CONTEXT

Idea 1: Loss of Physical media in music

My First idea is a roughly 20-minute documentary on the loss of physical media stemming from subscriptions and the rise of the internet. With the arrival of platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, etc., there is no longer such demand for things like vinyl, cassettes, and CDs; now, they become items that it is a personal preference to own. And more often, it is something people collect for fun rather than own out of necessity. 

This topic doesn’t just matter regarding music, but it is also evident across television and gaming. Nintendo, Blizzard and Disney are prime culprits. Nintendo has shut down their online access across their old platforms and charges premiums for old games they haven't shut down to be playable across their newer software such as the Switch. Blizzard took Overwatch completely offline and replaced it with Overwatch 2, with no access to the original game players lost years’ worth of data and in compensation were left with a borderline unplayable game on its first release.

But these companies aren’t the only ones causing this damage but also computer manufacturers no longer keeping CD drives standard on products, and car manufacturers doing the same. This is in comparison to when I was younger and my mother had CDs stacked in the glove box as aside from the radio, we wouldn’t listen to anything if not

What I hope to achieve with this idea is a professional mini-documentary, straying from last year's video essay style I adopted. I want to create a product that resonates not only with me but with older people who grew up with this type of media as the norm, and younger people are beginning to appreciate it and branch out and away from streaming services and instead understand ownership of content – no worry about losing access to it. Within the documentary, I want to explore the history, the aesthetic and the change that has happened over the last two decades. With this documentary I hope to develop my editing skills but also my presenting as I struggle with monotony in my voice.

Time management, within all previous work, has often been my biggest fallback and what I cite as what I need to develop the most. Within this project and its production, it is the skill I hope I will be able to discipline myself into bettering, Due to the amount of time spent on production for this unit there ought to be no stress regarding the deadline or the final form of this idea. Another skill I hope to gain is communication. I much prefer to work alone than in a group however feedback from those around me will be a key factor in helping build a strong product. Last year I refused to allow people to watch the end product I had created out of embarrassment however this year I hope to communicate better with peers and gain their input during the editing and production stages.

Camera operation and literacy will be a vital skill implemented during the production weeks, with a goal time scale of about 20 minutes, my idea will need a substantial amount of both a=roll and b-roll to back it up and drive the narrative. During last year's production due to both user error and faulty equipment, I was left with subpar and unusable footage, something I will strive to avoid this year.

Creativity is another skill I will try to utilise within this project, I myself easily tire of documentaries due to my short attention span so creating visual appeal during the editing process will be a way to keep viewers engaged and awake. Having watched the gaming documentary High Score, and having seen their use of animation within it, it has caused a long-lasting effect and made the documentary series extremely memorable =. I would like to create something that has a similar effect.

What relevant sources could you use

The marketing I could do for this idea is a combination of physical posters and social media. I would make still adverts for the documentary, I would tailor them to have the same colour scheme and fonts I will use within the actual product, but I would use the posts to promote and bring attention to local businesses and shops. For this idea, I would ideally like to interview at least one record shop owner and therefore if so, would dedicate on post specifically to who they are and what they do.

Furthermore, I would make comparison adverts such as like what the company Yeti does. I would compare subscription prices to that of the prices of CDs and other paraphernalia.

If not done in a social media format, I would do it as a mini magazine and include short articles, the articles would include excerpts from the product's script but also include personal reviews of different albums.

The ideal target audience for this idea is Generation Z. They are the age range most relevant to the online world and those most vocal about this change. When it comes to Highstreet shops such as HMV they are also the primary consumers of their products, the vinyl and CD sections of the shops overrun with teenagers and young adults. Furthermore, my product can also adhere to the older demographic of 30+ who grew up more with these physical media products and have a more mature perspective of seeing them fade out of the limelight. Gen Z takes more advantage of platforms such as Spotify in comparison to their seniors and when it comes to independent record shops it is often run by the elder generations who remain passionate about it. My product would also potentially suit an older audience better due to the planned rock and roll soundtracks I would have in the background to create a nostalgic atmosphere.

This idea links well to my progression as in future Ideally see myself working in both production and post-production of visual media, creating documentaries and other such TV products. Therefore, a documentary format for my final extended product benefits me the most. I can improve on my final major product documentary from the year prior due to better experience and continue learning how best to formulate them and problem-solve. The documentary format will allow me to better understand it as a medium and also allow me to further enhance skills when it comes to editing and camera work.

 

One of the difficulties I could face is my ambition not being proportionate to my skill level. Within Last year's FMP, I overcomplicated my idea and realised during production, not everything I wanted to fit into my documentary would make the cut whether it be due to not enough b-roll or simply the fact that lengthwise it wouldn’t be possible t. This meant that when I should have had a clear view of what the idea was, I instead was still slimming it down and tweaking it all throughout the editing process. This was due to how open an idea it was and the sheer number of topics you could cover surrounding it, this idea is similar. For The FEP I need to avoid making the same mistakes, remain ambitious but not overcomplicate my project and allow it to lead to stress.

 

I can gain a high grade from this idea as it will enable me to create a well-rounded product. The idea first and foremost is achievable and a topic I care and am passionate about, as much research regarding it, as well as scripting and editing, will be more enjoyable and allow for more creative freedom and allure when I piece it together.

I will evaluate my progression during this assignment via multiple aspects. I will utilise peer feedback, both from classmates and my own personal friends and family to gain as many perspectives as possible both from creative media outlooks and from those far removed from it. I will also value tutor feedback during production to better help me both understand the product I am making and gain a better understanding of where I can improve practically therefore helping me fix current flaws and allow for better progression of products in future.

The output of this idea would be a readily available documentary uploaded and available to watch on YouTube. The documentary as well would be placed within my personal portfolio alongside my previous work to be shown to potential employers and those involved with my high education.

Idea 2: Medias effect on depression, "is it selfish?"

 

My idea is a deep dive documentary on the link between the media and depression. How negatively does constant social media usage affect the brain and does it come from a place of privilege to be able to avoid certain content such as that of war reporting? Is it selfish to stay uninformed and out of it regardless of any political stance? The documentary would be around the 15-minute mark and use archival footage from other sources due to limited b-roll opportunities. For this, I would interview mental health professionals as well as aim to get 2 individual perspectives from ordinary people and see their opinions on their social media usage and what they think has effects on them.

With this idea, what I hope to achieve is a short documentary that highlights the unseen and unconsidered aspects of social media usage. Many projects from various sources have always highlighted the negativity that stems from unrealistic beauty standards for both men and women. They cover how screen time rots your brain but they don’t often talk about the avoidance and consumption of serious and real subjects and its effect on mental health. Therefore with this idea I would hope to bring that aspect of it into the light and see whether other people would benefit from cutting it out like I have, and observe whether they feel guilt for it.

This idea is relevant in this current climate as for me and many of my peers, Twitter is my most used app and has a daily screen time of at least 1hr. To spend an hour on a singular social media application, and the one that has the most varied content despite who one follows has for affected my brain. Cutting certain content out permanently via muting of words and blocking ads and posters both has led me to be better off For it.

At present the world has many political changes and worries and due to that, it has led to floods of new content and a constant stream of worrying and for some, life-threatening news that causes unrest, some people cannot afford to avoid this content whereas others can.

One of the skills I think I will gain from producing this idea is an ability to better create different tones and atmospheres within my products, a lot of my products made in the past have been incredibly casual or neutral whereas this, covering topics of both war and mental health requires a more formal and serious presenting. This idea will give me a chance to work on something I likely otherwise wouldn’t.

Furthermore, this idea will give me a better understanding of how to balance creativity when making serious products, due to a better understanding and literacy of editing software in the year since the FMP, I would like to rehash my goal of creating visually interesting products and having it show through via the editing, especially with this idea with it being more formal I would like to balance it out and make sure it is not mundane or boring but I need to not come across as tone deaf. Due to likely using a large amount of footage that is not my own for this project, while I will still use camera operation skills for some aspects, I would like to use the occasion to better improve my editing.

The ideal target audience for this idea is women 18-24. YouGov data shows that over the last 5 years, it is women of this age whose mental health has suffered the most due to social media. 34% say it has harmed their mental health, in comparison to the 18% who believe the effect on them has been positive, and only 10% who consider the question as unapplicable to them.

The way I would market this idea is by producing a short 45-second trailer using excerpts from at least one interview, ideally two, take out whatever the most hard-hitting answer I am given and use it as the narration and layer it over the footage, towards the end of it, lead into what the documentary is about, a brief onscreen text paragraph to detail the contents.  

This idea links to my intended progression with an ideal future in post-production work, this idea using archival footage and my own will give me a larger landscape in terms of editing to work with, and the topic at hand as well will allow me to better understand the documentary making as a medium and develop my ability to make them in present and in future.

One of the difficulties I could face with this idea is interviews, thorough research into industry professionals before reaching out will have to occur and I will have to be prepared for rejection and consider a varied number of potential interviewees to offset it and raise the probability of somebody agreeing to speak to me regarding my documentary.

Another difficulty I could face with this idea is a loss of motivation, with it being a serious topic and not fun, spending 17 weeks working on this topic alone may take a toll on my mental health or lead to boredom. To avoid this, I need to thoroughly flesh out the idea and understand the idea to the best I can before beginning the research and production stages. This would allow for an easier switch to a different idea in case this one is no longer plausible.

I can gain a high grade from this project by ensuring all research done for it is relevant and sustained throughout production. I need to ensure my understanding of the information remains respectful and factually correct not misinterpreting or twisting the words of my sources.

The evaluation of this idea will take place by using tutor and peer feedback to help me both during production research, the feedback will help me continue to ensure my idea is fully fleshed out, and the atmosphere created within it is correct for the tone and topic at hand and that my product is interesting and adheres to guidelines needed to acquire the highest grade achievable.

Furthermore, I will use production logs during the production stages of the project, the logs will take place immediately after any developments are made to ensure they are current and informative as to what I have done and don’t leave out any necessary information that would be relevant.

Idea 3:

My third idea for my FEP is a magazine on the same topic as idea 2. The magazine would cover the same areas: correlation to conditions such as depression, the effect on different demographics, the failing filtering systems and the overall question of “Is it selfish?”

Doing this idea in this format would allow me to bring to light a subject personal to me but in a more accessible way. One of the downsides to bringing this idea to light in a documentary form would be a lack of my own primary footage, footage I would be able to get would likely be overlooked for the archival footage I would use and I would have disparity over the difference of quality and style between the two different factors. I would hate for camera work to be shown up with more professional footage, which would lead to it highlighting flaws. Doing this as a magazine would mean the idea would be formatted through articles, each on the different areas I would like to cover.

By doing this idea I would like to achieve a professional and accessible magazine that differs from the usual nature of them. My idea is one, that when portrayed, it is often as a video. By doing it as a magazine it would also adhere better to disabilities such as loss of hearing. My topic covers sensitive subjects such as war and therefore I would have to consider victims of it within my target audience. A slow-paced and written format may appeal more.

Within this as well it would likely allow me to achieve more stylistic development, working with software such as Adobe InDesign and Illustrator. This idea would help me achieve a level of proficiency with the software I didn’t have prior.

This idea is relevant within the current climate largely due to recent developments in politics but also the fear-mongering that has come hand-in-hand with it. More people are with their eyes glued to the screen in case of developments whereas others are shunning the media- taking advantage of mute and block functions. This relates well with my magazine format. As a written medium it would allow my audience to put it down when they want to, and stop reading altogether if need be. It's less in your face than social media videos and the constant refreshing of Twitter against one's will. Furthermore, a magazine seems to be a more forgotten form despite its more intimate nature, largely seen now when covering fashion or music a magazine about the effects of this specific side of social media and news would likely draw and capture attention. It is not something that I have ever seen and it is something I would have to consider within my research, especially in areas such as similar products. So within this idea, I would hope to achieve a riveting and out-of-the-norm magazine that despite covering harsh slap-in-the-face topics, would do it gently but without coddling or condescension.

 

The skills I will use when putting this idea into play would be practical ones such as Adobe InDesign and Illustrator. Within my work, as a whole, I always strive for the quality of visuals to be as best as possible and as eye-catching as possible. This was a focal part of my FMP last year. However, I am far more adept with Premier Pro than I am with InDesign – the software my FEP would entirely be built on. Getting to grips with the program as well as using creativity to continue my goal of visual appeal will be a massive aspect of my project.

However, due to this the skills I will gain during my FEP are that of what’s listed above, to balance my own creativity with my ambition when using more alien software will be a massive area of development for me. Within this, my patience and time management will be abilities I hope to utilise and evolve. I am easily frustrated when things don’t work as they ought to in theory and when things don’t go my way. So to tackle software I remain unfamiliar with when the software I am familiar with continues to render me impatient and dismal will be challenging. My time management will also play a massive part in the overall production not just when I comes to editing it all together. I am largely irresponsible and lazy when it comes to interviews and photography so I will need to develop this skill to avoid allowing myself to continue being that way and reduce my stress.

The marketing I would do for this project would be short basic social media posts like the daily mail outputs – their branding alongside the headline and excerpt from the story that contains the general idea of the story. I would create my own social media publishing page on TikTok and create one of these posts for each article I write. I would hope to gain at least one filmed interview for this idea that for the actual magazine, I would transcribe but for the social media video, cut it down and post it visually.

My ideal target audience for this project is largely women of each different generation. Gen z are the generation that consumers harsher content more casually, it appears on their timelines and graphic content such as rape and death are often posted to sites such as reddit and Twitter even if they are eventually taken down, they make the rounds. However, it is incredibly common for women of older generations to have incredibly sustained exposure to negative content. Many people start their days by watching the news and almost become indifferent to it. Within my project, I would explore how different generations perceive content and are affected by it and therefore I would attempt to appeal my product to each generation.

This aligns with my intended progression as I intend to go to university post-college. This idea would allow me to create a more serious product as my final work, in comparison to the more neutral and upbeat projects I have previously worked on. I think this idea would be a good lead into going into a media production or journalism course where I will explore heavier stories. This idea would also give me the ability to develop skills like magazine creating and take me out of my comfort zone. My portfolio as it stands is entirely video and article work and therefore a magazine, one made to the calibre required for a final project would be a good addition.

The difficulties I could face with this idea is that of whom to interview, while interviews have the potential to be more readily agreed to due to the transcribed form (they wouldn’t have to be on camera) I would ideally like to speak to people within the psychology and sociology fields. However having reached out previously to university lectures and faced resounding no’s, I am unsure how attainable individuals such as a psychologist would be. Another issue I could face would be that of my own temperament. With previous experience using Adobe InDesign, I did not fare well. I was easily frustrated and upset with the software and this would have the potential to deter my motivation to bring the idea to life and also affect the overall quality of my work.

I could gain a high grade from this idea however if I managed to achieve my goals with it. To create a visually appealing and multi-target audience magazine that showcases lesser-considered areas of social media affect and the harm specific content can have. If I executed my idea well, utilizing tone and style I believe this idea is distinction worthy. It would simply come down to whether my ability can match my ambition.

To analyse and evaluate this idea I will heavily value peer feedback and will ensure to consult people of different demographics. One can often become blind to their own work and when its visual I think attention to detail and consistency is key. I would ask opinions on style and theme especially. However would also value insight into my writing to ensure my tone is correct and appropriate for the content I am creating. Towards the end of my production, I will value tutor feedback as they offer a professional opinion. Another way I will reflect on my product will be via sustained production logs, these will help me understand my creative processes and if ii find flaws and areas that need development within my project, where I went wrong or should do better next time.

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