How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

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Title

• The title of the documentary was featured in each text

• The title ‘TakeOut’ not only emphasized the theme, but also linked the texts together easily and smoothly.

• This achieved making a ‘brand image’ for the documentary, and also related to the theme of takeaways in a unique and somewhat ‘cool’ fashion, linking to not only the topic, but also the music within the documentary (One of the main music beds was ‘Take Me Out’ by the rock artists Franz Ferdinand.

Slogan

• The slogan of the documentary was featured in both advertisements, and related directly to the theme of the documentary.

• This links the texts simply through the commonly used phrase ‘Food for Thought’.

• By using a phrase which is commonly used in day to day life, viewers are more likely to remember a slogan. The slogan is short and snappy, which makes it very easy to remember, and not only is a clever way of linking everyday language into the documentary, firstly making it accessible to more potential viewers, but also directly attracts the target audience through showing them that the even this lighthearted documentary is worth watching; what don’t we know about fast food that might be relevant to our everyday knowledge? This might even spark further debate; as mentioned before, it could create ‘watercooler moments’ for the public.

Image

• The opening title of my documentary related directly to the print advertisement.

• For example, the main image of a pizza within the print advertisement was the same as the first image which the viewer saw when watching the documentary

• This linked the texts as it not only reinforced the theme and ambience of the texts, but also reminded the audience of the topic, which made the success of the advertising campaign of paramount importance.

• The image of the documentary and ancillary texts was also important as it left a lasting image of the theme of the documentary in the viewers’ minds, yet gave a clue to the ambience of the documentary. It is lighthearted, yet brings up some important issues which are sure to stick in the audience’s minds.

Audio - Voiceover

• The same voiceover is used within the radio advert and the actual documentary

• This helps to link the texts and give a form of relation between the various types of media, thus making the potential viewers more aware of the theme and ‘brand’ of the documentary. The voiceover was relaxed and unassuming, and the artist had an accent, which could relate to many of the potential viewers, and also made the texts more accessible.

• Being accessible to the viewers is of paramount importance, as documentaries are a form of escapism for the viewer; people watch documentaries to put themselves in another person’s shoes. Therefore, the voiceover allows the viewer to feel as if they are being directly addressed with facts and figures which they will be interested in, and hopefully identify with.

• It is also important for them to identify with the voiceover artist, in the case of TakeOut, as if the voiceover is a friend, who is having a debate with the viewer about a current issue. This again reinforces the theme of escapism within documentaries, and allows the viewer to forget the world around them and engage in the film.

Audio - Soundbytes

• The audio used in the documentary and the radio advert featured footage from vox pops and interviews.

• This linked the documentaries through making the audience feel more comfortable, as the subject related to most people; watching the documentary would not separate the viewer from the world, but would simply reinforce their knowledge of society.

• Soundbytes, like the voiceover also help the audience to feel more comfortable with the theme of the documentary, and encourage them to feel as if they are simply having a debate or conversation with a friend about a current issue, also in turn, making the viewer feel educated.

• Facts and opinions in documentaries can lead to ‘watercooler moments’ in school, college or most commonly in the workplace, in which general chat about recent topics allows people to make friends and small talk with colleagues

Audio - Music

• The music bed within both the radio advertisement and the documentary was the same.

• This linked the texts and is a very important convention of all documentaries. The music used also directly related to the theme of the documentary, yet also related to the target audience; Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out was used, which not only links to the title of the documentary immediately, but is also the type of music we would expect our target audience to listen to.

• Music from youth is important to add a sense of nostalgia to the documentary; Fast Food Rockers’ early 2000’s hit ‘The Fast Food Song’ was used in the opening title to evoke a sense of fun and friendliness, which was much needed in a documentary which does not feature a very serious subject matter.

• However, it can be added that it is not usual practice for documentaries to be advertised on the radio; they are normally advertised via print, in newspapers or on billboards.

Scheduling

• It is clearly stated in both the radio and the print advertisement that TakeOut is broadcast on Channel 4.

• This is a young, hip channel, known for difference and being unique. When conducting our target audience research, we also found that this was their favourite terrestrial channel.

• The scheduling of 8pm also fits in with ordinary Channel 4 programming, and is therefore a good slot for a documentary.

• Our audience would enjoy watching a documentary about takeaways after a hard day at school, work or college, as it provides a needed break from the norm, and again, is used as a form of escapism for the viewer.

Graphics

• The captions overlaying interviews on the documentary and the titling on the print advertisement is similar in theme.

• Each font is understated, simple and in a block colour. This makes the captions noticeable, but does not detract attention from the main theme of the texts.

• It is important that the titles and graphics of a documentary do not detract from the main action, in order to ensure that the viewer is not overwhelmed by the amount of editing which has took place. A documentary needs to flow smoothly, and hold the audience’s attention throughout, in order to ensure the audience is interested, and ultimately, viewing figures are kept high.