The task I have selected to undertake for my media coursework requires me to produce three seperate productions that are based upon one topic of my decision ( I am detailing into the world of eating disorders). I am thoroughly concerned about my time management deadlines so instead of beginning all three products at identical times I am instead focusing upon each one individually allowing me to add greater depth and detail then what would be seen had I started all of them together. My primary aim at this current moment is to begin my auxillary task one - the TV listings double page spread that revolves around the content of my documentary. After deconstructing regular double page spreads I concluded it would be in my interests to follow a conventional theme and general layout of most professional products by placing a large, eyectaching image on the left hand side of the article with the right distributing the text evenly around few smaller images. I decided to capture the main image as my critical focal starting point, once that was complete it would be easier to spend more time manafement on the article without added stress.
I alternated my mindset when it came to who was to be detailed on the central image, originally I was going to use one of the anorexic girls , with whose permission, I would then use them on the spread -alongside them being featured in the documentary - so when read by the audience they can directly relate the photo to the film creating a conventional link between the products identifying they are related. However I did not believe this would be dramatic enough - the whole purpose of me creating this documentary is to inform and understandably enlighten the viewer about the devastation of eating disorders, so I believed a shot of one of the girls wouldn't be satisfactory enough in manipulating that 'shock' factor - as many of the girls I am interviewing are undertaking recovery and understandably are slightly healthier I needed someone who in harsher words was physically unwell enough to the brink the physical detrmiental efects would be more recognisable. To overcome this dilemma I commissioned a completely seperate model, this provided variety so the audience was intrigued and interested by a wide range of individuals, allowing them to see the extent of how many people are effected by this destructive illness.
Here are the original two images that were initially took of the model in different postures
During the first take I instructed the model to undertake a 'pained' expression towards the lens, all focus was directed fully on her body as essentially her face was uneccessary to capture , especially when looking at the physical consequences of anorexia nervosa - ultimately the body itself is what becomes so fragile and frail. Excluding the face forces the eyeline immeditelly towards her frame as it is visually noticeable above every other aspect of the screen capture - the severity of malnourishment is hard to ignore, this is the shot I admired to achieve as regretfully it will provoke the 'shock' factor response from the target audience, it is hard to overlook this girls anorexia and with a case as severe as this it is highly likely to grasp instant attention towards the article. I am pleased in regards to the plain backdrop incorporated in the shot - the image was taken in the subjects bedroom against a faint neutral tone, the lack in colour allows all visual awareness to be indicated towards her as a bright background may have caused the audience to overlook the model if there was something eagerly as intriguing as the girl herself. The shot was gained through the use of an ordinary digital camera therefore the quality is not of the professional standard as some expensive mainstream devices, careful editing will have to be constructed to achieve higher enhancement as poor, grainy, pixallated images is off putting for people to look at and can deter them from becoming interested in a particular product if it is not unique or appealing to look at.
As a follow up I captured a secondary shot alongside the first to see if any other stances/positions could be granted through the limited camera angle I was working with. I allowed the model to look down at the camera for this take, this aided in emphasising her body and verifies her anorexic childlike frame ever so more vividly, however I still removed the face throigh the crop tool in the editing process as it was not required for the look I desired. I still adhere to the 'mysterious' element running through the photography as not only does identifying a face breach confidentiality issues (the model wanted to remain anonymous) but it ruins the aspect of the fragility I am trying to enhance through the sole use of her body. There was limited lighting to co-operate with in the environment and in this particular still the shadows appear more vigilant in the previous shot, this enhances the grainy pixallated effect further which is not what I intended. Overall for quality the first image captured exceeds the second which pushes me more to use the original photograph than look for other options, such as the one displayed above.
This is ultimately how I would desire my final completed image for the double page spread article to appear. After much debate over the different shots I obtained I prefered the original one I took of the 'pained' posture, ultimately when I look at this I am thoroughly shocked and it does elict a sympathetic resposnee from me as I can directly distinguish the agony, torment and despair this girl is subjected to because of her eating disorder. As I am a member of the general public I think it is safe to assume that if my response was that of a distressed one then hopefully it could universal reaction from my target viewers alongside that. The original image was in colour howveer I used an online editing tool to alternate the colour to black and white - I think this utlises a catostrophic respresntation of her body and really highlights the severity of her condition. The neutral tones coinside with my colour scheme in general as I planned for it to be based around dark dismal colours to reflect the sheer devastation of the illness and how it creates a 'black and white' thinking amongst the sufferers - they find it hard to diferentiate between their own personality and that of the eating disorder itself. I used a sharp focal lens to enhance the mid section of her body drawing most attention towards her lower body and legs, essentially these are the areas the eating disorder has decimated so violently and reveal how trapped and malnourished she is. The blurring of her upper half adheres to the notion her mind and body - instead of being connected as one - are split in two as if they were seperate components, it relates to the idea the anorexics brain does not see their body as 'belonging' to them (in their eyes it is disgusting which allows them to inflict so much physical damage without acknowledged the dire consequences of their actions). The quality of the image revealed better then i anticipated, the grainyness has been replaced with a more professional sheen giving the shot a more shock provoking notion rather than being regarded as an image of a college student standard.
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