Understanding Audience, Text, Production
A 7 Day Ad Project for Secondary Level Media Studies Students
This project is an opportunity for students to build their critical understanding of media texts, and their ability to design a simple draft proposal for a product. An experienced teacher at any level can adapt it to students’ needs and abilities.
By the time my Grade 11 media studies students reached this project at the end of the first month of the 5 month course, they had been informally assessed on their ability to deconstruct several media texts such as advertisements, popular TV show promos, and short documentaries. They had also “practised” production through several hypothetical exercises, and so were ready to take on this project worth 10% of the course.
Since the students had ample access to computers (MAC’s) and the Internet, they were able to find the ad in question, and do some simple cropping and editing. The ad is a famous Guinness ale ad with a surprise ending that turns sexuality and gender expectations on their ear – however, any creative online ad can work.
This 7 day experience moves the students from deconstruction of an ad through simulation of an ad campaign. It is the first of several similar projects in the course that reinforce theory through production.
Day One:
1. Examine the images, and sequence of images in the Guinness ad featuring a gay male couple.
2. DECONSTRUCTION/RECONSTRUCTION:
Do a), b), and c) below in order to understand how codes & conventions (images, sound, camera work) build an image/representation of a gay lifestyle (or of other ideas, for example a traditional heterosexual lifestyle, or of gender roles, or of suburban UK life):
a) Choose 3 significant images in terms of the ad’s purpose and intended message, and explain why you chose them. Explain how they help construct the meanings of the ad, considering zooms, angles, ‘story’ content, colour, etc.b) Comment on how sound helps construct the meanings/effects.
c) Conclude: Explain one way the ad communicates to its audience, and what one resulting meaning is for you. Why do you think the ad agency failed to convince Guinness to use its ad in a campaign (use concepts and terms learned to date in this course)?
Day Two:
- pausing the image (ie, ‘freeze the frame’)
- positioning the cursor on the image
- press the Apple, Shift, and ‘4’ keys simultaneously
- crop the image with the tool that appears: the icon should appear on the computer desktop – eg, ‘Picture 1’ or ‘Screen Shot’
- double click on the icon (on Desktop) to open it, re-name it, and save as a jpeg under File, upper left desktop
- Print the jpg’s. As well, send them to yourself in an attachment.
- Before you leave class, save images to your file folder in the machine.
Day Three:
3. Through youtube.com, examine Guinness ale culture through some ads:
Day Four:
4. PRODUCTION ON YOUR OWN
b) How are they marketed? List some code words that might apply to each. Explain your choice of code words through examples of images, logos, and other factors in the marketing of the product.
c) Consider what message or product type might be missing in the current choice of non-alcoholic drinks for teens: is there a market they are missing? Is there room for a new product? Explain your answer.
Days Five and Six:
5. Create a new non-alcoholic beverage for Canadian teens aged 16-18 through the following steps
b) Propose 3 or 4 code words you might work from when you design the logo and ad (eg, chill, cool, zen, etc.). Explain why you have chosen these words: for example, how do they reflect your target market and their lifestyle? what ‘niche’ are you trying to fill?
c) Design and roughly sketch a logo for the product. Explain the meaning this logo communicates, how it does so, and how this logo will appeal to your target market. Include explanation of colours, font, style used.
6. a) Draw 3 of the most significant storyboard cels for a 5 second TV or Internet ad introducing the new product – include the first and last frames. You will receive a sample storyboard as a model.
b) Include total script, sound, camera conventions and special effects, if any.
Day Seven:
7. Sharing your work. Self and peer assessment.
EVALUATION:
10% of final course mark and shared among 2-3 people:
- Q sheet for research process (Days One and Two) – 5%
- storyboard, design, & rationale – 5%
- includes peer/teacher/self evaluation
Your teacher will request progress reports at intervals during this project.
These progress reports may involve self-assessment, peer assessment, and ‘progress checks’.
