Research & Contextual Analysis

Typography:

There are some basic rules that you need to understand about typography. Rule number one, don't use fancy fonts, unless you have a lot of knowledge about the uses of different typography, keep it simple!

Another rule is that Trajan Pro is not 'old or fancy' if used correctly can be really effective. Also, don't use comic sans! Another thing to remember would be to never avoid default fonts. They are not dull, again if used correctly and sensitively can be very effective. Don't mix more than two fonts. If you are using more than one font, use two contrasting fonts. Using two similar fonts looks sloppy. Even if it's a serif and sans serif font, it will look a lot neater. 

Another thing to remember would be to make sure the x-height is similar. The x-height is the height of the lower case letter from the baseline. Make sure this height is similar throughout to ensure continuity.

Digital font size should be at least 13pt but sometimes 14pt is better as it's easier to read and more comfortable, but a minimum of 13pt is required. The character length of your paragraphs and sentences is important. Try to keep your paragraph length between 45 to 75 characters. 66 characters per line are widely regarded as ideal. The easier rule to apply is to set the line-height of 125% of text size. 

When it comes to paragraphs, flush left, also avoid hypertension and avoid it altogether when flushing the text left. Another thing to remember with paragraphs is don't indent, it's inelegant. Just leave a line to indicate a new paragraph. If something needs a caption, consider using a condensed font to indicate it's a caption and to clearly differentiate it from the rest of the text. Hang the punctuation marks outside the measure. It always looks elegant. If possible try to use them to keep your paragraph edges sharp. 

'A widow is a single word or a very short line of text at the end of a paragraph. Orphan is a widow that appears on the top line of the following column or page. Avoid it as possible. Try narrowing letter space or line break, reconsider font size, just don’t leave them in your text.'

Also, do not overuse word space. Unless you have a good eye for design, do not kern manually. Also, remember when you increase the font size, the spacing increases. There are also several ways to emphasise something so do not use upper case! Also only letter space upper case, not lower case. Don’t use all caps in text blocks longer than one line of text and if you don’t have any real small caps fonts — completely pass. Don't alter the widths of the letters. And finally, spell numbers! 

Grids:

The different types of grids:

There are a few different types of grids. Each grid has a different use and in turn a different effect when applied in production.

Golden Section:

Most typography uses the golden section. It is a term used to describe how elements within a piece of art can be placed in the most aesthetically pleasing way. It originates from maths and a lot of the time is expressed numerically to get the ratio correct. Some graphic designers use the golden section to create various grids and designs, however, some designers believe it is no longer valid.

Multicolumn Grid:

Single-column grids work well for many simple documents and are quite common, whereas, multi-column grids allow flexibility for publications that have a more intricate type and imagery. Type or an image can occupy a single column or it can spread across several columns. Not all the space has to be filled.

Designing with a Hang Line:

As well as creating vertical zones with the columns of the grid, you can also divide the page horizontally. For example, you can leave a space at the top of your design for images or caption and the main body text can ‘hang’ from a common line.

Modular Grid:

A modular grid has consistent horizontal divisions from top to bottom as well as left to right. These determine the placement and cropping of images as well as type. ‘In the 1950s and 1960s, Swiss graphic designers including Gerstner, Ruder, and Müller-Brockmann devised modular grid systems like the one shown here.’

Baseline Grid:

Baseline grids control the whole document and serve as an anchor for nearly every element in common publication. A baseline grid will consist of horizontal guidelines that keep text consistent page to page. They are set to the set of the lead text. For example, if your text is 12 pt, then your baseline grid will be set to 12pt. 

Identity:

Identity is very important in the media industry. It’s the certain characteristics and distinguishable differences a company’s logo or advert has that makes it easy to identify. Identity is really important to ensure a company stands out. Bold colour schemes and fonts can really help. Continuity throughout is key as well. If typefaces or colours constantly change, the audience won’t remember the brand and it will be harder to build up a strong following.

The use of identity is campaigning:

Identity is crucial in campaigning. It helps you build up a following and also ensures your presence is one that people are familiar with and therefore want to support.

An example of identity:

An example of identity throughout this companies branding would be the colour scheme. The continuous orange and white colour scheme make it easy to identify. Throughout they have used the same typeface and sizing and the slogan is always present and acts as another way to remember the brand. The number ‘38’ is always bigger as well to add emphasis. The actual logo is also always at an angle. This is very clever as it ties with the name as in a 38-degree angle, but also clever as it’s at a 38-degree angle that things will start to fall.

Overall, the branding although simplistic is extremely effective and if seen regularly by the audience and constantly reinforced into their day to day lives, will become extremely memorable. 

Experimental Jetset:

Experimental Jetset is an independent graphic design studio, consisting of only a three-man team. They have a very specific style. They always use Helvetica font in a very large typeface. They use Helvetica because of its neutral nature and how commonly it is used. The simplicity in the font forces them to be created elsewhere. The simplistic take on advertising actually has more of an impact. They also keep to very basic colour schemes, no more than two colours are used at one time. They also overlap text with images to create a very unique style. Text on an angle is also very repeated throughout all their designs. Often, they follow a monochromatic colour scheme, with bold Helvetica font is around 72pt, ut often a lot larger! This simple yet effective style is unique to them and helps create an identity for them against other advertising/campaign companies.

Constructivism:

'Constructivism was an artistic and architectural philosophy that originated in Russia beginning in 1913 by Vladimir Tatlin. This was a rejection of the idea of autonomous art. He wanted 'to construct' art. The movement was in favour of art as a practice for social purposes.' Some main aspects of constructivism are: Red, black and white colour scheme, block shapes, sans serif text, asymmetric design, text on a diagonal and the rare use of photography 

Constructivist Artists Work:

Liubov Popova:

Liubov Popova was known for using constructivism in her paintings and occasionally, like the one above, she followed the standard design of constructivism and used block shapes and bolder colours to get her point across. 

El Lissitzky:

This is one of the main images associated with the constructivist art style. The use of block colours, the red white and black colour scheme and the asymmetric layout meets all the common traits of a constructivist poster. 

Alexander Rodchenko:

Again, this image is commonly associated with this art style. The use of portraits is not overly used but when used is quite effective, like the one above. 

Surrealism:

Surrealism is a cultural movement that started in 1917 and is best known for its visual artworks and writings. Surrealism is used to depict something of a deeper meaning. Surrealists explore the darker, subconscious side of human nature through art, so sometimes their art pushes the boundaries and expectations of the standard advertising. Surrealism is used in campaigns to allow the audience to have creative control, they can interpret the campaign in whichever way they deem necessary. Therefore, a surreal campaign could cause extreme controversy in society as everyone's opinions will differ.

'Peace' by Lex Drewinski:

This image is of a Dove with a snails shell on it's back. Typically, Doves are a symbol of peace and snails move at a very slow pace, so together the image suggests that peace is coming, it may take a while, but peace is coming. Surreal allows us to have creative control over the image, we can interpret the image however we want to. The way I have interpreted the image could be very different to someone else's and that's the whole point of surrealism. 

Surrealism in advertising:

This image is really effective is advocating a positive image around speaking about mental health. The image suggests that our physical health and how we look on the outside is just as important how we are feeling on the inside. The graphic nature of the photo forces the audience to think about it.

A lot of social campaigns will use surrealism to advertise against smoking. Because of the dark and essentially 'limitless' nature of surrealism, they can get into a dark place in peoples subconscious to make them rethink their decisions. This campaign is extremely effective, the 'door' on the cigarette is a coffin so like the caption suggests, smoking leads you directly to your death. 

This campaign from the NHS was another one about mental health that again is very effective. The tragus on the ear is shaped like the side profile of someone's face, talking into the ear. This suggests that if you are hearing voices, you need to speak to someone and that you are not in feeling this way. Once again, with the graphic nature of the image, it allows the audience to feel however they may need to feel. 

This last campaign shows a packet of cigarettes designed as crayons and the caption reads, in child-like writing 'Just like mommy'. This suggests how easily influenced children are and how children who are around the bad habit are more likely to pick it up at a young age as they want to be like their parents. 

Drawbacks with surrealism:

Whilst the surreal approach to advertising can be extremely effective in getting a message across with very few words, it's also limited. With the controversial nature of surreal art, the audience could interpret the image differently to how it's intended to be interpreted. It can cause arguments and in a lot of cases can lead to the advert being banned from mainstream viewing.  

Tibor Kalman:

Tibor Kalman (July 6, 1949–May 2, 1999) was an influential American graphic designer of Hungarian origin, well-known for his work as editor-in-chief of Colors magazine. He was well known for some of his work with the United Colours of Benneton. He would create artwork that would push the boundaries and would make people think. 

'Unhate' by Tibor Kalman:

This image is very controversial. It's part of a series of images in this 'Unhate' campaign, that shows some of the worlds most influential and powerful people, kissing. It shows men kissing men and people from different background, both political and religious backgrounds together. The phrase 'Unhate' has two meanings in this case. It tackles the taboo about same-sex couples and normalises it. And it also says that people with different views should still love each other and have respect for one another. It takes an image with so much controversy to actually make people think. I think this image is extremely effective. 

This image again is extremely effective. It shows a black mother breastfeeding a white baby. It tackles the issue of racism and one article mentioned how it tackles some issues surrounding adoption. It represents how no matter the colour of the skin, a mother will still love and care for her baby, whether they are biologically related or not. Similar to the other image, it carries a theme of 'Love is Love', and again an image that makes a bold statement in a very simplistic but effective way, is the only way to make people rethink and question their opinions. 

Adbusters:

This image shows a woman holding up a box of laundry detergent but named after the antidepressant Prozac. The phrase underneath says 'Wash your blues away!', suggesting that you can solve your issues by taking the antidepressant. It matches the stereotype that women do the cleaning and keep the household running, so they need to be happy to survive. The way Adbusters mock stereotypes again makes you think and also highlights how demeaning and outdated the stereotypes in society are. 

This advert takes the theme of a standard Victoria Secret but the image is extremely controversial. It takes the issues surrounding body image and illnesses that people essentially bring upon themselves to match the standards of society. A common theme with a lot of these ads is that they use very few words to tell the story, they allow the image to speak for itself and for the audience to come to their own conclusion about how they interpret the image and how they feel about it. 

Brandalism:

Brandalism is an anti-advertising movement. It tackles some of the worlds biggest issues and puts them in normal places like bus stops and billboards, so you see them on an everyday basis. This advert suggests that we have the world in our hands, as cliche as it sounds, the actions we decide to make daily, have an impact. Brandalism, most of the time, don't use any words so they give us control over how we interpret the image and how we make a change. 

This image shows Alice from the well-known story, Alice, in Wonderland inhaling toxic gas. It shows how even the people who we think are the most innocent, can still be affected by the pressures of society. The use of a character known for her innocent, yet experimental nature is really clever. Subconsciously, we already know her so we can again come to our own conclusion about the message this advert is trying to portray. 

The Promotional Mix:

In marketing, the promotional mix is a mix of promotional factors which when combined help a company achieve its goal. 

The marketing mix is often crucial determining a product or brand and is often associated with the Seven P's Product, Price, Place, Promotion, Process, Physical Evidence & People. 

Freelance Marketing adding the following responsibilities: 

1. Product –>Commodity, Design, Technology, Quality, Brand utility, Warranties 

2. Price –>Cost, Skimming, Penetration, Value-based, Cost Leadership

3. Place –>Channel, Retail, Wholesale, Internet, Direct sale 

4. Promotion –>Communication, Special offer, Advertisement, Campaign 

5. Process –>Service delivery, Service Consumption 

6. Physical Evidence –>Facilities, Infrastructure, Service Delivery 

7. People –>Employees, Management, Organisational culture, Customer service

Explanation:

Advertising:

Any paid form of presentation that is not personal and promotion of ideas, goods and services by an identified sponsor. E.g. Broadcast, print and mobile.

Sales Promotion:

Short-term incentives encouraging the purchase of a product/ service. E.g. Discounts and demonstrations.

Personal Selling:

Personal presentation, a face to face encounter with the client. Builds customer relation and trust. E.g. Sales presentation and demos.

Public Relations:

Building a good relationship with the customer. Builds a good corporate image and helps spread a positive word about your company. E.g. Press releases and events.

Direct Marketing:

Direct connections with carefully targeted consumers, to both gain an immediate response and cultivate lasting customer relationships. E.g. Catalogues and mobile marketing. 

Researching Social Issue Campaign Videos:

The links to the videos we watched can be found in my bibliography. Above are the notes made on the videos we watched. It was really useful as it gave us an idea of how different social issues can be tackled and gave me some inspiration as to how I can tackle my social issue when making my documentary. 

Researching my chosen topic:

Body Image in the Fashion Industry:

I have decided to focus my campaign on the social issues surrounding unrealistic body image standards in the fashion industry. It is an issue that I find people talking about a lot. The body images portrayed in the media for both males and females are unrealistic and force people to doubt themselves and make them believe they are less adequate in society. The fashion industry plays a huge role in portraying bad images of idealistic beauty, which in turn affects today’s societies perception of their own body image. This is having a huge effect on every generation. Older generations are forced to feel as if they need to meet these unrealistic standards, whilst younger generations are being raised in an environment that promotes a very negative relationship with themselves.

Victoria Secret “Love Your Body” Campaign VS. Dove “Real Beauty” Campaign:

Both of these campaigns were launched a year apart and both had a very different approach to tackling the same issue. The purpose of both campaigns was to make everyone feel confident in their own skin. However, Victoria Secret got a lot of backlashes as they only used typically “skinny” models. On the other hand, Dove’s campaign actually did use people of all different shapes and sizes. Obviously, I think Dove’s campaign was a lot more effective and promotes a much more positive image.

A recent survey by Plan International reinforces our understanding that young people, and specifically girls, experience a huge pressure on their body image. The survey identified that every area of a young person's life can feed into this, from comments at school to images in the media. Many see this as just something that they have to deal with or a part of growing up. However, just as with peer on peer abuse, it is important that these stereotypes are challenged and positive messages reinforced.

The negatives:

A lot of people strongly disagree with the promotion of plus-size models and a healthier body image as they think it promotes obesity and allows young adults to think bigger bodies are healthier. I think the promotion of plus-size models simply comes down to inclusivity. People should know the difference between a healthy body and obesity. It is an on-going debate and people’s opinions will always differ from one another. 

Genre:

I originally wanted to tackle my issue in a light-hearted manner to cater to the needs of my young target audience but after researching in-depth and looking at pre-existing campaigns, I have realised that I will have to approach the campaign more seriously and sensitively. It may fall into the controversial genre as body image is not something people like to talk about, and can be taken the wrong way, so I will have to be careful how I approach certain things.

Representation:

I want to equally represent everyone in my campaign. Although, after researching existing campaigns, it is clear that body image is something not really discussed with men, so it will be harder to target an audience that has no direct interest in the issue. It will be easier to target a young female audience, but it's important that my campaign is inclusive and can be effective to anyone that sees it. 

Audience:

Like I mentioned before. my target audience is young males and females ages 16-25, but I want to be able to target anyone who struggles with the issue. I think I am quite fortunate that my issue is something that everyone struggles with, whether people admit to it is another thing. 

Barnardo's Charity:

Barnardo's is a British charity founded in 1866 by Thomas John Barnardo. The charity aimed to care for vulnerable children, 'in the late 20th century, it was implicated in the scandal involving British children sent abroad as child slaves.' 

Now, Barnardos is a thriving charity caring for children in care or who come for difficult housing situations. They also support young carers and give them the support they may be missing out on from home. They essentially care for all children in difficult circumstances. In my opinion, it's an amazing and crucial charity in today's society. 

Some of the common elements that make Barnardos a recognisable campaign are:

• The signature black, white and green colour scheme
• The green children logo has been around ever since the charity was founded and is now a recognisable element of the charity's campaigns
• Barnardos was one of the first charities to be founded where the sole purpose was to help children and young adults 
• Another thing, recently,  that has made Barnardos a recognisable campaign is its decision to move digitally. There moved the majority of their campaigns to social media/ websites to target their younger target audience. 

Bernardos Campaign:

These are some examples of Bernardo's campaign. Barnardos graphic and hard-hitting approach, in my opinion, is risky but extremely effective. They have covered diversity by having both boys and girls, of different ages and from different backgrounds. This highlights that any child from any ethnic background can end up in difficult circumstances for varying reasons. It does sometimes take a charity producing something someone may not want to see to get there attention. 

Printed Material:

Scope Leaflet:

• Scope campaigns for equality for disabled people.

• They sensitively use colour.

• They use images of real people helps engage the person and brings them down on a sympathetic level.

• Quotes from people about their personal experiences helps reinforce that charity helps real people in difficult circumstances.

• The use of stats is also effective as it proves the success of the charity but also the importance of donations and support from the public. 

Freedom from Torture:

• Freedom from Torture uses an artistic approach to their campaign.

• Their USP is that they use drawing instead of talking.

• I think this is effective and will most probably be more successful than other campaigns of this nature.

• The colours used again are sensitive and suitably used.

Augmented Reality:

Augmented reality or AR  is an interactive experience of a real-world environment where the objects that reside in the real world are enhanced by computer-generated visuals and sounds. Augmented reality is really effective in making people look twice and think about what is being advertised. The video above summarises the concept as a whole. There are some more links to examples where it has been effective in my bibliography. 

NHS Virtual Blood Donation Advert:

Above is an example of the NHS' advert to get people to donate blood. The concept for the campaign is to get people to virtually donate blood. As they virtually donate, the blood fills up on the billboard and gradually see the patient go from being ill to being better and healthier. It is a really effective campaign and did see the number of blood donors rise. 

Trip to the V&a Museum:

These are the pictures I took on the trip. This was probably my favourite trip that we went on. It wasn't all that relevant to my topic but as a museum I really enjoyed it. My favourite part of the museum was definitely the theatre and performance part.  I did enjoy the exhibition as well. 

Documentaries:

What makes a documentary, a documentary?

A documentary is usually a non-fictional and very factual motion picture. You would normally expect to see single shot interviews from people involved, such as witnesses or expert opinions. They can be about anything varying from someone’s career and life story to a crime committed. A documentary can be a film or be in the form of a series. Most of the time they can be quite controversial and come from a more serious and unstaged approach.

Documentary Genres:

• Historical/Docudrama 
• Biographic/Autobiographic 
• Nature/Science 
• Ethnographic 
• Travel 
• Advocacy/Crime - public support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy. 
• Rockumentary 
• Sport

Favourite sub-genre of documentaries:

My two favourite sub-genres of documentaries would be auto/biographic and music documentaries. I like biographic documentaries as they normally access areas of the person’s life which you would have never seen before just seeing them in the media. Documentaries have a way of filming people to make it feel more natural and unstaged, the more comfortable the people feel in their interviews, the more they will say. The most recent biographic documentary I watched was about Jade Goody called 'Jade: The Reality Star Who Changed Britain.' It was aired on 7^th August on Channel 4 and was a three-part documentary.

I also like music documentaries as I have a big interest in music and again documentaries will tell you information that you would not know about the music industry. I really like that insider information you get from a documentary. I much prefer a documentary series or when it's broken down into a few parts as I feel like they cover a lot more. The most recent music documentary I watched was the Amy Winehouse documentary. It was called Amy. It was released on 16^th July 2015 in Germany, distributed by Altitude Film Distribution; A24 and directed by Asif Kapadia.

My favourite documentary film that I have recently watched would be the Jade Goody documentary. It used a lot of interviews to explain the events and ensured they were told chronologically. There was no main presenter, but it was led by the interviews. It was a biographic documentary. It was observational mode as there is not a presenter but with the use of archived footage, it could also be argued to expository. The lack of a presenter allowed the interviews to lead the documentary by the interviews which were mainly her friends and family. This meant overall the documentary had an empathetic feel to it, which is an approach not often used, but when done sensitively is extremely effective. 

Documentary Modes: The last three are the most commonly used and seen in documentaries.

·Poetic mode – more poetic than narrative. All about imagery and sound. No narrative (anti-narrative). There to create feelings and focuses heavily on camerawork. It may not always be used throughout the whole documentary. Some documentaries will use it at certain points to simply create a specific feeling.

·Performative mode – personal experience. Someone who has personally experienced what the documentary is about will be the one narrating. It’s quite rare as it has to be linked to the subject matter.

·Reflexive mode – Breaking the fourth wall. Truth is in the eye of the beholder. The idea that documentaries cannot always be all truth as people act differently when the camera is on. When they speak directly to the camera. Acknowledges it’s a documentary but sometimes plays with the chronology of events.

·Expository mode – More rhetorical or argumentative than aesthetic. Addresses the viewer directly. Relies heavily on an informing logic, carried by spoken work.

·Observational mode- Fly on the wall style of presentation. Nothing has been cut off. Synchronous sound. It aims to show you as much that they possibly can. Unobtrusive camera work. Big Brother-style.

·Participatory mode – This is where there is one main presenter. They lead the documentary and ask the questions.

Bi-Cultural Identity Documentary:

The documentary sub-genre could be auto/biographic, as at the start she talks about her experience and the rest of the interviews talk about their own experience. The main conventions the documentary has is the heavy use of interviews. It has a participatory mode as the ‘presenter’ starts the documentary off and explains her personal experience. It could also have a performative mode as she does talk about her personal experience and mentions her struggles. She could have possibly added a narration to break up the interviews and allow them to have more of an impact. There is a combination of good lighting in some of the interviews and bad lighting where the lighting is not very consistent, the use of lighting is really important and could have made the video even better.

Happy- A mental Health Documentary:

The documentary is an auto/biographic. Could also be advocacy as it is tackling a social issue that is rarely tackled. The main conventions of a documentary that it has are interviews. It is a participatory documentary as there is one main presenter that narrates and also features in the documentary. The use of a narrative helps break up the documentary and gives the interviews more an impact and helps create an empathetic feel. The use of music is really effective as well in creating a feeling. I don't think there is one main area that needs improving as overall it was really effective. 

Just Skate- A Skateboarding Documentary:

This documentary is essentially a sports documentary as its about skateboarding. Could also be historical as there is a 3-minute history of skateboarding which is really professional. It’s an informative and expository documentary as we are immediately being educated on the history of the sport. It’s a participatory documentary as there is one main narrative explaining the history of skateboarding. Again, the main convention the documentary has is interviews that explain personal experiences and helps understand the topic further. It could be improved by making the interviews shorter, if they were edited to the key parts of the interview, I feel like they will hold the audience’s attention a lot better. The handheld camera is effective as it doesn't seem staged and helps add authenticity, however, with that being said the sound quality is lacking. 

Brainstorming some potential issues:

I made a mind map about which different social issues I am interested in. I chose different topics that I am interested in and then went more in-depth. I have decided to choose Fashion. At the moment, I am still deciding if I want to discuss body image/ representation or if I want to go in-depth about the actual industry. 

Vox Pops:
'A popular opinion as represented by informal comments from members of the public, especially when broadcast or published.' Vox Pop deriving from the Latin Vox Populi literally translates to the voice of the people. It's essentially a compilation of one on one interviews. You asked around 10 or more members of the public the same question and film their initial response. It's essential that the first time you ask the question is on camera, they shouldn't be allowed to prepare or think about their answer before being filmed. Vox Pops are not as refined or professional as other interviews but they are a really good form of research and are key in a documentary. We made our own Vox Pops and asked questions about our chosen topics. My Vox Pop can be found in Skill Development and Experimentation.

Documentary Review: Manolo - The Boy Who Made Shoes for Lizards:

The documentary I watched on Netflix was called Manolo - The Boy Who Made Shoes for Lizards, released on 15th September 2017 in the USA and was directed by Michael Roberts. It was about the life and career of world-famous shoe designer Manolo Blahnik. Originally, I thought it was about the fashion industry and the difference Manolo Blahnik made. However, after watching it, it was more about Blahnik’s life story and how he was led to the fashion industry. It was a really interesting documentary; it had personal interviews with other influential figures in the fashion industry, like Anna Wintour (Top Right) and Rihanna (Bottom Left), explaining the impact Blahnik had on her career and her progression in the industry. Additionally, I really liked about the documentary was the visual effects; it had cartoons and transitions that made it easier to watch/follow and also reminded the viewer of the light-hearted tone of the documentary.

The documentary was both performative and participatory. It was performative as Manolo Blahnik himself led it and spoke about his personal experience and although there were interviews from key people in his life story, the main narrator was Blahnik. Blahnik being the lead presenter also makes it a participatory documentary. The documentary was an autobiographical documentary with occasional elements of a historical documentary as they had clips about how the fashion industry first started. The structure of the film was, in my opinion, relatively standard for an autobiographical documentary. It explored Blahnik’s childhood and career progression with constant interviews from influential people in his life.

The filmmakers interviewed a few different people. The main two that were constantly featured in the documentary were Anna Wintour and André Leon Talley, they were important in Manolo’s career progression and helped get him to where he is now. The documentary had many interviews with various other fashion influencers and celebrities, as well as people that currently work alongside Blahnik. The documentary was carried by the use of primary footage (interviews). Most of the interviews were either in photography studios to reinforce elements involved in the industry being discussed, or they were against a block-coloured backdrop (Bottom Right), which meant that the focus was solely on the interviewee. The visual coding of the interviews being held in photography studios or in a Manolo Blahnik store was really effective as they subconsciously reminded the viewer what the documentary was about.

The score throughout the documentary was very upbeat and matched the mood of the documentary. It was mainly instrumental background music with voiceover clips from the interviewees or Blahnik himself. This made it a lot easier to follow, as you didn’t have to try to follow the lyrics of a song and try to process what is being said at the same time.

There wasn’t really a message behind this documentary; there were no ‘dark’ or negative elements to the documentary. With such a positive outlook on the fashion industry, it allows room for the audience to question untruthful elements to the documentary. It really was essentially just a recap on a designer’s life story, journey and process to get to where he is now. The director (Michael Roberts) directs a lot of videos and has previously made other videos about the fashion industry, and has made videos for companies like Vogue. So this is a common theme and interest of the director.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed the Manolo Blahnik documentary. It was very informative as after you watch it, not only will you have learnt about Blahnik’s career but also you will learn about the history of shoe design and how Blahnik was influential in the making of careers of big celebrities we know and love now. The documentary was around ninety minutes long, so it was easy to keep focused and interested, as it didn’t drag on. I would recommend the documentary and it was light-hearted and easy to follow.

Psychographics and Demographics:

Demographics explain who the primary target audience is, whereas psychographics explains why they feel the way they do. Demographics cover gender, age and ethnic background - the essentials. Psychographics explore a more personal side to the audience. Below are some examples of the different categories the audience could fall into. If you have confidently and successfully understood both the psychographics and demographics of the audience then you can successfully make a documentary that suits the wants and needs of the target audience.

Psychographics:

• The Belonger lives in an average town, loves the community, loves being with family and friends and belonging to a community. They are very nationalistic and don't like to change. Their best time is spending time with their friends. They are hard-working and are extremely conservative in their views. They will buy because of personal relationships and are very brand loyal.

• The Achiever is the serious business person that is constantly looking to become more, and to make more. Power and physical wealth is the major stimulator that makes this person perform. Workaholic and will drive high-end luxury cars. In total contrast to The belonger, these people hate being part of a group. They need to be individuals, to set themselves apart from the rest.

• The Emulator / Aspirer would love to be an Achiever but isn't. The emulator will try to do anything to make him or herself look like an Achiever to attract the opposite sex or approval within their peers. They will aspire to be like their idols. It might be the top rap artist, the top movie actor, the top sports star they are trying to copy, not the businessman. This group suffers from low self-esteem, needs peer approval, is usually under thirty years old, frequently not financially stable.

• The Socially Conscious Type A: is not concerned with the world of achievement or the world of family or community but rather what effects their actions have on society on a whole. They want to make the world a better place. They are environmentally concerned and believe in schooling and teaching. They like the socially disadvantaged but they are quite cynical about society and it's downfalls, yet take a generally positive view of how the future could be.

• Socially Conscious Type B: has given up on humanity on a whole and has moved off into their own small communities where they live socially-conscious within their socially conscious groups.

• Balanced / Totally integrated is basically a mixture of the Achiever and Socially Conscious types, which in certain respects is a bit of a paradox but works quite well in practice. These are Achievers with a Social Conscience, a person that achieves to make the world a better place. There are many other examples of people who have grown rich, who have achieved power and wealth but still ensured that their labours don't come at the expense of society. Rather with the co-operation and to the benefit of humanity and nature as a whole.

• Needs Driven are people that buy on impulse and instinct, depending on what they need at the time. There is little planning and things are bought as they are required. The interesting part is that, even though this part of the population is frequently poor, they will often buy goods at a surcharge because instead of doing the weekly shopping trip to the supermarket where things are cheaper they will buy last minute at the corner store.

Primary Target Audience (Demographics):

My primary target audience would mainly be females around 16-25 years old, although it won’t be specifically for a female audience as males do experience body image issues as well. The reason I have said 16-25-year-olds is because I feel that this is a really sensitive age. You are coming towards the end of puberty and the end of traditional schooling systems. Teenagers/ young adults around that age are still trying to discover and understand every angle of their bodies. I think a documentary tackling the issues they face day to day and making them aware that they are not alone will be really important in shaping the way they view themselves and will give them the confidence they need. There is not one specific ethnicity I am aiming the documentary at, I want it to be a documentary that everyone can learn from. In terms of class, again I don't think there is one class that will benefit from this more than another. Body image is something that anyone can struggle with, it's not a class dependent issue. As I am going body image in the fashion industry, I think my audience could have an interest in fashion and there could watch based on their interest in fashion, rather than watching it resolve insecurity. 

Psychographics:

Psychographics focus more on the audience's beliefs and how they feel about the issues raised in the documentary. As I am targeting my documentary at a younger audience, I have to take into consideration how they view the world, which is similar to some of my views. A strong sense of empathy and 'putting myself in their shoes' will be essential in creating a documentary that tackles the issues about body image in the fashion industry, sensitively but tactfully. I think I am going to use the interest of fashion in some of the audience members to my advantage. I want to make quite an aesthetically pleasing but simplistic documentary, that gets straight to the point, and I think the fashion theme will subconsciously soften the blow about the issue being raised as it quite a sensitive topic. 

Synopsis and Modes for my Documentary:

A synopsis is really important to get right. It is what draws your audience in and makes them want to watch your documentary. 

My Synopsis:

My documentary is about the misrepresentation of realistic body image in the fashion industry. The fashion industry is an industry that is growing and changing all the time and so are we. We are constantly changing and our bodies change a little every day. For some of us, it's a lot to come to terms with. We shouldn't also feel pressured by societies standards. 

In this documentary, we will explore the pre-existing stereotypes and will tackle how we can change the way society views people with body types out of 'the norm'. There will be one to one interviews of people's personal experiences, how they have been discriminated against and were made to feel ashamed of themselves as people couldn't see past the fact they didn't fit the mould we feel forced to fit into. 

Fashion is a way of expressing who you are through clothing and is considered to some to be an art form. How can you feel confident in expressing how you feel if society can't see past the shape of your body?

The modes in my Documentary:

I think my documentary will be an expository, reflexive and performative documentary. 

Most documentaries have an expository mode, more rhetorical or argumentative than aesthetic. They address the viewer directly. Relies heavily on an informing logic, carried by spoken work. I do want my documentary to be aesthetic as I want to link to the theme of the fashion industry, so I can't see myself heavily relying on an expository mode. 

The performative mode will be taking someone's personal experience. Someone who has personally experienced what the documentary is about will be the one narrating. It’s quite rare as it has to be linked to the subject matter, but this quite a broad topic and can be easily interpreted in different ways. 

I also want to try and have features on a reflexive mode meaning it breaks the fourth wall. Truth is in the eye of the beholder. The idea that documentaries cannot always be all truth as people act differently when the camera is on. When they speak directly to the camera. Acknowledges it’s a documentary but plays with the time.

Interviews:

I want to have a good mix of male and female interviewees from different background and age groups.

Teenagers/ Young adults: I want to interview both males and females from the age group of my primary target audience. The documentary is aimed at them, so their opinion and personal experience help validate the documentary and also helps engage the right target audience.

Expert Opinion: I want to interview people like teachers or medical professionals that have personal experience in dealing with issues surrounding body image in young people. An expert’s viewpoint can really help the audience in understanding the severity and the reality of the issues being raised.

10 possible questions to ask the interviewees:

1. What’s your name?

2. How old are you?
3. How important is your appearance to you?

4. Do you generally have a positive or negative sense of body image?

5. Are other peoples opinions about your physical appearance important to you?

6. Do you think the representation of women in the fashion industry encourages young people to have positive self-esteem?

7. Do you think men are under the same amount of pressure when it comes to body image standards?

8. If you feel insecure about your body image, what do you think the main cause is?

9. Would you say that the pressures of body image portrayed in the media affect you and the way you look?

10. Overall, would you like to see a more diverse range of runway and commercial models on the catwalk and/or on campaign ads and magazines?

I think with these questions I can get some varied answers. I have tried to avoid closed questions as they don't leave any room for discussion. I want to get the most out of my interviewees and their time. 

My Interviewees Explained:

I interviewed quite a few different people I wanted it to be varied and it was essential that I got a well rounded and conclusive argument across to the audience. I ensured I interviewed both males and females from different backgrounds. I am happy with all the interviews I got. Not only did I think the content was helpful for the documentary, but I also think the way they were filmed and the lighting and backdrop used as conventional of a documentary. In reflection, I wished I filmed someone to provide an expert opinion to add experience to my documentary.