CCR Blog

Creative Critical Reflection

1. How does your product use or challenge conventions AND how does it represent social groups or issues?  

    We did follow some of the conventions of sports drink commercials. One such convention is that the ads have an athlete of some sort drink the product, and then perform well in their sport. Our commercial reflected this convention, the sport being soccer. Another convention I noticed was that the advertisements all had a voiceover of some sort. Our commercial also had sound effects and music similar to those conventionally found in sports drink commercials. 

    The commercial’s primary audience are athletes looking to optimize their performance. These athletes can be of varying skill levels and play different sports. They are individuals that prioritize hydration to provide them with the endurance they need. The commercial can also attract coaches aiming to maximize the performance of their team. The goal is to provide those who understand the importance of proper hydration with a product that helps them reach their peak potential. 

 

2. How does your product engage with audiences AND how would it be distributed as a real media text?  

    The commercial grabs the attention of the audience right away with a bright green soccer pitch, promptly introducing the main subject. Not too much information is given on what the commercial is about in the first 15 seconds. This makes the audience curious, helping grab their attention. The controlled manner in which the information is presented plays a major role in viewer retention. The first couple shots also help engage the audience, with a quick tilt followed by a Dutch angle. 

 

    This advertisement can be advertised through multiple platforms, including social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. This ad would be distributed to those interested in sports-related content, so as to reach the intended audience. It would also be distributed during live sports events on television and on sports streaming apps. Along with this niche marketing strategy, the ad could also be distributed in broader sectors, perhaps to people watching fitness-related content, but not necessarily high-performance sports. This would better reach the ideal audience, who are active individuals of all kinds of interests. 

3. How did your production skills develop throughout this project?  

    Learning how to film and edit has made me appreciate the time and effort that is required to create the media I consume. Before this project I never took the time to appreciate the large amount of planning and time it takes to create media, even if it is as short as 30 seconds. I now have a much greater appreciation for the filmmaking process. I don’t think I will ever seriously consider a career in filmmaking, yet I did find the process enjoyable. In the future I would definitely use a better editing software. I am excited to continue to learn and to improve production quality. 

4. How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?  

    Having used my phone to film the shots, I had to learn how to transfer the files properly from my phone to my laptop. I had to learn how to use an editing software called OpenShot. This software had some features that were new to me, like keyframes, which I learned to use. I also learned how to add effects in this software, such as blurring, and changing those parameters using keyframes. I also used a separate software I found online to remove the background noise that was present in the voiceover. I also had to learn how to upload the finished video onto YouTube, and embed it properly into my blog.