Codes and Conventions - Secondary Media

As beginning the ancillary tasks is approaching, I have completed research into the codes and conventions of my secondary media - a DVD cover for the series and the front cover for the magazine series. I have chosen specific children's TV drama series to give me an insight into the common features of DVD covers and magazine covers for the series. Particularly looking at Saved by the Bell and Everybody Hates Chris, as they were strong influences of my final piece.

Codes and Conventions:
- the main characters are typically centered in the piece
- a logo or a unique font is always evident so the audience visually recognise the series
- a small amount of writing, most attention is on the visual imagery
- quite basic techniques are used, which makes it easy for the young audience to associate with
- bright colours
- an obvious relation between the covers and the series itself should be evident

Textual Analysis:




I have completed some initial textual analysis of Everybody Hates Chris to give me a starting point for my ancillary tasks. I have now have an effective idea of the codes and conventions and will now begin to create some initial ideas for possible pieces. I will analyse more series, such as Saved by the Bell, Grange Hill and Sabrina The Teenage Witch so I have a significant understanding of how I can create an effective DVD/magazine cover.

Feedback

I received feedback from my teacher highlighting the areas that needed change to create a piece with codes and conventions evident, and to engage the target audience more:

- Improve the generated background from After Effects as it causes distraction and doesn't entirely fit with the piece
- The opening shot of the gang walking changed from an ELS to a MLS and have the gang walk closer to the camera to add a character engagement with the audience
- Shot 4's size to be reduced slightly to fit with the first shot of the character
- Shots 5-8 change the background to all pink to keep with the colours signifying gender and keeping to stereotypes
- Change the text colour of shot 6
- Shot of Heather is too far away, change to a CU or MS
- Shot of Emily is poorly framed and the lighting could be better - re-shoot
- Football shot doesn't work in the piece and the same for the shot of the girls laughing - create more effect by changing location so the boys and girls are laughing/messing around
- The shot of the gang walking back needs to be centralised
- Final shot to be changed to a close up of them jumping

To stick to the codes and conventions of the children's TV drama genre, I need to use close ups and mid shots of the characters as this is typically used in this genre to create an engagement with the characters and the audience. This is especially evident in Saved by the Bell. It was also established that the background music that has been chosen is not the right tempo to engage viewers as it becomes quite monotone, therefore I will aim to find a more up-tempo piece of music for the final piece.

So far I am happy with the progress that is being made towards creating a final piece; from gathering a variety of feedback I am aware of how I can show that I have paid close attention to the codes and conventions of the genre and I have a clear plan and idea of what to re-shoot/shoot, what to alter and what to add to create an effective piece. I do feel that such areas as the music and the generated background used from After Effects could have been altered earlier, but I still feel that progress is going well.