Project management

Project management tools

The production of a digital media product is a complex project containing a multitude of tasks together with the allocation of a wide variety of resources. There are a number of tools that can be used to manage this product, which allow these tasks and resources to be allocated and monitored efficiently. 

Project management software 

Modern computer systems have allowed the development of software to manage projects in a more efficient manner. There are a wide variety of programs that have been developed that contain a range of features. Most programs contain the following:

• Resource allocation- Each task and the project overall requires specific resources. This feature allows the resources to be allocated to specific tasks and quickly and efficiently so that nothing is wasted and any gaps can be swiftly identified.
• Report creation/printing- Working within a team to create a project requires good communication to happen quickly and efficiently. Reports allow information to be given to different members of the project easily so that they are aware of what their role is in the project.
• Task allocation- A project is broken down into its varied tasks and these can be allocated to specific people working on the project 
• Scheduling- Once the tasks have been created, the whole project can be scheduled with specific time frames being given to tasks can then be put together to create the overall project by the deadline.

Overall, project management allows all of these aspects to be created quickly and efficiently with the software carrying out most of the processing in the background based on the data that is given. The software available ranges from free open-source products to those that charge monthly subscription fees, and finally to bespoke software that costs a large sum to purchase. 

• Spreadsheets- Project management can be carried out using spreadsheet software with the various cells in the spreadsheets allocated for task allocation and scheduling.
• Project schedule- A timetable that allocates resources and processes to a project. Starting with the final deadline for a project, you work backwards, allocating tasks, resources, contingencies and time to the various aspects of the procedure. 

Key terms:

• Milestones- checkpoints built into tasks so that the media production allows tracking for performance against a deadline.
• Gantt chart- A timetable schedule of tasks with resources allocated to them. Uses blocks of colour to symbolise periods in a visual way.
• Production schedule- An overall view of a media production with all the tasks, resources and timescales included.
• Contingency- A back up resource; extra time that is allocated to a task. 

What factors can be used

Demographics:
Class
Age
Gender
Ethnicity

Geodemographics:
Location

Socio-Economic:
Earnings, Employment, Salary

Psychographics:
Attitudes, values, lifestyle

Mainstream versus niche:
Does the product have a broad general appeal.


Welsh Mocha:
1. The target audience are from Wales as it says 'opening in five cities in South Wales'.
    The target audience will be from the age of about 16 to late 40s.
    The target audience will be in the upper bracket of the ABC1 as they have a disposable income.

2. The fact that they are from Wales is the Geodemographic and it effects its as people from Wales might have different interests compared to people who are from England or Scotland this could effect the final product because in Wales they have the lowest earnings for people ages 22 to 29 in comparisons to everywhere else in the UK they also have the lowest wage for 40 to 49 year olds this shows that Welsh Mocha will be targeting a Niche audience.

The target audience are from the age of 16 to late 40s this effects the final product because people of this age are younger and therefore are more energetic and therefore in the final product it will be more brightly coloured.

The target audience are in the upper bracket of the ABC1 so they will be more work based and this means we could have booths with charging points for people with Laptops. They have a high disposable income so we could serve the coffee out of different shaped glasses to fit the theme of the Welsh Mocha.

What are the key financial considerations for media producers?

Time issues:

Time constraints can come in many forms and are one of the most important aspects to keep in mind when planning a media production. The production of a media product is always carried out to meet a deadline that is often related to its final publication. 

During the project itself there are other time constraints that may impact on the production. These will vary depending upon the type of media product during...

Personel issues:

Gathering the right staff- the appropriate number with the right skills and experience - for a media production is an important aspect of pre-production. During pre-production, the right skills and experience of the personnel required will be concerned. 

Pat Campbell interview questions:

1)What does the role of a production designer entail?

A) The production designer is a general term, the production designer would be involved with all the costume designers and would discuss the lighting with the lighting people. The production designer gets to have a say in every element of production and gets to discuss every part  of it to find a common view. The production will work quite closely with the director. 

2)During a production which other member of the production and which other areas of the production  does the production designer co-ordinate with?

A) The production designer will work with nearly every member of the production and they are involved with every aspect and element of the production. For example talking about costumes with the costume designers.

3)What issues with locations can occur during the production of a TV drama?

A) In old buildings there can be things that cannot be moved due to the age of like furniture, for example when Campbell did Wolf Hall there were furniture that could not be moved and had to be covered over or built over. Some popular locations can't be used because they are large tourist locations and they are too expensive.

4)What skills, education and experience is it beneficial for a production designer to gain?

A) It is good to have an artistic background being able to draw whether that was on a computer or by hand being able to draw is very useful. It is also good to be able to communicate well with lots of people as thats what Pat Campbell's job consists mostly of. She did a degree in art. 

5)During the production itself, where are the working locations that a production designer tends to work and how do these relate to the actual filming of a TV drama?

A) A production designer is never on set when filming is taking place however Pat likes to go to et every morning before filming to make sure that the director is happy. A production designer tends to just be where they need to be whether that be with as seamstress that is sewing for the job or with the costume designer. They tend to be based close to set all the time though. 

Call of Duty is considered as a Triple AAA game. By definition a Triple AAA game has a large budget and a large number of people working on them, they have a professional and polished final product in terms of graphics and gameplay. Although the 3 A's don't stand for anything in particular they are thought to mean that the game requires: 

• A lot of time
• A lot of resources
• A lot of money

Employees at Treyarch have salaries ranging from an average of $62,641 to $162,886. At Treyarch employees with the Job title Video Game Producer make the most with an annual salary of around $125,000, while employees with the job title Graphic Artist / Designer make the least with an average of $51,211 annually.

Computer Programmers for Treyarch get paid $83,000 annually.

A 3D Artist for Treyarch would get around $95,000 annually.

A software engineer for Treyarch would  get paid $107,000 annually.

An animator for Treyarch would get paid $87,000 annually.

impact of media products on audiences

Impact of media products on their audiences

• What is meant by the media effects debate?
• Can you provide details of media based moral panics?

censorship is the banning of some sort of content.

classification is regulating the content and who sees it. 

Classification issues:

• Dangerous behaviour
• Discrimination
• Drugs
• Language
• Nudity
• Sex
• Sexual violence and sexual threat 
• Threat and horror
• Violence

1. Texas chainsaw massacre - 18 - 18. I think this is appropriate. 

2. Apostle - 16 - 18. This is probably appropriate because its messed up.

3. silence of the lambs - 18 - 15  I would of thought that this film would of been higher, maybe because it is an older film and the graphics weren't as good. 

4. human centipede - 18 - 18 

5. Kill bill vol 1 - 18 - 18 

Data types and research methods.

Be able to evaluate and research data used by media institutions. 

• Research techniques and methods.

What are the basic classifications of research and what are the strengths and weaknesses:

• Primary- Information that you have researched and found out yourself.
• Secondary- Information that other people have found out.
• Quantitive- Getting as much data as possible but it may be in less detail.
• Qualitative- Getting less data but it is in more detail and it is more valuable.

Media companies do research into their target market to see what they like/dislike so they don't waste money as they could be spending millions of pounds on these products. 

Quantitative- 

• A downfall is that people may not be truthful in questionaires and they may lie just so that they finish it quicker
• There are many strengths with this type as it is quick and easy and they may have a wide range of answers and statistics. 

Qualitative- 

• A downfall of this type is that it takes a long time and people may lie as they have been put on the spot. 
• The strengths are that it is very detailed information and it can help to understand in a clearer way than quantitative.

Secondary-

• One weakness would be that it could be unofficial and/or done by a not professional person. The reviews could be done by one person with a different opinion to everyone else. 
• One strength is that it is easy to access secondary data and it is easier to get this than doing a survey yourself. 

Primary-

• The strength of this research is that it usually results in very useful and detailed information. You can find out what you want to find out and not what other people wanted to find out. 
• One weakness is that people could not like the options that you have given them and it is very time consuming. 

Zombie horror films.

Zombie Horrors.

Most zombie horror films start with absolutely no explanation for how it became a zombie apocalypse and what may of happened to make there be ravenous dead people running around eating other people. Instead of giving an explanation for why these mindless zombies are running around killing people films like Zombieland and Dawn of the dead have absolutely no explanation for the zombies at all and instead the films go straight into very gory violence that normally introduces our main character. 

It is very typical for our protagonist to seem very nerdy and be a very unlikely survivor within the world of zombies, in the case of Zombieland we are introduced to Columbus who is a skinny nerdy looking character who does not look as though he would be able to hold his own in a fight because he doesn't have any muscle, In Dawn of the dead we are introduced to Ana who is a young Blonde skinny woman, which stereo typically would need saving by a stronger male because they are seen as being weaker than men. In 28 days later the main character wakes up after being in hospital and walks around the deserted streets of London wondering where everyone has gone (which again  gives no explanation for why there are zombies).

Obviously these characters would probably not survive on there own throughout a whole film length and they would need to find a badass muscly character who at first hates our protagonist but realizes overtime that you know what they aren't that bad, this badass character will be shown to have a soft side as well that you didn't expect. In the case in Zombieland Tallahssee is seen as being a very strong miserable badass who hates everyone but gets immense pleasure out of killing zombies however he is seen to have a sad past when he talks about how the zombies killed his dog.In 28 days later Jim finds Naomie who his not what you'd expect a typical badass to look like but for a while she odes help Jim out, until Jim has the strength later on in the film to save Naomie.

In most zombie films its not just the zombies that our protagonist and badass sidekick will have to look out for because in the majority of zombie films they find an evil human who plans on either killing our protagonist or being an overall inconvenience in some way or another. In The case of Zombieland Columbus and Tallahassee find Wichita and Little rock who steal their car and guns twice, however in this case they end up becoming friends and killing Bill Murray by accident together. In 28 Days later Jim and Naomie find Major Henry who plans on getting his men to rape Noamie and Hannah who is only about 14 in the film.

In the majority of Zombie films there ends up being a very dodgy romance story that would never happen unless there was a zombie apocalypse in the case of Zombieland Columbus ends up getting with Wichita after he saves her at the end of the film from a massive amount of zombies that come to the amusement park that they were at. In 28 days later Jim ends up getting with Naomie after he saves her from Major Henry and the rapist soldiers.

Most Zombie films end with a big fight scene where they kill many many zombies and there is so much 'zombie slaying' that will probably make you feel sick from the amount of guts and blood that you see being thrown all over the screen. This is obviously a major audience pleasure for a fan of zombie films as they are going to want to see as many zombies killed and/or humans killed by zombies as possible. I've linked the final battles for Zombieland below.

Zombieland final fight - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz2_sA1RxJY
The walking dead farm fight scene - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8MMUnaV7j8

I think that most audiences who watch zombie horror films do not particularly  care for an over the top plot or an explanation for why there are zombies running around they mostly just want death and a lot of it. They want some violence, some gore, maybe some romance but not a lot of it.

Mise-en-scene

• The typical costumes that we would expect the characters or the zombies to be wearing would be like ripped old dirty clothes depending on how long it is supposedly been since the apocalypse began.

• The typical setting of a zombie film would be mostly city based as thats where the higher populations would be and thus have more zombies.

• Some typical props would be Guns, Knives and maybe creepy stuff like chains or teddy bears for child zombies.

• There tends to be very monotone colour dark yellows and light browns to create this feeling of death. 

Sound

• We hear a lot of diegetic sound such as gun shots,  zombies groaning or bullets penetrating the skin of a zombie being burst.
• Non Diegetic sound such as music would probably be quite intense music with a heavy drum beat to make it very suspenseful. 

Editing

• Most zombie films would start with not really much cuts it would start slow and introduce us to our main character.
• As the film goes on and there is our be all and end all fight the cuts become more frequent and it speeds up the action. 
• There could be a few shot-counter shots as our protagonist would maybe see his/hers first zombie.

Camera 

• There is a lot of establishing shots to show the masses of zombies that can be around or in an area.

Here are some critic reviews for Zombieland:
'Horiffically Hilarious! Fun, Funny, and Scary!

This is a great, original comedy. It made me laugh out-loud many times. But it was VERY scary with lots of zombie violence and gore, the type you'd see in 28 Days Later or Dawn of the Dead. If you've seen Shaun of the Dead you'll get an idea of what this is like: hilarious, but scary and graphically gory. PARENTS: kids will be freaked out by some jump scenes and a zombie clown (I'm not even afriad of clowns and it scared the crud out of me)! Very gory, almost gruesomely so, but very funny. If you can handle lots of graphic gore and a zombie clown (who doesn't show up for very long; only one scene, but it's freaky), then you should enjoy this awesome comedy. Thanks for reading - Movie Man'

In most zombie horrors Claude Levi-Strauss' theory of binary opposition can be applied as it is mostly dead vs alive. With the zombies being dead and whatever group of surviving people against them.