Production

Opening Titles

I produced this stop motion animation using an SLR digital camera placed on a tripod; taking individual shots of the items of clothing being moved and then repeating the process until I had an entire sequence. Then I imported the photos onto windows movie maker and adjusted the picture duration so that it would last for 0.125 seconds, therefore making a fast transition from photo to photo so that the clothing looks animated. I added 10 extra frames that I edited on Adobe Photoshop using the Cut out effect. Over the orignal layer I added the edited layer and adjusted the opacity so that it gradually increased and on the final frame in the sequence the opacity is at 100%.

Here is the first frame from the sequence

Here is a frame in the sequence towards the end, when the editted layer is 50% opacity over the original layer

Here is the final frame in the sequence

Below is the final product

Interviews

Here are the interview questions that we put together to get peoples different view points on how much you have to spend to be fashionable:

Lisa- wears mostly clothes from a charity shop

Why do you buy clothes from charity shops?
What do you look for when going to charity shops?
Do you own more charity shop clothes than high street?
How much do you spend on charity shop clothes a month?
Who are your fashion influences?
Does music also influence your fashion sense?
Do you think there is prejudice about charity shop clothes? Why do you think this is?
Can you talk us through your wardrobe please?

Mel- wears mostly designer/ high street brands

Why do you buy your clothes from Designer stores?
What do you look for when going to designer shops?
Do you own more designer clothes than high street?
How much approximately do you spend on designer clothes a month?
Who are your fashion influences?
Does music or any of your hobbies influence the way you dress?
Do you think there is pressure within society to have the latest trends and designer makes?
Would you feel self conscious walking down the street in charity shop clothes?
Can you talk us through your wardrobe please?

Interview questions for Neil the designer at Repooc couture













- Where do you get inspiration for your designs?
- Do any high street or designer stores influence your designs?
- Have you ever bought clothes from a charity shop?
- Do you think that there are pressures within society to own designer brands and to be on trend?
- You said on your website that you believe the fashion world is being dominated by more and more high street giants- can you explain why you think this?

Interviews on the Highstreet

- What do you associate with the phrase 'Shabby Chic'?

- Where do you shop for clothes? Why?

- Would you shop at a charity shop? Why?

- What do you think of what I'm wearing?

- What if I told you that it only cost £4 from a charity shop?

Filming

I have participated in the whole of the filming process:
· First we went to Liverpool and filmed 14 minutes worth of footage tracking forwards through Liverpool city centre. This footage will be in fast motion to establish the place that our vox pops/ interviews with the general public took place and also to show the wide variety of clothes shops available.
· I also took photos of shop logos for the montage at the beginning of the programme.
· Then on another day we went to Repooc Couture a boutique in Liscard to interview Neil a designer that produces all of the clothes in Repooc. We also filmed the cutaways of newspaper clippings and clothes rails.
· I went to Liverpool and filmed a cutaway of people’s shopping bags.
· We all went to Liverpool on another day to film interviews with the general public about where they shop and what they think of charity shop clothes. We also went to Oxfam and filmed cutaways of the vintage clothing and the logo.
· We filmed an interview with Lisa Smedley a great supporter of charity shops who wears mostly second hand clothes. However we had to film this interview again as the framing was wrong and the footage pixelated when we tried to capture it.
· I filmed still images of Neil and celebrities wearing his brand to use as cutaways.

Voice Over

Chelsea wrote the first draft of the voice over script which contained ideas for each section; I then made a second draft altering the style and mode of address. I went through it with my teacher to see if it would help bind the footage together and display our overall message and viewpoint.
We estimated that the voice over should consist of approximately 3 words per second, therefore I had to time and alter the voice over script to see if it would fit in with the footage.

Voice over script

approximately 3 words per second

Tracking shot- (38 secs – 114 words)
We live in a society gripped by the recession- so why is it that so many people still spend so much on clothes? There are other alternatives such as shopping in charity shops were you can find cheap, vintage, and unique clothing. It is possible to spend a little and yet look like you have spent a fortune.
However there is a growing trend for charity shop fashion which has produced the new phrase Shabby Chic- but do the people know this?
(98 words)
Zoom in on Oxfam Vintage logo (5 secs - 15 words)
It would seem that there is a stigma attached to charity shops which mean that people still don’t consider them an option for buying clothes.
Pan down outfit (7 secs – 21 words)
This outfit was purchased from Oxfam for about £4. Would the public realise this?
Wide shot of candles/ Lisa’s room- establish setting (5 secs – 15 words)
For some people shopping in charity shops is a part of their everyday lives. (15 words)

I asked one of my teachers to be my voice over because she mirrors my target audience. We recorded the voice over in the radio studio at school using Adobe Audition. It took a number of takes therefore I had to edit it using audition so that the finished product could be imported into Premier.

Editing

I have been involved in the whole of the editing process whether it was observing Jess and offering advice or manually editing our product myself.
To start off with as a group we took it in turns to capture the footage and cut up the clips we wanted using the razor tool, we also cut the questions out of the interviews. We then arranged the footage along the time line and used cutaways to link to relevant subject matter or to cover up jump cuts and were the interviewees look at the camera rather than the interviewer.
We then took on individual roles so that we could finish the product and also produce a print advert and radio trailer. Jess took on the role of editor, while I produced the radio trailer and Chelsea produced the print advert with my help.
I also imported the voiceover which I recorded and produced for the documentary and arranged it along the time line bringing it all together.

Here are some print screens of the editing process

Print Advert

Codes and Conventions of Print Adverts

- One strong key image
- Words kept to a minimum
- Slogan
- Channel logo (prominent)
- Scheduling

For the print advert Chelsea cut out Shabby Chic from a still photograph used in the opening credits and I created the background.
I produced the background using a photograph that I had taken which I then manipulated in Adobe Photoshop. I then added the channel 4 logo which I found on the internet and I used the magic wand tool to remove the white and I also used the paint bucket tool to change the colour of the outline from black to white. Finally I added the scheduling information over a white box, because it was the conventional style used on channel 4 print adverts. I used the website http://www.4creative.co.uk/flash/#/print/press_and_poster/ to help me make decisions about the print advert and so that I could see the techniques used by professionals to grab the audience’s attention and make them want to watch the programme.




















This is the original photograph that I resized and manipulated to create the background for my print advert.

Radio Trailer

Codes and Conventions of Radio Trailers

We looked at proffessional trailers so that we could get an idea of what to include in our own trailers and so that we could learn the different techniques used to engage and attract the target audience. This Video shows the trailers that we listened to to help us develop a list of codes and conventions for radio trailers.

Radio Trailers
- Extracts from the programme are used
- Voice over- outlining the narrative and posing questions outlined in the programme
- Channel name- last thing you hear
- Scheduling
- Music (aural cue)- gives a hint of the tone and the content


Firstly I planned what was going to be put into the advert. I decided that I needed to include a voice over by the same person used in our documentary to make it coherent, I also decided to use extracts from our production that I thought would be humorous or would appeal to the target audience.
I arranged the extracts on a time line in Premier and imported music called 'Filthy Gorgeous' that is also included in our documentary. The music is significant because it alludes to the overall theme of the programme; looking good for less and the stigma against charity shop clothing.
I wrote a voice over script for the advert that poses questions which will be answered in the programme and that gives an indication of what the programme is about: -
‘Do you spend thousands of pounds a year on clothes?
Explore the reasons why even in tough times people still buy designer and high street makes to excess. There is a cheaper alternative. Love the label?
‘Shabby Chic’ Wednesday 6th January 8:30 on 4’

I recorded the voice over using the radio studio at my school and Adobe Audition and I then imported it into Premier and arranged all of the audio clips in a logical order.

Planning

Ideas for the documentary

We did a class brain storm of possible topics for our documentary; here is the list of what we came up with:

In our groups of three we came up with a spider diagram of the things that we associate with fashion, this was so that we could start thinking of the content of the programme and also the title.

We then decided that the documentary would be called ‘Shabby Chic’ and that it would be broadcast on Channel 4 at half past 8 on a Wednesday. We decided that the target audience for our programme should be predominantly women aged 15-30.

Audience Profile

This is Hannah Simpson an example of a member of my target audience. She is 18 years old and is interested in fashion. Her hobbies are dancing, singing and musical theatre. She often buys ‘Look’, ‘Hello’ and ‘Vogue’ magazine. Her favourite television programmes are ‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘Gok Wan’s Fashion Fix’.

Questionnaire

As a group we came up with a questionnaire so that we could collate the results and make a list of possible content that we could produce that our target audience would find interesting and entertaining. Here is a copy of the questionnaire that we produced and used for our survey:

1.) Are you male or female?

2.) How old are you?
10-20 □ 21-30 □ 31-40 □ 41-50 □ 60+ □

3.) What is your occupation?


4.) What is your favourite colour?

5.) What type of music do you listen to?
Indie □
Alternative □
Pop □
Rock □
Electro □
Other □ please specify

6.) Would you ever consider buying clothes from a charity shop?

If so Why?
Good value for money □
Originality □
Other □ please specify

7.) Approximately how much do you spend on clothes a month?
£10- £30 □ £30- £60 □ £60-£90 □ £90-£120 □ £120+ □

8.) Do you prefer clothes from the high street or designer? Why?



9.) Do any celebrities influence the way you dress? If so who and why?



10.) Are there any fashion trends that you dislike? If so what are they?




11.) What are your favourite shops?

Here are the results of our questionnaire

Questionnaire Results

Are you male of female?
Male- 11
Female- 19

This shows that our survey is slightly bias, however our target audience is more likely to be women, therefore the results will be more efficient in our decision making, for the content.

How old are you?

This shows that most of the people questioned were in the age group of 10-20 and fit into our target audience range.

What is your occupation?

This shows that most of the people in the survey were students. Therefore our results will be helpful, because we will be able to make decisions that reflect the target audience.


What is your favourite colour?

This shows that most people like the colour blue therefore we will use this colour in our graphics and opening title sequence to appeal to the audience.


What type of music do you listen to?

This shows that most people listen to pop and rock music, this will influence our decisions about what music to have in the background and also whether sub-genres such as ‘goths’ and ‘indies’ clothes are influenced by the music that they listen to.

Would you ever consider buying clothes from a charity shop?
Yes- 17 No- 13

This shows that the majority of people would consider buying clothes from a charity shop. Therefore we will include a vox pop to see if people would wear clothes on a model that have come from a charity shop and record their reactions when they find out where the clothes are from. This will reflect our overall message of whether you have to spend lots of money to look good and whether you have to conform to society’s idea about fashion.

This signifies that most people would buy charity shop clothes for originality. We could potentially refer to these results in our vox pop or in the script for the voice over.

Approximately how much do you spend on clothes a month?

This shows that most people spend £10- £30 on clothes a month. This gives us an indication of whether they prefer to shop for high street clothes or whether they buy more expensive designer wear. From these results I can assume that most people prefer to shop in high street shops.

Do you prefer clothes from the high street or designer?

These results re-enforce the previous results, they show that most people prefer to shop on the high street. We may include these results in the programme to display our views.

9.) Do any celebrities influence the way you dress?
Yes- 13 No- 16

This shows that many people are not influenced by celebrities, however many people do look at celebrities as style icons. Therefore we will include interviews with celebrities about the fashion ranges and the pressures that they face in the lime light to look fashionable and attractive.
The graph below shows the celebrities which people admire and aspire to own their clothes. Therefore we will interview them in the programme.

10.) Are there any fashion trends that you dislike?

This graph shows that people dislike a lot of fashions, therefore everyone’s taste in fashion are different. We may use this information in the programme to reflect the issues about looking good, regarding the style and make of the clothes that people wear. This information will contribute to the underlying theme of pressures within society.


11.) What are your favourite shops?

This shows that most people like River Island, Topshop and Newlook which are all high street shops. This information could be used in the programme and we will also include footage inside these shops and possibly have interviews with the staff and managers about their store.

‘Shabby Chic’

We came up with a list of possible content that we could use in the whole documentary, so that we could begin to create our running order and then decide what we were going to film for the first 5 minutes of the documentary.
· Tummy tuck underwear
· Different types of jeans
· Origins of prints used on clothes e.g. Aztec
· Heels- how people feel they need to wear them when they go clubbing
· Trainers- whether people feel they have to have designer makes
· Winter Wear
· Interview with Vivienne Westwood, Gok Wan
· Jewellery- making your own
· Watches- different styles, colours etc
· Nail varnish
· People from third world countries producing clothes for the high street e.g. Primark.
· Shoulder pads- make women feel masculine? More confident? In control?
· Size zero
· Pressure within society to wear the latest trends and to have designer makes rather than copies
· Iconic fashion- e.g. Marilyn Monroe’s dress, Breakfast at Tiffany’s dress
· Interview with Trinny and Susanna
· How celebrities reinvent their image- Madonna
· Montage of shop logos/ labels
· Middle aged men and fashion- trying to retain youth
· Fashion blunders- sandals and socks
· Maternity clothing
· Shoes
· Counter fit clothing
· Special occasions- fashion rules- wearing hats to weddings
· Sub cultures and fashion- Indie, Goth, Punk etc
· Wardrobe essentials
· Little Black dress- must have item of clothes for a woman, makes women feel sexy
· Celebrity fashion- influence on society
· Celebrity fashion ranges/ perfume
· Do men care as much about their appearance?
· Vox pop about whether people would buy charity shop clothes
· Interviews with high street and designer stores managers
· Fashion websites- shopping online
· Achieve- cat walks, music videos, news reports, adverts etc
· Cutaways- cat walks, magazines, shop logos, still images of celebrities.
· Songs-
Kraftwerk- Model
Lady Gaga- Fashion/ Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
Fergie- Glamorous
Scissor Sisters- Filthy Gorgeous
Madonna- Vogue
David Bowie- Fashion
Fall Out Boy- Tiffany Blews (Little Black Dress- chorus)

Formal Proposal

Title: - ‘Shabby Chic’
Topic: - Fashion- high street vs. designer and the pressure within society to look good.
Type of Documentary: - Mixed

Style of Documentary: - entertaining, informative yet informal, variety of content, quite fast moving, some slang used, fashion themed music used throughout.

Channel and Scheduling: - Channel 4, Saturday at 8:30- 9:00 pm

Target Audience: - 15- 30 years old, mostly women interested in fashion.

Primary Research needed: - locations for filming, interviews, music.

Secondary Research needed: - Magazines, Newspapers, internet research, relevant TV programmes.

Narrative Structure: - Single strand, none linear, open.

Outline of Content:
Little Black Dress- Should every woman own one?

Vox Pop- Liverpool about whether people would wear charity shop clothes.
Interviews with Primark/ Topshop about the quality of their items and status.
Interview with designers (e.g. Vivienne Westwood) – Cavern Walks
Footage in charity shops of the goods and to show contrast of how many people shop in them.
Montage of high street shop logos.
Size Zero- the issues with the models and how they influence young people/ whether people feel that they have to be slim to be considered attractive (pressures within society).
Interview with size zero fashion icons- Mary- Kate and Ashley Olsen, Nicole Richie.
Celebrity clothes ranges, Katie Price underwear, Fearne Cotton, Coleen Rooney. Kate Moss for Topshop, Gwen Stefani- L.A.M.B.
Resource Requirements: - Music Videos, cat walks, websites, still images, magazine photos.
Microphones, digital camera video and still, tripod, PC, Adobe Premiere.

Running Order

Documentary: ‘Shabby Chic’
Channel: Channel 4
Scheduling: Saturday at 8:00pm- 8:30pm
Duration: 27 minutes (including advert break)

Montage of clothes shop logos gradually getting faster - 20 secs.

Suddenly stops, opening titles - 10 secs.

Voiceover introduces the topic, explaining that in a questionnaire people preferred high street clothing to designer and asking the question why this is whilst tracking shot through Liverpool town centre showing high street and designer shops - 1 minute.

Vox pop “whether you would wear clothes from charity shops” Girl standing with us looking stylish with charity clothes on – 1 minute 30 secs.

Interview with a worker at Topshop explaining whether they think people have to spend a lot of money to look good and whether you have to wear designer to look good – 1 minute.

5 MINUTES

Montage of magazine cuttings: high street clothes vs. designer, ‘Vogue’ by Madonna playing – 20 secs.

Slow zoom out from extreme close up to reveal a size zero model. Voiceover explaining how a lot of people have become obsessed with weight and that they think they have to be super skinny to look beautiful – 20 secs.

Interview with Vivienne Westwood about what she thinks about the size zero situation and if she would consider using over size 12 to model her clothes – 1 minute.

Archive footage of Fashion Label catwalks such as Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, Gucci and Burberry showing skinny models modelling them – 30 secs.

Our own version of a catwalk using models of different sizes wearing high street and charity shop clothes showing that they look good too - 1 minute.

Interview with Mary- Kate and Ashley Olsen (size zero fashion icons) talking about whether they think the media effects their weight and if they feel responsible for girls who look up to them and also talking about their own clothing range – 1 minute.

Interview with Kate Moss about her own label at Topshop and whether she shops more at high street or designer and which she prefers - 1 minute.

Montage of models in LBD’s, voiceover discussing ‘Does every woman have to own a little black dress and does it matter if its high street or designer?’ - 1 minute.

Big close up of programme title made out of clothes, jewellery and shoes etc – 5 secs.

ADVERT BREAK

Big close up of programme title made out of clothes, jewellery and shoes etc – 5 secs.

Interview with Anna Wintour and what she thinks about charity clothes. ‘Vogue’ by Madonna in background – 1 minute.

How magazines influence fashion

Story board

Then we made a story board of our opening title sequence so that we would now each frame for filming. For the opening titles I decided that I would produce a stop motion video using my Digital camera to take pictures of a sequence of clothes forming the words 'Shabby Chic'.