Evaluation Question Four

How did you use new technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

RESEARCH

I was able to use sites such as www.channel4.com/programmes/4od  and www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer in order to watch documentaries online when researching existing products: it's easy, the sites are free and you can fit your viewing time to suit your needs. The sites even prompted me too look at 'similar shows' which helped broaden my area of interest.

Search engines such as Google and bing made researching teenage pregnancy significantly easier, as I merely had to type in key words in order to find the information I was looking for. Obtaining statistics was a breeze and Google images helped me narrow the search for posters and advertisements when brainstorming.

CONSTRUCTION

Photoshop and InDesign are cheap, easy to use programs which are available for most PCs, laptops or mac computers, and they produce professional quality print work with ease, if used correctly. I used both programs when creating my products and found the controls easy to use and the effects much more skillful than anything I could have produced on Paint or Publisher. Tutorials for both programs are also available online, which makes them more accessible to everybody.

As copyright is an issue when using music for anything nowadays, programs such as Garageband made life easier when thinking about the soundtrack for my documentary. It was made possible for me to replicate or create my own snippets of songs, either using Garageband's preconstructed riffs or making my own with the keyboard-controlled instruments available.

iMovie, unquestionably, is far more effective than Windows Movie Maker and is quickly becoming very popular when editing any film. It was simple to use and had a much larger range of sound and film effects, fonts and transitions. The quality of the film I produced was much greater than the piece I made at AS level last year, and it was easy to manipulate sound with iMovie - something I had not been able to do with Windows Movie Maker. As I was using this program on a Mac I had the advantage of being able to record some of my voice over using iMovie which allowed me to turn down the sound of a particular clip and up the sound of my voice, instead of having to talk whilst filming over any background noise: this also allowed me to manipulate the people interviewed or filmed, as I could tell them one thing but record another at a later date.

EVALUATION

With widely used sites such as http://www.youtube.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/ available on a daily basis it was much easier to distribute my documentary to a wider audience - YouTube allows people on a worldwide scale to upload videos which may be commented on by just about anyone who uses the site, and unlike Facebook you don't even have to be 'friends' with the person who distributes the clips in order to make comments. This allows for a considerably larger field of feedback than was previously available when neither site existed.

I used Facebook, Slideshare and Vimeo in order to put my documentary out for audiences, both of which were considerably faster ways of gathering feedback than using contact methods as users can view content at any time of day and from the comfort of their own homes.

Also, the whole of my coursework has been publicly distributed online by simply using this site. Worldwide viewers can leave comments on my work or even 'follow' me.

Evaluation Question Three

What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

As the main segment of my target audience were supposed to be teenagers, one of the best ways to obtain audience feedback was through Facebook - in the online age, pretty much everybody is signed on.

I put all three of my products onto the networking site and asked people to leave comments.

For all three products, the comments were almost entirely positive, with only a few negative points about the use of colour on the double page spread. Below I have shown the most substantial of the comments.

Double Page Spread

The thing most enjoyed by those who commented was the title - they thought it was quirky and modern, and fits in with similar documentaries currently aired on BBC Three. The thing most negatively commented on was the red bar - some didn't think it fitted well with the rest of the colours.



Advertisement

There actually weren't any negative comments at all on this piece. The audience felt the colours and image used worked well together all round.

Documentary

The comments for the documentary were all pretty much the same as the one below. The audience liked the two stories, but felt the presenter should have been filmed somewhere more 'homely' at the start.

I also showed and gave out post-questionnaires to a small, randomly selected group of 15-16 year olds, asking them whether they liked the documentary; if they thought the music worked well; if they understood the documentary and whether they learned anything from it.

Some feedback I got was:

• "I preferred Lauren's story because it was more interesting"
• "Didn't like seeing the pregnant girl in a pub"
• "Loved the choice of music"
• "Would have liked to see more of Rachel's partner"

After the screening of the documentary, one girl in particular approached me and told me that she had felt "isolated" and "guilty" watching Lauren as she could relate to her story. I felt that this was brilliant feedback, as it shows my audience feel strongly about the topic.

What have I learned?

• I shouldn't have altered the colour scheme on my double page spread
• The choice of music and language was appealing to my audiences - they also loved the quirky title
• Brighter colours are appealing to younger audiences - they look more modern
• Teenage pregnancy is a contraversial subject: most of my respondents had had experiences with teen parents and, whilst most felt prejudice initially, we sympathise with young people in these situations
• My target audience enjoyed my documentary, as they liked watching the vulnerable girl - because her life had more negatives than positives, she was more interesting to watch. This is definitely the most significant discovery as I believe it explains why you see so many 'trashy' teenage mothers on television - negative stories are more entertaining and, in the media industry, people will do anything to maintain an audience.

Evaluation Question Two

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

My documentary, double page spread and newspaper advertisement are all linked through the brand image I used throughout the making of my coursework. The fonts, colours and use of language work together to produce a stand-alone product which should be recognisable to my audience.

COLOURS AND IMAGERY

Pink and purple are used on each individual piece of my work - because they are feminine colours - along with Denne Shuffle as my main font so the audience recognise that they are all connected. Also, I have used the same female in each piece - though the camera angles differ on the two print products.

The statistic is used on both print pieces, though it was not featured in my documentary (if it had been longer than five minutes, it would have been used later on). This, again, shows how the pieces link together and keeps the work secretive - viewers would have to watch to find extra information, as little is revealed in the print.

Nature is also a reoccurring thing used in all three products as the photographs used are of local parks and one of the two teenage mothers was also filmed in a park. This is because, I believe, nature can represent children through the idea of birth and spring (note also that the programme would be aired in springtime).

LANGUAGE

The language I used in my documentary is similar to that on my double page spread - the speaker seems passionate about the subject and is generally informal in tone (as are most presenters in this type of documentary).

I believe, and my audience thought so, that, though minor, the reoccurring colours, imagery and general tone came together well to produce a strong, noticeable product.

Evaluation Question One

In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?


Using

DOCUMENTARY

• The title for my documentary is very similar to 16 and Pregnant in layout and font ideas

• Similar shot ideas used in my documentary to those in programmes analysed. I wanted to show realism

ADVERTISEMENT

Though my documentary would be shown on BBC Three (because it fits existing products on this channel) I felt more inspired by Channel 4 advertising.

DOUBLE-PAGE SPREAD

• The layouts used in both of these double page spreads are very similar. I used the idea of a boarder to make the page more difinitive.

Developing

DOCUMENTARY

ADVERTISMENT

• Not much development had been made regarding the two posters as my ad mostly challenges it

DOUBLE-PAGE SPREAD

Challenging

DOCUMENTARY

• My documentary was generally more formal than those shown on MTV and more music was used
• I had more 'professional' shots and less hand-held style angles
• I faked reality by using a woman who wasn't pregnant in my documentary, whereas the girl in 16 and Pregnant is clearly heavily pregnant

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DOUBLE-PAGE SPREAD

My Documentary

Sorry about the rubbish quality, but here's my finished documentary.

 'Prams, exams and full-time mams.'


Untitled from Jessica Hooks on Vimeo.

Completed Print

Newspaper advert

Listings magazine double page spread

Audience Profiles

KATIE

Age: 17

Favourite music: Florence and the Machine, The Arctic Monkeys and Kate Nash

Likes: Photography, swimming, shopping and spending time with friends

Dislikes: Spiders, underage drinking and Mondays

Bio: Brought up into a middle class family, Georgina knows the value of money and longs for independence. Perhaps not a completely 'average' teenager as she has a deep interest in politics and is a holder of high moral standards. She enjoys partying with friends at the weekend, but because of her upbringing disapproves of 'wreckless' teenagers who smoke, drink and have one-night stands. Currently studying A-Levels in Science, Photography and English she believes that education is essential for success in later life, and doesn't want to end up on housing benefits. Generally a pleasant girl who isn't outwardly judgemental and likes to think of herself as highly individual. She would be classified as popular in school.

Why are you targeting her?
Girls like this are part of my target audience because, though they may not necessarily admit it, they're usually the most likely to stereotype pregnant teenagers. Coming from a middle class family (though saying this is stereotypical in itself) she is more likely to band pregnant teens as 'lazy' or 'underclass' without considering the circumstances - also, as she values education I'd like to show teens like this that pregnant girls do want to go back to school, but sometimes it isn't easy, or even possible at all. I also want to show that girls like herself may even find themselves under these circumstances, so they shouldn't be so quick to judge.



JANET

Age: 34

Favourite music: Katy Perry, Rihanna and P!nk

Likes: Gossip, socialising and soap operas

Dislikes: Being gossiped about and nosey neighbours

Bio: A single mum of two teenagers, Janet works in a local supermarket to maintain a standard living for her family. She enjoys putting her feet up in her time off and knows pretty much everything about everyone - she thrives on gossip and scandals are her favourites. Not an overachiever in school, she decided to head down a working road rather than an academic one as she started a family at a fairly young age. Janet would love to think of herself as a 'trendy' mum, and despite financial setbacks she isn't one to hold back on luxury items when she has the opportunity. An all round family woman, she dotes on her children doesn't hesitate to come to their aid when they need her most.

Why are you targeting her?
Women like Janet are likely to be most interested in programmes about teenage pregnancy as it is probable that they were teen parents themselves. She wouldn't by any means be in a high social demographic position, and may even be classed as a 'chav' mum - but this is exactly why the show is aimed at people like herself: her children are, statistically, more likely to become teen parents themselves, and I want to show parents in this position how beneficial it is for young parents to have their support.
The children of women like Janet would also be included in my target audience as my documentary series would aim to show the different options teen parents have, and what kind of support they can get outside of the family.

Advertisement

So,  here's a look at the advert and a brief summary of what I did.

The feedback I got from my initial design was very positive and very little changes were made to it in order to form the final product.The changes were:

1. Picture was originally in black and white - respondents liked the photo but thought bright colours would be more modern and represent the vibrance of teenage life better
2. Title was at the top - audience didn't like this, they felt it distracted from the statistic
3. Different quote was used on the back of the teenager - it said "But is it right to stereotype?" originally, and whilst some liked this, others believed I should use something more shocking which linked in with the fact you can't see the face of the girl
4. Statistic and title had no effects used on them - the audience felt that these looked flat and wanted something which 'jumped out'.

Print Development

IDEA ONE



• NOTE: at this point I was drafting ideas and had not yet decided on a main image for the page

IDEA TWO

• Here I almost completely redid Idea One and gave the audience both ideas to look at
• I asked the audience to choose which they preferred - though Idea Two was popular, they thought it looked too much like something from a Girl Talk magazine

IDEA THREE

• I basically used the same colours as the text box from my first idea on this draft
• Still hadn't picked a main image I liked (had some people from my target audience vote on which they liked best at a later stage)
• This idea was more popular with my audience, so I chose this to be my template

IDEA FOUR - FINAL DESIGN

• Made very few changes between Idea Three and the final product
• Slight alterations were made to the text box and I added another picture
• Final image decided upon - originally I would've placed it only on the right of the page, but some people suggested a full page image would be more preferrable
• The use of similar - yet contrasting - images of the two pregnant girls was favoured by my audience, but some disliked that I hadn't used a picture of a teen dad on the page

Designing a Logo

Logo

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Listings Magazine Research

Here's my analysis of the popular listings magazine "What's On TV?"

Unfortunately, I lost the image of the front cover I was analysing at the time, but it was from the around time of the Eastenders Christmas special - the characters Kat and Alfie were the main focus of the cover image.

What’s on TV?

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Questionnaire

Are you male or female?

Male                            Female

Which age bracket do you fall into?

13 – 19                        20 – 29                        30 – 40                        40+

Do you watch documentaries?

Never               Sometimes                  A lot                 All the time

Who do you watch documentaries with?

Alone               Family              Friends                        A partner

Would you be interested in a new documentary on teenage pregnancy, which aims to show the positives of pregnancy?

Yes                  No

If no, please specify why: ________________________________________________

Please write down one positive and one negative point, in your opinion, about teenage pregnancy:

Positive: _____________________________________________________________

Negative: ____________________________________________________________

Please write down any issues regarding pregnancy which you find interesting and would like the documentary to discuss in further detail: _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Are there any issues you think have not yet been sufficiently covered in existing documentaries regarding pregnancy? If so, please specify: _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

 

Do you think Sex Education should be taught to students from a young age? Please give your answer and specify why:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Would you agree with the view that “bad” or “relaxed” parenting is to blame for teenage pregnancy? Please specify:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________


What is your personal opinion on teenage pregnancy?

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Do you think that existing teenage pregnancy documentaries exploit the girls they feature? 

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Would you be interested in a documentary which shows more prominently the point of view of a teenage father?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Do you think that existing documentaries show teenage fathers negatively? 

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Do you enjoy current teenage pregnancy documentaries?

Yes                  No

Please specify why: 

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Please name one or more teenage pregnancy documentaries you have enjoyed or found particularly informative:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Teenage Pregnancy - Existing Documentaries

16 and Pregnant

16 and Pregnant is an American reality TV show aired on the network MTV, and is filmed in a documentary style. The series follows the lives of high school girls dealing with issues such as religion, rebellion, and gossip amongst peers whilst facing an upward struggle into motherhood. Each episode follows the story of one girl from between 4 to 8 months into their pregnancy, up until a few months after giving birth. The series also deals with relationships with friends, partners (if they have one) and family.

Teen Mom

Teen Mom is a spin-off series which follows the lives of four of the original teenagers featured in 16 and Pregnant: Maci Bookout, Farrah Abraham, Amber Portwood and Catelynn Lowell. Again, this is a reality TV show disguised as a documentary. The show looks at how the new mothers struggle through the first year of motherhood, following up on family life and, particularly, they way each of their relationships has been strained by dealing with a newborn child.



Cherry Has A Baby

This programme is broadcast on BBC Three and follows 28 year old Cherry Healey as she nears the final stages of an unexpected pregnancy. Though the show does not exclusively deal with teenage pregnancy, Cherry interviews a wide variety of mums-to-be including a 15 year old girl named Paige, who appears to be anticipating the arrival of her baby. The show also deals with the issues of premature birth, post natal depression and miscarriges but retains a lighthearted approach to the topic of pregnancy in order to retain viewer interest.

Kizzy: Mum at 14

This is a documentary which focuses on the life of Kizzy Neal, a girl who became pregnant at the age of 13. The documentary follows Kizzy through her pregnancy and the first six months after the birth, showing how she copes with gossip from peers, her family and, among other things, the absent father of the child, who moved homes after discovering she was pregnant. The programme has a more serious approach than the above documentaries, and is featured in the "Born Survivors" series.

For the promotional documentary newspaper advertisement I decided to look at existing work related to teenage pregnancy; whilst most of the content appeared to hold negative views toward the topic, I found the use of imagery to be mostly inspiring. As my documentary intends to be neutural in its take on teenage pregnancy I have decided to combine aspects from the negative and positive sides when designing my ad.

Below I have listed the images I found most inspiring:

I like the way that colour is used in this poster as the image and background are plain and neutural, whilst the text is blue and bold so that it stands out on the page. The image used is effective as it portrays and average-looking teenage girl on a mobile phone, but we can tell from her facial expression and pose that she is worried; her eyes are downcast and she is slumped forwards.

This picture certainly has a negative opinion on teenage pregnancy as the word "statistic" is boldened and large on the page, which suggests that teenage mothers are becoming nothing more than a number. The use of the colour pink - which represents women and femininity - on this page draws the audience's attention to facts and figures.
I like the idea of dividing the page up into two halves with a picture taking up a whole side.

This next image, though plain, is one of my favourites. I like the way that the text is simple and straightforward, almost like words would be read coldly or sternly. I also like the idea of not showing face of the subject: this implies that the young woman could be anyone.

The idea of not using real images, but a drawing instead is interesting as it gives the poster a childish vibe - the image strikes me as something a teen might draw.
Vivid colours are used on the page to draw our attention to the stores and people enjoying life, whilst the teenage mother takes up a small amount of space and is coloured quite blandly; this suggests that the lives of teenage mothers are no longer exciting or thrilling.

Links

Below I have included a few links to clips of documentaries which I have looked at when considering what to use in my documentary.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bornsurvivors/minisodes/series1_kizzy.shtml Kizzy - Mum at 14 minisode.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00b0krn - Cherry has a baby clip.

Initial Script Ideas

Start with interviewer (a woman) walking through busy street(?) – realism.

Interviewer: Speaking facts and figures (number of teenage pregnancies in UK this year, the government’s plan to halve the rate by 2010, age brackets with most pregnancies)

Cutaway of the exterior of a house

Shot moves into location 1 (Home of TP)

TP: Explain what feelings are toward pregnancy, how you felt when you found out you were pregnant; shock; fear (telling parents/father/friends); excitement; worry (loss of freedom, missing out on education, etc); anticipation (for baby).

Interviewer: Ask how TP’s parents/father of baby reacted when she gave the news.

TP: Parents – shock, anger (at first), support (as pregnancy progressed). Father of baby – disbelief, worry (reputation/telling own parents), guilt (getting her pregnant in first place), then acceptance (wants to be part of baby’s life)

Cutaway of contraceptives, etc (pregnancy test on table?) and then hands holding (or maybe feet at the end of a bed to symbolise sex/relationships) – text over the top of images with quotes about Sex Education (not enough time given to it in schools – which would then bring us to next speaker [teacher])

Shot now in teacher’s office – Sexual Education teacher or school nurse

Interviewer: How do you feel about the amount of time given to sexual education in this school? Do you think that it is working or successful? What do you think about government plans to begin teaching Sex Ed to young children?

Teacher/Nurse: More time needed in school – though cannot force teens to use contraceptives. Thinks more time is needed for Sex Ed in schools – hardly any time given currently (students brush it off as ineffective or a ‘doss’ lesson). Approves of plan to begin Sex Ed at a young age – will raise awareness for children and teens about the implications of sex, what can happen if you’re not S.A.F.E and how to say ‘NO’ if you’re not ready.

Principal Positions and Perspectives

Supportive parent or sibling of the expecting teen:

• FOR the pregnancy
• It is the young person’s own decision – they will make their own mistakes
• Cannot make someone not have sex/give up their child
• May have been a teenage parent themselves – respects teen’s decision to face up to what they’ve done
• Prepared to offer support and help, positive toward pregnancy (grandchild)

Negative parent of expecting teen:

• AGAINST
• Sex Ed should’ve been taught better in the school
• Thinks it is a stupid mistake
• Jeopardises education – teen will struggle continuing in education if she decides to at all (if doesn’t go back into education, may limit job opportunities as less qualifications – if any)
• Teen isn’t prepared – parent doesn’t want to have to be the one to look after the child when the teen can’t cope (it’s their responsibility)
• Teenager will miss out on life and youth – won’t be able to go out as much once they have the child, and they may not realise that
• Doesn’t want child to become ‘another statistic’

Sexual Education teacher:

• MUTUAL or AGAINST
• Disapproves of pregnancies in teens, but will not pass judgement – their own decision?
• Should’ve used contraception – it is offered to them from schools, GP’s etc.
• Perhaps the teacher themselves does not believe enough time is given to Sex Ed in schools – not enough awareness
• Thinks that more effort should be put in by government (i.e. more campaigns) to raise awareness among young people as to what can happen if you have sex when you’re not ready or unprepared
• Thinks that the ‘legal consenting age’ isn’t very affective – has known very young people to ask for contraceptives, perhaps – something needs to be done about it.
• Not so much disapproval of the pregnancy itself (though doesn’t believe it’s healthy to have a child at a young age) but more-so disapproves of the way in which sex is portrayed in the media (i.e. young people having sex ‘willy-nilly’ on television)

 Nurse/Midwife:

• NEITHER – has seen good and bad outcomes
• Believes that if the parent is willing to look after the child, then there shouldn’t be too many problems
• Has some concerns about financial stability of young parents, however – will they be able to afford to look after the child
• Personally believes that it is always best to wait until you’re certain you’re ready – has seen some teenage mothers who turn out to be better parents than aged ones (it all depends on your circumstances and your initial attitude toward the pregnancy)
• Doesn’t believe in abortion – there will always be someone out there who will be prepared to look after the child – pregnancy is a miracle? All the women out there who cannot have children would be grateful for the child.

List of Possible Cutaways

• A busy street – people passing by, maybe teen parents in shot

• Holding hands – symbolic of sex and relationships (or perhaps to convey emotion, i.e. supportive parents?)

• A home – as my documentary aims to challenge the ‘unstable’ stereotype of teenage mothers, perhaps a shot of a stable-looking environment would go toward expressing my view

• Teenage girls/boys grouped in conversation? – could be shown with statistics like ‘1 in 5’ (could be any of them?) Or, on the flipside it could be used to show how young these people are still – are they really ready to give up their childhood to care for one of their own?

• Maybe a school – represents education and learning, something which (if argued for the ‘negative’ side) could show what the teen parents will be missing out on – for example, GCSE’s or A-Levels. HOWEVER, the school could perhaps be used when there is mention of how many teenage parents go back into education after having a child

• A hospital/clinic – obviously to represent the birth, or perhaps could also be used with abortion figures?

• Contraceptives – used with negative side of argument (as a documentary should convey both sides of a story) or could possibly be used with figures for number of people who get pregnant using condoms? (they aren’t 100% safe)

• School could also be used with brief mention of Sexual Education – when I looked at discussion boards and news articles on the subject, many people complained that Sex Ed was either not thorough enough, or not given enough school time

• Feet at the end of a bed – as with hands, this could represent people being sexually active and relationships, which is very relevant to the topic