Analysing Photography

The advertisement above is for a professional photographer by the name of Dom Bower, and his company, Dom Bower Photography. The first thing that catches the eye of the viewer is the shadowed figure, perhaps done to show the person in the image has no identity until you enter their place; a shape without purpose. It gives the impression he does not work for any specific type of persons, and anyone can therefore hire his use.
The blank surroundings also give the impression that he will work to your specifications; you fill in the blank space in your requirements and he will make it happen - countryside, city, studio, low light, bright light; he will make it happen for you. The clear text means it is easy for someone to find him and get more information.
In summary, the poster captures your interest - makes you wonder what he is capable of, and thus want to visit his website and find out more.

Evaluation (Visual Language Of Photography)

The intention of this assignment was for me to show the uniqueness of this particular group of people in the world; how their costumes and collections define them as individuals.

This particular image, for example, is a very simple modification in Photoshop. However, it is meant to portray the splash of colour people like the subject, James "Yusei" Gaffney, add to what could otherwise be seen as a dull, uninteresting world. Deliberately positioned in the centre of the road to show how everything going past on either side is very much the same, whilst out in the open, where everyone can see him, is this bright, vibrant individual who stands out from his surroundings.

The results of the survey further support my intended meaning, showing, as they do, that James is not the only person who partakes in these activities, nor is the only one who wears costumes outside of conventions where this practice is almost obligatory! The cult is growing in popularity, particularly with the younger generation I have noticed, and the money that is spent by individuals to recreate their chosen characters is slowly increasing.

Bibliography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosplay
Wikipedia, Cosplay, 2014, Multiple Authors

http://yeinjee.com/tag/nobuyuki-nov-takahashi/
'Origin Of The Word Cosplay', Yeinjee Asain Blog, 2008, Nobuyuki Takahashi

http://ifanboy.com/articles/what-is-cosplay-and-why-do-people-do-it/
'What IS Cosplay and Why Do People Do It?', iFanboy, 2012, Molly McIsaac

Evaluation (Research Techniques)

The research has been a tricky project.
I knew what I wanted to find out, however, phrasing the questions - or indeed finding the right questions without making people uncomfortable - was extremely problematic. As a result, I do feel I compromised on the questions a little too much, and thus did not find out exactly what I had intended to by asking them.
That said, the results I did achieve helped just as much with the project as the exact figures I would have liked could have.

I would like to have conducted some in-person interviews, which may have allowed me to extract more detailed information from interviewees about why they engage in this way of life, as well as potentially providing some additional photographic subjects. (N.B. I did have 2 other subjects lined up, however both mine and their schedules prevented us from meeting and carrying out the shoot.)

The choice of using a survey to record information was definitely a strong decision; within the first day it had 10 responses (the total number came in at 24 after 3 weeks live,) so it shows how fast it can be distributed.
Unfortunately, as previously mentioned, this was let down by questions that were not so strong.

Perhaps my second strongest decision was choosing to send the survey first two two individuals who knew multiple cosplayers and were part of a forum for those who partake in the activity, which is where most of the responses that followed originated from. This allowed me to get information from a range of individuals, as opposed to just those I knew and were basing my assumptions off of.

The results I achieved were not exactly as I had wanted, as mentioned earlier on, which is a result of the poor questions asked. However, I was able to make use of the data I recorded. As I didn't have exact figures, I worked off of the approximates that I received, which meant I could still continue with the project as planned.

If I were to continue this research in the future, I would like to find out how a cosplayer decides who they want to cosplay; what factors influence their choices and how they set about obtaining the correct materials to create their costume. I would also press for more exact figures when it came to expenditure.

Legal & Ethical (Research Techniques)

I approached my photographic subject and asked if he were happy to be pictured for this project. I stressed he was under no obligation to do so and if he accepted, could approve the images for use before I posted them.

With my survey, all those I sent the link to were told they did not have to answer it if they didn't feel comfortable doing so, as some questions could not be skipped due to data I needed to collect from them. For open questions, I never requested information they did not want to give, and allowed to write as much or as little as they were happy to do.

The entire project was designed to show off these interesting people in a positive light. As I mentioned above, my subject was allowed to approve photographs after they were taken, which ensured that only those showing him in the best way were used. He was given a digital copy of every image that was taken for his own records and personal use.

Data Validity

The questionnaire I formulated contained a lot of open questions. Whilst I was able to find out, to some extent, the information I was hoping to, I did not find out precisely what I want. I am a stickler for exacts, so would have been happier receiving precise figures on what people spend for example.

However, the data I did record was helpful in its own way, as it gave me a rough idea the extent people will go to in obtaining the materials they need for their designs, as well as the large sums that they spend too, which is very close to what I was aiming to find out.

L/601/8773 LO1 2.1 - Comparing Radio Adverts

The above is an advert for Alton Towers' recruitment drive in 2007. It has been recorded as in the style of a rider on one of the park's roller-coasters, with suiting sound effects and atmosphere included. The voiceover contains several interruptions meant to simulate the drops and twists on the ride, designed to catch the reader's curiosity and keep the reader listening to the end so as to hear the whole advert.

Within the first six seconds, the mood and location have been made clear - it is a 'fun' advert by the UK's leading theme park attraction, who are serious about having fun. Breaking the advertisement up with the roller-coaster 'drops' breaks up each individual point so that the audience, presumably university leavers and young adults (18-25 year olds) who are looking for work to start them off in life, can contemplate and assess each point before the final points are given at the end when the 'presenter' is 'off the ride.'

It is a light-hearted ad that seeks to remind us what sort of fun we have at theme parks such as Alton Towers, whilst ensuring we realise that there is a dedicated team behind it all who make everything happen. It is by all of this that they are trying to convince you that you should work for them, and that they want and will appreciate you being there.

This next advert is a radio commercial for the Toby Carvery restaurant chain.
In contrast to the Alton Towers advertisement, this is very much focused on what the advertisement says as opposed to how it is delivered, being very studio-sounding. It also utilises a range of voiceover artists, unlike Alton Towers' single artist. This method is probably to show that the carvery is for people from all walks of life - the aged, the young; anyone can enjoy a meal at this restaurant. There are some voices that cannot be heard as clearly as others, which make the edit feel a little ad-hoc, however the overall delivery is fairly clear and easy to understand.

Several lines have been included to show that it is a British Company. Not only are carveries a British Tradition (more commonly referred to as the 'Sunday Roast' in most households) but the chain use only British meat from British farmers, which is why they are 'the home of the roast.'