IDM Journal Assignment 1 by Anastasia Savvas

80 possible things I could promote...

asavvas2 — 2021-03-02 01:23:46 UTC

Sneaker culture in Australia
Streetwear style
The evolution of rap music
The importance of reading fiction
A bookstore that physically sucks you into the pages when you read one of its books
How house plants increase serotonin
What is the universe really trying to tell us?
Sketching
Diversity on the piano
The magic of watching Disney movies
How crystals work
A fictional store that sells crystals/books etc
Vinyls as a collectable
The immediacy of polaroid cameras
How collecting books is a dangerous hobby
From VCR to DVDs to Netflix
Why you should get a job in retail
Why listening to Frank Ocean is good for you
Is Instagram killing us?
The struggles of an online shopping addiciton
Being an amateur pianist
A fictional cafe
A fictional record/vinyl store
How screens are damaging us
The importance of listening to music
Why you should/shouldn't wear makeup
The dangers of drink/drug driving
A new Netflix original show
A horror movie
A piano that automatically plays songs depending on what mood you're in
A florist with edible flowers (not chocolate)
Portable tap water purifier
A bookshelf backpack
A cafe that sells coffee to put you to sleep
24 hour sushi drive through
A movie theatre where you watch the movie through your dreams
A flying car
Electric rollerskates
A caffeinated breakfast cereal
A water bottle that doubles as a speaker
A new adult cartoon show
A piano that plays a song through voice activation
The magic of 'tarot' cards
A music festival for kids
A bluetooth speaker with an extremely long range
A voice activated record player
X-ray vision glasses
A tea machine (like a coffee machine but tea)
A money saving system that only lets you take the money out once you reach the set goal
A self-refilling water bottle
A new show on broadway
A new social media app
A smoothie business
A device that records your dreams
A pill that changes your eye colour
A website that writes essays for you
Why everyone should play an instrument
A florist/crystal shop
The eighth Harry Potter book
An invisible drone
A new Marvel TV show
Glamping tents
Dog bark translator
A device that allows you to communicate with animals
Virtual reality glasses
Air jordans on wheels
A skateboard that won't let you fall over
A microwave that produces fast food
A new brand of air-fryer
An alarm that gives you an electric shock once you fall back asleep
A tablet form of the flu shot
Chewing gum that tastes like savoury foods
A projector that replicates the sky onto your bedroom roof
A new fantasy book series
A new music streaming app
A music festival where the only acts are headliner artists
Edible straws
Contact lenses that film what you see
A clothing brand
The perfect hangover cure

Initial feelings and thoughts about the course

asavvas2 — 2021-03-02 01:25:55 UTC

I'm quite excited to get stuck into this course and see what ideas I'm able to come up with for the promotional video. At first I was a little overwhelmed and felt a bit of pressure to choose something I love because once I've decided on a topic and done the first assignment, there's no going back.

I've never produced a promotional video before so I'm interested to see what I'm able to create with the little knowledge I have. As I'm creating my list of 80 possibilities I'm thinking of more and more things that interest me and trying to be as creative as possible.

The message I am promoting:

asavvas2 — 2021-03-09 01:01:21 UTC

The importance of reading fiction as a young adult

My target audience...

asavvas2 — 2021-03-09 01:01:38 UTC

My target audience is adults (ages 20-29) or 'young adults'. My reason for choosing this specific target audience is because I believe that reading fiction is extremely important, especially in those years after graduating from school.

Once reading fiction, or even just reading in general, is no longer compulsory or related to some form of study, young adults seem to lose interest.

Research - Why reading fiction matters?

asavvas2 — 2021-03-09 01:01:56 UTC

Academic Source 1
It's a hard task to convince a non-avid reader to start picking up books again, especially people in their 20's who are currently struggling with the heavy weight of every day stresses. However, as Howard Jacobson says in his article Why the novel matters: The importance of fiction in modern times, "when we read such novels...the part of us that votes, worries about taxes, expresses opinions, begrudges a platform, and consigns to hell - is disabled" (Jacobson 2018, p. 23). The magic of reading fiction allows you, regardless of age, to temporarily escape into an alternate reality where the struggles of day-to-day life no longer exist.

asavvas2 — 2021-03-09 23:21:34 UTC

_{^{Hale K 2020,}}_{^{Must read books for self care}}_{^{, viewed 11 March 2021, .}}

Annotated bibliography for academic sources

asavvas2 — 2021-03-14 23:58:32 UTC

Jacobson H 2018, 'Why the novel matters: The importance of reading fiction' Times Literary Supplement (TLS), pp. 2-38.

In this source, Jacobson discusses the importance of novels in modern times, and the way in which novels allow a reader to experience a world outside of the one they live in. This source was useful as it provided me with an excellent quote that relates to the intended meaning behind my promotional video, as well as examples of novels (The Trial by Franz Kafka and The Stranger by Albert Camus) that "give us a second chance at living" (Jacobson 2018, p. 23). From this I was provided with multiple examples as to why reading fiction is important which I will draw from in my video.

Currie G 2011, The nature of fiction, Cambridge University Press, viewed 16 March 2021, .

The following source looks at the concept of fiction and how important the relationship between author and reader is, as well as the characters in the text. It also discusses the different ways in which various audiences can interpret a text and the different meanings that can be deducted from a text. While this source doesn't specifically relate to the message or target audience that I am to look at in my video, it still allows me to gain a deeper understanding of fiction itself. Which I can then potentially use when researching my specific target audience.

McArdle, S & Byrt, R 2001, 'Fiction, poetry, and mental health: expressive and therapeutic uses of literature', Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, vol. 8, iss. 6, pp. 517-524.

This journal article researches the benefits of literature on mental health, and how fiction can be used as a tool. Therapeutic storytelling is used by professionals in psychotherapy and counseling in order to assist with common mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. This souce was useful as it provides information on the effectiveness of reading (fiction specifically), which is a concept I can draw on during the creation of my promotional video.

Research - 3 similar videos

asavvas2 — 2021-03-15 02:52:12 UTC

Video 1
Reading is Fundamental (RIF) https://www.ispot.tv/ad/ILVX/reading-is-fundamental-rif-a-book-to-read

The following advertisement is a 30 second video for the non-profit organisation Reading is Fundamental. The advertisement shows various popular book characters such as Pinocchio, Curious George and Little Red Riding Hood singing a song to try and entice children to read. The target audience for the advertisement is children, presumably between ages 2-12 because of the use of the children's characters. Although the intended target audience in this video differs from my own, the message behind the video is extremely similar and is something I will be also trying to portray.

Video 2
Tulsa Library 2016, 2016 Summer reading program promotional video, video, YouTube, 28 May, viewed 16 March 2021, .

The above video was created in 2016 by some of the staff at Tulsa Library in Oklahoma in the United States. The video runs for 2 minutes and its overall message is targeted towards teens to join the annual summer reading program. Whilst the target audience and overall message of the video isn't particularly similar to mine, the 'home-made' style of videoing is what my promotional video will also represent.

asavvas2 — 2021-03-21 08:11:02 UTC

"Much of what we believe about life comes not from fact, but from fiction" - Jessica Wise for TED-Ed 2012

asavvas2 — 2021-03-21 08:19:41 UTC

Video 3

TED-Ed 2012, How fiction can change reality, video, YouTube, 24 August, viewed 20 March 2021, .

The following video is a TED-Ed lesson that explores the way in which reading fiction allows you to deepen your understanding on real life experiences. The target audience for this video is extremely similar to mine, as the language and explanations of concepts is quite advanced. I like the use of the drawings and animations which is what drew me in to watch the video in the first place.

asavvas2 — 2021-03-22 08:05:34 UTC

_{^{Tumblr 2021,}}_{^{Image of colourful fiction books,}}_{^{Tumblr, viewed 22 March 2021, .}}Common fiction books such as Harry Potter, Pride and Prejudice, Anne of Green Gables and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Identify and craft the message for your promo video

asavvas2 — 2021-03-23 00:55:41 UTC

Attention
I aim to capture my audiences attention by showing popular fiction books that they have most likely read or heard of. My reason for doing so is to try and take the target audience back to that time when they first read these novels, and to trigger the memory of how it felt to be immersed in such fiction. My aim is that this will hopefully ellicit some sort of emotional response from the audience, which will make the audience want to continue watching and hopefully by the end of the video, take action.

Interest
By using books such as the Harry Potter series and Murder on the Orient Express, where there a universally known symbols (Harry's glasses, the Hogwarts castle, the Orient Express, a knife etc) I am able to attract my target audience by utilising these symbols. As soon as a viewer recognises one of the symbols and makes the correlation between symbol and novel, I have automatically captured their interest.

Desire
As previously mentioned, that familiar feeling that the target audience will get when recognising the symbols that are specific to each novel is what will draw them in. I aim to promote a feeling of happiness and nostalgia through familiarity. My outcome is that these feelings urge the audience to take action.

Action
Throughout my promotional video there will be a voiceover/narration that will talk about how reading fiction can transport you to another world and how it can feel like some sort of 'escape' from every day issues (anxiety etc) . My aim is that this voice over, along with the visuals will make readers want to take action and begin reading again.

asavvas2 — 2021-03-23 03:42:25 UTC

Mindmap reflection

asavvas2 — 2021-03-23 03:45:23 UTC

By creating this mindmap I was able to expand my ideas further and even reflect on things that related to my video I hadn't thought of previously. This allowed me to narrow down the message I wish to promote which is the importance of reading fiction and its benefits for people in their 20's. Looking at certain symbols in specific novels has helped me get a headstart on what novels I want to feature in my final product. Furthermore, researching into the different benefits of reading fiction has allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of my specific target audience as well as broaden my own knowledge on how important reading is.

Treatment

asavvas2 — 2021-03-23 03:57:25 UTC

This promotional video will showcase how reading fiction can be seen as an 'escape from reality' for young adults.

The video will start with a blank screen and there will be a voice over that asks a rhetorical question in order to capture the audience's attention. Uplifitng and 'inspirational' background music will then begin to play as different popular and unknown fiction novels will appear on the screen. Various symbols that relate to these novels (Harry's glasses from Harry Potter, the '10 Little Soldier Boys' poem from And Then There Were None etc) will be shown as well in order to set a scene that implies how reading fiction is an immersive experience.

The voice over will continue and it will explain how the everyday stresses of adulthood can often get overwhelming, and how reading fiction is a temporary escape or release from this. The ending of the video will cut straight to black as there is no product information that needs to be displayed.

Tone

asavvas2 — 2021-04-05 01:43:09 UTC

My target audience may have no current interest or desire for reading fiction or they may be so overwhelmed with their lives that they have not done so in a long time.

I want my target audience to feel inspired to want to pick up a book and begin reading again.

My video will need to convey a positive and uplifting tone if I want my audience to take action. I could also aim to make a personal connection with my audience by showcasing popular books (Harry Potter, To Kill a Mockingbird), hoping to bring about a sense of nostalgia.

The colours that would best display these emotions would be vibrant such as light yellows, blues, greens, oranges and pinks. However, when focusing on a book like Harry Potter, the themes within that book relate more to darker and eerier colours. This may mean that some of the colours used will vary between cheerful and dim.

Fonts/Typography

asavvas2 — 2021-04-05 02:40:23 UTC

Usabilla 2012, 15 Practical Tips on How to Use Typography for Emotional Design, viewed 5 April 2021, .

As Sabina Idler discusses in her article 15 Practical Tips On How To Use Typography For Emotional Design, using a font that resembles handwriting creates a personal touch which makes an audience connect deeper with the message being told.

Joogpot 2016, Evoke emotion through typography, viewed 5 April 2021, .

I like how this page explored the benefits of emotional design and how it is an effective method in order to elicit a response from an audience.

asavvas2 — 2021-04-05 04:18:57 UTC

Colours

asavvas2 — 2021-04-05 04:19:38 UTC

I chose these bright and fun pastels as my colour theme because I feel like these vibrant colours will remind my target audience (20-29 year-olds) of their childhood/youth, ultimately achieving that emotional reponse I'm looking for.

I have incorporated these colours into my padlet as well through the images used, the background colour and the mind-map.

Jerry Cao explores the emotions that different colours ellicit in his article 12 colours and the emotions they evoke. Some of the words he uses to describe the colours I have chosen include, playful, energetic, friendly, inviting and young (Cao 2021).

Creative blog 2021, 12 colours and the emotions they evoke, viewed 5 April 2021, .