Ancillary Tasks research

Learning objective

• To know the codes and conventions of a poster/advert

• To analyse the codes and conventions of posters/adverts

Why?

• As part of your advanced portfolio at A2 you will need to research, plan, produce and evaluate two ancillary (accompanying) tasks along with your main production

• The ancillary tasks you must produce depend on your brief.

• They are as follows…

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Advertising

The purpose of advertising is to entice or persuade an audience to purchase or use services in order to generate income.

This is done by promotion and marketing campaigns, which advertise the product or service using various forms of media texts.

What is the purpose of a

film/soap opera poster?

What makes an effective poster?

Purpose

• The main purpose of a soap opera poster is to promote the soap opera and attract the target audience to tune in and watch.

• The main purpose of a film poster is to promote the film and attract the target audience to watch the film.

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Techniques in postersTechnique How it is used

Actor or Actress The ‘celebrity’ star will be a main focal image for the audience, which helps to promote the film. As well as an image, their name will be included.

Organisation review quote

Organisations such as newspapers or magazines may review a film. Quotes may include a ‘star’ rating. Audiences will trust the reviews and in turn go and see the film.

Tagline A tagline or slogan is a sentence that sums up the film. It may be sensational or humorous depending on the type of film being promoted.

Image Images attract the audience, as well as using a ‘star’ actor or actress; there may be a child or animal.

Director’s name The director’s name may be used, especially if they had a previous successful film.

Organisation name Audiences trust the well-known organisations, such as Disney and are therefore instantly persuaded that it will be a good film.

Codes and conventions

FILM POSTER• Anchorage/main image• Tag line• Title of film• Actor/director names

SOAP OPERA POSTER• Channel logo• Main image• Tagline• Channel details

Some other key words:Convergence

SynergyCross-media convergence

Technological convergence

Soap Opera Trailer

A promotion package for a new soap opera, to include a TV trailer, together with:

• A listings magazine front cover featuring the new soap

• A poster for the soap

NOTE – You must produce all audio yourself, this includes music and sound effects, with the exception of audio that it is impossible to record yourself e.g. Explosions/gunfire. All found materials must be from a copyright free source.

Teaser Trailer

A promotion package for a new soap opera, to include a TV trailer, together with:

• A film magazine front cover featuring the new film

• A poster for the film

NOTE – You must produce all audio yourself, this includes music and sound effects, with the exception of audio that it is impossible to record yourself e.g. Explosions/gunfire. All found materials must be from a copyright free source.

What the examiner is looking for

• Excellent technical skills – (and use of at least TWO programs)

• Creativity• Understanding of generic conventions• Understanding of an audience for the product

To achieve an A grade in your production work you must combine all of these

Common ancillaries

• Poster / advert– What is the difference?

• Both print media• Both aim to persuade an audience• Both use eye-catching imagery and text• Posters conventionally contain less text

Task 1: code and conventions

• Research into the codes and conventions of your ancillary text that you will be producing– Teaser trailer• A poster for the film

– Soap opera trailer• A poster for the soap

Task 1: Conventions summary

1. Introduction: Explain your task and define the text you will be producing. Include its purpose (persuade / promote / inform / educate) and what medium it uses (print). 2. Main analysis: Using one to

two examples identify the key conventions using key terms.

One way of presenting this is annotating an example.

3. Summary: Summarise what conventions are common and how this will help you when planning your ancillary task.

Example

The purpose of this will be to advertise the film and persuade the audience to watch the film; to ensure that I create an effective poster there are multiple things that I will need to focus on including. It must portray the right message to the audience, as well as being target to the target audience we have in mind and therefore through targeting that specific audience group I will have to adhere to a consistent and appropriate house style; whilst also clearly communicating the genre of the film.

Example blogs

• http://www.mma2mthompson.blogspot.co.uk/p/ancillary-2.html (Soap)

• http://www.mma2ksteward.blogspot.co.uk/p/ancillary-1.html (Teaser)

Task 2: Poster/advert genre research

Find 3-5 posters of the same/similar genre to your own production that you will be making. Carry out focused research into the:

1. Target audience- Who is the target audience and how do you know? Discuss content, style, language and layout. How does this appeal to the audience?2. Content- What is included in the text and how does this fit the purpose of the text. Discuss characters, objects, setting, language, imagery3. Genre- How is the genre communicated through the conventions?

How to structure it• Introduction: what are your researching and why? What are you looking

for and why?– From looking initially into the conventions of a film poster, I am now

going to analyse 2 more posters- in order to gain a more thorough understanding. Specifically into the representation and effect onto it's target audience and the way in which its genre has been presented.

– .

• Main body of report

• Conclusion: explain the general conventions for the text within the genre, whether you feel it is success in its purpose. What have you learned and how you intend to apply your findings to your own ancillary task

Conclusion example

Example 1

Example 2

Success Criteria A/A* - Provides detailed analysis of how the conventions and technical aspects used

- reflects the genre- appeals to the target audience - help the purpose of the text

- Uses a range of images to illustrate your points clearly - Uses a wide range of sophisticated terminology• Concludes by explaining the general conventions for the text within the genre, what you’ve

learned and how you intend to apply your findings to your own ancillary taskB/C - Provides an analysis of how the conventions and some technical aspects used

- reflects the genre- appeals to the target audience- helps the purpose of the text

- Uses images to illustrate your points- Use a range of terminology (including some technical aspects camera/lighting/iconography)• Concludes by stating the general conventions for the text within the genre what you’ve

learned and how you could apply your findings to your own ancillary task