For all your regulation needs...

http://mediaregulationrevision.blogspot.co.uk/2013/

regulation overview on edusites - key to everything

http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/understanding-regulation-and-censorship/

Internet regulation

Regulation and New Media

The difficulty with regulation of new media is that it is changing so fast.  Regulation of the internet, for example, tends to be via a variety of different bodies, depending on the nature of the issue.  To date, one or a combination of the following are being used to prevent internet publication or remove internet content: the legal framework, including rules of copyright and libel; self-policing by website-owners; policing and action by Internet Service Providers.

Blogs and Internet Chat Rooms: The Media Debate

• Are blogs and internet chat-rooms just like having private conversations?
• Should there be any control over the content of what people post?
• Should anyone have responsibility for what is posted?
• If so, who?

Blogs Example

Google runs a blog site, Blogger.com. A blogger referred to model and Vogue cover-girl Liskula Cohen a “Skank” on line.  The blogger also said of Cohen:

“How old is this skank? 40 something?” She’s a psychotic, lying, whoring, still going to clubs at her age, skank. Desperation seeps from her soul, if she even has one.”

As with many contributors to blogs and chat-rooms, this person chose to use an anonymous name.
In August 2009 Cohen went to court in Manhattan, in order to force Google to hand over the information on who this blogger was.
The defence for the blogger claimed that blogs “serve as a modern-day forum for conveying personal opinions, including invective and ranting”.  Google said that they take great care to respect the privacy of their users.  However, they also said they “sympathise with anyone who may be the victim of cyberbullying.

Media Debate

• Should Internet Service Providers give the personal details of their users to third parties?
• Was this cyberbullying?
• Was Cohen’s action trying to curtail bloggers’ freedom of speech?
• Do you agree with the defence when they claimed that internet chat rooms “serve as a modern-day forum for conveying personal opinions”?  Does this make them similar to private conversations and therefore not to be censored?
• But a “private” conversation is shared by very few, whereas the size of the audience who can access a chat-room is potentially vast.  Does this make a difference?
• What do you think?

 
Who would you find in favour of; the Blogger or Cohen?

The Adjudication

The Supreme Court judge ruled that Cohen was entitled to know who this person was Google were forced to hand over the information on the blogger to Cohen.

Internet and Censorship Worldwide

The problem with policing the internet is that it doesn’t have borders.  Information can be shared electronically across the world.  Different countries have attempted, with some success, to censor material, as can be seen from the map below. 

(modified from map at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Internet_blackholes.svg)
For example, China has blocked all access to the BBCs Chinese-language website.  For further research and more details:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolpda/ifs_news/hi/newsid_7785000/7785248.stm
For more detailed, interactive map of web-site censorship:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2009/jun/30/internet-freedom-of-information

Internet and Regulation: UK

Internet Watch Foundation - Funded by Internet Service Providers
IWF was established in 1996 by the UK internet industry to provide the UK internet ‘Hotline’ for the public and IT professionals to report potentially illegal online content within our remit and to be the ‘notice and take-down’ body for this content.
We work in partnership with the online industry, law enforcement, government, the education sector, charities, international partners and the public to minimise the availability of this content, specifically, child sexual abuse content hosted anywhere in the world and criminally obscene and incitement to racial hatred content hosted in the UK. (from http://www.iwf.org.uk)

Internet Regulation, Control and Censorship UK

So, currently no one single body takes responsibility for regulation, control and censorship of new media in the UK. 
Is this an acceptable way of regulating new media?
Can you think of a way to ensure that freedom of speech is balanced by rights to privacy, the prevention of unsuitable content etc?

Regulation: homework

I provide the prezi. You provide the words.

Hand-write your own voiceover to the following presentation.

I will pick a name out of a hat on Tuesday, and they will use their voiceover script to present this prezi:

http://prezi.com/qya1beeoui8b/contemporary-media-regulation-revision/

Good luck

Evvaluation: what to do

You are being marked on how well you are demonstrating the following criteria in your evaluation.

• understanding of the forms and conventions used in the productions.
• understanding of the role and use of new media in various stages of the production.
• understanding of the combination of main product and ancillary texts.
• understanding of the significance of audience feedback.
• skill in choice of form in which to present the evaluation.
• ability to communicate.
• use of digital technology or ICT in the evaluation.

There are four levels: minimal, basic, proficient and excellent.

The following tasks will help you structure your answers and provide appropriate ICT, communication and presentation variables to aid you in reaching the top grade.

Set up each evaluation question as a separate blog post.



Question 1 - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

• Task 1: Select 16 frames/screen grabs from your finished film and arrange in a grid 4x4 to illustrate your points above. Number them and then write a brief explanation about each using the headings above to help you.
• Task 2: Insert a shot of your poster with annotations (you've already done this)
• Task 3: Insert an image that goes with your radio ad, and lay the track of your radio ad on top. You can post your brief analysis as a paragraph underneath this - remember to refer to the conventions of a radio ad (again, you've done this).
Question 2 - How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
Your outcome to this may vary depending on your skills and the equipment available to you. Here are a few suggestions on how you might present the required information.

1. Create a short video (effectively a DVD extra) discussing, pausing, at appropriate points in your short film to highlight how your ancillary tasks work with your short film.

2. Use a series of screen grabs from your short film alongside the ancillary tasks to illustrate how you have combined the effect of the 3 products and accompany these images with a write statement.

3. Produce an audio recording or flipvideo of your explanations. (See question 3 for advice on how to upload it to your blog.

If you have any other suggestions please discuss them with your teacher first to ensure that they meet the marking criteria and that you are able to complete the tasks by the required deadline.

Additional task – Ask your audience for feedback on the “effectiveness” of the products and quote them in your write up / ICT presentation.


Question 3 - What have you learned from your audience feedback?

• Planning: You will need to ask your target audience as well as classmates and teachers for their feedback on all three of your products. Prepare a few questions to help you direct the conversation to enable you to get useful answers from them.

• Task 1: Record your audience feedback using an audio device or flipvideo and upload onto your blog. (Audio tracks will need to go via www.soundcloud.com and videos via www.Youtube.com)

Note: MAKE sure you do this for your final film as well as a rough cut.

• Task 2: Write your own response / reflections on the feedback you’ve been given directly onto your blog answering the question:

o What have you learned from the feedback?
o You might also consider how did your feedback change the work you were doing?
o What would you change if you could do the project again?


Question 4 - How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

• Planning:

o Research and define the term “new media technologies”.
o Create a list of new media technologies you have used at each stage of production.

• Task 1: Create a montage of images (needs to be a jpeg so either Photoshop or PowerPoint perhaps) to illustrate the new media technologies you have used in the construction of your work. Number each image. Insert final montage onto your blog.

• Task 2: Write a short paragraph on each image saying how you used it and highlighting what you would have needed to do had the technology not been available

useful websites for your blogs

http://animoto.com/

http://www.techsmith.com/

https://vimeo.com/

http://www.slideshare.net/

http://www.artofthetitle.com/

http://www.tubechop.com/

http://www.scribd.com/

http://www.flickr.com/

http://www.xtranormal.com/

Some scary things

Mean world syndrome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylhqasb1chI&safe=active

Cultivation theory: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw9DsOA1Y-w&safe=active
 

Exemplar blogs

Solid level 4 blog:  http://fahminaali.blogspot.co.uk/


Evaluation using chromakey:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZgz_y-arBc&safe=active


 

Audience theories - revision

1. Explain your understanding of the Hypodermic Needle Model in relation to Effects Debates including origins & relevance of the theory. 50 Words
2. What does it mean when audiences are said to be passive?
3. Give examples of four media texts (each one from a different media form) that potentially could passively affect a target audience explaining what the passive affects are. 50 Words
4. Explain clearly your understanding of the Uses and Gratifications Model in relation to Effects Debates including origins and relevance of the theory. Identify each stage detailing your understanding of what it means for audiences. 100 Words
5. What does it mean when audiences are said to be active?
6. What is the Two Step Flow Model?
7. Explain clearly your understanding of the Cultivation Theory. Using appropriate media language, discuss why you agree with it or not. 100 Words
8. Identify 4 Media Regulatory Bodies. Using one as an example and referring to key learnt terminology about audiences, discuss how Censorship has changed in recent years. 500 Words
9. With examples, what is the difference between dominant, preferred and negotiated readings? 100 Words
10. Bullet point four arguments for and against regulating the Internet.

Mind maps - use this to prepare

Use this brief presentation to prepare mind maps on the following subjects:


Ali And Dakota: research and planning

Andrew and Ruth: Digital technology

Alex and Victoria: Conventions of real media texts

Anthony: Post production

The 7 basic plots - narrative theory

In this book, Christopher Booker comes up with 7 basic plots that explain ALL films. It's a little simplistic,  but it's full of interesting narrative theory.

Here are the seven plots:

Overcoming the monster
Rags to riches
The quest
Voyage and return
Comedy
Tragedy
Rebirth.
In this book, Christopher Booker comes up with 7 basic plots that explain ALL films. It's a little simplistic, but it's full of interesting narrative theory.

Further explanations here
 

Narrative theory - revision

Your job...

In pairs, use this presentation (and others) to:

1 Explain narrative theory
2. Explain your a) documentary, b) advertising campaign and c) AS film in terms of this narrative theory.


Your focus:

Alex and Dakota: Barthes
Anthony and Victoria: Levi Strauss
Ali and Ruth: Propp
Andrew: Todorov

Section 1 - Revision

http://mediachs.edublogs.org/13-exam-section-a/

Update your blogs!

Hi folks,

In case you haven’t checked the blog: I need you to update the navigation bars on your blogs NOW so that I can mark them as the examiner would. I’m trying to give you your feedback but without the right labels, it’s difficult. Please go through every post and label them with the labels we discussed in class.

Dakota is the closest of the ones I’ve seen

http://dakotasmediablog2.blogspot.co.uk/

but really the labels should be:

research and planning

documentary production

advertising campaign

evaluation

media regulation

Some things can have more than one label: your research and planning into your ad campaigns, for example, would be labelled research and planning, and advertising campaign.

Blog feedback to follow as soon as you've done your labels; please apply all my comments by the end of next week.

Theorists and theories

http://www.slideshare.net/mccabekat/media-studies-theory-for-as-and-a2

http://www.slideshare.net/mobile/zcurrie/key-theorists/2

http://www.slideshare.net/mobile/robertclackmedia/suture-laura-mulvey

Tuesday's work

Below are some theories on creativity. This is one of the areas you may be asked to evaluate in the exam.

I would like you to read them very carefully, and begin to respond to each area in turn - linking what you read to your own work OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. Example in red.

Do this in word - not on your blog.

CREATIVITY  - THEORY

Anthony Storr ‘creativity has been defined as the ability to bring something new into existence’.

With my documentary I have brought plenty of new things into existence, as per Anthony Storr's definition. Although we were documenting reality we were still creating new things: the titles, the sound, the adverts, and even the mis-en-scene.

For example...

’the making of the new and the rearranging of the old.’ (Bentley 1997)

Ken Robinson has identified some Creative Habits of mind

• Creativity - enquiring mind
• Flexibility - lateral thinking and connection making
• Willingness - to think the impossible
• Confidence - to try things out
• Ability - to handle uncertainty - perseverance in adversity
• Self-reflective awareness

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote that the creative process normally takes five steps (Creativity, 1996, p.79):

o    Preparation - becoming immersed in problematic issues that are interesting and arouses curiosity.

o    Incubation - ideas churn around below the threshold of consciousness.

o    Insight - the "Aha!" moment when the puzzle starts to fall together.

o    Evaluation - deciding if the insight is valuable and worth pursuing.

o    Elaboration - translating the insight into its final work.

Spontaneity takes practice Csikszentmihalyi  says that it typically takes someone 10 years of acquiring technical knowledge by immersing themselves in a discipline before they create anything significant. Malcolm Gladwell makes a similar argument in his new book, Outliers – according to Gladwell, the magic number is 10,000 hours of practice.

Csikszentmihalyi : ‘Creative people combine playfulness and discipline, or responsibility and irresponsibility.’

Csikszentmihalyi Divergent thinking involves fluency, or the ability to generate a great quantity of ideas; flexibility, or the ability to switch from one perspective to another; and originality in picking unusual associations of ideas. …Divergent thinking is not much use without the ability to tell a good idea from a bad one, and this selectivity involves convergent thinking.

David Gauntlett has written extensively about creativity and the idea that ‘making is

connecting’. His main argument is that ‘through making things, and

sharing them with others, we feel a greater connection with the world, and more engaged with being more active in the environment rather than sitting back and watching.’

Banaji, Burn & Buckingham have researched into the extent to which technology makes us more creative. They conclude that ‘creativity is not an inevitable consequence of using technology’.

George Steigler (an economist) : In innovation, you have to play a less safe game, if it's going to be interesting. It's not predictable that it'll go well."

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Learning – pushing yourself, taking on challenges – creates a feeling he calls ‘flow’. Flow is a fancy name for being so engrossed, absorbed, rapt by something that time flies and you forget your worries.

Ken Robinson

‘Individual creativity is stimulated by the work, ideas and achievements of other people. We stand on the shoulders of others to see further.’ (11)

‘To promote creativity it is essential to understand the main elements and phases of the creative process including:

-          the importance of the medium;

-          the need to be in control of the medium;

-          the need to play and take risks; and

-          the need for critical judgment

‘Creativity is not only a matter of control; it’s about speculating, exploring new horizons and using imagination.’ (133)

‘As Carl Jung puts it, the creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect alone but by the play instinct. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.

Creative activity involves playing with ideas and trying out possibilities. But creative achievement does not always require freedom from constraints or a blank page. Great work often comes from working within formal constraints….The creative achievement and the aesthetic pleasure lie in using standard forms to achieve unique effects and original insights.’ (133)

‘Creativity is not only a process of generating ideas. It involves making judgments about them….creativity is not just a matter of being original, but of producing outcomes that are of value.’ (133)

‘creativity can be inhibited by trying to do too much too soon or at the same time.’ (136)

‘Our best ideas may come to us when we’re not thinking about them…As the writer E.M. Forster said, in the creative state we are taken out of ourselves. We let down a bucket into out subconscious and draw up something that is normally beyond our reach.’ (154)

‘Creativity is incremental. New ideas do not necessarily come from nowhere. They draw from the ideas and achievements of those that have gone before us or are working in different fields….conceiving new ideas is often promoted by knowledge of the achievements of others – by cultural literacy.’ (182)

‘Creativity often comes about by making unusual connections, seeing analogies, identifying relationships between ideas and processes that were previously not related.’ (188)

‘Creativity relies on the flow of ideas. This happens best in an atmosphere where risk is encouraged, playfulness with ideas is accepted and where failure is not punished but seen as part of the process of success.’ (190)

Tuesday 5th March

Hello people,

Sorry not to be with you today. I'm not too worried though, because you're beginning to display signs of the serious, hard-working, mature adults that I know you're turning into!

For today:

Spend ONE HOUR on this:

- Post your focus group findings on your blogs
- Make changes / minor alterations to your adverts in response to the focus groups
- Explain how the focus groups did/did not affect your ads on your blogs
- Show your ads' progression, from draft to focus group to final ad.


Spend ANOTHER HOUR on editing your film:
- make sure those cuts happen at the right millisecond
- smooth out sound, colour, voiceover
- think about TITLES - will you use the same font as you used in your ad? Why? Why not?

Have fun. Get stuff done. See you Thursday.

ND

Advertising: How to test for it

Concept Testing in
Qualitative Marketing Research

Concept testing finds out people’s reactions to proposed products or advertising.

You show respondents your ideas and explore their reactions. You find out their perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and desires about your concepts.

You test product, service, and advertising ideas.

A test is a preliminary screen. You sort out the good ideas from the bad, based on reactions. You screen ideas before you spend much time and money developing products or advertising.

Use concept tests to

• Screen early concepts
• Select the most promising concepts for development

In new product development, present your new product ideas to prospects. Watch and listen to how prospects react. They tell you what they like and dislike.

In advertising and creative development, present ads to prospects. Prospects react to headlines, copy, and images. They tell you what words and images they like, and the ones they dislike. They tell what they don’t understand.

How to Conduct Concept Testing - Focus Groups or Depth Interviews

Show people your concepts and interview them. Respondents read, watch, or listen to concepts. Then ask them to interact with the concepts.

There are several ways to show concepts.

• Product concept statements
• Pictures, videos, illustrations, websites
• Product samples or prototypes
• Advertising copy

A concept statement is a written description of a new product or service. It is less than one page, usually a paragraph or two. It is a factual description of a product or service and its features. Images, pictures, or illustrations usually accompany the concept statement.

Product samples are working products or nonworking models. Respondents see and touch the sample.

Advertising copy are samples of proposed ads. Ads consist of headlines, body copy, and images. Ads are print, video, or audio.

With written concept statements and print advertising, you get people to interact with the concepts. You ask them to write about the concepts.
You ask them to

• Circle words, phrases, and sentences they like.
• Cross out words, phrases, and sentences they dislike.
• Place questions marks on things they find confusing.
• Write comments on images.
• Rate how unique and different the concept is.
• Give an overall grade to the concept… A, B, C, D, F.
• Rate how likely they would buy.
• Estimate how much they would pay.

After respondents mark up concepts, examine their markups to gain deeper understanding. Then follow up and probe.

With video, audio or product samples, give respondents a survey. Hand out the survey when you show each concept.

You also follow up and probe, as in concept statements.

When to Introduce Concept Testing - At the Beginning

Introduce concepts right at the beginning of an interview or focus group, after the introduction to the interview.

Ask respondents to write before they talk.

That way, you will cut down on bias, which is a slanted, skewed, or influenced view. You reduce group bias and reference bias about concepts.

In focus groups, some respondents influence other respondents. When you introduce concepts at the beginning, and ask people to write before they talk, you avoid group bias.

When you conduct depth interviews, you don’t have to worry about group bias. But when you conduct depth interviews, you need to reduce reference bias.

Respondents develop a frame of reference from a question or discussion. They carry the reference to the next question. The reference influences answers.

Cut out reference bias by introducing concepts at the beginning of the depth interview. Let respondents write before you and let them talk about substance.

The Number of Concepts – Bias and Fatigue

Sometimes you have more than one concept to show. When you finish talking about the first concept, you move to the next one.

But previous concepts are another form of reference bias that influence respondents.

To reduce reference bias with several concepts, rotate the order of the concepts with each interview. Rotating order reduces bias.

Three concepts in a focus group or depth interview are about the limit. Too many concepts produce concept fatigue in the respondent.

Another way to reduce reference bias is to show only one concept in an interview. This is monadic testing… a dry research term for a single concept test. If you have several concepts to test, and you show a single concept in a depth interview, you need several interviews. And that pushes up costs.

What They Say and Do in Concept Testing – Beware

What people say and do are often different. Statements and actions often contradict each other.

Concepts and concepts are abstract; they are easy to talk about. When respondents finish talking about concepts, concepts vanish from their minds. They evaporate. Concepts don’t require respondents’ commitment. They don’t pay for concepts and don’t use them.

So, be wary about concept reactions and answers.

Be on guard for overstatement in qualitative marketing research.

Dig deep, challenge, and weigh what you see and hear. Don’t let rosy answers carry you away. Don’t use concept tests for forecasting sales. Be skeptical. Be a detective. Investigate some more.

Once you’ve screened good concepts, use them to develop and test products. Product usage is the decisive test.

The same holds true for ads. The only real way to know if ads sell is to test and measure them in a market test.

Use focus groups or depth interviews for concept testing. They are a preliminary screen and generate new perspectives.

---

 

Advertising: What to test for

Concept Test 7 Advertising Elements
and Improve Ads

A concept test in qualitative advertising research elicits reactions from respondents in focus groups or depth interviews.

You can use it to evaluate seven elements in advertising.

There are seven elements in persuasive ads. Each element is important. They work together to persuade and convince.

Advertising Elements	Element Purpose
Headline	Gets attention
Promises benefits	Builds interest
Pictures the outcome of benefits	Builds interest
Shows proof	Builds desire
Differentiates	Builds desire
Makes an offer	Builds desire
Calls for action	Causes action

The headline is the most important part of the ad. Its purpose is to grab attention and get people to read, watch, or listen to the rest of the ad. If the headline does its job, it attracts interested people and gets them to pay attention. If the headline fails, it loses people and sales.

Headlines have a few seconds to grab attention. So, they must be powerful. Good headlines promise specific benefits, strike emotional chords, stir up curiosity, and ignite urgency. Use a concept test to assess headlines.

After the headline, the ad promises important benefits. People buy features and benefits that satisfy personal emotions and beliefs.

The ad shows people enjoying the benefits. It describes or shows a picture of users achieving emotional goals… happiness, health, admiration, knowledge, success, wealth. The emotional benefits are the outcome of the functional benefits.

Keep in mind, positive emotions outsell negative emotions. Happiness, curiosity, surprise, and acceptance are positive.

The ad also proves claims and sets up credibility. A well-known brand may be proof enough. An unknown brand works harder at proving. An unknown brand offers testimonials, specific features, and extra incentives. It must build trust.

The ad also distinguishes the product or service. It positions the product against competitors and describes the unique selling proposition.

The ad makes an offer. An offer shows value. It cements desire.

The ad’s call to action tells people what to do next. It tells them how to buy. The call to action is specific and clear. Often, it includes incentives to incite immediate action.

Persuasive ads are deceptively simple, yet they follow a proven formula, tested over the span of a hundred years in advertising. Apply the seven elements of persuasive ads in your marketing communications.

Use a concept test to evaluate ads in focus groups or depth interviews. Test each of the seven elements in an ad.

Test ads to find winners. Test to understand concerns. Testing concepts avoids expensive mistakes.

Research - focus group questions (1)

Focus Group Questionnaire Fundamentals - Basic Questions

Basic questions are tools in qualitative research.
Write them in the focus group questionnaire - the moderator's guide. And ask them.
A question is an inquiry that produces data. And data leads to information and knowledge.

We'll examine five different types of basic questions.

• Open-ended questions
• Closed questions
• Follow-up questions
• Probing questions
• Prompted questions

Let's take a look.
Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions are the stock and trade of qualitative marketing research.

They allow people to answer in any way they see fit. Open-ended questions do not impose answers on people. They allow expression.

So, use open-ended questions often and widely in focus groups and depth interviews.

Open-ended questions start conversations and keep them going.

Examples of open-ended questions:

“When you think about green energy, what is the first thing that comes to mind?”

“What do you like best about product X?”

“What are the biggest problems with brand X?”

“What brands come to mind?”

Open-ended questions can discover unknown topics and explore them. They can produce rich, deep, and unexpected answers.

Open-ended questions take the form of a question or imperative. For example,

Question: “What car do you drive?”

Imperative: “Please tell me which car you drive.”

Closed Questions

In contrast, closed questions impose answers and limit expression.

Closed questions are the stock and trade of quantitative surveys. They allow researchers to count answers and apply statistical techniques. Researchers measure, size, and forecast using closed questions.

A closed question restricts or narrows answers. In this example, the answer is either yes or no.

"Do you use brand X?”

Other examples of closed questions include quantitative survey questions, which provide a range of answers.

In qualitative research, closed questions help clarify and confirm something specific.

The Four-Question Sequence

You use open-ended questions to explore, discover, and expand.

Then, you dig beyond top-of-the-mind answers. A method to dig beyond the top of the mind is to use the four-question sequence.
The four-question sequence consists typically of four parts.

1. Main question (usually open-ended)
2. Follow-up questions
3. Probing questions
4. Prompted questions

Here is how it works:

You start with a main question and listen for its answer.

Then you follow up and inquire about the answer.

Then you probe to clarify.

And, if necessary, you prompt. A prompt is a cue or aide.

Main Question

The main question is an open-ended question. It starts a discussion about a subject.

For example,

“Please think about smart-phones. What comes to mind?”

There are typically several main questions within each general topic. For example, you may have five main questions under the topic of awareness.

Write main questions in the focus group questionnaire - moderator's guide.
Follow-Up Questions

The follow-up question inquires about the answer to the main question.

It gets details and expands answers. Often there are several follow-up questions to one main question.

Here is an example,

Main question

“What is the biggest problem with brand X?”

Follow-up questions

“How significant is the problem?”

“What causes the problem?”

Anticipate follow-up questions. Write them into your interview guide. Here are some categories of follow-up questions.

When you hear facts, ask what the facts mean.

"What does that mean?”

When you hear situations or events, ask about causes and outcomes.

“How did it happen?”

When you hear problems, ask about causes, ramifications, importance, and solutions.

“What causes the problem?”

When you hear about things that affect people, ask about response.

“What did you do?”

The interviewer writes follow-up questions in the interview guide. Or improvise follow-up questions during the discussion.

Write follow-up questions until they become a habit.Write them in the focus group questionnaire. Then improvise during conversation.

Probing Question

The main job of the probing question, which follows main or follow-up question, is to clarify.

Here are a few examples of probing questions. Know them well and use them.

“Please tell me more.”

“Please give me an example.”

“Please help me understand.”

Besides probing questions you ask, you can also use silent probes.

• Remain silent.
• Nod your head.
• Use a puzzled facial expression.

Prompts

A prompt is a cue or aide. Prompts aid recall by triggering a memory association.

Prompts help respondents talk about something you are interested in, but they have not talked about voluntarily.

Prompts can be brands, products, activities, names of things, and people.

For example,

“You mentioned Nokia. What about Samsung, LG, Motorola, and Sony Ericsson?”

Write prompts into the discussion guide. That way you won’t forget.
Write a list of probes in the focus group questionnaire. Rehearse them until you know them cold.
An effective interviewer asks main questions, follow-up questions, probes, and prompts. They dig beyond top-of- mind answers. They expand and get important details.

Practice

Make the four-question sequence part of your routine. Write the four-question sequence in the focus group questionnaire or moderator's guide, until you become comfortable. Practice it. Master it.

With enough practice, you’ll be able to improvise the four-question sequence on the spot. A jazz musician practices scales routinely. Improvisation comes from mastering the scales.

The same holds true for moderating. Master the four-question sequence and you’ll become skilled at improvising a directed conversation. Try it on friends and family.

Your interviewing skills will improve with practice. Moderating will become conversational.

Writing focus group questions in the moderator's guide or focus group questionnaire is your first step.

See the article about moderator guide. It illustrates how to order questions within a topic of inquiry.

Also, check out the article about basic question tips.

Once you learn basic questions, try laddering.

And try projective techniques.

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Uses, gratifications and your work

The Uses and Gratifications Model of the Media

The mass media is a huge phenomenon. Through the various different platforms, print or broadcast, the media is able to reach millions of people like no other force. Without the media, powerful speeches by politicians would affect no one, local events would remain local, and performances by great actors would be seen only by the people in the immediate audience. The media overcomes distances, and builds a direct relationship with the audience. Many sociologists have attempted to explore what effects this has on society, and how the media fits in to our social network. Through many programmes of research, including focus groups, surveys, questionnaires, clinical studies and plain hypothesising, a number of models describing the media's relationship with audiences have been drawn up.
Initially, researchers approached the subject from the angle of how the media is able to manipulate audiences, injecting messages into their minds. This 'hypodermic' model, as it was later termed, became rejected after closer examination. The 'Uses and Gratifications' model represented a change in thinking, as researchers began to describe the effects of the media from the point of view of audiences. The model looks at the motives of the people who use the media, asking why we watch the television programmes that we do, why we bother to read newspapers, why we find ourselves so compelled to keep up to date with our favourite soap. The underlying idea behind the model is that people are motivated by a desire to fulfil, or gratify certain needs. So rather that asking how the media uses us, the model asks how we use the media.
The model is broken down into four different needs.

 

Surveillance

The surveillance need is based around the idea that people feel better having the feeling that they know what is going on in the world around them. One of the genres this is often applied to is news. By watching or reading about news we learn about what is happening in the world, and as the news is usually bad news, this knowledge leaves us feeling more secure about the safety of our own lives. This idea might seem a bit strange, that the more we know about tragedies the safer we feel, but sociologists argue that ignorance is seen as a source of danger, and so the more knowledge we have the safer we feel. When looking at the news it's easy to spot news items that give us this reaction. For example if it wasn't for watching the news we might be unknowingly left with five pound notes that are worthless1, or become vulnerable to the latest computer virus2, or end up in a hospital with an awful track record3.
It's not just news that fulfils the surveillance model however, the theory can also be seen in many consumer and crime-appeal programmes such as Watchdog4, Rogue Traders5 and CrimeWatch6. These appeal directly through the idea that they are imparting information that people need to know. The programmes talk far more directly to the viewer, and even try to get the viewer involved in the programme. Because these programmes deal purely with national and local concerns, without such vagaries as world news, the issues ostensibly have the potential to affect the viewer directly. By watching the programme we are finding out about which particular insurance companies are a con, how mobile phone muggings are taking place and the tricks plumbers use to charge us through the roof. This knowledge of life's potential pitfalls gives us the feeling that we are more able to avoid them (though in reality it's hard to see how this actually happens).
The surveillance model then is all about awareness. We use the mass media to be more aware of the world, gratifying a desire for knowledge and security.

 

Personal Identity

The personal identity need explains how being a subject of the media allows us to reaffirm the identity and positioning of ourselves within society. This can most be seen in soaps, which try to act as a microcosm of society as a whole. The characters in soaps are usually designed to have wildly different characteristics, so that everyone can find someone to represent themselves, someone to aspire to, and someone to despise. For example you might feel close to a character who is always falling victim to other people, and this connection might help you to understand and express your own feelings. You may also really like a character who seems 'cool' and leads a lifestyle you'd like to lead. This relationship could act as a way to channel your own life, helping you to set goals to work to. Finally there may be a character you really can't stand. By picking out their bad characteristics and decisions ('oh, she shouldn't have done that'), it helps you to define your own personal identity by marking out what you're not like...
The use of the media for forming personal identity can also be seen outside soaps. Sports personalities and pop stars can often become big role models, inspiring young children everywhere (which is why there's such an outcry when one of them does something wrong). Even the 'seriousness' of news can lend itself to gratifying personal identity, by treating news anchors as personalities, rather than simply figureheads relaying information:

Watching the news with my grandma is a nightmare. She's always commenting on the newsreader's clothing, hairdo or mannerisms.

Personal Relationships

This section comes in two parts. We can form a relationship with the media, and also use the media to form a relationship with others.

Relationships with the Media

Many people use the television as a form of companionship. This may seem sad, but think about how many times you've watched the TV on your own, or with other people but sitting in silence. The television is often quite an intimate experience, and by watching the same people on a regular basis we can often feel very close to them, as if we even know them. When presenters or characters in a soap die, those who have watched that person a lot often grieve for the character, as if they have lost a friend. Some events can even cause media outcries, such as the imprisonment of Deirdre from the TV soap Coronation Street, which caused many national newspapers to campaign for her release. We also talk to the TV a lot. Not many football fans can sit through a televised match without shouting at the players or the referee, and many people tell characters what to (or not to do) next.

Don't go down the stairs in your nightie! No don't open the door! No...!!!

The more we watch the same personalities, the more we feel we get to know them. Reality TV shows such as Big Brother give us such a feeling of intimacy with the participants that they can become part of our lives. Even though the relationship is completely one-sided, it's easy to see how we can fall in love with TV personalities.

Using the Media Within Relationships

Another aspect to the personal relationships model is how we can sometimes use the media as a springboard to form and build upon relationships with real people. The EastEnders strapline 'Everyone's talking about it', despite being a clever marketing tactic, does hold up when looking at social uses of the media. Having a favourite TV programme in common can often be the start of a conversation, and can even make talking to strangers that much easier. There's also some studies that suggest that some families use sitting around watching the television as a stimulus for conversation, talking to each other about the programme or related anecdotes while it is on. This kind of use (as well as some of the others), is heavily satirised in the BBC sit-com The Royle Family.

 

Diversion

The diversion need describes what's commonly termed as escapism - watching the television so we can forget about our own lives and problems for a while and think about something else. This can work with positive programmes, such as holiday shows or the constant happy endings in the Australian soap Neighbours, which help to cheer us up and forget our own problems, and with negative programmes, such as the bleak EastEnders or a tragic film, which help to put our own problems into perspective ('At least my life's not that bad!').
The diversion model also accounts for using the media for entertainment purposes, such as a good spy film, and for relaxation (slumping in front of the telly, don't care what's on). The media can give us emotional release and also sexual arousal, which includes a sexy scene in a film as well as pornography.
Altogether, the Uses and Gratifications model outlines the many reasons we have for using the mass media, and the kind of functions that the media can play within our lives.

Evaluating your work

A good evaluation - probably an A.

Writing about advertising

Sorry folks, I'm not well. Please use the time that I am not shouting at you as wisely as possible.

I want us to really nail this advertising side of our documentaries. This means not only coming up with a good concept (which I will help you with), but being able to talk and write about it like a professional.

And I mean professional.

Please do the task on this website. You'll need to log in to read the whole task. Remember your username and password are  Moss01 and Bourne01 (Moss02 and Bourne02, etc)

I expect you to cover every blue headline by the end of today. Use each and every bullet point as prompts.

Write your answers on your blogs.

Please make sure that if you don't understand a term, you look it up. This is from the GCSE spec of the AQA board, but all the technical language should be very familliar to you by now and this is a very good way of revising it.

You can remind each other what words mean, but I want you to write your own responses so that you each become better, and so that you can get a wider range of ideas to talk about afterwards.

Work hard. Good luck.

ND

Editing - top tips

Editing Film | Top Tips

When teaching editing, it is best that you have a go too. If you have not done this before, and only know about editing a holiday home movie, here are a few suggestions to ensure that your students know what to look out for and how to improve their work:

1. Timeline | shots should make sense in the order they are placed. It might be that students download their initial films and the shots are not in chronological order. Get them to roughly cut them first, and pop them into order. They can then trim down each piece of continuous footage, or each shot as suits them. Encourage them then to ‘hack’ into it, rather than trimming it all down first and then arranging.
2. Continuity | They must make sure that if someone is wearing a black jumper, sweating or has a bruise over their left eye, that it looks the same in the next shot. The action in the shots must be physically continuous. This also applies to the weather. This can make it tricky, as sometimes the weather (and therefore light) can change in an instant. Get the students to at least plan for this, and then they will be prepared. There are now whole shows about this so it does happen (just not in your classroom with any luck!).
3. Selection | does it tell the story, does it create the message / pace / tension needed? Students should reflect, decide and revise shot choice. They shouldn’t just chuck all their footage in. This is easier if they have stuck to a storyboard. There is a process of selection here already. If they just go out and film, the footage can be bulky and meaning can be lost. By selecting shots, and being able to articulate the choices is a great skill for them.
4. Edit On The Action | if your subject is standing, then sitting and you have changed shots, you need to consider when you should change from one piece of continuous action to another. Is this once they have sat? As they are sitting? Or before (and they move into frame)? A good first lesson on editing and camerawork, is to get students to film one person walking into a room to talk to another person sitting at a table. This is very basic, but they will have to consider angle, and when to cut. This can help them to create meaning, ensure their work flows (the action is continuous) and that the audience is not confused. It is worth having a lesson where you introduce them to the hardware - either with yourself or a technician.
5. Wait until the action has finished to cut to a still shot | otherwise it looks like you have cut them off mid-flow. This can be as they run towards someone or even walk into a room.
6. Pace | sometimes you will want to hold a shot and therefore will edit after a longer period of time. A shot normally lasts more than a second and less than 10 seconds.  This is so the audience can focus on the action / dialogue / setting. If you want to create a sense of panic, danger or chaos (for example with a chase), you would jump cut.
7. Smooth vs Rough | If you want to shock or create rhythm, you can edit to sound. For example in a music video, it means sense to cut to the beat of the music. If you are editing a TV Period Drama, you would edit to create a more realistic feel to the piece and therefore use longer continuous shots.
8. Montage | series of shots together, rather than using continuous shots. It can give a lot of information, or illustrate time passing.
9. Editing Music | As said above, one way is to cut to the pace of the music. Normally this is on the first beat of each bar.
10. You can also edit if there is a change in music | from loud to quiet, or orchestral to electronic or from choir to orchestra.
11. Dialogue / voiceovers / narration needs to be edited to fit with the action | It could be that you have a voiceover for someone writing a letter to illustrate their thoughts; this is a simple case of adding the dialogue to the action (someone writing) and you may also have some music in the background. This means you will have three different areas to edit. You will need to ensure that the voiceover and music are balanced, so the audience can focus on the area you want them too. Or you may have asked one actor to sing, and have a different performer to act as if they are singing. Students will then have to lip synch - get the audio and action to fit. They will get extra marks for this, as it is tricker. Another area they may need to look at is having several voices at the same time (for a dream or chaotic scene), or they need to exaggerate a conventional noise (glass smashing for an explosion or a gun being fired for an action film). Again, this is just a case of balance.
12. If you want students to use slow motion or speed up the action for a music video, there is a simple way to do this | If they are singing at the camera, either make the song faster or slower and get them to lip synch it at this speed. Once the song is at its normal pace, they will look like they are singing in time but the movement around them is faster / slower. (If they lip synch to fast music, at a normal pace the action will look slower and vice versa).

Sound editing tools

Audio Editing

Low End

Audacity | Free, easy to use and good results.
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Garageband | Part of Apple’s iLife software bundle. Easy to use and good results.
http://www.apple.com/uk/ilife/garageband/

Mid End

Apple Logic Pro | ‘Whether you’re a professional or play in your garage, Logic Pro 9 gives you everything you need to write, record, edit and mix music.’
http://www.apple.com/uk/logicpro/
Serif | See comments about Serif Design Suite in ‘Video Editing’.
Sony Acid Pro | See comments about Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 10 or 11 above.

High End

Adobe Audition | Part of Adobe’s Creative Suite. Industry standard.
http://www.adobe.com/uk/products/audition.html