Critical Self-Reflection

 

    The advert that I have made will be advertising Razer gaming equipment. Specifically a Razer gaming mouse. The advert will be playing around on the gratification of diversion and starts off with a man buying a bad office mouse in a computer store and later on switching into the product that is being advertised. The man then feels like a king and is happy and the advert ends there. I have planned and made this advert in a way which will make it specifically attractive to younger audiences aged 13 - 25.

    Most of the gaming mice adverts out there would use a dark futuristic aesthetic which focuses on highlighting the strengths by using a digitally edited fast paced montage. The existing adverts also use an in depth detailed overview into the product and uses close up shots in order to show the audience the really small mechanical parts that will usually go unnoticed. When I analyzed these existing adverts I have realized that it will usually use a really upbeat soundtrack and they will sync the editing with the beats in the song. After seeing this I have decided to change the way I portray the advert to the audience by using a more comedic approach. The advert I made fits in a narrative in the background in order to challenge this genre convention.    

    There is one regulation that I need to consider when making this advert, this is harmful or negative stereotypes. I have made sure that theses stereotypes were portrayed in a way which will not be offensive to the audience. I've done this by going for a comedic approach which I am sure the younger audience will be fond of. 

    The audience are usually represented as skinny, frail, and weak which is a vey common stereotype for people who play video games. However, I have subverted this by using a character that is big and muscular. I did this so that it will convey a special meaning at the end of the advert when the big muscular 'gamer' character goes on a showdown with the weak and skinny computer store clerk and stares him down, this implies that he is way stronger and better. 

   My target audience for this advert are mainly younger people that play video games and know / can relate with the pain or frustration of having faulty equipment that just won't work to their liking. I have used the gratification of diversion as the product would distract the target audience from their day to day problems. The advert appeals to the audience because I have used a common stereotype for gamers and subverted it, moreover I have also used places / settings that the target audience may relate to such as the computer store or the basement. My advert will be shown in social medias such as YouTube and Twitch (live streaming platform), this is because I know from experience and research that a lot of my target audience use this platform. 

    The advert that I made also uses the Levi Strauss theory of narrative. To recap, it is a theory where they say that binary opposites are present in the media. This means that there are opposing or relating aspects that help strengthen the narrative and keep the audience interested. In my case, I have used the binary opposite of 'Strong vs Weak'. I have shown this nearing the end of my advert where the main character is shown to be standing up in a confident and manly pose while staring down at his weak opponent. 

    In the beginning of the project, I felt like I would have a hard time trying to draw the different perspectives and actions of the characters shown in the advert. However, after practicing more as time passes, I have learnt how to illustrate and present the different shots in a way where people would understand and get a good hold of the meaning I'm trying to convey in the advert. In the making of this advert, I've had to change a few ideas as they were conflicting with each other in a way which would result in confusion for the target audience. An example of this is when I had the main character always have his friend / sidekick with him in every shot I took. At the end of the project, I have became better at understanding camera angles and movements that can attract and keep the audience gripped to watch the entire advert to the end.

    Over the course of the project, I have used online tools such as Google and YouTube in order to get ideas and inspiration for my advert. I also used a really helpful website that has allowed me to connect and share my purpose and ideas with my friends called Blogger. When trying to illustrate and understand the camera angles more I have tried using a physical camera as a means to instantly see and acknowledge how it would look like. Most if not all of these tools, websites, and hardware have helped me to develop my skills as a Media Studies student and save my time and energy whilst making my project. 

    My personal purpose of making this advert is to give the target audience a sense of escape from reality, this is the main effect I am trying to achieve when making this advert. I want my audience / consumers to be able to distract themselves and take their thoughts away from everyday problems. For this advert, I did not use any celebrities or stars in order to promote the product. This is because I feel like it would make the audience follow or get influenced by the person in the spotlight. My goal is for the audience to have a neutral first impression on the advert and it is for them to decide at the very end if they like or dislike the product being promoted in the advert. 

    The slogan at the end of my advert "A new era has begun" is intended to convey the meaning that a more innovative and better generation of gaming mice has entered the industry. I have strictly emphasized this by splitting the difference in generation in the final shot of my advert where the old generation is shown to be inferior and weaker compared to the newer generation. 

    In the end, I feel that my advert has surpassed my initial expectations and is to my liking. I feel this way because in the beginning, I am inexperienced in this category of work and so I did not have much expectations compared to my friends. However, I have put much effort in trying to perfect this project and the work paid off.