Olivia Pridgen AL media studies project

When mentioning special features, I am referring to the addition of effects over interviews and b-roll as well as the name captions over each interview. These effects are added because it keeps the content intriguing and allows audiences to engage with the documentary. I also used this as a way to guide readers' attention to specific details. For example, when the photo dump video of the team winning appears over the interview, interviewee Karlie is explaining what victory feels like. This enhances the significance of this information, guiding readers to further understand this key topic.  This three-video slide provides a break from the interviews to keep the content interesting. These videos appear on screen together to represent the athletes' journeys throughout the season and to represent their teamwork as they take on challenges together. This also reinforces the topics and messages that the interviewees were discussing before the three videos. This helps me fully encode m...

Sound plays a crucial role within this documentary when trying to construct meaning. in documentaries such as my own, sound techniques such as scores, guide readers in understanding what type of emotions they should be enduring whilst consuming the content. For example, if an intense score is present over an interview, it can be understood that the topic being discussed is serious, demanding, or dangerous. Sound acts as an outline to emotion and ive thoroughly considered this when making decisions regarding sound for my film.  The first technique that is heard in my documentary is score. A score is any music made for or present in a film. My documentary opens with an intense score that introduces the athletes and coaches of Hudson Highschool here team. This aids the viewers in understanding that cheer is demanding and that the documentary explores the challenges and positive outcomes of the sport being demanding. Throughout this score, I utilized voiceovers. These voiceovers were c...

 The title section plays after the opening introduction of the team is showcased. This title scene consists of multiple geometric shapes. These shapes spin within one another, creating a visually intriguing series of events. This keeps audiences hooked, encouraging them to continue watching and stay active participants. To create these shapes, I inserted a circle and triangle into CapCut which is my editing software. I then added animations to it such as swirl and swipe right. I did the same to the line of triangles that appear after the shapes. This line of triangles symbolizes an arrow pointing someone towards something. This creates the idea that I am pointing my viewers in the direction of my documentary. To expand on this idea, I included the title and episode after the triangle section . This reinforces the idea of pointing my audience in the direction of my film encouraging audience engagement.  When deciding what font, style, and color to use on my title, I was able to...

  Attached above is the updated magazine

I have finished conducting all three of Coach Hatchers interviews. As shown in the photo above, I filmed this interview on a plain grey wall outside of Hudson Highschool. This is different from what I had originally planned. This is because I wanted to present diversity to my audience to keep the content engaging. This did not interfere with the meaning or identify enforcement because of mine en scene. specifically, costuming. I had asked Hatcher if on her filming days she could wear Hudson related attire. In doing this, I created identity enforcement by having hatcher represent Hudson cheer which helps viewers fully connect the content to the team with visuals. this achieves the same purpose as the previous filming location did.  When filming hatchers interview, I had two camera setups to provide a variety of angles. This is done to keep the content engaging and enhance the significance of ideas being explained during that specific duration of time. For example, in the video below...

  Highlights: High School nationals is something briefly shown and subtly discussed throughout Full Out. The interviewees explain the hardworking each athlete puts into every practice in order to reach the final goal which is performing at the most magical place on earth, Disney. Magic isn't just in the castle; it's on the mat when Hudson Highschool takes the floor at ESPN World Wide of Sports complex. Throughout this documentary, audiences are able to understand the severity of performing on this mat and having Disney's reputation behind every performance on that mat, means the world. Full Out accurately depicts the adrenaline and excitement athletes feel as all of their hard work pays off during their final performance.  Teamwork: In Full Out, athletes explain that "being apart of team is so much more than winning." Athletes like Karlie Wannamaker and Alexis Grantham describe what it's like to be apart of such a passionate team with fellow athletes that carr...

When I initially placed all my content into its correct location, and I viewed the raw footage, I was shocked at how much genuine emotion was conveyed without any editing or sound. This made me feel confident in my content since I would soon add editing that would further enhance the meaning. This meant my film would contain immense meaning that holds a lot of power and emotional depth. I also noticed that my interviewees spoke with certainty and confidence. This reassured me that I made them feel comfortable, allowing them to display the emotion I needed for my film. One negative thing I noticed was the choppiness of everything. This was a simple fix done by artificial transitions like dissolves.  When ordering my interviews, I avoided placing them chronologically. This is because I aimed to create intense emotion. Although I have only begun to edit the first two sectors or first two interviews, I wanted to test this technique to ensure it created the amount of meaning I wanted. W...

 This post is advertising a pop-up film festival that my company will be hosting and attending. Film festivals create extensive opportunities for small media companies, such as my own. This is because the content you are working on gets screened to an audience that contains potential future audiences, critics, and other professionals within the industry. This opens doors that could lead to future collaborations or funding from major companies which would allow your company to gain major recognition in the media industry. These are also a great way for media companies to share creative ideas with one another. For example, Bakerybrothers, a small media company whom I have collaborated with in the past, will be attending this film festival. By presenting a preview of our films to one another I may find interest in learning about her techniques which would expand my skill level, making me a well-rounded producer.  This post included eye-catching colors and cartoons that will appea...

                  Champions speak (page 3):  Hatcher- "it's now or never, put your heart and soul into this performance. This is where it really counts y'all. Think of all the hard-work you have put into this routine now, go on that mat and execute this routine to the best of your ability!"  Karlie- "Hard-work pays off no matter what. Every full out at practice was for this moment so let's leave everything on that mat"  Alexis- "Trust in your teammates guys. They got your back and as long as everyone does their job on that mat, we can hit this routine.  These athletes and coach Hatcher are featured in the  documentary, Full Out. They share their feelings and opinions about the sport. They give a first-person perspective into cheering at Hudson High School, making it easy for audiences to understand how demanding and significant the sport is. These people are extensively involved in the program, making championships a...

  This is a side-by-side comparison of the front cover of my promotional magazine. It has not endured any changes since I constructed the original draft. This is because it demonstrates sophistication and meaning excellently. The full team photo accurately depicts teamwork and unity amongst the entire program; the star is appealing and stands out on the rather simple layout. This gold star represents victory. This can be connected to Roland Barthes theory, which states that colors and symbols represent deeper meanings. In this case, the gold star represents victory, which is something the team is very fond of.  This is page two of my magazine which has endured a pretty noticeable amount of change. The first issue I identified was that this page's background was pure white rather than an off-white like the first page. I fixed this issue by selecting the background of page one, copying the color id number, and pasting it onto the second page. I then noticed that the font was dif...

Here is a vlog where I discuss my schedule updates!

David Buckingham argues that social media actively constructs young consumers' identity as they consume media daily. Because of this, producers often reflect real world scenarios in film which leads to constant change within media due to the evolution of perception. He also states that this age group is active, challenging Stuart Halls reception theory which states that audiences are passive.  This theory implies that the way groups or individuals are represented in media is extremely significant because young consumers often follow this perception, shaping their identity and beliefs.  Original content created by me Documentaries apply this theory to create authenticity. This is because they are meant to depict valid and non-fiction stories; therefore, they reflect societal issues. Because of this accurate representation, audiences can trust the content. Specifically, parents are able to trust the content around their young consumers because fake news is not being injected int...

Henry Jenkins' is responsible for introducing the Convergence and Participatory cultural theory. This theory explains that media spreads across platforms due to the active participation of fans. Audiences do this through comment sections, repost ability, and access to sharing the content. Social media platforms like Instagram offer all of these features, making it a great platform to advertise on. Including interactive features on promotional material, audiences can become involved and encouraged to be active participants of the content and other forms of promotion done by the producer. Rather than all promotion being done by the company, audiences are enabled to spread the content and create things such as fandoms.  I have thoroughly considered this ideology and have heavily implemented it into my process. To do this, I have been promoting my content on Instagram due to its vast opportunities to apply this theory. Hashtags are a major convention on Instagram and are also a great w...

 Technological convergence:  Technological convergence is when a device can conduct several functions by containing several platforms or apps. For example, an iPhone includes a camera, editing software, social media apps, etc. All of these features are crucial when producing a film.  Importance of technological convergence:  Technological convergence is significant to filmmaking because it has changed the media field immensely. The easy access to a device that allows a producer to create, market and distribute, has eliminated power barriers between small and large film companies. Because of this, small companies have been enabled to flourish and provide audiences with new content that differs from repetitive content produced by major conglomerates. James Curran and Jean Seaton argue that large media conglomerates, created through horizontal integration, create profit driven content which often leads to repetitive content, leaving audiences with lack of options. To fu...

  This magazine will allow me to successfully promote my product for several reasons. One of these reasons is because magazines provide visual storytelling. My documentary explores the emotional depths of cheerleading. By providing photos in a magazine, audiences are able to see characters' body language and facial expressions which aid in providing them with a guide to their emotions and how they should decode the products' meanings. Another reason is because magazines carry longevity. Magazines are often found in very public places where they sit on shelves for extended periods of time. Magazines seem to have an impact on audiences causing them to remain an excellent way of promoting media content. Magazines are also usually presented in extremely public places such as grocery stores and beauty salons where they will reach vast amounts of people. This allows for content to be spread quickly and efficiently, enabling a business to grow and generate revenue from a product. Thes...

  Attached above are my initial magazine page layouts.  This initial magazine layout expresses my initial thoughts and ideas for the magazine. This is a rough draft copy that will be edited and changed throughout the creation process.  The front cover photo depicts the entire Hudson high school cheerleading program. Both varsity and junior varsity are shown in this photo. I decided on this photo because I wanted to express the theme of unity to audiences. By showing both teams together, viewers can understand that cheer is a sport requiring family like bonds amongst the team members. This allows me to promote my documentary because my target audience tends to be drawn to the emotional aspect of cheerleading which is being conveyed on my front cover. This means that viewers can connect the times being displayed on this page to my entire documentary. Similarly, the second page contains two images. The first image is of the varsity team wearing championship medals. This give...

 This post is a slideshow post consisting of three images and upbeat instrumental music. This is meant to introduce my interviewees to my audience.  Each post includes a photo of the cast member, an engaging title, fun color schemes, the cast members name and role, and my company logo. This post was made to officially introduce my cast and generate familiarity within my audience. By introducing the cast members without giving too much information, viewers are given the opportunity to search for further information on the cast members as well as gain comfort in the cast members. In return, this will make the interviewees' interviews more memorable, allowing me to effectively convey my full meaning.   Throughout this Instagram post and previous posts, I have included my company logo. This creates the impression that I am consistent allowing my audience to develop trust in my company and I. It also generates familiarity allowing my company to be recognized effortlessly ...

When reviewing my current opening sequence, I developed a strong dislike for the content. The music does not align with the slow fade transitions in between photos, and the collage appeared to be messy. The slow fades were originally decided to be used because it made the intro longer. A long intro was desired because it allowed me to share more content and insight on the team to the audience. This would provide viewers with a clear understanding of the team and its members, making the content within the  documentary more informative. By including this intro, audiences would be encouraged to decode the correct encoded meaning.  The video above shows a short teaser of the new opening sequence. This updated version includes fades in between each individual photo, removing the original fade. The discordant score has been kept because it creates intensity, allowing viewers to understand that cheer is a demanding sport that can be extremely intense at times. Artificial transitions ...

 My magazine will consist of 3 pages. The first page is a cover photo consisting of an image that highlights the team's significance using bright lighting and a full team photo to depict unity amongst them. It will also include the publisher (Pridgen Productions) and the title in a bold font. This page will also include small gold stars throughout to signify victory, which is something the team prides themselves on. The background will be a gradient of varying shades of red to aid in representing the team through colors. This can be connected to Roland Barthes' semiotics theory, which explains that colors and objects have deeper meanings and represent more significant things. In this case, red represents Hudson high school and their cheer team.  The second page will contain original photos of the team during practice, at nationals, and other competitions. This provides visual explanations for the words included in the magazine.  This page will include headings to provide ...

In this documentary, diegetic sound is used. Diegetic sound refers to sound that can be heard on set by the film crew and cast involved in the process. This diegetic sound is understood as the dialogue throughout every interview. By including diegetic sound, genuine emotion can be conveyed to the audience. This is because the sound comes directly from the interviewee, meaning that emotion is carried through their voice. Because of this, audiences experience the same emotion as the interviewee. Diegetic sound also aids in creating authenticity. By hearing genuine words from a real person rather than an artificial sound, audiences are encouraged to trust the content and build connections with the cast. By providing this diegetic dialogue, there is room for voice cracks, stuttering, crying, etc. This shows that the interviewees take the topic seriously and that cheer has an emotional impact on them which enables the viewers to make connections between the dialogue and main themes.  No...