My Media Portfolio
Task 1 - P1 - Analyse a Media Exhibition or Event
New College Fright Night 2016
Fright Night is an annual event held at New College over the Halloween period to provide a horror event for audiences. In 2016 it screened the Australian Horror Film “The Babadook” however also held a Horror Film Festival and other Halloween themed events to promote the Phoenix Theatre. The Phoenix Theatre based at New College is not only used for students and shows but also for outside events such as Swindon Film Society.
a)The main purpose of this event was to promote the Phoenix Theatre at New College and allow the general public to become more aware of the features and facilities available to them. It also promotes New College and promotes the theatre shows and musical productions that are presented to the public throughout the year. This event also encouraged cross-college involvement within the arts department, as all the departments had to work together in order for this event to be successful. This provides experience for students of several departments and also encourages them to achieve to better themselves and their skills for the future. Not only does this help current students, it also allows future students or school leavers to have an insight into the arts departments in case they were to come to study at New College. Parents then also get this information and insight and therefore can have input and information on their child’s future place of study. Finally, Phoenix Theatre is the new home of the Swindon Film Society and the screening of this film was used to promote their upcoming events. In conclusion, this event informed members of the public of the events held at the Phoenix Theatre and also encouraged them to consider hiring the Phoenix Theatre in the future for events.
b)The screening of “The Babadook” was the main feature of this event, however there were other sectors, for example the horror film challenge. This allowed audiences to watch a selection of horror films created by the 2nd year students of the BTEC level 3 media production course, before voting for their favourite. Each of the art departments were involved including the media make up department; students showed demonstrations of the media make up involved in the show of Babadook and explained to the public what they were using. Students from the textiles department also created Halloween costumes to display to the public on the night and the photography departments showed exhibitions and showed student’s work related to the Halloween theme. The art and design department were responsible for creating a Babadook Set. This not only helped audiences to engage with the screening of the film but also allowed them to get an insight into the creativity that the art department provides and the resources and projects available to students. Photo booths and games stalls also featured at the event, which opens the event up to a slightly wider audience, as these things appeal to a younger audience. Even though the film is only for audiences above the age of 15, the games stalls attract those between 15 and 25 particularly. By having this wide range of content, it not only allows the event to target a wide audience, but also helps to provide each audience with something that they enjoy. By having different stalls from each department it targets a wide range of people and covers each of the arts available at New College. This promotes the college and their arts departments and also provides entertainment/pleasure for a variety of people and their likes/preferences.
c)The target audience for this event was primarily members of the public aged 15 and above, as this was the age rating for the film being shown, however also included New College staff and students. As the primary target audience included those over the age of 15, the exhibitions accompanying the main event could include themes appropriate for older audiences, such as the media make up exhibition which may have been too disturbing for younger children. Any demographic group would be a potential target audience for this event, as those in categories A-C2 are the main categories that parents of students who attend New College. This obviously can apply to those in category D, however category E is probably more likely to attend this event, as it includes students who are generally already involved in the college, and also pensioners who may be grandparents of the students. With regards to a psychographic audience, those who are reformers or explorers may be inclined to attend this event as it allows them to broaden their knowledge of several sectors in the arts. Those who are succeeders may also be attracted to this event, particularly if they are a parent of a student attending/participating in the event as they generally have strong goals and a high work ethic, therefore will be attending to support their children and encourage them to do the same.
d)The main style of this event was Halloween as it was held around the Halloween time and featured exhibits appropriate to the time of year and the style of the event. A lot of preparation went into this event and there were a lot of aesthetic considerations including props and lighting. There were cobwebs and spiders as decorations and dim lighting to set the atmosphere of the event. The main considerations were to give the event a visually pleasing display- the art department were responsible for creating a huge Babadook model that stood in the entrance to the event. This attracted people to the event as they then questioned what the event at New College had to do with a giant Babadook. General props helped audiences to connect with the Halloween theme and get in the right mood/frame of mind for the film. By having 3 separate areas (reception/cafeteria/theatre) for audiences to explore, it meant that they didn’t feel crammed into one area, but free to go to whichever exhibition they felt most suited them. It also allowed for a bigger amount of people to attend, and for people to be accommodated for with regards to food, drink and toilet facilities.
e)The venue for the Fright Night was the Phoenix Theatre at New College which has a 250 seating capacity. This was an excellent choice of location as it is easily accessible for those catching the train, bus or travelling by car, as it is close to the M4. There is a car park on site which visitors can use for free, alongside disabled parking. As it is a registered college, it is easy to find for example on Sat-Nav’s and Google Maps. The college has several large open spaces to use, for example the cafeteria area where there is lots of seating as well as food and drink facilities. There are toilets situated near/in every corridor of the college and there are health and safety policies and procedures already in place. This location was also a good choice as they have recently introduced a licensed bar that is available to audiences in every interval of the show(s) attracting further audiences and providing further refreshments for adults.
f)This location was also incredibly well-suited to the event, as it can seat up to 250 people. As it is a college environment, it is easy for students to get their work and any helpers to the event and doesn’t risk any work being damaged as a result of transportation. The event was also fairly easy to market, as there are hundreds of college students to invite/promote the event to, but also the college isn’t far away from Swindon’s Town Centre where the event could be easily marketed. As there are staff already available on site, there is no need for extra staff members to be recruited or found to help with the event, as current staff are likely to volunteer to help out. This is also a bonus for the college, as it means there will probably be at least 1 first aid trained member of staff on site, therefore they won’t have to worry about finding someone first aid trained in case of emergencies. Again, as this environment is a college it already has the correct Health and Safety regulations and permissions are already sought and granted for everything needed, therefore there will be no hassle with regards to permissions.
g)Even though this event is held at a public college, there are still several legal and ethical issues involved. It is hugely important to have age appropriate content- as this film was a 15 rating, exhibitions should coincide with this certification and be appropriate for those who are 15 and above. Also, for example, to be able to show a film such as Babadook, the venue needs to hold a Commercial Film Licence. This means that if you are planning to sell tickets for an event that includes a screening or if you want to include advertising or have any sponsorship, you need to have a special licence. You can apply for a licence when you order the film (either through a booking service or through the distributor) however it only lasts for one individual screening of the film. Other licences are available if you plan on screening the film more than once. Having a commercial licence enables you to target a wider audience as you can sell tickets to anyone and also be sponsored by local companies or people. There aren’t many disadvantages to having a commercial license, however at the end of each screening/event, you’ll need to submit the box office return within seven days of the screening, alongside your licence fee, which includes how many people attended your screening and how much money you took in the ticket sales. Also, the licence fee can be quite costly if you don’t make a huge amount of money; the licence fee is typically 35% of your ticket sales money or a minimum guaranteed amount depending on which is more (this is normally between £75-120 + VAT). An alcohol licence is also required to be able to sell alcohol to those attending the event. The venue itself must have a Premises Licence, and costs vary depending on the rateable value of the premises to be licensed, however application fees range from £100-£1,905 depending on the fee band of the venue. To apply for a premises license you must contact the licensing department at licensing@swindon.gov.uk and obviously you must be 18 or over. When selling alcohol you must display the “licence summary” at all times where it can be easily seen. Most licences don’t have a specific duration on them, however you will have to pay an annual fee. You ca be fined up to £1,000 for failing to produce your licence on request and if you don’t have a licence but are carrying out any licensable activities, you can be fined, sent to prison for up to 6 months, or both. Finally, you may also need a music licence for any event like this as a licence is required when showing a film to any audience size. This type of licence is required when showing a film as those attending are being charged for entry with the intention of making a profit.
h)Health and Safety must always be considered when holding an event for the general public. In this environment it is extremely important that audiences and staff members are aware of fire exits and fire procedures. If there is low lighting, it is important for it not to be too low, as this increases the risk of trips and falls and therefore could result in injury to a member of the public. Staff must also be aware of other procedures, and include those who are first-aid qualified in case of emergency. There must be adequate security for the event to ensure the safety of the general public and general protection of children must be exceptional, for example making sure that children attending the event are 15 or over. Any staff members or student working at heights (eg. on scaffolding or a balcony) must be trained and have completed the appropriate e-learning and be supported by safety equipment and other members of staff. Decorations must be appropriate to the environment and should not block any CCTV or smoke detectors, as if they are covered, could put the public at risk of danger. The building should be cared for and any fixtures used properly and safely, and any dangerous areas of the building should be out of bounds to the general public and staff etc.
Task 2
Distinction Task
Task 3
P4- Gain Feedback
As a group we decided that it was extremely important to gain feedback from audience members, as well as staff and students that attended the event to enable us to improve each aspect of the event for next year. At the end of the event students waited at the doors to hand out paper questionnaires and pens so that audiences could give feedback before they left. This was a good way of collecting feedback that specifically targeted aspects such as the location/venue, the facilities, the length of the event and the hosts. By giving options for audiences to circle it gave us a more generalised, standard result of how audiences rated each aspect of the show, however also allowed audiences to give their own personal opinion without limit by having slightly more open questions at the end of the questionnaire. Hendry also completed interviews (Video Vox Pops) to get some on the spot feedback which was good because it meant that people had to be honest as they were put on the spot. This also meant that feedback was recorded throughout the night, right from the start of the event, then in the interval and then finally when the event had finished.
P5- Evaluate the event
a)Overall, I think the event went fairly well and successfully fulfilled its purpose. The purpose of the event was to showcase the work of students this year and to celebrate achievements and I think the event did this successfully as there were at least 5 nominations for each category, and audiences got to see a good amount of all of the student’s work. The festival did promote the facilities at New College as planned, however feedback implied that some were unhappy with the venue and facilities, therefore I think we need to suggest these improvements to the theatre technician/staff as this would also help to promote the venue for other events. Even though 43 adults and 32 students attended this event, raising £236 from ticket sales alone, we could have made more profit by extending the event, maybe not necessarily in length but by expanding the amount of stalls and features we had. The interval could have been longer if we had more entertainment stalls such as a raffle, tombola or games for the younger audiences. As the country is losing interest and faith in the arts department, I believe it did successfully promote the profile of film in Swindon, as it showed just how many students are interested in film and media and displayed their passion for the subject throughout the night.
B)In my opinion, the event went really well tonight; the timings were almost exact and everything was in place ready for 6pm, when people were starting to queue outside to come in. The event wasn’t rushed and everybody that won had the opportunity to say something which added a more personal touch to it. There were enough seats and tickets for everyone and the voting cards for the best 48 hour film challenge were evenly laid out with clear instruction on how to vote. The voting system was easy to follow and by having someone on the doors with the voting box it encouraged audiences to vote. There were no major issues with sound or technical issues, and any issues were quickly and efficiently dealt with to save time. Nomination videos were chosen well with regards to the amount and the content of the film showed however transitions were slightly too long between each nomination. The graphics were good and the transitions highly effective however I think they should have just been at the beginning and the end of the nominations with something slightly quicker and more engaging in between. The team were well organised with regards to counting audience votes and had a separate area reserved so that counting was accurate and quick. Photographers weren’t using the cameras too much and audiences were told at the start of the night that it would be being recorded for evidence purposes. The catering team were well organised with cups for the popcorn and ensured there were at least 2 people on the stall at each time.
C)Like any event, there were strengths and weaknesses and this was clearly reflected in audience feedback in both the questionnaires and the vox pops. Some of the positive comments made about the night included that the schedule ran smoothly and each topic was well paced. There were a suitable amount of nominees for each category and it was consistent throughout. Audiences were also pleased that every student had the opportunity to showcase work through the 48 hour film challenge, so it allowed those who weren’t nominated for any awards to be included in the event. The variety of work across both first and second year students was also appreciated and applauded and audiences enjoyed the idea of the Final Major Project as it included both year groups. The idea of promoting the college and Swindon’s interest in film was successful; as feedback included that the event was enjoyable, particularly because it gave an insight into the work on the course. It also showed audiences the passion that students have for the subject as they contributed to designing the nomination videos, which were described as well-structured and extremely professional looking.
Even though the start time of 6.30 was the right choice and audiences felt like it was convenient for when they had finished work, audiences weren’t particularly comfortable in the venue. Quite a few complained that the seating was uncomfortable for the length of the event however if we had used tables and chairs for audiences, it would’ve been difficult for everyone to see the screen fully, therefore this was the most practical option. The waiting area wasn’t very well designed, which I agree with as people arrived quite early, either by communication error between students and audiences or because they wanted good seats, and the college foyer quickly became crowded. There were no event programmes and this was also picked up in feedback as audiences claimed they would have liked to have an idea of the structure of the night and see the nominations before on screen. This is easily improved and can be done next year without much change to the budget and structure etc. All students that were upstairs helping with lighting and sound won an award, and this became tricky and time consuming when they had to collect their award. Even though this couldn’t be helped, students who were in the theatre should’ve been sat on the chairs at the front, however this wasn’t clear to audiences so everyone ended up mixing, again making this easily changeable next year to save time that the audience is waiting. From the questionnaires we found that people weren’t very aware of the event, and that most hadn’t even seen the facebook page or website. Similarly to the amount of stalls, the range of food/catering available could have been expanded slightly, as there was only popcorn which not everybody likes, and also it was sweet and salty mixed which doesn’t appeal to all audiences, particularly if they like one and not the other.
D)Finally, one of the main feedback points throughout the evening from both those who were interviewed and those who completed questionnaires was that there could have been more effort made with regards to the final major project awards. Even though the prizes were good, audiences felt as though it would’ve been more congratulating if the award had been presented by someone professional from the industry. Another suggestion rather than criticism would be that audiences would have liked to see all of the lecturers involved with awarding the students rather than just Luke. This could easily be adjusted for next year, perhaps by having the lecturer for the unit present the award, or simply designating the categories evenly between the lecturers. As the foyer was crowded quite quickly, there could be improvements made for next time by making sure there is adequate seating and more space- for example moving work from other departments out of the way to make the space more open. The event could have been advertised and promoted a lot more and next year this could be improved by involving companies and advertising more thoroughly throughout Swindon, rather than just within the college. A team could be given the responsibility of specifically contacting local companies and professionals for either sponsorship or just their co-operation with advertising the event. Similarly, with regards to the lack of catering facilities, teams could be designated the job of contacting companies to apply for discounted rates etc in exchange for some promotion of their company. This could be easily done if people were responsible for just finding local businesses willing to help the college and the students.
M3- Merit- Self Performance Evaluation
My role of being on the doors was extremely successful and by greeting people it implied students were kind and considerate to others as we worked as a team to ensure audiences were well catered for and had everything they needed when entering the theatre, as well as in the interval. Me and Mia worked well as a team, as in the interval an audience member was looking for where she could hand in her vote for the 48 hour film challenge however didn’t know who to look for. I descried a student to her and pointed, however when she was still unable to see him Mia took her to him so that one of us could stay on the door. We also ensured that people knew where the toilets were and directed them into the canteen if they preferred to drink coffee rather than alcohol, soft drinks and water which was being sold next to the doors. As audiences started to arrive quite early, it was important that we were on the doors before they opened as adequate time was needed to complete last minute sound checks and lighting checks etc. We kept calm on the doors to encourage a relaxed atmosphere and didn’t show panic if things weren’t right or weren’t going right as this would’ve only caused the audience to get agitated. From a security point of view, we ensured that drinks were entering in plastic cups only, and that anyone entering the theatre had purchased a ticket. At the beginning of the show I helped to put some chairs out as we needed to work as a team so that the hosts could practise the script and the run through of the event as a whole. At the end of the event I helped Hendry to complete some interviews by making sure the camera was focussed and that the battery was still okay for charge. I also reviewed some footage with Hendry before he completed the final interviews to give suggestions on different questions he could ask etc to gain further feedback. I found it difficult to know how to contribute apart from making sure there were no issues on the entrance as apart from general queries audiences didn’t need much thanks to the organisation and preparation of the event.