INFT 1014: introduction to digital media by

Journal entry 1: Initial Feelings on the course and assignment 1

butby006 — 2021-03-01 12:14:28 UTC

So far I am looking forward to everything that I will be learning in this course. However, I am initially apprehensive about the assignments. As of right now, I can't visualize what type of product/idea that I would make a promotional video for, but I suppose that feeling may change after I start brainstorming.
I'm most looking forward to the final part of this course when we start to combine all of our work onto a website. I have some previous experience coding so I feel that it may be the easiest part and thus the most enjoyable.

Journal entry 2: 80 potential ideas to promote

butby006 — 2021-03-01 12:15:14 UTC

1. Mental health awareness video/toxic masculinity
2. modern internet radio streaming service for discovering new music
3. Cooking YouTube channel but it predominantly features camera angles of dogs watching food being cooked
4. Sourdough baking YouTube channel
5. A streaming service dedicated to showing the bonus features of movies that would have been on the DVD
6. An app which sends you notifications containing wholesome messages everyday
7. A website that uses tts (text to speech) bots to read scripts
8. Vegan milk that doesn't taste like water
9. Kitten mittens
10. University that uses the matrix download thingy to teach
11. Trailer for a 90s style sitcom about the Olympians getting into hijinx
12. Pocket sized plushies
13. Australian wildlife conservation
14. Encourage people to reach out to those they think could be depressed/suicidal rather than the other way around
15. Deconstruct how nonsensical English is as a language to stop ESL from being self conscious about their English.
16. Anti-screen time/social media message
17. Internet privacy PSA
18. Snapchat filters/false beauty standards
19. Cast iron cookware
20. Male flowery cologne/deodorant
21. A new energy drink for uni students
22. A device to help people fall asleep instantly
23. Self lacing shoes
24. FGC promotion
25. Encouragement video to get people to exercise regularly
26. De-evolve smart phones to more basic functionality but with modern technology
27. Hands free backpack mounted umbrella
28. Remote controlled flashing LEDS for suitcases to find them at the baggage terminal
29. Bicycle with built in lock
30. Promote donating used clothes to op shops/buying from op-shops
31. Emphasize the important of reducing and reusing over recycling to help the environment
32. Coral reef protection message
33. Coffee flavored morning breakfast bar
34. A new healthy fruit based drink
35. Deconstruct male pickup culture
36. Paper that doesn't let ink bleed through or crumple
37. Social media style website that allows those working in film to make connections (group actors with camera operators, directors, editors etc.)
38. Typewriter style keyboard
39. A new game arcade
40. An app that shows which ranks restaurants by how busy they are
41. interactable recordings of 'virtual walks' using a 360 degree camera
42. Quiz game that shows you an image of somewhere on google street view and lets you guess what country it was taken in
43. Covid safety precation video
44. Driving/rhythm game inspired by Baby Driver
45. A new type of chewing gum
46. Trailer for a movie filmed in a video game
47. Martial arts classes for fitness
48. Infomercial for kitchen products
49. A series of jewellery
50. A new fashion line
51. Tourism promotion for Adelaide
52. Promoting animal adoption
53. Ablegamers charity
54. A dictation program that uses your thoughts to type
55. A fitness focused watch
56. An app to organize all streaming services in one place
57. Speaking coach to help people improve their eloquence
58. Automatic synonym suggestions when writing essays
59. Online Bob Ross style painting coach
60. Cooking lessons for uni students
61. A new psychedelic rock album
62. Something that warns you during a horror movie when a jump scare is about to happen
63. Haunted house tour
64. Staring competition tournament
65. Reality show where professional chefs try to cook with what they find in a uni students apartment
66. A new microphone which cuts out all background noise
67. Stabalization seats to prevent motion sickness
68. Online movie theatre with live chatroom
69.easter egg hunt where you get quizzed on Easter eggs in movies after you watch them
70. Ad for an advertisement business
71. Metal album where each member of the band is just a piece of metal
72. Review website for walking routes
73. Politician hypocrisy
74. Navigation app voiced by professional actors/voice actors
75. Anti-gatekeeping message
76. Anti deforestation
77. Promote gardening
78. Health PSA for those who do a lot of work at a desk, stretch hands/back etc.
79. A new guitar/piano with leds along the frets which light up to tell you what note to play
80. Anti-smoking ad

Annotated Bibliography

butby006 — 2021-03-09 03:32:07 UTC

Armagan, E, Oymak, B 2013, 'THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON TURKISH UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD ONLINE ADVERTISING AND THEIR BEHAVIOURAL RESPONSE ', International journal of social sciences and humanity studies, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 92-105.

This journal discusses the reactions of university students to social media advertising and how effective it is. This will be useful information as the research was focused on my primary target audience. The study found that this audience found that entertainment value was one of the preferred characteristics of advertisements. I will utilize this information to ensure that my video is both informative as well as entertaining.

Bostanci, S, Inci, B, Sancar, O 2017, 'Usage of health-themed public service announcements as a social marketing communication tool: A content analysis related to public service announcements in the republic of Turkey, ministry of health's web site', Marketing and Branding Research, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 148-168.

This article uses research that analyzes a number of different public service announcement videos to create a guide on what makes an effective social marketing campaign. This research and analysis provides a perfect general outline in what I should do in my video if I want it to be effective. One of the most important findings from the article was that it's important to not just discourage bad behavior, but also give specific and practical suggestions on how to improve. For my video, that will include showcasing effective stretches that could reduce strain.

Blevins, S 2020, 'Carpal Tunnel Syndrome', Medsurg Nursing, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 53-55.

This journal article outlines how carpal tunnel syndrome can be caused by repetitive hand motions such as typing on a computer or using a phone as well as providing evidence that stretches can help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. This will be useful for my message as it provides a medical foundation for my public service announcement on why it is important to take breaks from work in order to stretch.

Fagarasanu, M, Kumar, S 2003, 'Carpal tunnel syndrome due to keyboarding and mouse tasks: a review', International journal of industrial ergonomics, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 119-136.

The information presented in this journal outlines many of the risk factors involved in the development of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). This is important information to include in my promotional video as capitalizing on my audiences potential risk of developing CTS in order to increase the likelihood that they follow my call to action.

Summary of my chosen message

butby006 — 2021-03-09 03:48:19 UTC

I plan on making a PSA style video that will encourage young people to take a break from their screens, stand up, take some deep breaths and stretch their hands/back. This is to promote both physical well-being by preventing potential injuries as well as mental well-being to prevent burnout.

Target audience

butby006 — 2021-03-09 03:49:03 UTC

The target audience for this video will be primarily young people from around ages 18-25. I chose this target audience in particular because university students often spend long hours typing essays or gaming without any breaks.

As someone who falls into this target audience it would be easy to target my video purely towards those similar to me so I must ensure that don't let my message become too self-targeted.

Inspiration + video examples

butby006 — 2021-03-15 10:53:17 UTC

Headspace, Headspace | Meditation tips | Letting go of effort, video, Youtube, 20 August 2017,
This video has a similar health focused message about meditation. This will be useful for guiding my project as the advertisement has a very informational tone which I am also trying to achieve. My video will be different from this as it won't be quite as calming as it intends to make the audience feel at risk

World Health Organization (WHO), World Mental Health Day PSA: Focus on depression, video, Youtube, 3 October 2012,
This PSA is a short message encouraging those to either provide or seek help to treat depression. It will be a very important resource for my video as it is 30 seconds in length and has the same PSA style that I want to reproduce. My promotion will differ from this as it will only have an uplifting tone at the end rather than throughout.

Queensland Health, Dear Mind (pandemic extension) 30 second TV ad Tanya, video, Youtube, 2 September 2020,
This is another PSA which prioritizes mental well-being during a global pandemic. It provides a near perfect example of the type of video I want to produce, with a clear narrative and message at the end. However mine will differ from this as the narrative I intend to show will be more relatable to a broader target audience rather than being an individuals personal experience.

Crafting my message

butby006 — 2021-03-23 03:46:50 UTC

Attention
I intend to grab my audiences attention initially by using compositing effects to create very unnatural/unsettling imagery. Showing my audience something visual unusual should be effective at grabbing their attention. However, I will have to be careful not to show anything too unsettling as it could be alienating for some viewers.

Interest
In order to keep my audience interested I will showcase a relatable situation for a typical university student. I will depict a student staying up late and typing furiously trying to complete an assignment on time. By relating to my audience they should become invested into what is happening on screen and decide to continue watching. The warning I am trying to portray might not be something that my target audience has ever considered as something that applies to them so holding their interest to the end will be important.
Desire
I am going to get my audience to want to follow my message using multiple different emotions. Firstly I want them to feel at risk of developing serious hand pain later in their life if they aren't careful. I also intend to uplift the audience near the end of my video in order to give them the motivation to follow the advertisement's messaging.
Action
My call to action will be for students to start taking preventative measures such as stretching and taking breaks in order to prevent future injury. For a public service announcement (PSA) style video it would be effective to have my call to action at the very end of the video in bold text. I could potentially accompany the text with images of easy stretches that one could do to reduce the chances of injury.

Treatment

butby006 — 2021-03-23 04:21:26 UTC

The video opens to a shot of a bedroom with a student sitting at their desk. The room is dark and their face is starkly lit by their computer monitor. The camera pans to focus on their hands where they are typing furiously, multiple shots are composited on top of each other to create the illusion of many hands typing at the same time. Loud, droning music can be heard, creating a feeling of monotony and dread.

Suddenly, the video freezes and the music stops. Voice over narration begins and continues over different freeze frame shots of the student. The voice over informs the audience of the potential danger of performing repetitive movements like typing for a long period of time.

The freeze frames stop and the lighting becomes bright, the student stands up and stretches, before walking away from their desk.

The screen fades to black and text appears which reads "Take a break: you'll thank yourself later". A link to a website containing more information is also at the bottom of the screen.

Tone

butby006 — 2021-03-30 03:28:20 UTC

My target audience will likely already know about the message I am trying to promote however they might not see themselves as being at risk.

I don't want to overload the viewer with information so I will instead focus on trying to convince the audience that they are at risk and need to do something about it.

I am going to show a dark, dreary and sad tone initially to make my audience want to prevent themselves from living the lifestyle I'm depicting. To create this dreary/sad mood I am going to use washed out, de-saturated grays and blues.

At the end of the video I want to use text to promote my message of taking a break from your screen/work. I will use clean and bold sans serif fonts as they will provide a modern, professional tone to my message.

Font

butby006 — 2021-03-30 03:41:38 UTC

I want my message to look professional and clear so I have chosen sans serif fonts which I think are extremely readable.

The bold font has a strong impact which will work well at inspiring the viewer to take action.

Roboto thin is another very readable font but its thinner lettering means it won't detract from my main messaging and headings.

LT Emphasis is a very plain font which is still readable when the font size is small which makes it perfect for the paragraphs of text that will be on my website.

Colour

butby006 — 2021-03-30 04:01:40 UTC

The tone I want to create in my video is cold and dark in the beginning but also professional, informative and aggressive towards the end. I think that cool, de-saturated blues and greys will be effective at providing a professional and formal feeling during my video. Near the end of the video I could use reddish browns to instill a feeling of warning as well as reliability.

Examples of stretches for hand pain

butby006 — 2021-04-03 08:06:59 UTC

AskDoctorJo, 7 Hand Pain & Finger Pain Treatments - Ask Doctor Jo, video, Youtube, 6 December 2018,
This video provides some stretches that help to relieve hand pain. I could potentially include some of these in my promotional video if I can fit them into the runtime.

Hand/wrist pain image

butby006 — 2021-04-03 08:18:52 UTC

Anete Lusina 2021, unrecognizable people demonstrating prohibition with hands, Pexels, viewed 2 April 2021,

Brainstorm of different approaches

butby006 — 2021-04-03 08:43:39 UTC

Colour Theory

butby006 — 2021-04-03 08:55:20 UTC

Cao, J 2015, Web design color theory: how to create the right emotions with color in web design, The Next Web, viewed 3 April 2021,
A useful site which outlines some of the emotions associated with different colours