Assignment 1- purpose of social action media and community media:

Assignment 1- purpose of social action media and community media:

Social action:  Social action Media is seen as an issue or problem, which affects people globally and nationally. It brings the problem towards the public to increase knowledge and awareness.

Community Media: Community Media is a problem that affects people in a community, normally dealing with smaller issues that effect the community that you are in.

Transition project 

Main issue and purpose:
For this first example I will be using this documentary from the 'Transition project' script written by Oliver Rosen. The main question to this video is 'How do you sustain post 16 progression for level 1 learners in Hackney' talking and introducing the problem of how young people are having trouble finding different educational courses that suit their education level and will help them plan for their future, which this community faces with its young people. This brings local/national change for Level 1 courses, because of it raising awareness and the company creating and introducing these new courses that young people can use to their advantage. It also models good practice, challenges and shows the community overcoming obstacles, which other communities are interested in and would like to take part in the future.

Raise awareness and publicity: 
This community Media production raises awareness of 'learners institutions' who help young people with special needs to progress further with their education to gain employment. Many heads of the different facilities were interviewed talking about their own experiences and time with the children they work with and the classes they have set up and funded for their young people. This documentary also gives these special needs children a chance to open the eyes of a larger audience by appearing on larger TV programmes and channels like Channel 4 and Channel 5 by raising awareness about this program running.

This community documentary as well as raising awareness challenges the representation of special needs children. Gaining the education they need from college to gain employment in most work fields, which is not seen as a daily aspect of these children's lives because of their learning progress being seen as unskilled for a working environment. This also links with the strengths the community has because of these programs, and the employment places they gain. The information that is given about the schools and the programmes running are showed through the text that is written between visuals, explaining the programme and what they do to help kids with special needs. Funding for this community video was given by the Government 'Department of Education' and the Hackney learning trust helping with the budget and necessities for this video.

Non-digetic sound was used throughout this video to show the different emotions shown throughout the different interviewees experiences told to an audience. The music played was a piano instrumental, which came across as calm and relaxed in the beginning. When the children started to talk about the different opportunities they came across when being apart of this organisation the non- digetic soundtrack started to become upbeat.  This was cut into 3 parts, an introduction to the programme, the challenges that these students face, the solutions to the problems and the path they reach at the end. All three of these parts have different music to connect with the certain visuals from happy music to music which is seen as sad and then back to happy when a problem has been corrected. When the children were talking about them being seen as an outsider to todays society the relaxed piano music was used displaying a sad feel whilst watching. The second section used a more upbeat soundtrack when using the visuals of members of staff who are presenting resolutions to the problems that are shown in this video, creating a more happy display that is reflected onto an audience via the non-digetic music. The third section shows how this organisation has been successful with helping special needs children, showing these children's life now with the help of the staff involved, using again upbeat music to portray their feelings and gratitude to the staff.  A range of shots were used in this video from Hand held footage when necessary to long, medium shots and close ups.

The distribution of this Community Media documentary can be seen online (YouTube) the department of educations website and will be screened at Rio cinema which is local in Hackney community and will be screened on the 11th of November 2015.


Social action example:


Domestic Abuse PSA from Inbal on Vimeo.

Sound and facts:
Here is an example of a Social Media documentary to raise awareness and to try and stop domestic violence in a relationship. I believe that this is a global and national issue. I also believe that this is not to change attitudes but to raise awareness and to offer help for people who are in need of it;                 also to provide information by giving the Hotline number at the end of the video. The music used was Non-digetic music of a women singing, the tempo is very slow and the instrument that was used was a piano, which again creates a serious dramatic feel. This creates tension and sympathy for the women in this video due to the slow pace music, which highlights the sadness of her situation to an audience watching. There was no writing or facts during the main visuals of this video, this is to show a bigger emotional impact because an audience feels like they are looking into the reflection of the girl being abused, illuminating her raw emotions and seeing the effects that abuse has on her. The only text shown at the end of this video was 'It rarely stops' illuminating the tension of the video, as well as the hotline number for domestic abuse for someone to call.
       
Camerawork and visuals
The camerawork also helps create the tension and emotional side that this video wanted to highlight. A slow zoom out, which was focused on a close up of the young women's face, which was the main position of the camera, this is to show the bruises and scars on the girls face over time which never stops showing the main point for this Social action video. The visuals shown are very strong and could be seen as disturbing by viewers. All visuals were the same keeping the face of the young women. I believe the editing that was used was the slow or an unnoticeable fade or change to add the bruises and scars onto the face of the women. The visuals I believe highlighted a very strong message by using the shock tactics of blood, bruises and scars to make this really stick and disturb a viewer, showing how serious this social action video is and to spread the word of this hotline number and the effects that domestic violence can create. This makes the Social action video effective for the purpose, which was to raise awareness.

How has it effected others?
When researching this video of domestic violence I looked at the YouTube comments showing some peoples views and opinions on the video and also some feedback on how it helped them. They explained how when calling this hotline it was helpful and the staff made sure the call was discrete when you came in contact with them over the phone, also sharing advice and other hotline numbers to call if needed. Most feedback was positive about the hotline persuading others to use it if necessary, which I believe would spread a positive message about the charity. A problem with the representation that was scattered through different comments was that most domestic violence videos and documentaries are filmed via a women's perspective. However, the mans perspective is not shown and how men are not given the same support and publicity than women are shown. Comments say that a 'Male version' of this video should be made to shown that domestic abuse happens to everyone. This video's purpose was to show how a situation like domestic violence can cause abuse to you mentally, physically and emotionally.


















St John Ambulance Documentary:

Here is another example of a Community Media documentary, which is also used to raise awareness for young people about an organisation called 'St John Ambulance' which helps teach young people first aid to use on the public. I believe as well as being for a Community it could also be national and global due to this organisation being word wide for all young people to join. I also believe that this documentary is to change attitudes on young people in this generation and the organisation itself due to it being seen as 'weak' and 'boring' by young people and other cadet groups. In this documentary are a few volunteer members from the division Highgate in North London, who are discussing and sharing their experiences that they have gained and also the skills that they can pick up during their time in the organisation. The purpose is to gather more young people from London to join this and create better futures and also a head start to a career.

The music at the beginning and the end of this documentary is very upbeat creating a happy mood when watching, again creating the interest for an audience when thinking about joining. The Music was Non- diegetic sound of an electric guitar. Many interviews took place during this video, which most people shared the facts about 'SJA' and the members that have joined. This shows a personal feel when watching helping the purpose of gathering more young people and showing the close family feel of the organisation. Most of the visuals were shown with the presenter showing different locations and leaders that are in 'SJA' using many medium long shots when interviewing the different members. Camerawork stayed simple though out the video using slow pans and tilts when necessary, using a home made point of view shot feel to this documentary, which helps brings closer the viewer to the presenter and the members involved. Editing was also very simple sticking to cuts and simple transitions like fades to keep their audience interested.

This documentary was distributed online to YouTube, Vimeo and the St John Ambulance website and was funded by the Highgate division itself which involved food (for cast and crew), cameras and location space. This documentary, I believe succeeded there message they wanted to give out to their target audience. Reading the YouTube comments, many members that created and who are part of this documentary shared that there cadet group members increased  17% after this video was distributed. This organisation has been put together to help people who have injured themselves in public events. This is not used for an entrainment purpose so seen as only a community Media video to raise awareness and support this 'SJA' group.

This is important to help a local community deal and take in kids that are  interested in a medical route or would like to meet new people and learn new skills. It is also important that this documentary utilises the local community to share the strengths that this organisation has.


Flashing Bodies Action Seven 'QR5' (Quiet Revolution) from pau ros on Vimeo.

Here is another Community Media documentary that could also be seen as global and national.
Heygate estate (Elephant & Castle) was one of the largest social housing estates in Europe. 1,200 working class families were evacuated in 2008, just 2 or 4 residents still remain. The council has planned an urban regeneration scheme to create new up-market housing and to sell the land to private investors. This documentary is to raise awareness of how working class people are pushed aside and sent out of their own houses to provide and entertain the rich. This has also happened in other countries like America and south Africa making this a global and national change documentary as well as a local change. I think this video was made to help or change a persons attitude but used art as a political action.

The music used was Non- diegetic sound, the soundtrack used is called 'Rosary Novena for Gender Transitioning' by Terre Thaemlitz. The music was very smooth and relaxing, a piano is also used in the piece, this shows a link between the visuals and the music being more for art then violence, sharing the message in a different way for people to receive.  There is not text or speech in this documentary only in the description box which explains what the visuals try to explain to an audience about their situation. The visuals are naked Men and Women standing outside the setae being torn down, shown in different positions and being photographed. Camerawork tries and focus on the naked Men and Women by using close ups and medium long shots of men and women's genitals. The editing used are slow fades and cuts from visual to visual which fits it with the slow music being played.

This documentary went into a  new way of providing a message and to raise awareness for people to understand what the government (conservatives) are doing to working class people in the community. They used art for political action, showing the naked human body, which could be disturbing for some viewers and could be used as a shock tactic for this documentary. When doing research into this documentary I have not seen any change or improvement with this community situation since the video was distributed. This documentary also shows the strength this community has when working together to face an issue, showing this utilises the was this community deals with their problems.

This was distributed online to Vimeo and YouTube This documentary can also change voting behaviour from people in this community and others who watch it.