Extended Practice: Advert Brainstorming

Since talking with Mike and receiving a lot of feedback with my rationale and talking with peers, I began to brainstorm all the ideas that had been given to me, and tried to expand upon them to see where I could go from here. 

I ended up with a lot of options which sometimes feels like I have no specific route to go down, but this time it felt like I could seize many opportunities. I highlighted the ones I really liked, these being several 30 second animations, road safety adverts and perhaps using humour to promote a serious topic? I narrowed it down to these three ideas which in theory could come together as one. 

However, because I feel like the path I want to go down is getting narrower, I can now start to look at animations in my topic of interest, such as real road safety campaigns and animations! This way, I can see what is already out there and if there is a gap in the market for my work. 

Thesis: The Art of Persuasion by Kerry Dumm

After speaking with Mike and telling him my struggles with deciding on a topic for my Extended Practice Module, he gave me a list of adverts to think about as well as this thesis by Kerry Drumm at Loughborough University. 

The thesis is titled: 'The art of persuasion: a critical survey of British animation information films (1939-2998)'. The overall consensus of this project, was that animation can be persuasive and effective in advertising, because it can highlight key themes and topics without being too graphic or serious. In fact, it is humour that can be used to lighten the tone of an advert, so that they can still promote a product, but simultaneously be enjoyable and entertaining. This way, the viewer is able to feel comfortable watching the animation, as opposed to some adverts which can make you feel guilty and accountable, for example those adverts who raise awareness about starvation and poverty. 

This thesis has really helped me with my project as it has reminded me that animation can be used to demonstrate and highlight a topic in a less common and unique way. I can take any topic I want and either use visuals or humour to make it more appealing. I would love to do both, as well as raise awareness of something, and at the minute I am leaning towards road safety as I am currently just starting to drive myself! However, I am so glad that Mike introduced this to me, as I now feel more confident going through with creating an advert for my final major project! 

Extended Practice Research: Dumb Ways to Die

'Dumb Ways to Die' is a brand created by Advertising Australian Agency, 'McCann Melbourne' in 2012. It started off as a simple public service campaign for Metro Trains in Australia, to highlight the hazards, dangers and ways to be safe when using trains. What once started off as a simple video with catchy music and a little narrative where characters die in humorous but 'dumb' ways, 'Dumb Ways to Die' has become a huge brand that is well established all over the world.

McCann Melbourne have taken one simple video and turned it into something much bigger. Using social media platforms, the agency plastered the slogan everywhere, and even took the opportunity to turn it into a game in the App store. Not only does this spread the message even further to new audiences and backgrounds, but it gets people involved in the theme of train safety which is beneficial all round.

This is the original video which I remember coming across when I was in Sixth Form. I watched the whole thing and then was very surprised to find that it was for train safety, and I remember all of my friends thinking the same thing! However I think that this is quite clever because perhaps if you knew what it was for in the beginning, you wouldn't watch it all the way through as it is not a very exciting topic.

Besides the song being extremely catchy, the animation itself is simple but so well done. There isn't really any composition for each scene as there are rarely any backgrounds but the animation that does happen is so fluid and smooth. The actions look realistic and effortless which is something that I want to try and improve in my own work as well as carefully considering composition.

I really enjoyed the colours in this animation too as they are vivid but not too loud. They all go together nicely, but will use a key colours (for example red for blood) to make their actions stand out. I know that I often go a bit too much with colour, so it is nice to see how you can use them to emphasis and balance out certain elements in a scene.

Now you can even buy the characters from the animations, or stationary and homeware with the message and characters across each item. McCann Melbourne have really thought of everything to broaden their franchise which is great as it is still very popular nearly five years later!

I want to take a lot of influence from this pubic service announcement because it is an example of advertising done right. I hope to think of colour in the same way they have done, to emphasise and enhance, instead of just to simple be there. I want to make my animations smoother so you can focus on the action and hopefully, I can make a series of my own animations on sub topics so that they can become their own small brand in themselves! 

Extended Practice: Rationale Feedback 24/11/2016

Today Mike gave me feedback on my rationale and thoughts for Extended Practice which has made me feel less worried about the project, and more excited to have a go at it. He liked the idea of me creating an advert and making something in a 2D, graphic design feel as this is something that I have experience with and enjoy doing. I have always loved advertising so I am happy that Mike thinks it is a good idea.

He mentioned that my approach is perfect, but I need to think about what it is about, who the audience is? How long it is going to be? Is it going to be a set of 30 second animations with a consistent character throughout? Or will it be one long 1-2 minute animated advert? I really liked the idea of multiple animations of high quality, or a longer animation that makes you feel something. This is something I am going to have to decided on fully over the next few days, as I have to prepare for our presentation which is two weeks today.

Mike gave me several suggestions of 2D animations to look at, such as:

• Dumb Ways to Die (whole campaign across media, apps, etc).
• Charley Says
• Joe and Petunia
• The Tufty Club
• Information Broadcast - Aids 1980s.
• Any other British Public Broadcast Advert

I will look over these in the next few days for motivation and inspiration on helping me choose my topic of choice and audience! 

OUAN603: Rationale

1) Blog Address

Where are you documenting the development of Extended Practice online?

http://c-byrne254065-sp.blogspot.co.uk/

2) Subjects and Themes

Broadly speaking what are you interested in exploring and why?

I am interested in animation to advertise which I have looked at in depth all of last year in my PPP2 module. This has only solidified my interest in it, and therefore I would finally like to create my own animated advert which uses storytelling and emotion, methods which have proven to be successful after extensive research in my dissertation and COP3 practical artefacts. I have found that animated adverts that are heartwarming and moving have compelled me the most, and have stuck with for a long time, which is why I would like to have a go at creating something similar. I want my advert to highlight a topic that is serious and affects a lot of people, for example bullying, loneliness, poverty, but I also want the overall message to be positive, and encouraging, like that of John Lewis. 

3) Rationale

What you want to do during this module? Be as specific as you can at this moment in time. If you plan on working on multiple briefs to demonstrate your practice, identify clearly each brief.

I plan to create an animated advert that is up to two minutes long and uses storytelling with emotion to drive the creative outcome. As I have conducted a lot of research for PPP2 about animated adverts as my main area of interest in the professional industry all of last year, even gaining work experience at a company who create animated shorts for the television, I would now like to have a go at creating my own. I am always fascinated at how creatives can use storytelling and emotion to sell a product/raise awareness on a topic, and I would really like to try and do this myself.

I would like my audience to be for a family, not a niche audience, as the most successful adverts I have found, are relatable to many ages and identities and bring everyone together. I would also like to submit my advert to a festival as this will be a new experience and challenge for me. Festivals I am considering are Aesthetica and Manchester Animation Festival, as after looking into the classifications, advertising is one of their categories of submission. Ideally, I would like my animation to be for television, or other common places where adverts are shown such as, at the cinema, Youtube, or other social media platforms. I want to think about the advert across many platforms, perhaps even as far as a campaign, so that it is more believable and marketable. 

As for the topic of my advert/what I want to advertise, I would like it to be heartwarming and use a current topic as the subject matter. This could be political, a recent event, charity/something to raise awareness on, etc. Animated adverts that will undoubtedly influence my concept will be that of 'John Lewis', and other powerful adverts such as 'Freeview Play (Set Yourself Free)'. As of now, I aim to create my animation in 2D as I most comfortable with this medium, and enjoy the overall result of a 2D aesthetic. This way, I can be ambitious, but not overly so.

 4) Explain how this will be developing your Specialist Practice?

By creating my own animated advert, I will be exploring a part of the industry that I have been interested in for so long, but have yet to experiment with. I will be able to understand the process and development from start to finish in making an animated advert, preparing me for future work after university. I will be able include my finished product within my final showreel, illustrating to future employers that I have applied some of my academic knowledge into a practice that I want to work in, and that I am serious about my profession. This brief will also challenge me to think realistically about my work, as advertising is very much a part of everyday mainstream media, and is more available to a general audience, than that of an animated film or educational animation. I would hopefully like to get a lot of primary research out of this module, therefore communicating with professionals would be extremely useful and develop my understanding of the topic of advertising even more. Lastly, this brief will allow me to experience submitting a piece of work into a festival! 

5) Resources and Workshops

What do you need and by When?

N/A

6) Will you be working on a group project or brief? 

( If YES explain )

 No.

7) Are there any stakeholders in your project?

If YES, explain who they are and what their responsibilities are? - This is essential if you've got a Live Brief from a client

No.

8) What, where and when do you need to research. 

Begin to identify and artists, practitioners, companies or organisations that you will need to talk to. This could include getting to speak to people at conferences, events and other organisations. 

I will need to contact as many people in the advertising industry as possible, not just animation companies, but professionals who have experience in the field who can advise me in what to expect and the challenges to face. I will also need to do some visits, for example, Leeds Visual Media Conference, as they cover advertising in great detail, spoken by a combination of creatives and business men/women. This will give me more knowledge and understanding of my brief and encouragement to make it successful. Manchester Animation Festival will also be extremely useful for my brief, as there are several chances to talk to practitioners, as well as see work from a variety of artists which will inspire and motivate me for this brief. I will also have to research into deadlines and requirements for my chosen festival submissions.

9) Please identify at least 6 books, periodicals, websites or other media that may be informing your rationale. Please use Harvard referencing. 

• - Hill, D. 2010. 'About Face: The Secrets of Emotionally Effective Advertising'. Kogan Page, London.
• - Miller, C. 2016. 'The Dangerous Power of Emotional Advertising'. Web. Available at: 'https://contently.com/strategist/2016/04/14/dangerous-power-emotional-advertising/' (Accessed November 2016).
• - Zipes, J. (2012). 'The Irresistible Fairytale: The Cultural and Social History of a Genre'. New Jersey. Princeton University Press.
• - The Marketing Agency. 2013. 'Marketing Excellence: John Lewis - The Enduring Power of Emotions'. Web. Available at: 'https://www.marketingsociety.com/sites/default/files/6288%20MS%20case%20studies%20John%20Lewis_v6.pdf'. (Accessed November, 2016). 
• - Buchan, S. 2013. 'Persuasive Animation'. Routledge, New York.
• - Dizon, L. 2012. '6 Reasons to use Animation as Advertising'. Web. Available at: http://inspirationfeed.com/articles/business/6-reasons-to-use-animation-as-advertising/'. (Accessed November 2016). 

OUAN603: Rationale Research

Since I know that I am going to create an advert for my Extended Practice project, I decided to have a look at the different types of adverts that have been successful (both animated and not), what their topic choice was and what effects the advert has had on its audience, for some inspiration on how to execute my own.

I started with doing a Google Search for the UK's most memorable adverts, to see what the diversity was, and if there were any that stood out to me.

1) IRN-BRU's 'The Snowman' (2007)

The first one I chose to look at was 'IRN-BRU's 'The Snowman', which is obviously very familiar to everyone in the UK. The advert that appeared first in 2007, uses the same iconic song and animation as the actual 1982 'The Snowman' Film. With a quick change of some lyrics and an introduction to a can of Irn-Bru, which supposedly fuels the characters to fly, this advert uses nostalgia and sentiment to sell its product. There really isn't too much of an emotional impact here, but it is still very memorable, and people would probably go ahead and buy Irn-Bru because it is associated with an icon film.

2) Coca Cola 'Holidays Are Coming' 

Perhaps THE most iconic advert of all time, especially as it makes its reappearance every holiday season. Maybe this is why it is so successful? Because it plays every year? Or it could be the catchy music and Christmas feeling it brings. Similarly to before, this advert is trying to sell a popular drink, but this time it does so without having much of a narrative. Instead, it uses a song and LED glowing trucks to catch the audiences attention. Obviously it works because it is still played at Christmas over 20 years later.

3) 'On Your Child's Life' // Fire Kills Campaign

A much more serious advert this time, is one from the Fire Kills Campaign. This animation was voted to be in the top ten most effective British adverts of all time and I can see why. Unlike the previous two, there is no song, no fancy graphics or nostalgia, but instead there is a monologue spoken by a young child who is begging parents in the audience to promise to check their smoke alarms. The monologue is naturally heartbreaking because it is spoken by a young child who is assumed to have been himself, killed in a fire. A huge contrast to many upbeat adverts, this one captures your attention because of the silence and the serious topic. I think this is SO effective, I had to watch the whole thing it was done so well. I would like to create an advert possibly on a serious topic too, as I think they make more of an impact.

4) 'Save the Boy' by St. John Ambulance.

Another extremely effective and successful advert, would be this one by St. John's Ambulance. Again, this one takes on a serious topic, and despite it being live action, as I think that it could equally be as effective in animation, the narrative, in my opinion, is very unlike anything I have ever seen. The advert has two perspectives, a woman and a man. The woman is seen looking out the window, and outside the man is playing with his child. His phone rings and once he looks away, the young boy is off climbing a tree. It is quite obvious what is about to happen as the father is not paying attention to his child, but with the cut backs to the woman, you think that she would be able to see it as well, as she is clearly looking out of the back window. However once the child falls, the father panics and the woman rushes outside. Except she is rushing to bring her washing in from the rain, as she is completely separate to the father and son scenario, it is just the editing that has made us think that, as well as the voice over. I have never seen anything like this before where you think one thing but it is actually another, for such a frightening and scary topic. I think this advert is well executed and is defintely another memorable one.

These are just some UK adverts that I have looked at to get an idea of some of the things I could produce, but there is just so much to choose from, therefore I will have to ask for advice and get some feedback in my rationale.

OUAN603: Thinking About the Rationale ...

Before completing my rationale form, I began to research and think a lot about what I want to do for Extended Practice. Initially, I wanted to expand on educational animation, which is what I had been producing for COP3, as I very much enjoyed learning about animation with the purpose to teach audiences something valuable, and I am also loving creating my practical element for COP for the first time. I have gained so much out of COP3 already, and have communicated with so many people from the industry, even though it is only November, however, educational animation is a topic I explored due to my own curiosity and interest at making education easier and more accessible for children who struggle with typical learning methods. Now when I think about post university, I wouldn't mind going into a job where I create educational animation, but I have already learnt a lot from COP, so I would like to start in depth research and communication with professionals in another area of animation. I have always been fascinated by advertising, in particular animated adverts and I studied this all of last year for PPP2, and even got some work experience at a company who create adverts and work on the post production of them. So since Extended is a chance for us to create something we choose ourselves, I have decided I am going to make my own advert, after admiring them for so long! 

Extended Practice aims:

• Explore educational animation more
• Learn more about advertising and all the different areas
• Do more audience testing to a real audience
• Get more feedback consistently
• Continue to be organised
• Spend more time on preproduction, will be good for end of year exhibition
• Don't take constructive criticism negatively
• Try something new. New programme, new style?
• Make something worthwhile for portfolio