A-level Media Studies NEA Statement of Intent

I am producing 2 media products for set brief 5. I shall be creating three Tiktoks, one podcast and two online advertisements. In the UK, according to an NHS survey, a quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds have tried vaping and nearly 1 in 10 (9%) do it frequently (NHS England). Therefore, my aim for these media products is to raise awareness about social health issues, such as vaping as it has become very popular (almost a ‘trend’) for youths over the past few years. I wanted to take up this brief because I am very interested in the use of Tiktok to help spread social or political awareness and information. I also think that campaigns have been very useful for many years and are successful at circulating knowledge. The audience I am targeting will be teenagers aged 14-20 years old, as vaping is most popular at that age. In terms of Psychographic profiling (Rubicam and Young), I will be targeting the ‘strugglers’ and ‘explorers’. In terms of uses and gratifications (Katz), I am aiming to create products that provide information about the real world for my targeted audience. As such, I will interview my target audience to investigate some of the side effects that vaping is causing. My aim is to create three Tiktoks that young people find interesting and engaging. To do that I will use vibrant colours and the use of clear iconography, which can link to the theorist Roland Barthes as I will be using a pattern of iconography as well as the orders of signification (connotations) throughout my products. My Tiktoks will also aim to engage as short, appealing videos for younger ages, with a sense of informality. I will stick to these ideas and styles. Cross-media campaigns use different media forms as a way of spreading awareness. New media platforms, such as TikTok, have over one billion users globally, mostly teenagers/young adults (seo.ai). As I often use Tiktok, I understand what the formality and themes are like: short-form videos, full of content and usually informal to gain audience’s attention. In addition, I shall create one podcast, and two online advertising materials. I have done some research to find a few professional products, which I will use as inspiration for my own products. I understand that campaigns and websites are a lot more formal than audio style media products, for example, campaigns and websites use short, declarative sentences so their audiences can become absorbed into their information. Whereas, audio style media products, like podcasts, use an organisation of themes for the episodes, as well as one main speaker, alongside a few additional speakers that use an optimistic tone of voice to portray an appealing persona. Therefore, I will ensure that the style, tone and register of my web pages will reflect these ideas. As I like listening to podcasts, and regularly listen to a podcast called ‘Saving Grace’ on Spotify, I understand that my podcast will need to include a theme, an audio logo and special guests in the same way that all podcasts do. My logo will be representing my campaign company ‘TheUglyTruth’. I want to connect both productions in terms of content and representation, so I will be using similar iconography for both the campaign and the Tiktok videos. This will include consistent iconography such as the logo that represents my campaign company, as well as connotations to vaping, like smoke or a picture of a vape, to ensure the theme of my brief is well produced and easy to understand for younger ages. To do this, I will ensure to use dominant signifiers such as text with a clear message, or an image of a vape throughout both products which will support the main message of the product, which is the awareness and danger of vaping, especially in younger ages as their brains haven’t fully developed yet.

I intend on producing 2 media products for my set brief, one of which is a magazine two page spread as well as a front cover and a contents page, and the other media product being three full page print adverts for a magazine for gamers like PC Gamer or Play. 

To create a strong gaming magazine front cover, contents page and three advertisements, I made sure to add a variety of media representations to portray a neat and marketed advertisement that is similar to products and marketing strategies from PC gamer. My magazines target audience is people who are interested in gaming and technological features aged around 15 to mid 30’s, the main gender my products and magazine is targeted for is male, however I also made it inclusive so that any gender would be invested in it. 

My three products will follow different colour schemes inspired by PC Gamer and the design`s will also include high contrast colour schemes like neon blues, red`s and purple`s against dark backgrounds to enhance the features of my technological products, however I also want my products to be minimalistic. To make it stand out from other adverts and products. I intend on using bold, futuristic fonts for titles, subtitles and headlines to create a contemporary modern feel. 

In my products I will include high resolution images of game characters and gaming accessories like controllers and keyboards. In my front cover I will use a high-resolution image of a game character which will dominate the cover and be taking up most of the area so that the character will be the dominant signifier. I will use action shots and dramatic poses to create an idea of movement and make the cover more intense which is appealing to the target audience. Cover lines will be used strategically to create visual balance and to make it clearer. 

I will focus on the layout of my contents page, The contents page will be organized into clear sections, I will do this by using subheadings making it easy for readers to understand and maneuver the magazine. I will make sure there is a consistent grid layout and be certain that it has a professional appearance and looks like a real media product. The magazine will have content from Esports to casual gaming to attract a wide range of different gamers. My Esports content will include information about tournaments, player interviews and highlights of Esports. However, for casual gaming it will include things such as game reviews, tips and tricks and articles about gaming culture. 

By using strong media language, different representations and targeted content. My products and magazine will not only meet the brief`s requirements but also stand out to its targeted audience and other diverse audiences. The Magazine will stand out in the media industry because it will bring visual appeal and the content which will reflect the world of gaming.