Pen Commercial Project: A Reflection

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

Answer: Firstly, it uses the convention of general advertisements. It presents a situation where there is some sort of issue, and the product I am "selling" solves it. In terms of conventions specific to my product, I had shots that focused on the writing of each pen, close up shots of the pen itself, and created a light-hearted, fun mood with my song of choice. I also followed the format of the professional setting that is common in pen commercials. It represents the social group of students and the youth of today. One social issue this commercial could relate to is the anxiety and pressure that students can experience when working.  

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

Answer: This product engages with audiences by showing how this pen can improve your experience with writing. The situation presented was professional, but writing is used often, so having a good utensil is crucial. This means that audiences will connect this pen with a positive writing experience and be more likely to buy it. It would mostly likely be distributed as a television commercial to play during advertisement breaks. Having it displayed on a website like Youtube is a possibility, but those advertisements can be skipped and seem to bother audiences, so it may be best to avoid them.  

Question: How did your production skills develop throughout this project?  

 Before this project I had minimal experience with editing and none with filming. As this project continued, my filming skills became better. I was able to hold the camera steadily and learned how to get the camera to focus quickly. Also, due to the issues I experienced with editing apps, I gained knowledge about how to go about finding these apps, what to use next time, and how long to use it. I also learned how to go about finding a proper soundtrack.  

Question: How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project? 

Technology was integral to this filming project. Firstly, the advanced technology of the phone camera used allowed me to adjust the shots taken as needed. Also, the use of editing software and downloadable music was needed to take the shots from being abstract to an actual commercial. Messaging apps and emailing was a needed technology for communication and sending files.