairly effectively as I had used it for media last year. I was able to resize pictures and change the style of writing. I had basic use the software however by the end of the task I was much more fluent with the program and had learnt all of the shortcuts, meaning I could work quickly. I improved much more than I expected to. 


I had no previous knowledge of Dreamweaver MX before starting the preliminary task so I was finding it difficult to do the simplest of things such as importing an image into the correct place. It did hinder my progress at the beginning but as I became more confident it was much less time consuming. 


The main differences between the preliminary task and the final task was the use of Dreamweaver as I got more confident with the technology and was able to use the software more effectively. I was able to do all the basics tasks that I had struggled with before, such as importing images and creating a nice layout. 


I ensured that my video looked professional by editing it so each slide changed to another smoothly. The sound track and logo gave it the finishing touches to make it more convincing.

Evaluation Question- What do you feel you have learnt in the progression from the preliminary task to the full product?

As you can see, my preliminary task had empty space and was rather dull. This was due to my lack of knowledge of the program and shows that I was limited by my abilities to utilise the software. Although the feedback I got was not all negative, I decided that I would have a black background for my drug abuse charity website as it doesn't look as dull, and it will make the colours around it look brighter in comparison. However, I did get positive feedback on the menu bar which was convenient as it is a feature I wanted to keep, as it is useful and professional. I kept this element of the website the same. I learnt that to create a website that was effective according to Sklar theory that the top left hand corner should contain the logo as this will be the first place that our eyes are drawn to. It will then go across the page in a zig zag manner. This was useful information to know as I could arrange my website according to the three ways that people view a website, to assure that my website will be easy to view.  I didn't expect the preliminary task to be as challenging as it was, however I feel I managed to step up to the challenge and although it was not as good as I would have liked it to be, it was a good learning curve. 

I feel that this project has not only developed my skills in using Dreamweaver, but given me a useful knowledge of it that I may be required to use later on with life, especially if I take Media for A2. Also, the research was more rigorous in the main task which has helped me to improve my research skills.
The images in the final task were very different to those in the preliminary but mainly due to the content, as the quality was still high. Although, I did use more images so as to break up the text.
In the preliminary task I was writing for a selection of audiences; young teenagers around the age of 11 so that they would like the school website and be tempted to come to it but also adults. This made it quite difficult as I had to cater for two very different audiences.

In this task I targeted a mass audience but it was more easy to pinpoint their likes, as bright colours attract a young audience but also pleases an older audience. This meant that the planning for the main task was slightly easier in the sense of a target audience but the content was much more complex, especially seeing as we had to make four pages instead of two.

Was the planning of the main in comparison to the prelim harder

Evaluation Question- How did you attract/address your audience?

To attract my audience I have used a range of photographs of people who are different ages as well as writing their ages next to their names to show that it is not for a niche audience. The colours I have used on my website are neutral when it comes to pin pointing an age group as I have used black as a background and purples to compliment it. This may be too bright for the older generations, which is a fault, but a positive is that it attracts attention and if you were to come across it whilst browsing the internet it would make you stop and look. I had some inspiration from the website 'Talk to Frank' as it is a popular website which uses bright colours to engage the audience. The inspirational success stories and pictures of happy people attract a mass audience as it makes them feel like they too can get their lives back. The use of different races and ages means that it appeals to a range of audiences. The interactive interface attracts a younger audience as they are more technological.

In my video the use of a young character in a school setting conveys that she is of a young age and although the website is targeted at people of all ages the video focuses more on young people so as to try and prevent them from becoming addicts. Ensuring that the younger audience know that there is help available if they have become addicted to drugs is positive as it means that they will not lose their lives to a battle with drugs.

When asking for feedback on my website and asking the audience what attracted them a fellow pupil said:  “The colour scheme is original, and the way the text is laid out invites you to read it as it is not threateningly long. Also, the pictures used are relevant and the composition is nice” Not only does this prove that Sklar theory is successful; it also shows that the colour scheme I have used attracts both male and female audiences. I asked my mother for feedback and she said that “the colour scheme is engaging and will encourage people to look at your website. Your logo is well made and goes well with the colours you have chosen." Seeing as my mother is 45 this is a good sign, as it shows that even an older audience like the colour scheme.

Evaluation Question- Who would be the audience for your media product?

My website is aimed at a mass audience as companies would be more likely to target a large audience than a niche, as it benefits them. A charity website which is too specific may not be able to connect with the masses, and although it will help some, it is better to have a website that everyone feels they can relate to and within that have more specific problems. The ability to email, text or phone the charity means that those issues can be dealt with separately whilst still gaining popularity for the use of the website.

Although my website appeals to audiences of all ages my video is slightly more based on the younger generation. The main reason being that I was confined to using my camera in school and that the music I had available to me due to the copyrighting issue was dubstep made very kindly by my friends. I was going to use "Under Pressure" by Queen which would have been a song that older generations could connect to. However, the music I have selected is more popular with the younger generation as they tend to go to raves more than an older audience. I do not think this is a major fault as I presume that most drug takers will have listened to some dubstep or house in their time, but I would have liked to do it differently.

Evaluation Question- What type of media institution would distribute your media product and why?

A television channel which would show my advert would be Channel 4, T4 and E4 as they broadcast a number of programmes such as Skins, Misfits and Hollyoaks which contain frequent drug use and can be seen to be encouraging drug use. Therefore, having an advert to dissuade people from taking drugs and help them to get clean would keep their image clean as well as promoting a healthy lifestyle. My video would be shown between 9-11pm as this is when most teenagers are watching E4. Also, seeing as Hollyoaks is shown at 6:30pm it would mean targeting a younger audience and preventing them from taking drugs, therefore reducing the number of young people who will develop a drug habit.

A magazine such as NME would have links to my website as they are urban and indie and support small raves and music festivals. It is common that festival goers take drugs so having a support link to the NME website would be highly beneficial.

Evaluation Question- How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My website represents a younger generation and uses a range of representations so that it can represent a number of groups. For example, I have used a number of people from different races to show equality and that no one race has more problems with drugs than others. I have used examples of people from different social classes, for example, "Although I had a degree, I didn't want to go back into accounting." -Brendan and "I had no qualifications at all as I left half way through my GCSE's." -Jackie show that no matter what level of education you have, Under Pressure? are willing to help.

I have also used a range of ages so as not to make anyone feel too young or old for the website and both males and females so it is not weighted towards being more for one gender.

My video represents a younger generation due to the music choice. It is similar to the music that is played at some raves and seeing as the main character, Millie, first took ecstasy whilst at a rave it proves that the music choice is accurate.

< A screen shot of my video 

Evaluation Question- In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge the forms and conventions of real media products?

My website conforms to the expectations of a charity website yet it had elements which make it more original. I have used Sklar theory to design my website in accordance to the way that people will scan the page. Not only does this make my website look as if it could be real, but it also means that my information is laid out in a way that a reader would appreciate as the information is easy to take in.

I have challenged the forms and conventions by using a bright colour, unlike most charity websites as they tend to use soft colours such as blues and whites. However there are a few which also challenge the conventions of colour, like my website. For example, ‘Talk to Frank’ use a range of colours on their homepage.

The bright colours tend to attract a younger audience, who will often be the ones battling with drug abuse problems as most people have experiences at a young age. The colours I have used are not gender specific as purple is fairly neutral. The pictures I have used are of both males and females so that everyone can relate to them.

My logo develops the forms and conventions of a logo for a drug abuse website as it is quite funky and stylish, and written in an urban font. It will appeal to a younger audience. The logo colours fit in with the colour scheme I have chosen for my website, making it look consistent and professional. Also, because the writing is bold it makes it stand out.

The music I have used challenges conventions. The music which tends to be used in videos and adverts made by charity websites is emotive and gentle. However, seeing as the video I have made is about taking drugs I decided to challenge the forms and conventions by using  a dubstep track, which is music common amongst people who attend raves and such. Not only did this tie in with the video, it also means that many people who watch it will be able to relate to it as they will be familiar with the style of music. This is the link to the track that I have used:

http://soundcloud.com/louisattfieldmusic/ljay-emotions-redlight-vocal-sample

Week Twenty One -17/02/11

I begun to answer the question 'In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge the forms and conventions of real media products?' This question was slightly harder than the others as we needed to assess the current charity websites as well as our one, which was fairly time consuming.

Week Twenty One -15/02/11

I finished the question on 'How did you address/attract your target audience?' and began to write about why I chose the audience that I did. My website is aimed at a mass audience as I kept the institutions in mind and I know that a product which appeals to a mass audience will be more appealing to a big company, as it will be viewed more.