LO3: Evaluation

Evaluation-


When beginning this unit I was given the brief to create a Christmas advertisement for a local boutique department store , there were little requirements for this as we were given free creative reign - that being said there were some requirements , one being that the video had to be around one minute long , suitable for playing on a screen which didn't support audio and able to be uploaded to social media platforms (audio supported video). The store already had a built in demographic of 35-65 year olds within the ABC1 social grading with a high spending power so it was important for to us appeal directly to this whilst also attempting to widen the target audience potentially (younger) through editing technique and shot choices. The store is only heading now towards its 2nd year of trading therefore still needs to be promoted as it is not yet favoured more than say big name high street department stores such as Debenhams or John Lewis despite the fact they stock similar items and brands - this meant that throughout the video there had to be considerable amounts of branding to create synergy and reinforce the name of the store in conjunction with the big names shown on screen.

The purpose of the advertisement was potentially to invite new customers into the store to find their gifts in time for Christmas which in turn creates profit for the management, by showing a variety of products within all of the shots and a happy customer interface we are connoting that the store has everything you would need to complete your Christmas shopping - this is also reinforced by the Vox pop section where intentionally we scripted each 'shopper' to tell us a big name brand which they found in store and in turn who they would gift it to. We focussed around this idea of finding 'your' Christmas which directly appeals to the audience no matter of the age as they feel personally addressed and as though they are being instructed. What with the store having a built in older demographic it was important to appeal directly to them , this was done through gentle editing techniques such as a cross dissolve , that being said there were frequent cuts to the music giving the advertisement the pace which could be more appealing to a younger, more energetic target audience.

For the most part our planning matched production however we planned to show younger shoppers choosing presents for their parents/carers to connote that the store was also suitable for families - however it was made evident when we arrived to shoot the video that the environment focuses more on adults and homewares therefore this is what we included in the video as to give a fair representation of the store. We purposefully used a high frame rate to create a smooth and detailed depiction of what the store looked and also this slower aesthetic suits a less youthful target audience who have the time to look at the video and appreciate the products as opposed to the brands.


When gathering feedback from our audience , we received back that the video was meeting its purpose as it made them feel in the Christmas spirit - however there was some feedback which stated that the audio levels were haphazard and some actors appeared louder than others . To act upon this, i took the footage back to Adobe Premier and completed various pieces of audio ducking which effectively allows you to have control over the audio levels within a track - this gave me the control to make all of the actors appear to be talking at the same volume which made it easier to listen to - this was received greatly by the audience and shows how we acted upon audience feedback. These audio levels were then maintained throughout the final product including the backing track which had to be adapted as a result so that the actors could be heard.


We wanted to portray within the video that the store was a welcoming environment which cares about its customers therefore we showed a variety of shots which showed relation between the actors and products and staff working within the store such as the gift wrapping and man trying on a jacket - this particular shot also had the premium brand name in shot which appeals directly to the ABC1 social grading who have a higher disposable income therefore are more likely to buy big named brands as Christmas gifts. All of the actors which were used within the video were young which represents how the store caters for shoppers of all ages despite the pre determined demographic - this is important due to the audio supported version of the advert being made suitable for social media where you are most likely to capture a younger target audience. 

The brief was to create a Christmas advertisement for the store which due to time constraints was difficult to achieve as the store was not yet decorated for the Christmas period - I then had to rely upon editing techniques to make the shots appear more festive for example using simple colour editing in Adobe premier to bring out the more orange and red tones within the shots and then using additional 4k light leaks to put a gentle shimmer to each shot - this kind of sparkle is what is associated with the Christmas period therefore was played over each shot in correspondence with the colours within the shot , I did this by placing it over the video and then changing the opacity so that it wasn't too harsh to obstruct  in any way . If I was to do this project again then I would make sure that sufficient contact was made with the client to ensure the store was dressed appropriately so that the meaning was more prominent.