Pitch

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ZoV5eSCDieLk7OHPUNKDGlQ-Ub3D_S0pyc9bFGisrqs/edit?usp=sharing

Brief

For this brief, the client will be Sunderland college, in particular the Salon Professional Department. I am to produce a tutorial for a barbering video on a haircut, planning, filming, and editing. The tutorial will be placed on the Sunderland college website. which although I will always keep a professional standard, this highlights the importance of such and provides me with the way such a video must be produced, in order to fit the style of both the website and the barbering department in particular for them to be properly represented within the tutorial. They have requested that the shooting process must be silent, likely to ensure proper concentration which is understandable. Along with copyright free music, and the possibility of a voice over is there too. The barber and client who will be cutting the hair is Mark Sowerby, a barbering lecturer, along with his Level 2-3 Barbering Students. 

Audience

The audience is people who are interested in barbering, in particular barbering students, this is due to the nature of the website as it is a college website, it could also relate to past students looking for some reminders of their previous works and need some information to benefit them quickly. The demographic specified for the video is only the age, that being 16-18, a young audience, in which I must cater to, in order to produce a product they will find informative and enjoyable. Ways I can do this are by creating a tutorial which contains modern approaches in terms of editing, keeping the length of the video to roughly 5-15 minutes, in order to maintain attention span being kept on the video. Simple cuts for different shots have been mentioned, therefore there is no need to do any unnecessarily complicated cutaway or too intense cuts. 

How will it look?

The shots MUST be static, therefore the usage of tripods is imperative to avoid shaky camera, disorienting the audience and losing their attention due to any movements in the camera, possibly obstructing the tutorial. 

The typical shots for a tutorial are mostly medium-close ups and close ups, so I will try to keep a focus on those two shot types in particular although some experimentation may be possible, especially once the haircut is coming to an end. For this tutorial, it seems that for each individual haircut tutorials, there will be groups, therefore I must ensure proper workflow is maintained by proper discussion of ideas, along with considering different approaches and not being stubborn when it comes to taking others ideas into consideration. 

Minor text shall be featured, in particular subtle side notes, such as what equipment is being used during said project, along with things such as certain tips which may need to be highlighted. I feel too much text would be unwelcoming and take far too much room of the text up, so if possible, I’d like to avoid doing too much in regards to subtitles unless under a particular style, as I feel the main focus should be on the voiceover for the final product, involving Mark himself doing the voice over. 

How does it fit into the category of a tutorial video?

The video itself will features numerous codes and conventions of a typical tutorial video, things such as a voice over, transitions, instructions that follow the line of the video. Cutaways will also play a big role within the tutorial as it will be able to show numerous shots and camera angles within it, something quite popular to be used within the category of a tutorial video, allowing the audience to further understand the workings of the tutorial and how to do such actions. The main focus of a tutorial is teaching, I find that my video’s features will be more than enough to fill this category. The theory of semiotics bares a place hear, since it works as almost as a symbol, as although there are various definitions of a tutorial, we are able to relate it through culture to the teachings of people, especially when in relation to the internet. 

In particular, in relation to the feedback, I believe there to be some noteworthy things to mention in terms of what I received. The first part here mentions the addition of the college logo, which is one thing I could consider, however for this in particular, it was supposed to be a dry run going through the typical codes and conventions of a barbering video, along with editing techniques, in particular shot types and camera angles, therefore the addition of such a logo, wouldn’t serve any purpose unless in regards to the actual final product, which would make sense, as it is in relation to the client. As in regards to the instructions, I fail to see how this would serve any purpose, as not only does it have no reaction to the video, which is specifically mentioned to be a cutaways project, listing the different motions, it would also be false advertising as not only do I have no barbering knowledge to take such actions to provide instructions, but also in relation to the actual final product which will be produced, the addition of Mark will be there, who will actually be cutting hair, as opposed to fake cutting, I can’t give instructions with a lack. of knowledge into such areas, not to mentions no actual footage of hair being cut, therefore the omission of such makes sense to me. Subtitles, for this I partially understand, however the necessity for having them there is not needed, as not only is this to be focusing on editing techniques, which although subtitles could be slightly considered involved in that, I have nothing to subtitle for, there is no voice over, therefore having such would feel rather useless, I provided text to do with minor details, which is in relation to codes and conventions of barbering, however subtitles aren’t particular used within it, in particular the video Mark brought to us as an example featured no subtitles, therefore greatly highlighting my point. Therefore more subtitles seems unnecessary since I have nothing to work with. For the final piece of feedback for this topic, I’d like to highlight the fact that the individual mustn't have watched the video, as nowhere in such a video does it mention it being a barbering tutorial, yes it’s a dry run, one that involves features heavily used within a barbering tutorial, the main focus is editing and codes and conventions of a barbering tutorial, not necessarily to make one, not only that but he brings up the mentions of tools needed, which is not my area of expertise, nor am I told I should need these things, that is for the client to tell me, however since this is a dry run, it doesn’t feature his involvement. I haven’t specified which haircut “your” even doing, when I have no knowledge of what haircut to mention, not only that but there is not any haircutting being performed. The only valid criticism I can see within this is the type of fonts used, asides from “textbooks” which I can assure you where not present, nor necessary for the barbering project. However, I feel for the font, it made sense, I was trying to fit a theme, and calling them bland, dull, and lifeless seems a bit unnecessary, and a little overkill, since although I understand it was white, which made sense as it was the most visually appealing and most clear for the video, not only that but as previously stated within my blog, it shouldn’t disrupt the audience’s focus, with the main focus being centered around the movements of the hand and “cutting” therefore although using an “eye-catching” font would give the exact opposite intention I’d have in mind and therefore ruin the video. As for the catch phrases, I don’t really see how that fits into the codes and conventions of a barbering video, maybe for a possible intro in relation to the brand? Although such feedback feels a little vague.  

Some recent additions to the feedback were both very valid, an intro would be appropriate, although the omission was due to mostly focusing on editing and codes and conventions as a whole, however I can see how an intro could fit into the codes and conventions, as for the other camera steadiness is something I should consider, although I am slightly unsure of the transition mentioned to be used for the equipment, I can understand it having a presence there, and I did mention wanting to implement it to some degree, so I understand this. Another thing camera steadiness is definitely something I feel is imperative and vital due to it being mentioned in the brief being a still shot, I was unable to use a tripod at the time, however if I could I would’ve, also the footage was shot mostly by me, however some shots were not done by me and therefore I feel that although we weren't allowed, I need to be aware if I allow someone else to shoot that they are also aware of such requirements to fit the brief. 

How will I improve based on the feedback?

One thing I’ll definitely make sure to correct is the camera steadiness, it something that should be corrected, although as previously mentioned alerting others to such a correction is imperative, asides from that more of a intro would definitely be valuable, although as a whole, I was already aware of this, similarly to the college logo feedback, it didn’t feel too necessary for the dry run that was mostly focusing on the editing techniques, along with the codes and conventions, HOWEVER unlike the college logo feedback, I do understand how to a certain extent why an intro could fit into the codes and conventions, although such an addition to the final product was already a given, I appreciate the feedback. 

Alterations

The main alterations to focus on is an intro and camera steadiness, two things I can easily change, such as the tripods, however we were supposed to film on hand rather than tripod for that instance of the dry run, so such things make sense to me already, the intro will likely be easy to fit in, however it's mostly for brand purposes and makes more sense in the final product rather than just for a dry run, mostly focusing on the editing techniques and also the codes and conventions. 

Sell-Line

My product meets all the requirements of the brief, it features a vast use of transitions and footage which make it look visually appealing, it features text and font that although looks nice, it isn’t distracting enough to disrupt the focus from the haircut itself, I feel my video has nice music which accompanies it, comforting but not too overbearing, and overall I believe it to compliment the video well, asides from that I feel it is very stylization and very presentable, it looks professional yet ads that casual flair to fit that educational outlook for a audience of predominantly youth for the primary audience. I feel it separates itself from the rest, keeping a unique taste that features aspects, such as transitions which feel suitable for the video, it feels very on pace with the type of video and music, not too fast but not too slow as to disrupt the process for viewership, it covers aspects  of cutaways in a presentable manner, nothing feels too out of place within it. The length of the video feels appropriate, as it covers the editing techniques and codes and conventions, whilst not feeling too long as to feel likes it’s dragging on.