The end is steering closer...

Well, we've nearly come to the end of the year and I can't believe how quick time has flown by! I've thoroughly enjoyed my first year on the course and feel that my knowledge and understanding of the industry has progressed tremendously. I've met some awesome people and can't wait to continue my second year with them next year.

I'm looking forward to the second year of the course as I know we will be furthering the subject of Digital Skills, learning about television advertising (as well as continuing with what we've been doing).

Through summer I intend to produce the start of a book, working on a couple of campaigns and gathering my thoughts, ideas and scraps which I think will help my creative stride.

I have my accomodation sorted for next year and intend to find a job to help save for trip opportunities if any arise again next year.

Hope everyone has a good summer and I'm already looking forward to seeing everyone next year :)

Every now and then in my spare time I like to research different adverts. Looking at allsorts of kind of adverts to give me inspiration. I've seen some awful ones, but also some great ones.

These Heinz visuals I really like, they were created by art director - Gary Marjoram from a London agency called McCann Erickson.

I think it works really well and shows that Heinz tomato ketchup is as fresh as a fresh tomato.

The strategy line 'No one grows ketchup like Heinz' conveying that theres no other ketchup better than itself.

I really like Heinz' concept for this visual advert too. I think it works really well, implying that without Heinz your food would taste bland and boring. With the only colour as the red tomato ketchup bottle, it makes the product stand out of the page, encouraging the audience to look at the product.

It communicates with the audience really well, as with no communication the advert wouldn't work.

I used this advert at the beginning of the year for my 'I love that ad' in AD106. I really like the concept of the advert, it's different and like how they relate there work to the strategy; 'doing things differently leads to something exceptional'.

I feel the song (Ceremony - New Order) works really well with this advert, it's the right pace and tone. Some people could argue the fact that using the environment doesn't relate to vodka but I feel it has a different edge to the usual vodka adverts, encouraging you to remember it.

Within this advert, you not of noticed but the man and the piano changes three times, supporting the strategy - triple filtered. I feel the music could be different as I don't think it's strong enough for the clip, however I do like how he plays the piano in tune with the song at the end.

I feel it's a tangent from the Guiness advert with the dominoe effect. As below:

I get the same feel with the man running after the piano down the italian street as I do when I watch the Guiness advert.

I have always been a big fan of the Guiness adverts, joining their big fan base. I feel their adverts are bold and exciting, thoroughly getting the message across but only once the strategy line is shown. 'Good things come to those who wait' I think this is a strong strategy and is able to create many more tangents of ideas from it.

Digital Skills

Towards the end of the year we had a series of Digital skills lessons with Ben, an ex student from the course. During these sessions we learnt the basics of photoshop, digitally enhancing photos and airbrushing.

I found this very useful; as I haven't got much experience using Photoshop. Within one lesson he provided all the meanings for each button on the toolbar. He helped us digitally enhancing photos with internet tutorials which I found straightforward and easy to use. Seeing the effects of what I had done to the photo, allowed me to further my knowledge,as I could digitally present my work rather than the normal unprofessional drawings.

We only had a handful of lessons with Ben and feel I need more practise within the area to progress my knowledge and understanding.

Cadbury's adverts always cease to amaze me. I really like there creativity and style of each advert that they do. I become fixed on the screen wanting to watch what happens. The adverts I have included I think work well, being the subject of many people's conversations. Whenever I hear people talking about them, I smile at the thought of me creating an advert as big and as talked about as the Cadbury's adverts. The recent one of the three, consisting of the man with the pottery wheels makes me feel comfort in the fact that they put dedicated time into each individual chocolate bar.

Presentational Skills

Presenting or speaking to an audience regularly tops the list in surveys of people’s top fears, to me, this is extremely believable, as I find it one of my top fears.

It is said that presenting yourself or your work is simply practising the art of communication.

A bad presentation consists of; closed body language, low, unclear voice, punctuality, speed of speech and not having an interest in your own workings.

A good presentation consists of; confidence, open body language, clear, projectful voice, communication with the audience, preparation and practice. Being proud of your work, know what your talking about and having an interest in it.

I feel that my presentational skills have improved more and more throughout the year. I enjoy my works and feel that getting feedback from the class helps my way of think and doing things.

My self analysis before Christmas included; weaknesses of nerves, body language, scared of criticism and having too much arm movement. With a concern of getting over the fear of being looked at.

The strengths of my presentation was making eye contact, speaking clearly with a smiley, happy facial expression.

Today, I feel that I'm confident with still a smiley friendly facial expression. I try to avoid too much arm movement with open body language. I encourage feedback for my work, asking questions of anything I don't understand. I still get nervous until the presentation is finished, but I don't think I make this noticeable.

Recently for one of our modules we were recorded and marked on our oral presentation. I received feedback from this where Kay implied that I had good subject knowledge, with excellent confidence and presentational skills.