These are a few possible fonts i can use for my DVD cover and my magazine. I think they are all simple and easy to read which is what you need for a younger target audience. My favourite font is Trebuchet MS as its bold and simple to read.
Below are some colour schemes i could use for my DVD case and Magazine. They are all bright fun and young. My favourite one is the red, blue and yellow one.
Picture planning.
We plan to take pictures for our ancilliary tasks straight after we have finished filming as we will already be in the correct costumes and have all the props etc. This will make it easier and more effective.
All characters are shown in the first shot - boys are shown biking together on one bike, showing that they are getting up to mischief. The girls come in walking, giggling because they fancy the boys. The shot is then froze, and the title "RunAround" appears above them, letter by letter. This is shown as being very bright and colourful to emphasise fun and youth. This shot is taken outside on the playground.
The camera then changes to a sequence showing each individual character.
Emily:
Emily is dressed in fashionable clothing and sat at a school desk in a classroom. In the shot Emily is shown as going into her handbag and getting out her compact mirror. The shot then freezes with Emily applying her lipstick using her compact mirror. Her name then appears above in pink writing to symbolise her femininity.
Jack:
Jack is dressed in smart clothing and is also sitting in a classroom at a desk. Jack's desk is surrounded by books representing his willingness to learn. The next shot then shows Jack reading an equation from his text book. The shot then freezes, and his name appears above in green writing, showing he's quite an average character.
Sarah:
Sarah appears on screen and is seen playing with a football on the school field. She is dressed in sporty clothes, e.g a hoodie. The shot then freezes showing Sarah catching the football. Her name then appears above in the colour blue. Blue was chosen as it's stereotypically a male colour and it represents her Tom-boyish ways.
Tom:
Tom is shown messing around trying to fit into a locker down the corridor, this is representative of his funny, naughty character. The next shot then shows him laughing, which then freezes and his name appears above in red writing. We chose red writing for Tom as it's a fun bright colour which represents his character.
The camera then changes and shows Sarah and Emily getting excited because Emily has received a text from Tom, they are giggly to represent the fact they are young and immature. This shot is shown walking down the corridor. The shot then freezes showing what was in the text message Emily received from Tom. The last shot then shows them bumping into each other down the corridor, The shot then freezes and Tom is shown to be messing around behind Jacks back to show his funny character. The shot then freezes and fades out. Lastly, "RunAround" appears on screen letter by letter, each bright and colourful.
Sarah played by Dani Richardson:
Sarah is a sporty, carefree character who isn't too bothered about her appearance and focuses mostly on sport. Sarah is represented as being tom-boyish and being clever.
Emily played by Phoebe Nickalls
Emily is very much a girly girl, who cares deeply about her appearance. She has long blonde hair and always dresses fashionably and Represented as giggly and flirty.
Tom played by Joe Davis
Tom is athletic and friendly. He is shown as being the trouble maker of the group and trying to influence Jack to do things with him.
Jack played by Jack Hurst
Jack is represented as the clever, geeky character. He does not like to get into trouble and trys to stop Tom being a bad influence on him. He always dresses smartly.
Below is an image of our characters in their costumes.
Who:
Charlotte Randall, Mollie Hinson & Emma Shepherd - Production team.
Joe Davis - Tom
Jack Hurst - Jack
Dani Richardson - Sarah
Phoebe Nickalls - Emily
Dates:
January 7th
January 21st
February 3rd
February 10th
Equipment:
Tripod
Camera
Camera charger
Costumes:
Joe Davis (Tom) - Wearing casual jeans and a jacket, with trainers.
Jack Hurst (Jack) - Wearing jeans, and a checked shirt. Also wearing glasses, looking smart.
Dani Richardson (Sarah) - Hoodie, tracksuit bottoms and trainers. Tom-boyish.
Phoebe Nickalls (Emily) - Black jeans and a white jumper. Also wearing Dolly shoes, carrying a handbag and wearing jewrelly.
Locations and why you have chosen them:
Risk assesment:
Playground:
Risks - Falling off of the bike onto the concrete.
Precautions - Make sure the person riding the bike is confident and capable, wear helmets, knee and elbow pads (under clothing)
Classroom:
Risks - Tripping over chairs / wires / bags etc.
Precautions - Make sure all chairs are tucked in, make sure wires are clamped to walls etc and bags are safely out of the way.
School Field:
Risks - Slipping over on wet grass, and injuring herself with the ball.
Precautions - Make sure we film on a dry day and ensure the actor is confident with the skills they need to demonstrate. Do not mess around with the props.
Corridor:
Risks - Bumping into other students and getting stuck in the locker.
Precaution - Film during lesson time to ensure there are no students wandering around the school. Make sure that the locker is big enough and safe enough for the actor to get in and out of. Do not mess around with the props.
Props:
Bike
Helmet
Elbow and knee pads
Compact mirror
Handbag
Lipstick
Text books
Glasses
Ball
Locker
Mobile phone
From analyzing my questionnaire results i found out that the majority of people that completed it were up to the ages of five, although i am going to make this a little older because i feel they are too young to realize what they like and dislike about things, so I've decided to use the age range of 4 to 9. I used six children in this age range, 3 boys and 3 girls to make it fair.I showed them all the three opening sequences I had previously analysed, these were: Lizzie McGuire, Balamory and Ben 10. I then asked them what they liked and disliked about these opening sequences.
Lizzie McGuire
Only 16.% noticed the directors and producers names which were show at the beginning of the sequence.
66.% said they like the plain white background as it made the characters stand out, although 40% thought that it was boring.
84% said they like the fact the characters names appeared at the side of them, clearly showing who was who helping you follow it if your new to the programme.
80% said that they like the "big ball" prob because it showed the excitement and closeness of the family.
Balamory
80% said that they liked the music created just for Balamory as it is fun and explanatory.
20% thought the song was too repetitive.
36% said they liked the use of CGI and bright colouring used in the opening sequence.
50% said that they liked the way you followed the characters showing what they do and getting an idea of their personality.
64% said they didn't like the idea of CGI as it was too childish.
Ben 10
80% of people said they like the idea of having a prop like "Bens watch" will can allow them too change into another character instantly.
50% said they like the idea of the aliens being shown which Ben can turn into.
50% disliked this because they thought it gave away too much of the progamme.
36% said they like the space effect at the beginning.
100% though a minute was just the right length for an opening sequence.
After finding out these results, i told my focus group of the idea i have for my opening sequence. I asked them too come up with at least two things they liked and disliked about my ideas. The majority of peoples answers were..
What they like most.
The things that i mentioned that appealed to them most were...
Having an opening sequence that was between 40 seconds and a minute long.
Introducing all main characters one by one, ensuring you know their personalities.
They liked the idea of a upbeat, young track.
What they disliked..
The things that they disliked most were..
Having computer generated characters - they said this was childish.
The colour scheme of red blue and green, they said they only like the idea of blue and red.
I will take this research into consideration when creating my opening sequence.
I also created a questionnaire to find out what people preferred on their DVD and Magazine covers. I found out that the majority of people did not want the directors/producers names on the front of the DVD cover. I also found out that most people completing my questionnaire wanted three main characters on the front of the DVD/Magazine covers and the most popular colours people wanted were blue and red. This will be suitable because they both can be used as unisex colours so i can appeal to a larger audience. Furthermore i found out that people want the same colours used on the DVD cover to be used in the Magazine. Also, the most popular things people wanted included in the magazine were Character fact files, quizzes and stories. Lastly i found out that people completing my questionnaire want the same characters to be on the DVD and Magazine covers.
These print screens show that the majority of people do not want the producers or directors names on the front covers, also that people want three characters on the front covers and want them to all be main characters.
This shows that most people prefer the colours of blue and red, this will be suitable because these can be used as unisex colours.
These print screens show that the majority of people want the same colours used for both the DVD and Magazine covers. Also the preferred things to be included in the magazine are quizzes, stories and Character fact files.
Lastly, i found out that most people want the same characters to be used in both the DVD and Magazine.
After Analysing the results from both my audience questionnaires i have found out that the majority of people who completed it were up to the ages of 5, therefore my target audience is of this age. Although i will take this on board, I will also aim my target audience slightly higher as i want it to appeal to children up to the ages of 10. My research also tells me that my viewers are mostly females, but in my opening scene i am going to include males also because it needs to appeal to both audiences. The most popular Children's Tv programmes that were watched by the people completing my questionnaire were Balamory and Lizzie McGuire. Balamory was picked as the favourite because of the friendly characters and the use of CGI which i thought would appeal to my target audience of that age. From asking how long the opening sequences should be the most popular were less than 30 seconds and both 30 seconds to a minuite. I think between 30 seconds to a minuite is about right to introduce all the main characters and set the scence. Also i have found out that my audience want to have some of the main characters in the opening sequence, which i will take on board when creating my opening sequence. Furthermore i have found out that my audience prefer to have a song made for the programme, like the one in Balamory which is created to tell you what's going on in the opening sequence. I will take this on board although it may be a bit difficult. An equal amount of people want to see real life characters as well as computer generated ones. Lastly i found out that the majority of people want both sexes to be in the opening sequence. Below are some print screens of my findings.
These are my first two questions showing that the majority of people are up to the ages of five and mostly female.
As you can see from the above questions the most popular Tv programmes mentioned were Balamory and Lizzie McGuire.
The reasons why Balamory was most like was because of the friendly characters and the use of pictures and colours. From analysing Balamory, i know the attractive pictures in Balamory were created using CGI.
From the above questions you can see that there were equal amounts of people who wanted the opening sequence to be less than 30 seconds and between 30 seconds to a minuite. Also that the majority of people want just a few of the main characters in the opening sequence.
The last questions asked show that the majority of people would prefer a song created for the opening scene and the both the same amount of peope want real life and cartoon characters. Lastly, the majority of people want both males and females in the opening sequence.
Camerawork:
The first shot you see during the opening is the sky with all the planets flying around, which then jumps into the sequence of Ben 10, this is effective because it suggests that Ben 10 is a planet out of space, this would be appealing to younger children, especially boys as they may find it fascinating and that might encourage them to watch it. The next bit you see is very fast past cuts and jumps of things included in Ben 10. Ben's face then appears, it is a close up shot. You can see the expression on Ben's face, he looks like he's concentrating and has some serious missions to complete. The fact Ben is the first character you see, suggests he is the main character in the programme. The music starts when Ben's face appears, which is then the narrative for whats going to happen in the programme, and helps to explain things happening in the opening sequences. The next thing you see is the thing Ben wears on his wrist, described as an "alien device". The fact that it was shown straight after Ben and before any other characters suggests that it plays an important role in the programme. This device can help attract children into the programme because they may think it's a "cool" thing to have and by watching Ben 10, they may get ideas on how to get one themselves. The next few shots shows Ben pressing the "device" on his wrist, which then transforms him into any alien he picks on the device, this would also be attractive to children as they may see it as Ben turning into a "hero" type character, which they could aspire to be like. Also because its a really unrealistic thing to be happening, but children may see it as being really "cool" because they believe that it's true. "Ben 10" then appears, it is moving about on the screen and the spacey background appears again, just after Ben has turned into a monster. This suggests also a really cool and abnormal setting which children will love because it's not always you get to watch a programme which is set in space, where a boy can press a watch type thing on his wrist, then turn into every monster it wants, so it is effective. Ben 10 then continues to appear and fade in and out of the screen repeatedly. The next shots are all jump cuts showing all the different monsters and aliens Ben can turn into, this is effective because then the audience knows what Ben is capable of and aspire to be like him, they may think if they watch the programme they may get the powers Ben has. There is then the same shot showing the words "Ben 10" and space which was shown earlier. Ben is then shown to be running towards the camera, with flashes of different colours behind him, showing his strength. Ben then does a flip in the air, which when he lands turns into a alien. This is effective because it's showing what Ben's capable of, which is abnormal and it's why children are attracted to programmes like this. The next shots are all mid shots with numbers next to them, showing all the different aliens again which Ben can turn into, but this time with numbers next to them. Each little monster has about two seconds to jump around and show what it can do, this is effective because each of them may have little superpowers which the children will want to know about before watching the programme. The fact that there is ten aliens Ben can turn into compliments the title "Ben 10." The next ten seconds or so show Ben fighting with the other characters in the programme. The last section includes all the aliens and Ben all being sucked into a planet, with the last shot being Ben standing there showing his device on his arm, then the typical "Ben 10" appears next to him. This is effective because showing Ben last gives the impression he is the main character, which he is. Also just having the typical Ben 10 logo next too him just clarifies that its the programme and also the children may recognise and relate to the logo first.
Sound & Narrative:
The only sound used during the Ben 10 opening was the theme tune, which in non diegetic. This is effective because it creates a narrative for us, the song helps explain all the actions happening in the video in a catchy and fun way. When the tune has no one speaking, it gives out the feeling of an eerie setting, where something weird is going to happen. The music is effective to the target audience of young boys. Although it's still upbeat and catchy.
Editing:
Lots of editing has been used during the opening of Ben 10, to make it effective to the target audience of young boys. There are various amounts of jump cuts used throughout the sequence, to create a more fun and fast paced effect to attract the target audience. The jump cuts are effective because they help to speed up the opening, as its for young children its effective as they get bored easily. Also because the opening needs to introduce all the aliens Ben can turn into and Ben 10 himself all in a short space of time, so jump cuts help the ability to do this. Other editing used are all the blocks of bright colours put behind Ben and the aliens to make them stand out more, this is effective because it helps to aim more on the middle focus. Lots of CGI are used throughout the opening of Ben 10, this is because the target audience is young children and CGI to them are fun and bright and interesting, so by including something which looks like a cartoon rather than a real person is more appealing to them. Example of CGI (0.35 secs). Example of block colouring, (0.40 secs.)
Mise-en-scene:
Props used during the Ben 10 sequence are mainly his device on his wrist. This is the most important prop because its key to the events which happen during the programme. Ben's costumes used are just everyday clothes, this is effective to the young target audience because its something they can relate too. Also Ben's clothing may encourage children to watch the programme as he is just dressed like you're everyday boy, so children might think if i dress like Ben i can become an alien.
Representations:
Ben 10 is represented as being a fun little boy, who is up for any challenge that is thrown at him, even if it means turning into an alien! This is effective to the young target audience because Ben is someone average that they can actually aspire to be like. The viewers will see Ben as being a superhero.
Conventions:
Ben 10 follows conventions through many different aspects. The colours are theme tune relate to the target audience of young boys. The music is catchy and upbeat, and sets the narrative. The opening sequence introduces all the main characters and objects, e.g Ben, his device and the aliens he can transform into, which is what is needed too understand the programme. Also the use of CGI, this is conventional to the target audience, because young children find it fun and easy to understand.
Camerawork:
The beginning sequence to Lizzie Mcguire starts with an opening shot with three faces of Lizzie, showing different moods and expressions. As she is the first character shown is implying she is the main character, which she is, so this is conventional. She is shown to be smiling and happy which is effective because children will relate to this. At the bottom is says "Hilliary Duff", which is Lizzies real name. There is then a mid shot showing Lizzie playing with a boy, younger than her. This can be effective to younger children because its creating a big sister, little brother looking shot, showing to children they should be kind and play with their siblings. The mid shot is also showing Lizzie's clothes, this is effective because she is looking plain and natural, creating a suitable figure for younger children to look up to. There is then continuious shots of Lizzie and the boy playing with the ball, this is effective because its again showing them to get on well and be friendly towards each other. The next shot is introducing a new character, "Lalaine" there is a mid shot of her showing what she is wearing, this is also effective because she is wearing casual stylish clothes and looks pretty natural, which is also setting a good role model for children to look up to. The next shot is showing them playing together, this is effective because is implys that they are probably good friends in the programme, but also attractive to children as they are being friendly and playing together. The next character is then introduced, "Adam Lamberg" this is a few shots here, one mid shot showing what he is wearing, a close up showing his facial expressions. This is effective because again, he is shown as being casual, something people can look up too, the close up shows his face, he is smiling.. this is effective because it attracts children in because they know that he is happy and safe. He then throws the ball over his shoulder showing he is careless. The next shot shows a younger child then catching the ball, again showing they all play together which is what children want to see. You then know he is going to be intoduced, and "Jake Thomas" appears above the screen. When this character is shown he is playing and is not stood like the others were, this shows that perhaps he is a carefree character and enjoys playing with his friends. The next shots are of the characters introduced playing together. A woman then appears on screen and is introduced as "Hallie Todd" you immediatley think she is the mother figure because of the way Lizzie is stanced at the time, she is shown as having attitude and Hallie is boucing the ball around her showing she is the more dominant character. ( 0.21 secs) The next character introduced is "Robert Carradine" there is a mid shot of him carrying Jake a younger character that was introduced earlier on. He is shown to be the father figure as the way he is carrying the younger child suggests that he is getting him out of trouble which is a typical thing a father would do, this is something other children can relate too. The next scence shown is a closer shot of Robert and Jake showing the expression on their faces, Robert and Jake are both shown to be smiling. All the introductions of the characters are similar using mid shots of close ups. The next shot is a CGI of Lizzie as a cartoon character, showing her pushing up a very large ball, showing he is strong and very dominant. The last shot is of all the characters introduced, Lizzie is holding the ball which suggests she is the main character. There is another subtitle of "Lizzie Mcguire" again introducing the start of the programme. The last shot shows Lizzie leaning on the bouncy ball, she is smiling and happy which is attracting in the younger audience. The way all the characters were playing together in the opening sequences is effective because its something younger children can relate too. Also the way Lizzie is the last shot to be shown indicates that she is the main character in the programme.
Editing:
Editing has been used to produce the opening sequence of Lizzie McGuire, the most obvious editing is the horizontal and vertical lines used throughout the sequence to make it look more "fun" and "cool". The colours of these are green and blue and they move and change shape throughout, suggesting this programme is fast paced. Cutting is another editing technique used to help introduce all the characters in a more fast paced and flowing way. This is effective because childrens attention span is short, so they need to have something quick else they will lose interest. So this scence is effective because its short, fast paced and introduces all the characters it needs too in a fun and exciting way. CGI was used once in this sequence when Lizzie was shown as a cartoon character, (0.27 secs.) This is effective because younger children find it fun and exciting because everything looks so colourful, as this is only used once, compared to the other video's i anaylised it shows its for an older target audience, although still for children/young teenagers. There is also a dissolve used in one part, although it is not very noticable it helps the two slides fit together.
Sound:
The only sound used is the theme tune, which is non dieigetic and is made specifically for this opening of Lizzie McGuire. The song is sung by a young female, it is very upbeat and catchy and grabs attention. You can hear a guitar in the background of the song, which helps it become more upbeat. The song unlike Balamory.
Mis-en-scence:
One of the props used is the basketball, this is a key prop as it is used by all the characters whilst they are playing together, as it shows family interaction. All the costumes used by the characters are casual, but would have been stylish to the time it was set. Having the characters in very day clothing is more effective as it gives it more of a real life situation, something the children watching can relate too. Also it shows there carefree kids who are having fun and dont care too much what they look like, which is how it should be at a younger age. . High key lighting is used throughout to make is look bright, fun and happy.
Narrative:
The song lyrics used in the song to introduce Lizzie McGuire If you believe weve got a picture perfect plan then weve got you foled,'cause we only do the best we can. And sometimes we make it, and sometimes we fake it. But we get one step closer, each and every day. We'll figure it out on the way." This is the narrative introducing the programme giving an insight into what events happen during. This is something the children and veiwers can relate too, suggesting that if something goes wrong it can always be put right.
Representations:
The characters are shown as being fun, happy and carefree. Their interaction with each other at the beginning when playing with the basketball shows that they are laid back, fun and dont have any responsiblities, showing the youth of the programme.
Conventions: Lizzie McGuire follows conventions through many different aspects. These being; happy unbeat music, introducing all characters, using CGI and keeping it short and fun. Although Lizzie McGuire is set for a slightly older target audience , it still has that fun factor. The opening in sucessful through using upbeat catchy songs, these are mature aspects, but adding the CGI gave the opening that little childish fun feel it needed. Bright colours are also used in grabbing the attention of children.
The opening sequence starts with a high angle shot of the sea, this shot is setting the scene showing the land and a boat. This shot shows balamory being a nice and pretty place. The camera then moves from the high angle shot and pans over towards the boat, suggesting the boat may be a key object in the programme. The camera then continues panning left and dolphins start emerging from the water, this is appealing to young children as they generally see dolphins as a kind and caring animal. The camera then continues to pan until you see the land. Then there is an establishing shot identifying the setting. The camera then zooms in closer and closer, showing all the different colours and aspects of balamory which will attract the children in. Whilst this is happening, balamory appears on screen above letter by letter, these appear in different colour which children will like. The shot then changes to a low angle shot of the land. After this the camera the cuts to a mid shot of the town, and tracks the minibus as it travels down the street seeing all the houses. Again all the colours are bright and cheerful which will attract children. The camera then jumps too "pocket and sweets" a name children will find appealing, the characters are smiling, happy and waving which will appeal to young children. Also their clothes are matching to the colours of the buildings, red and blue. The camera then turns and faces towards the sky, and zooms into a big pink castle building, showing the person on the balcony. He is also matching the colour of his building and is similing and waving. There is then a wipe transition, moving onto an establising shot of trees and the front on balamory, there is also a bird flying which will attract children. The camera then pans towards the yellow house, then shows a mid shot of the man painting it, he is smiling and happy, this is effective to children. The camera zooms onto his painting of a house, which then jump cuts into a real house, this is yellow and then a yellow character appears, also happy and smiling. The camera then pans onto a while bungalow, and introduces a policeman on his bike, although he is authorative he is still happy and smiling which is showing he is caring too. The camera then pans towards "McCreedie Transport." there is then a long shot of the woman infront of the building waving. The camera then travels over the roof, showing another building, the camera stays holding that shot and the house transforms into one which is more real life looking, where a woman appears from the door. She is shown as a happy domimant character. The camera tracks her walking down the street smiling, waving and interacting with the other characters. This is effective and appealing to children because it shows them how to be nice to everyone and be happy. The camera then cuts to mid shot into a house, which shows a mother cleaning her childs teeth, this is effective because it's showing children that it's important to clean their teeth, but also not effective because they should clean them themselves. The camera then tracks the lady walking down the street and shows her entering the nursery/school. This is effective as she is shown to be a happy character, and it may encourage children to go to school if they know their teacher is going to be happy and friendly like her.
Editing:
There are many moments in this introduction where editing is used, mostly through CGI and jump cuts throughout the sequences. Jump cuts are used throughout to help introduce all the characters that need to be introduced, without the opening being too long. CGI are used because they create something which is cartoon like which children love. This is effective because it makes children want to watch Balamory. An example of a CGI is the dolphins at the beginning, (0.05 seconds) although there is many more throughout. There is also an example of a shot transition, (0.32-0.34 seconds) this is important because it creates a smoother transition between shots, also helping to make the opening sequence shorter so the children dont get bored and loose interest.
Sound & Narrative
There is non diegetic and digetic soung used throughout the sequence of balamory. Non diegetic sound is used at the beginning of the sequence as you can hear seagulls but you cant see them, this is something children can relate to in a normal day life as you can hear birds in the mornings but cant necessarily see them. Throughout the whole sequence Balamory has its own opening theme tune which is diegetic. This is effective, because it travels in time with the camera, introducing the characters one by one etc, telling you what their jobs are and what their going to do, e.g "or moving and jumping with Josie Jump, would that be the story in Balamory" making sure the children know whats what. The song is catchy and fun and children can remember it, it's like it's telling a story. The song is the narrative to Balamory, it explains everything and is sung by a happy woman which is appealing because she has a nice sounding high pitched voice.
Mis-en-scence
Balamory is set in a small seaside town, which is extremly bright and colourful throughout, this will apeal to young children as they sterotypically like bright colours and animals. The lighting they use is natural, giving it the real life feel. Dolphins are used to excite the children, as many people find them incredible, and the thought of them being in balamory will encourage the children to watch it. Their clothes /costumes used are exteremly effective because they are the same colour to the building each character is assosiated with, this is effective because if a child couldnt remember the name of a character, they could easily assoisate the colours they are wearing back to their job etc. Although PC Plum is dressed in uniform because he shows authority. The props used are the dolphin, boat and a seagull at the beginning. These all signify youth and fun for the children. The other prop used is the Balamory nursery sign, this is most effective because the actually program Balamory is based on a school/nursery. It is also an effective prop because it promotes the nursery and encourages children to attend.
Representations:
I think Balamory uses adults in it's opening sequence because they are a role model children can look up too. It's also effective because all the characters are different and have their own personalities, giving mostly everyone someone to aspire to be like. The adults act immature because they are supposed to excite the children, which works effectively. The children in the programme are all happy and excited to go to nursery, which is effective because children and home can relate to them and be excited to go to nursery aswel.
Conventions:
Balamory is conventional in many different ways. They use bright colours to appeal to young children, they use CGI to make the characters appear as cartoons, which is brilliant because children love it. The music they use is happy and exciting holding the childs attention. Balamory does well to appeal to it's target audience of young children.
Screen shot showing a example of use of CGI - dolphins
Layout:
The layout of this dvd cover i believe it the most effective. The route of the eye firstly travels through the "walt disney" logo this is effective because it's helping to advertise walt disney and also children may like other Walt Disney films and be attracted to this one because it's also made by them. The route of the eye then travels into the masthead, "hannah montana- the movie" this is effective because it's written and designed in the same way it is normally in the programs etc, so children will recongise it and relate to it. There is also "the movie" bit added on, this is effective because otherwise children buying it may think it's one of the programs and be dissapointed when they get it home. The route of the eye then travels into a tagline, "she has the best of both worlds", then through Hannah Montana. Hannah is smiling and looking happy, she looks as if she's wearing lots of make up and is well styled up. The route of the eye then travels through another tagline, "Now she has to pick one" where it then goes through another image of Hannah, she is also smiling and happy, but looking more natural. The reason for this is because they are contrasting the city world, to the coutryside world. The hotspots of this magazine are just focusing on contrasting the two worlds together.
Images:
The images used are cleverly created. Both images are close ups, showing how Hannah is smiling in both of them, but contrasting the different stances. In the first picture, Hannah is shown to have bright blonde hair, lots of make up ect. This is effective as in the top picture she is shown as being in hollywood, where the lighting has been used, and "hollywood" has been shown in the corner. Whereas in the second picture, Hannah is shown as having brown hair, less make-up and far more natural looking. This is because this half of the image is set in the countryside, we can tell this by the horses and hay ect which is in the picture. The effectiveness of doing this is Hannah is seen as being two different people, showing children that you can do all sorts of things with your life. Also with Hannah being shown in different ways, the children have essentially, two "different" Hannah's they can aspire to be like.
Fonts:
There isnt much texts used, but where there is the fonts are simple bold and readable, which is effective of the young target audience.
Colours:
The colours used on this cover are mostly whites and blues. Sterotypically blue is a males colour, although we know this is aimed at females. The reason for the colouring to be uncoventional is because they needed that colouring to make the effectiveness of the imagery work.
Conventions:
This DVD effectively follows conventions by including a happy Hannah on the front, shown to be like she is on the program. Also because children will recongise Hannah and aspire to be like her. The layout of the dvd cover is also conventional, having the masthead at the top etc.
Layout:
The route of the eye firstly travels through the masthead/title, "ben 10" this is written how it would normally be written and will be recognised by children who have watched the program. This is also bold and stands out well. Above the title there is a caption "volume 4..." This suggests that it's part of a box set, this also helps grab attention as it stands out well, as the white contrasts with the black backgroud. The route of the eye then travels into the monster/alien thing. Behind it there is lots of little pictures of little monsters and aliens with their arms out and their legs kicking showing they are ready to attack. The larger thing is shown as being very visious, as its teeth are out and it's eyes are bright yellow and feisty looking. The route of the eye then travels though to Ben, showing clearly his facial expressions. His mouth is open and his eyes are bright suggesting he is up for a fight or he is running really fast to get away from the monster. In the picture his watch is giving off something and is shown to be keeping the demond at bay. The route of the eye then travels through Ben's clothes, he is wearing his typical clothing he wears in the programs, this is effective because it means the children will recognise him. The route of the eye then travels through the "pg" age rating, this is showing what the target audience age is, boys aged around 4-10. The last thing we see is "cn" this stands for cartoon network and is helping to advertise the network, although it is helping advertise this dvd because people who like other cartoon network programs might be intrested in watching something different. The hotspot areas are showing the monsters face and Ben's face, maybe they did this in constrast, as the monster is looking fiesty and Ben looks like he's ready to take on the monster!
Colours:
The colours used in this dvd cover are greens blacks and yellows. Green is sterotypically more of a masuclin colour, although yellow and black arent so much, you know that this is targeted more for the males because of the idea of mosters and fighting ect. Black block colouring is used on a few occasion in this dvd cover, this is effective as it enables things to stand out more and grab the attention of children.
Fonts:
There is hardly any font but when its used its simple, consistent, clear and bold to ensure young children can ready what it says.
Images:
The images used are effective to the target audience. All pictures are cgi which younger children enjoy and can understand. The facial expressions of both Ben and the monster are shown clearly, to effect the situation which is happening. All the little aliens at the back are effective because they add onto the big monster, showing to the audience no matter what Bens faced with he can always win and achieve. And to younger boys being a hero is something they can look up to and aspire to be like. As the image of the monster is the biggest and most central to the page you get the impression thats the most dominant character in the film, the one Ben has to keep fighting to become a hero.
Conventions:
This dvd cover sticks to conventions because it is clear to the target audience it wants to achieve, this is shown through the images and the colours. Also having Ben on the front cover dressed in his normal feature clothes is effective because children will recongise him. The layout is conventional, with the masthead being at the top. Also using CGI imagery when the target audience is young children is effective as they can easily understand it.
Layout:
The first thing you see is the masthead Balamory, this is bold and in rainbow colours, they way it would normally be. This is effective because the children will recongise it from the programme, and can relate to it which will help advertise the dvd. The route of the eye then travels through to the Cbeebies logo, this is adveritsing for the BBC although it also helps attract other Cbeebies fans who might not have actaully seen Balamory. The route of the eye then travels through a circular picture which is full of sun, and bright skys and looks happy. This is effective and contrasts the title, "rain or shine" and also, reflects the umbrella on the right side. This will attract children in because it looks fun. The route of the eye then travels through the masthead/title, "rain or shine" this is written in bold bright orange writing, which is effective because it stands out. The actually title rain or shine is effective because children like both, and having a dvd about both may be fun for them. The route of the eye then travels into the restiricted age "u" which is basically anyone, so helps set the target audience of very young children. It then travels through a tagline, "have fun in Balamory whatever the weather" this is effective because it contrasts the masthead, sun and umbrella all together and suggests that Balamory is always fun despite the weather. Also it will help teach children that you can have fun whatever the weather. The hotspots are showing the characters, they are dressed like they would normally be on the show, helping chidren recongise them and be drawn into the dvd cover. Pc Plum is shown as being an authoritive character, yet still smily and happy. All the characters are shown smiling, which will help children be attracted to this dvd above others.
Colours:
The colours used in this dvd cover are mainly blues, oranges and yellows. These are all sterotypically unisex colours, contributing to the target audience of young boys and girls, around the ages of 1-6. The sky is shown as being bright and blue, suggesting its nice weather and everyones happy. The costumes of the characters are all bright, suggesting there all fun and this is something children like. Pc Plum's not so bright, but he is in his uniform showing authority. The orange bold writing used for the masthead is effective, exspecially with the white background because it stands out more. Also the contrast of the orange against the yellow and blue characters costumes is effective because it stands out even more.
Fonts:
The fonts used are plain and consistent throughout, but this is effective to the younger target audience it's aimed at, as they need clear big writing to be able to read and understand it. There is very little font on the dvd cover which is effective because unlike a magazine, you dont really want to know whats happened in a film before you watch it.
Images:
The images used are effective because they are the normal characters from balamory which can be recognised by the children. Both images of the females are mid shots, showing their clothes that they would wear on the tv programme, this is effective because the characters will be recognised by the children. The shot of Pc Plum is a close up, this is showing his facial expression, as he is happy. All the characters are shown as smiling, to attract the children because they look happy and fun. The way the images are placed suggest that Pc Plum is more important than the other characters as he is in the middle and looks more dominant, however this would work as he is the police officer and is the most authoritive character. CGI was used to create the circular picture in the middle, this reflects the title because its sunny but the little charaters are wearing coats and scarfs, "you can have fun whatever the weather."
Conventions:
This Balamory dvd cover does follow conventions. They've used lots of bright colours, simple fonts and smily characters to convey with the audience being very young children. They have also used the characters from the program and dressed them in their outfits, which is effective because the young children will recongise them. The masthead does not follow conventions as it isnt at the top, but it is still effective. Another convention they have used is CGI, this appeals to young children because its colourful, fun and easy to understand.
The route of the eye firstly travels through "new look new look new look." This is a brilliant thing to start of with as the reader will automatically see that it's new first and want to see the rest of the page. The route of the eye then travels into Hannah's face and through her body. She is shown as being happy and enthuastic which is how she comes across in the programme. She is standing in her normal stance, hand on hip and she is holding a microphone. This is effective because it's showing how she would be on the tv programme. Hannah is not wearing too much make-up, which is good because of the younger target audience, she is wearing trendy young clothes, which are not too revealing which also takes effect for the younger target audience, as they will aspire to be like Hannah. She also has a pink bangle and pink earings, all these things suggests that this magazine is for young-teenage girls, around the ages of 6-14. The route of the eye then travels through "peek inside.....Hannah's advice for you." This is effective because the word "you" makes it more personal, the children reading it will think Hannah's addressing them, which for them will be an exciting prospect - to be spoke to by Hannah. We then see the Disney Channel logo in the bottom left corner, this will be a way of advertising Disney. This can be effective because children which often watch Disney programmes may want to get this magazine even if they havent watched Hannah Montana, because they may enjoy other programmes made by Disney. The last thing you see is, "the movie and change your style issue" this is giving you an insight into what the magazine includes. The hotspot area mainly focuses on Hannah's face, above it you can see the masthead, "Hannah Montana", this is shown in the colours and the same fonts as it would be in the shows etc, which is effective. Other things advertised in this magazine are, "learn to sing loud," this is shown on a bright pink section which grabs attention. These are also giving you an insight into whats inculded in the magazine, which people want to know when their buying a magazine.
Colours:
The colours used are mainly purple, yellow and pink. These colours support the idea that this magazine is for the target audience of females aged 6-14. The metalically background is effective because it makes everything stand out that little bit more. Block colouring is used to make things stand out, e.g the yellow section at the bottom is used to enhance the writing on it and also to enhance the picture above it.
Fonts:
The fonts used are simple to read, but are also consistent which gives the idea of a more grown up effect. The Hannah Montana and Disney logo are the same as they are on the programme/merchanise which will attract the regular veiwers/buyers as they will recognise the logos.
Images:
The image used is a mid shot, showing clearly her stance, which is effective to her role in the programme, and also what she is wearing, which is effective to her young feminine character. Hannah is shown as being happy and fun, fashionable and sylish.
Conventions:
This magazine follows conventions as it shows clearly its target audience even if you didn't know before. Also as the main image is Hannah and she is the main character in the programme which is effective, she is also shown with a microphone which is good because she sings in the programme.
The route of the eye firstly travels through the beginning of a slogan "awesome free gifts" which stands out well as its in bold white writing, with a black background. Free gifts appeal to anyone, expecially children as they like things like that. The route of the eye then travels through the masthead, "100% offcial Ben 10 magazine" This is effective because it follows the conventions of being the same on all other ben 10 products, also its red, black and white so it stands out against the green background. The route of the eye next goes through a section which reads, "free giant posters" and also has a picture version of the posters, this is effective because it gives you an insight into the posters included with the magazine. The route of the eye then travels down through the characters face, he has his hand across his face, which is his normal pose for his alien fighting superhero character. This is effective because he's doing what he normal does, meaning children will recognise Ben and associate him with his tv programme. Also Ben is central to the page, showing him to be the main and dominate character with all the power and glory. The route of the eye then just travels through the rest of Ben, showing he is wearing his normal character clothing. The bottom of the magazine cover, is shown as being blank. I think maybe it should have more things at the bottom, although the layout is clear and not cluttered and iit is still conventional and effective. The four main hotspots of the magazine are around Ben's head, this is effective because it means his head is central to the page, so he's clearly seen when you pick up the magazine. The section at the top left hand corner shaped as an arrow is effective because it has a checklist of what things are included in the magazine, this is pretty clever and young children will like it because all things a checked off. There are quite a few things included in this magazine, "wallet, dog tag, note pad, badge and stickers." These are effective things to have because the children may feel they are like Ben by having them.
Colours:
You know this magazine is aimed at Boys, as its a Boy's programme. But you can also tell by the ways they try to achieve their target audience, e.g the use of colours, gifts they are giving ect. They colours used throughout are mostly green, with the occasional red and black. Green is sterotypically a male colour so you will associate this magazine with Boys. Also the idea that the character is a alien fighting superhero will attract the attention of boys because they may think its real and aspire to be like Ben when they are older.
Fonts:
The fonts used are simple, bold and readable, this also is done because of the target audience, young children are not as advanced as adults, and need simple clear writing for it to be readable.
Images:
The image used is a mid shot showing the characters stance, which is important to his super hero image, it also shows his clothing etc. This character is not real and is created by special effects but children do not understand this so will be attracted to the fact he's so bright, colourful and effectively created like the superhero he is made to be.
Conventions:
Although this magazine cover isnt as full and exciting as it could be, it still follows conventions of being submissive to the target audeince, using the character how he is on the tv programme and using colours, fonts and things that appeal to young children.
