Presentation Research
Consider the best ways to present your proposal?
Idea one - Pitch Presentation
One of the ways in which I could present my proposal is through a powerpoint of slides in a pitch style format. Choosing this layout would be an effective way of presenting my ideas because I can dedicate each slide to a singular topic e.g theory, inspiration, ambitions etc. I can also add visual images throughout the powerpoint to give contextual references too. Another benefit of choosing this idea is that I would be able to discuss the different sections on each slide and answer any questions my audience wants to ask, making the presentation more open for discussion and add improvements to my ideas. A few months ago I attended a masterclass with a film producer, Daniel-Konrad Cooper at the London Film Academy. Cooper detailed his process on how he made a pitch for the film ‘Dead in a Week or your Money Back’. Cooper stated that every pitch should break down into synopsis, storyline, tone, theme and mood. I have taken notes from this masterclass and will apply them to my own pitch but adjust them to direct mine more towards graphic design than a film pitch.
The image below is a photograph of me attending the masterclass virtually:
In order to create this pitch style presentation I would make each slide using Photoshop then upload it onto a website called Behance. I have used both Photoshop and Behance together before for a pitch and I felt they were very effective in creating a professional looking presentation that was easy to navigate and understand in terms of design. I have linked the pitch I created separately for a university application below, this is to evidence my work using both Photoshop and Behance together.
URL to university pitch - https://www.behance.net/gallery/112649745/Falmouth-Pitch-Challenge-one
Idea two -Video essay Presentation
Another way in which I could present my proposal is through a video essay. Choosing this layout would be effective in presenting my ideas because I could write a voiceover which would structurally would cover each topic in my proposal. For this idea I would also be able to add video clips and images to display whilst the voiceover plays, as this would create a visually stimulating and audibly informative presentation. However, the only issue with this idea is that it may be hard to break down for my audience as they wouldn't be able to ask questions whilst the video essay plays, making it harder for them to understand the information as they would have to absorb it all at once. In order to create this video essay I would write a script on the program Celtx then edit my voiceover recording and additional images/videos on After Effects. I have lots of experience in using both these programs which is beneficial to me as I know this form of presentation is feasible for me to create.
Idea three - Poster Presentation
Another way in which I could present my proposal is through a large poster. Choosing this layout would be effective in presenting my ideas because I could combine lots of images together to create a more visual based presentation. I would also include bits of text in parts to reference the different sections of my proposal. Another benefit to choosing this idea is that I can audibly discuss the information on my poster to my audience in the moment, and if they have any questions I will be able to answer them as I present. In order to create this poster presentation I would use Photoshop, this is because I have experience in the program and it offers many editing tools which can help make my poster visually enticing for my audience.
Chosen idea
After reflecting upon the three ways I could present my proposal, I have decided to choose idea one (pitch).I believe it is the most effective and professional way of showing my development of ideas and proposal as a whole because my audience will be able to have direct communication with me as I discuss each slide and I am able to include a good balance of visual and written examples of my research.
Consider the target audience?
In terms of my target audience, I will make sure I evidence and discuss both my psychographic and demographic audience charts I created in my proposal for my presentation, as they specify details about my target audience, e.g age, gender, interests, employment etc. This is a very useful form of research because it allows me to break down the different ways in which I can design and relate the visuals shown in my project (film campaign) to those that fit within my target audience categories. Another way I will convey my target audience in my presentation is by creating a pen portrait. This will allow me to identify the characteristics of my target audience in more detail, giving a more intimate look at who my ideal audience is for this project.
To understand how I would layout my pen portrait, I used the website page linked below which gave me a useful foundation to work from when building my portrait:
Source, article - https://espirian.co.uk/pen-portraits/
Harvard Reference - John Espirian. (2016). Pen Portraits: understanding your ideal audience. Espirian.
Pen portrait:
David, 55 years old
Divorced
No children
Lives in England, Cambridge
Works as a full time novelist
Degree in English Literature
Speaks French and English
Favourite writer is E.M Forster
Drinks too much alcohol
Doesn’t exercise enough
Another way in which I will consider my target audience in my presentation is by researching more into marketing graphic design within target audiences. I will integrate my research into the presentation by highlighting certain points/parts which have influenced my design decisions when thinking about my target audience.
Source, video essay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCpsXmg1Yjc
Harvard Reference - Craig Kunce. (2020). Defining a Target Audience (for Graphic Designers). Craig Kunce Youtube.
A helpful source I looked at for this was the video essay I have linked above, the author is a graphic designer himself and he stated how when targeting your audience you need to tailor the message to them so they’ll understand. I thought this point was simple yet useful as it allowed me to know that each of my posters and ads need to be clear in their direct message of the narrative to my target audience. To ensure my film campaign succeeds in directing its message I will gather feedback from people who are in my target audience age range (40s - 60s) and improve it using their feedback. The author also explained how it is a good idea to ‘pick someone’ (meaning subject/actor) who is the same age range as the target audience. This point was reassuring to me as I have already planned to make my character poster and ads feature an actor who is the same age range (65) as my target audience. The author also stated how looking at ‘generational similarities’ is beneficial to making the designs to engage the targeted generation. I found this point helpful as I can improve my marketing by noting down similarities of interests in generation x (my target audience generation) to improve my film campaigns opportunity of being successful towards attracting that audience. The author then recommended talking to people within that target audience and understanding where they find their entertainment e.g television ads, billboards, buses, newspaper etc. For my research I will ask a few of my elderly family members where they get most of their entertainment from and using that feedback, see what ways I could better market my film campaign for my targeted age group.
What things do you need to present?
1. The first section of my pitch presentation would disclose my initial decisions to choosing a film campaign as my project concept, giving evidence of the weighted pros and cons and the ways in which my choice related towards my career interest and aspiration.
2. The second section will then briefly explain the narrative of my film concept and lead on to different graphic designers I have looked at for inspiration and how they have influenced my design and layout approach towards my initial ideas for my posters and ads.
3. In the third section I will elaborate on relevant theory which I have researched e.g colour theory, target audience theory, theoretical ideologies/concepts towards my audiences etc.
4. The fourth section will show initial sketches of my designs.
5. Then lastly the fifth section will cover areas I need to continue to research and my overall ambitions for the project. One of the things I need to research more into is learning graphic design on the program InDesign, to do this I will utilise sources online such as youtube tutorials, articles, podcasts etc. Another form of research I need to do is editing e.g learn how to colour grade on Photoshop, explore more font designing and proportions when designing poster and ad layouts.
What does the mark scheme say and how will you demonstrate this?
I will need to ensure I fulfill the requirements in the last box shown above. To reach this goal I must give evidence my plan for the development of my idea and disclose clearly in detail my intention for each decision. I also need to make sure I clearly breakdown my plan by using visual references and only discuss necessary points towards my progression.
I also need to ensure my audience understands my intentions for my initial ideas all the way to my final product. To do this I shall give examples of my visual concepts, the graphic design inspirations I am drawing from and how they are connected to my target audience. I will also have to show my primary research studies into my audience and colour theory to show evidence of my autonomous learning towards developing my ideas and understanding of marketing my film campaign.
Presentation
