Describe the ways in which your production work and informed and aided by research into real media texts and planning. How was your ability to use research and planning for production developed over time.
Research and planning is very important to construct a media text because it is very important to follow conventions in order to create a successful media text. It is important for both the audience and the creators of media texts to follow conventions in order to preserve media and have a good product. Over my 2 years at college I have created 2 media texts, in my first year I constructed a horror film opening, in my second year I created a fashion advert. Over time I found that my research and planning became more developed and contained more depth, which aided me in creating a more successful media text which was more realistic and professional.
For my research in my first year I made various different powerpoints which would outline the audience figures for my specific genre of horror, this was helpful because it made me aware of the target audience which I would use to have a successful film. I carried this knowledge on into my second year however I developed this so there was various different figures for channels and tv shows. I found that this allowed me to have a more specific media product as I would find the age range for audience figures for both a channel and a suitable program which was on the channel and then use the one which I find the best (which is backed up with figures) and use it for both my sponsorship sequences and adverts. This development of knowledge and increased understanding of research allowed me to create a more successful media text in the terms that it became more realistic to professionals research and was more advanced than my first year production. For my research in my first year I also looked at a number of different horror film openings and looked at the conventions within each, this helped me to produce not a generic film opening but a films which follows conventions which allows it to meet the genre of horror to benefit the audience because they know what they will be seeing and to benefit myself as a producer because it becomes a lot easier to make and to market. In my second year I developed this by not only looking at the conventions of adverts but analysing this to a deeper level but I also conducted a timed analysis for multiple adverts which allowed me to follow the convention of shot lengths in fashion adverts and record and take note of the different shots within fashion adverts, this allowed me to follow conventions on a closer level and produce a more successful media text.
For my planning in my first year due to working in a group all planning was divided by 3 people which meant the work load was a lot less, however due to being in a group somethings we did not agree on. By working by myself I am able to complete my work exactly how I want it to be. Last year in my planning I only had to do planning for one media text however this year I had to do planning for both an ancillary task and a main task, which involved 2 adverts, a sponsorship sequence and a web pop up. This means this year a lot more planning was involved as I had to ensure that it covered all three different media texts. Planning involves various different tasks, for example scouting sheets. Last year when completing the different release forms and scouting sheets I found it very difficult to understand because I didn't know what they were, however this year when creating my adverts and ancillary tasks I found them very easy to do as I almost had a template to follow, however this year I developed my release forms and scouting sheets as I made them more specific of the activity and times and days which makes the production safer for the models and prevents any scandal which could arise.
