Unit introduction
Advertising is all around us and is integral to everyday life. It is one of the largest sectors of the media industry,
adverts being presented in a wide range of media such as television, film, radio, magazines, posters, billboards,
the press, and the internet. Of all of these, television advertising probably has the highest profile, some television
advertisements being so effective and memorable that they become classics and part of the cultural background
for a whole generation of viewers. Television is used to market almost every product one can imagine from
everyday consumables, like washing powder, to extravagant sports cars, whilst some advertisements promote a
service such as insurance, banking or vehicle breakdown cover.
Television advertising has become more and more sophisticated, utilising the very latest digital production
techniques. Content and style can be simple or complex, using traditional narrative structures or less obvious
surrealist imagery, and messages can be overt or understated. There seems to be no single approach which
can be said to be more effective than another.
This unit starts by considering how advertisements are structured, how they try to work and how persuasive
messages can be constructed. Understanding these things will create a firm basis on which to plan the
production of advertisements for television, as well as enabling learners to become more discerning
consumers.
Through research and analysis, learners will examine advertising production and explore the relationship
between audience, medium and message. Advertisers invariably aim at a highly specified target audience
which, it is hoped, will associate with a particular brand and so choose to buy it. An understanding of how
those audiences are thought about and how they are found is therefore essential.
Learners will develop practical production skills and learn how to plan, produce and monitor production
through to a completed advert for television. The unit therefore offers an opportunity for learners to engage
in activities which are integral to other forms of media production and hence gain skills and knowledge which
are highly transferable. Finally, they will evaluate the effectiveness of the finished product
Advertising is all around us and is integral to everyday life. It is one of the largest sectors of the media industry,
adverts being presented in a wide range of media such as television, film, radio, magazines, posters, billboards,
the press, and the internet. Of all of these, television advertising probably has the highest profile, some television
advertisements being so effective and memorable that they become classics and part of the cultural background
for a whole generation of viewers. Television is used to market almost every product one can imagine from
everyday consumables, like washing powder, to extravagant sports cars, whilst some advertisements promote a
service such as insurance, banking or vehicle breakdown cover.
Television advertising has become more and more sophisticated, utilising the very latest digital production
techniques. Content and style can be simple or complex, using traditional narrative structures or less obvious
surrealist imagery, and messages can be overt or understated. There seems to be no single approach which
can be said to be more effective than another.
This unit starts by considering how advertisements are structured, how they try to work and how persuasive
messages can be constructed. Understanding these things will create a firm basis on which to plan the
production of advertisements for television, as well as enabling learners to become more discerning
consumers.
Through research and analysis, learners will examine advertising production and explore the relationship
between audience, medium and message. Advertisers invariably aim at a highly specified target audience
which, it is hoped, will associate with a particular brand and so choose to buy it. An understanding of how
those audiences are thought about and how they are found is therefore essential.
Learners will develop practical production skills and learn how to plan, produce and monitor production
through to a completed advert for television. The unit therefore offers an opportunity for learners to engage
in activities which are integral to other forms of media production and hence gain skills and knowledge which
are highly transferable. Finally, they will evaluate the effectiveness of the finished product
Aim and purpose
The aim of this unit is to enable learners to apply production skills to create an advert for television. Learners
will examine existing television advertisements to investigate how persuasive messages can be constructed.
They will then plan and produce an advertisement for television, and evaluate the effectiveness of their
finished product.
The aim of this unit is to enable learners to apply production skills to create an advert for television. Learners
will examine existing television advertisements to investigate how persuasive messages can be constructed.
They will then plan and produce an advertisement for television, and evaluate the effectiveness of their
finished product.
TASK 1 Essay 1500 words
Compare and contrast two sub genres of TV adverts (four ads in total), genre Advert, sub genre may include Structures: form, eg realist narrative, anti-realist narrative, animation, documentary, talking heads, stand
alone, series; style, eg humorous, surreal, dramatic, parodic; codes and conventions (camera angle, shot,
iconography, editing, lighting, sound, music); computer graphics; special effects (SFX)
Techniques: hidden and overt messages; emotional responses or association, eg solution to a problem,
fear, concern, compassion, self-perception, social position; celebrity endorsement
Characteristics of products or services: benefits offered; advantages over other similar products; unique
selling proposition (USP); lifestyle appeal; brand identity
Regulation: Advertising Standards Authority (ASA); Ofcom
Audience information: audience measurement panels; ratings; face-to-face interviews; focus groups;
questionnaires; programme profiles; Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board (BARB); television research
agencies
Sources of information: rates cards; advertisers’ information packs; research agency websites
Audience classification: Standard Occupational Classification; psychographics; geodemographics; by age; by
gender
alone, series; style, eg humorous, surreal, dramatic, parodic; codes and conventions (camera angle, shot,
iconography, editing, lighting, sound, music); computer graphics; special effects (SFX)
Techniques: hidden and overt messages; emotional responses or association, eg solution to a problem,
fear, concern, compassion, self-perception, social position; celebrity endorsement
Characteristics of products or services: benefits offered; advantages over other similar products; unique
selling proposition (USP); lifestyle appeal; brand identity
Regulation: Advertising Standards Authority (ASA); Ofcom
Audience information: audience measurement panels; ratings; face-to-face interviews; focus groups;
questionnaires; programme profiles; Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board (BARB); television research
agencies
Sources of information: rates cards; advertisers’ information packs; research agency websites
Audience classification: Standard Occupational Classification; psychographics; geodemographics; by age; by
gender
deadline 09/06/14
task 2 Research/preproduction
Be able to originate and develop an idea for a television advertisement
Research for production: brief; client; budget; deadline; technical resources; technical constraints;
identification of target audience, eg quantitative, qualitative, focus groups; conditions of reception; market
research data; legal and ethical issues, eg codes of practice, regulatory framework
Ideas: ideas generation eg mind-mapping, group discussion, past and current practice; recording ideas, eg
notes, sketches; initial plans and proposals; identification of message; content; style; relevance to audience
Research for production: brief; client; budget; deadline; technical resources; technical constraints;
identification of target audience, eg quantitative, qualitative, focus groups; conditions of reception; market
research data; legal and ethical issues, eg codes of practice, regulatory framework
Ideas: ideas generation eg mind-mapping, group discussion, past and current practice; recording ideas, eg
notes, sketches; initial plans and proposals; identification of message; content; style; relevance to audience
preproduction
Formulate three ideas for a television advertisement based from your research.
Produce a Synopsis and Treatment documents as follows:
Rationale (intentions)
Target Audience
You must link your intended product FULLY to this audience and demonstrate how it will match the assumption you make about this audience.
Treatment
REMEMBER: You will be assessed on the quality of information you include.
Optional Tip: use photos of your actors, logo headers on your paperwork, contents page, covers, anything that will make your work professionally presentable.
Script, formatted correctly
Shooting Script:
The script with shot information included.
Shot List:
Basically the information in your story boards and shooting script but in the order you will shoot them.
Call Sheet:
Research call sheets and include one in your production pack. Make sure there is a movement order included, parking, weather information, sunrise and emergency numbers and who is the the first aider.
Health and safety report:
Risk assessment. Report on concerns essential for location shooting, food, water, shelter, toilet, security.
Actors Profiles:
Research actors agencies and cast your film with the ideal talent. Include photos, vital statistics and experience.
Produce a Synopsis and Treatment documents as follows:
Rationale (intentions)
- Outline your vision for the project, consider:
- Working title
- Introduction
- How it fulfils the brief and how it relates to your stimulus/research texts
- The target audience
- The value and ideological stance you will take and how you hope to influence your audience
- The context in which you media text will reach its audience
Target Audience
- Here you must consider the processes you will need to undertake in order to realise your vision:
- Age
- Gender
- Interests
- Prior knowledge
- Values
- Institutions
- Etc
You must link your intended product FULLY to this audience and demonstrate how it will match the assumption you make about this audience.
Treatment
- Here you must consider the processes you will need to undertake in order to realise your vision:
- Short Synopsis.
- Long Synopsis.
- Genre/Form.
- Length.
- Format (input and output inc ratio)
- Style/Pace.
- Cast.
- Crew.
- Location.
- Costume/props/make up.
- Lighting.
- Schedules
- Feasibilty.
- Sound.
- Deadline
- Equipment (research professional facilities).
REMEMBER: You will be assessed on the quality of information you include.
Optional Tip: use photos of your actors, logo headers on your paperwork, contents page, covers, anything that will make your work professionally presentable.
Script, formatted correctly
Shooting Script:
The script with shot information included.
Shot List:
Basically the information in your story boards and shooting script but in the order you will shoot them.
Call Sheet:
Research call sheets and include one in your production pack. Make sure there is a movement order included, parking, weather information, sunrise and emergency numbers and who is the the first aider.
Health and safety report:
Risk assessment. Report on concerns essential for location shooting, food, water, shelter, toilet, security.
Actors Profiles:
Research actors agencies and cast your film with the ideal talent. Include photos, vital statistics and experience.
deadline 23/06/14
task 3 production
Produce a 30 second TV advert as per your outlined specifications.
deadline 30/06/14
task 4 evaluation around 500 words
e.g. Evaluate the process of the pre/production and post production process, your intentions and outcome. what went wrong/right? what did you learn, what would you do differently next time? did your AD turn out as expected? Did your team work effectively? How does your 'product' compare to professional adverts(products)? etc. Keep this document private.