Final Major Project Pre Production – Draft 6

Final Major Project Pre Production

Organising The Project

How I’m Organising The Project - Original

I’ve always believed that a good structure of planning is the key to a project being completed efficiently. To organise my project, I have used a useful app named Todoist. I have been using this app for a year now and I find it incredibly easy to use. However, it is sophisticated enough that you can do more with it then just make lists. I love the way you can set dates to complete tasks by and easily switch the dates if your plan changes. At first, I was just using this app to note down things I needed to do and adding dates to things if they needed to be done by a certain date. Then I discovered projects which allow you to group things within a certain category or project. I have made a few projects since then. Weekly Planner is the project I use every week to plan what tasks I must complete for that week, my outfits, and shopping lists. I come onto Todoist every Sunday to plan out my week. This keeps me organised for the week ahead, so this is something I’ve made a habit of doing. Along with this project I have created another permanent project named Website Content. I have created separate tasks of ideas I can use to create posts for my website if I have no ideas. I have also utilised the label tool to determine whether these tasks are a written-up blog post, a film, or an edit.

I did have a look at another project managing app called Trello. I have only briefly gone over it, but I decided to instead use it for a future project once I am more familiar with it. Along with this, I found it incredibly complicated to use, considering it does the same things that Todoist can do. However, this could just be because I have not used Trello much yet and I need to spend more time using it to give it a chance.

I have used the project making tool to plan out my planning process and any other tasks for this project. I've named it Final Major Project, and included sections such as 'Pre-Production', 'Pre-Production In Progress', 'Production' and 'Postproduction'. Under these sections I have and will note down lists of all the tasks I need to complete for those specific parts of the project. This helps break things down and I can look at the project separately and in a clearer way. Once I have started tasks, I will move them to 'In Progress' so that I can see what I have started and need to finish before moving on to new tasks. I will fill out the ‘Production’ and ‘Postproduction’ once I have completed the pre-production section of the project because I will be clearer on what the next stages are. The great thing about Todoist is that I can add detail to tasks through the Description tool. This is useful if I want to add extra information for that task. I have added some new labels that I can use for different reasons. I have ‘Help’ which I will use if I need help with a task. Labelling everything is an easy way of telling me where I am with each task. I have another label named ‘Doing’ which is what I will use once a task has started to be worked on but isn’t finished. This will help me see where I am in terms of progress. The final label is ‘Add or Edit’ which I will use for the things I have done but would like to improve on.

How I’m Organising The Project - Refreshed

I have completely refreshed the way I am approaching the planning for the project. Since the last write up, I have been investigating into different softwares. I'm looking specifically for softwares with more detail tied into them. I was recommended Freedcamp by my Dad, who has paid the full price for the Pro version, which I very much appreciate! This means I have access to the full plan that includes all the tools in it. This will allow me to use a wide variety of tools while I put project management into practice.

I started off by learning how to use the software, this took me two days. Then I created a project and called it 'Final Major project'. Then I created three lists in the tasks section named 'Pre-Production', 'Production' and 'Postproduction'. Within these lists I have/will add lists of things to do that will help me progress with the project. The next step was to work out dates for each of the tasks. I needed to decide start dates and due dates for every task. Some of them I would give myself one day to do, others are spread over two days or a whole week. So, I've tried to be realistic by giving myself enough time to do each thing. Some days I have given myself two tasks to do if they are particularly short or won't take me long to do.

Something I would love to utilize in the future to go even more in depth with my tasks is the description tool or the subtask tool. Descriptions is a great option so I can add more detail about the task or create some specific points within the task. Subtasks can be used to create a whole new specific task underneath a more general one. Update – I have gone through every task and added more detail explaining exactly what I need to do for each one. Along with this, any tips that I will need when the time comes to completing them. This just helps to gear me up so I'm not unsure while completing these and I know exactly what I'm doing in the future.

The great thing about Freedcamp, is that I can change the way I view tasks. You can look at tasks in four different views – List, Table, Kanban & Gantt. Gantt allows you to see your lists and tasks in a calendar type view, prioritising the dates. You can clearly see what is starting and due when and normally ends up going in a staircase pattern. Kanban sets everything out in a 'Do', 'Doing', 'Done' mindset. This is useful as I can see exactly what still needs to be done, what I've finished, or what is yet to be started – basically the progress of each task. Setting out your tasks in the List option is an easy way to see every task with lots of detail. Table view helps split the different aspects of your tasks into its own column. This includes - start date, due date, priority, progress.

Gantt Chart Schedule

As I have mentioned, FreedCamp allows you to view projects in a variety of different ways. One of those is Gantt chart. So, here I have displayed my project semi-completed (as of 12^th April) in Gantt chart form.

Ideas

Past Ideas

When thinking of ideas, I went for a fairly easy route. I was actually thinking of doing something like this a while back anyway. I find it so interesting when films are about real-life events and so my plan is to base this from my experiences.

When thinking of ideas, the first thing I thought of was to base it on a personal experience. I was actually thinking of doing something like this a while back anyway. This would tie into my first-hand experiences surrounding mental health and social media. I wanted to show and exaggerate the feelings I felt during this period. To do this, I was planning to use interesting editing and shots to create the sense of stress and loneliness I felt. I also wanted to have a hidden voice showing the negative thoughts I was having. I had always found it so interesting when films are about real-life events and so I thought this was a suitable plan at the time.

However, I decided to rethink my entire idea and change the style of media and the idea along with it. I have always succeeded in animation and it's what I genuinely enjoy more than anything I've done on this course. While thinking through what to do, I knew I should do something that I was good at and something I knew would be possible. The problem with my first idea was that it was far too ambitious. It was causing me to get stressed every time I thought about how I was going to pull it off. I just didn't know how I could make it as good as it was in my head. This led to me struggling to move forward as each stage was making it seem even more difficult. Because of this, I started to think over the entire project and what would be best for me. I have made loads of animations in the past and have always done really well with them. So, my second idea was to create an animation similar to ones I had done in the past. But I wanted to take it to the next level by adding expressions to the characters. This included a mouth and eyes. This way the characters would portray their emotions and actions through the way they look, not just by the way they sound.

This idea turned out to be extremely short lived after having a conversation with my dad. Through this, I got inspired to make a documentary about a similar topic to my first idea. So, I have finalized this idea as 'Social media and mental anguish'. A documentary showing the concerns of using social media and the effects it has on the mind. I will be using a combination of animation, showing a main character representing the person experiencing this anguish, and narration to give out the information. I plan for this to be extremely informative and educational. The main purpose of this will be to raise awareness.

Finalised Idea

While I was developing the final idea, I was really trying to think smartly about one, my resources, two, my time, and three, what would be the most impressive and impactful idea I could create. Through this, I decided to make a documentary. Funnily enough, I went back to my original idea and stole a few key parts from it. This was to help me develop the topic of this idea. This documentary is about social media and mental anguish. Essentially, the effects social media has on mental health, and more specifically, the mind.

As I have mentioned already, this documentary is being provided in order to inform, educate, and raise awareness. That’s the main purpose of this documentary. The goal of the video itself visually is that it should be impactful. I would love to grab the viewer’s attention so that they take in all the information the documentary has to offer. The key thing I want to achieve is that the viewer comes out of this having learnt something. But, not getting too tied up with the facts, they must enjoy it to. Because of this, I will really need to consider the balance of fun and factual.

The important thing to think about with this project is the structure. I will have a combination of multiple elements meaning it will be very busy in terms of the content. This causes extra attention to detail when planning the structure. I plan to include animation, interview segments, visual facts portrayed through the use of text, clips demonstrating the outcome and cause of the topic and commentary to explain the information (this will be written out on the script). The idea is that I will order these in a particular layout, so I know precisely where each of these will occur within the film. In the future, I will also need to plan the introduction, the middle, which will be giving evidence for the explanations, and the conclusion.

Documentaries that I have watched normally show a past event. This is simply showing something that has happened to a person in the past and recreating it through animation or film. This is where animation will come into my video. I will use a stickman to represent the person in the situation. Along with this, I will proceed to animate whatever the narrator is saying at that point in time. Sort of like a visual to support the words.

In terms of the factual side of this film, I would like to include definitions of words mentioned (this could be during the introduction), stories about what people have gone through that goes with the idea of social media and mental health, and statistics. This includes numbers, percentages, and time.

Sounds, Music And Clips

I would like to have music that reflects the scene. For the intro, I have discussed having very fast paced editing as it captures the viewer’s attention instantly and will leave them feeling entertained and wanting to know more. To match this tempo, I want fast music, to keep up with the visual aspect of the film. After having an explore on my favourite sound and music site, Audio Hero, I have determined the style of music I would like for the introduction of my film. The style ‘Corporate’ sounds exactly like what I was looking for. This style of music has an inspiring sound which is what I would like to achieve for the opening. It is useful as background music and will drive the questions, facts and information being provided during the first section of the documentary. I would love to get the viewer thinking.

I have an interesting idea of using typing sounds to follow up the information. I can use this as a way of providing an interesting element to go alongside the narration so that it becomes less empty. That way, just by listening, we know something important is being said, we don’t necessarily have to rely on the visual.

Other sounds include things that match the mood of the narration. As an example, if something scary or shocking was being mentioned I would love to have dramatic and deep sounds to accompany it. This adds impact. The same would go for sad information or even something happy. Happy kind of sounds would include amusing things such as an over the top round of fireworks or people cheering. This would add that comical element and would help to maintain a variety of moods throughout - I don’t want a documentary that just has a dreary effect on the audience. To follow up this idea, I have decided the best place to use these sounds would be during the reveal of positive information. For example why social media isn’t as bad as we sate it is, or what good things does social media have to commend itself for? To match with these sounds, in terms of music, some happy themed easy listening music will be a good choice. I want obvious contrast between the good and bad areas of the video.

As we move further into the video, I would like to use minimal background music so that the viewer is fully focused on the interviews. So, I could perhaps, use music only when the narrator is speaking and when an interview is being displayed I can completely cut back and have no background sounds or music. This way the viewer’s attention won’t be divided and the interviews and what people are saying will stand out entirely.

In terms of clips, I would like things that accompany the narration. For instance if we are talking about filters, I can display someone using them.

Planning

Mind Maps

Research

Social Media 'Life on Social Media' Research

Definitions:

Social Media is a collection of platforms to which you can make new friends, build relationships, or share photos of your daily life. But, using social media to connect in these ways can have benefits and drawbacks.

Facts:

72% of America use social media.
64% of teens report that they have made a new friend online.
83% of teens report that social media makes them feel more connected with their friends.
48% of Americans ages 18-29 having dated online.
55% of lesbian, gay, or bisexual adults have reported dating online.

Information:

By using social media, you can connect with people in circumstances where you wouldn't normally be able to. As an example, if someone you know is moving to a different country, you can still connect with them through social media.
Social media can foster romantic relationships.
Social media can be extremely useful for lgbt+ groups, as they have limited options for romantic interactions in their immediate surroundings.
It allows opportunities for those challenged with social anxiety, geographic isolation, fears, insecurities, and physical issues to find connection and relationships.

Social Media 'Relationships' Research

Information:

Having exclusive social media friends has its disadvantages. You won’t have the advantage of understanding their body language, making eye contact, or engaging in physical contact. These are things that make a friendship more real.
If you want to do something like join someone for a meal in a restaurant, your social media friends are unlikely to help with that unless they are people you also know in real life.
Another problem is when you come to a time of emotional need, it's far too easy for social media friends to split and run. This could occur through ignoring messages and simply not acknowledging you anymore. Relying on social media friends is a great risk.
This leads to the point that social media friends can just turn you off like a switch without further thought.
Your friends can just stop answering you. What do you do? Do you even know what went wrong? It causes you to overthink into what could have been the point to which they decided to stop involving themselves with you.
No longer responding is an easy option for a friend to say that they don't want to be your friend anymore. You can't trust how long a friendship will last online. There is no way of judging it.
Real life friends are preferred since there is room for levels of friendship, and social media friends offer the least depth.
It’s better to have a few close friends who will stick with you rather than hundreds of social media friends who could disappear.
Real life friends can enrich your life much more through building intimacy and trust.
Coming out of arguments can end up more forgiving when done in person. Words mean more when said through voice compared to the unsophisticated way of typing.

Social Media '20 Social Media Advantages and Disadvantages' Research

Definitions:

Social media is a platform whereby people can endlessly scroll through various feeds.

Facts:

Facebook had 2.7 billion+ users by mid-2020

Information:

The explosion of social media is partly thanks to marketing and pandemic, where people felt connected to the world.
Facebook had 2.7 billion+ users by mid-2020. To compare, the current world population is 7.9 billion (as of September 2021)
When you introspect advantages and disadvantages of social media, many factors come into play, depending on how you and the world see it.

Social Media '20 Social Media Advantages and Disadvantages' Research

Advantages of social media:

You can connect with your friends, no matter where they live. (Worldwide Connectivity)
You can use platforms to spread the news, current events, weather information, find missing dogs and humans, or the latest gadgets. (Lightning-fast information)
Social media’s biggest benefit is that it aids in the educational process. Social media has piqued the interest of students who need to learn remotely or from distance. (Educational process)
If you follow the relevant accounts, you can use social media as a mental health reliever. (Exploring mental health)
Social media can be used to promote products and spread advertising. (Online marketing)
Supporting noble deeds is one-way social media can be put to good use. As an example, users can donate money to people who have suffered a tragedy. (Supporting noble deeds)
Companies can interact with their customers via direct messages. They can also get quick feedback and reply to comments. (Interaction with customers)
There is opportunity to share anything. It could be things that bring a smile to you or the users face, artwork that took you days to complete, or tips about something you and your followers are interested in. (Share anything)
Using social media to search for your next job is an interesting route, but it is possible. An example platform for this would be LinkedIn, which allows you to upload a CV and job search like any other job finding site. (Searching for your next job)
Social media has the ability to unify people of the same lifestyle, religion, communities, and backgrounds. This creates the feeling of oneness and inclusion. (Building communities)
Criminals can be found quicker and more efficiently through social media due to leaving traces of themselves online. (Catching criminals)
People can go viral for any strange reason. Feeding stray dogs, unboxing an expensive device, dancing on a song, or showcasing talent. This can be a good thing for someone wanting to gain attention, even from people they don't know. (Going viral)
Social media can be used for the basic reason of entertainment. For people who use it as light relief at the end of a day, it could end up consuming their entire evening. (Entertainment)

Social Media '20 Social Media Advantages and Disadvantages' Research

Disadvantages of social media:

When you post too many photos or too much general information, your followers will know where you are, where you live, and parts of your routine. Overall, oversharing is something people don't realise they are doing, and something we are all guilty of, so it's something we should all be careful about. The important thing to realise, is that oversharing can be life-threatening as much as we talk lightly about it. It has gotten people fired, some were robbed, while some were dead. (Privacy problems)
Cyberbullying is a big issue as it is experience widely by most people. It applies to children, independent women, vocal supporters of a certain policy and many more. It isn't uncommon. Cyberbullying occurs on social media when users comment nasty and unwanted things on a person's post, or messages are sent that intentionally cause negative impact. Some people even create fake accounts. It generally creates a toxic environment online, which can carry through to the real world. (Cyberbullying)
Social media gives people the sly opportunity to spread fake information. If a news account posts something related to a celebrity that includes misinformation, the public will share it around until it becomes a threat to someone. As a way to combat this, WhatsApp now limits forwarding a message to five people at a time. (Spread of fake news)
Hacking is an issue that sprues into the dark side of social media. If you aren't careful with passwords, then there is a danger that your account could be hacked. If crucial information is leaked it creates stress for the person it targets, and it ruins them. (Hacking)
When relationships fall apart there is a possibility that the toxic partner threatens to release their intimate videos online. If executed, it does ruin the reputation of that person. (Ruins reputation)
The infinite scrolling of social media means people easily waste their time. We have all done that. The aspect of continuously jumping to different profiles only heightens the idea of time wasting. Many parents consider social media to be the leading time waster for teenagers and students. (Wasting time)
The constant buzz of our phones every hour is enough to distract us from any activity, no matter how important. Family time becomes forced because many these days would rather eat and watch than eat our meals as a family. People can get distracted from negative things too, like people unfollowing them. Another instance where social media causes distraction, is getting likes on a post, or someone they follow posting something. (Distracted mind)
Social media links heavily to our phones and phones affect our sleep. We create a habit, that can turn into an addiction, of checking our phones before we go to sleep and when we wake up. We could be using this time doing something productive. But social media gets tied into our routine, and we waste time. (Changes to lifestyle habits)
The problem with social media, is that a lot of the time, what people post isn't always true. You could end up dating someone because you think they are rich, but they've actually just borrowed a friend's car. This leads to expectations, getting hurt, and cheating. Social media signs us up to be lied to, and most of us don't even know it. (Relationship issues)
When forming relationships over social media, the one basic component they lack is emotion. On social media, we do things to please people out of fear. This could be for instance, fear of losing a friend. So, we comment something nice under a post. However, not everyone means what they say. To combat this, it's a good idea to keep it simple and only let a few people into your life online. (Lacks emotional connection)
Why would we choose to stare at a screen when we could be having meaningful conversations with our family? Instead of scrolling through the endless feed, we should enjoy the time we spend with our families. (Demotes family intimacy)
By linking to COVID-19 restrictions, which arguably did more bad than good, it is noticeable that there are people who now have social difficulties due to the lack of face-to-face interaction. People are now worried when venturing out in case normal conversations are a struggle. It's as if we have forgotten how to talk. Social media has the same effect. With decreased real-time face-to-face conversations, people have forgotten how to socialise. Because of this, the internet has made us less quick witted and more like zombies. (Lessening quick-witted skills)
We are always physically there but a lot of the time not mentally. Think of this situation - you are watching a film with a friend, and you are on social media the whole time, completely ignoring the current moment you are in. This an example of how we aren't always present in our environment. We are there physically, but not mentally. It's about time people put the phone down and be present. (Physically present, but not mentally)
It's common for people to remain anonymous on social media. This means that leaving unthoughtful comments and messages becomes extremely easy. They know nothing can happen to them if people don't know who they are. People leave their racist thoughts, body-shame people, or insult other people in their comment section without thinking that they are humans, too! (Lacking thoughtfulness)

Social Media 'Positives of Social Media' Research

Facts:

3% of adults use Facebook to connect with family while 91% with friends.
57% of teens say they’ve made new lasting friendships online.
81% of teens ages 13-17 say that social media makes them feel more connected to the people in their life.
68% say using it makes them feel supported during tough times.
87% reporting they use social media to contact old friends.
More than 25% of teens report social media making them feel less shy and 28% more outgoing.
20% reported feeling more confident as a result of their interactions on social media.

Information:

Social media helps promote better habits. How it works, for instance, is that a friend would post that they had started exercising again, it encourages us to do the same. We are influenced greatly by what we see on social media. You either change your behaviour or you transmit information about the behaviour to others, who change their behaviour. It's like a knock-on effect. (Social media can promote better habits by association)
Social media can be extremely useful for socially anxious or introverted people. They may find it easier to connect with people without actually speaking, as there is less pressure involved. It feels a lot less hazardous and draining then face-to-face interactions are, so it is a suitable option. Teens who feel that social situations are difficult for them say that social media it a great way for them to make friends.
Similarly, adults say that social media is a comfortable place for social interaction. (Social media helps introverted or socially anxious personalities connect in a safe environment)
Social media sparks awareness in mental illness, disease, and sexuality. These increase feelings of inclusion so people feel united and realise they aren't the only ones experiencing this. This decreases stigma around these topics. Mental health is constantly talked about within social media so those who see it feel less alone. (Social media reduces stigmas around mental illness, disease, and sexuality)

Social Media 'What Social Media Does to Your Brain' Research

Facts:

The average person spends over 3 hours on their phone each day, including approximately 2 and a half hours on social media.

Information:

Doing anything repeatedly for an extended amount of time can cause physiological changes on the brain. So, what is social media doing to our brains?
Social media has a way of capturing and keeping our attention. The continuous feelings of excitement and reward is caused by refreshing. When we refresh the page, constant new information is right there in front of us. This process is called “variable-ratio reinforcement.”
This ability to capture your attention has an adverse effect on your brain. 2 and a half hours of social media, to put it into perspective, is the same amount of time it would take to run a half marathon.
What you do each day can change your brain’s structure and how it processes information.
Excessive social media users perform worse on cognitive tests. Especially those that examine their attention and ability to multitask.
Heavy users, compared to moderate or light users, need to exert more effort to stay focused. Heavy users find it harder to ignore distraction in general.
This is because social media is easily accessible, competes for your attention, and provides new information at every click.
This all has a certain effect on the brain to which it shrinks the part of the brain associated with maintaining information.
Social media provides immediate rewards in the form of a dopamine release. Because of this, social media manages to get us addicted.
This happens when you see a new post, post something yourself, or receive a notification from the app.
Scarily, brains scans have shown that the brain of a heavy social media user looks similar to those addicted to drugs or gambling.
Research also shows that huge social media usage is also linked with memory deficits, especially in your transactive memory. This kind of memory involves deciding what information is important enough to store in your brain and what information can be outsourced.
The sharing and storing of events could be the exact reason this is happening. When we are focused on recording and sharing our experiences, we not actually taking it in properly. We aren’t taking that time to stop, observe, and absorb our surroundings.
Externalizing an experience worsened participants’ memory because their brain received the message that it didn’t need to hold onto information that was stored elsewhere.

Social Media 'Effects of Excessive Use of Social Media' Research

Facts:

The average person spends over 3 hours on their phone each day, including approximately 2 and a half hours on social media.

Information:

The more time spent on social media, the higher the chance is for cyberbullying, depression, anxiety, and exposure to inappropriate information.
Getting addicted is a problem sprouted from becoming reliant on social media at every point of the day.
Symptoms of social media addiction include spending a lot of time on social networking sites or online games, neglecting other responsibilities such as work and school projects/classes, feeling depressed or anxious when you have to stop using social media for a period of time, or lying about how much time you spend on social media.
Spending too much time on social media can have negative effects on your relationships and personal life. (What are the effects of excessive use of social media?)
Your brain's dopamine system is affected by three factors: expectation, achievement, and regulation. An example of one of these achievements would be receiving ‘likes’ on a post.
Social media gives people the effect of intimacy without any real connection. People then feel the need to keep using it in order get this feeling.
The reason we find it hard to quit social media is because we love using it as a quick communication to family and friends. (How can social media be addictive?)

Mental Health 'Definition of Mental Health' Research

Definitions:

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

Information:

If you experience mental health problems, your thinking, mood, and behaviour could be affected.
There are many factors that contribute to mental health problems that include: Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry. Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse. Family history of mental health problems.

Mental Health 'Definition and Symptoms of Mental Anguish' Research

Definitions:

Mental anguish refers to the psychological suffering that someone experiences as a result of an injury caused by another's actions. It can include anxiety, depression, trauma, or grief. Mental anguish can also be the psychological suffering that someone experiences as the result of a traumatizing experience. A high degree of emotional torment, distress, or suffering. Mental anguish is also called 'emotional distress'.

Symptoms:

Nausea/Vomiting Depression
Anxiety Inability to concentrate
Fear of certain situations
Feelings of guilt Insomnia
Physical ailments, such as ulcers or chronic migraines

Mental Health 'Symptoms of Depression' Research

Information:

If you have a low mood that lasts 2 week or more, it could be a sign of depression.

Symptoms:

Not getting any enjoyment out of life
Feeling hopeless
Not being able to concentrate on everyday things
Having suicidal thoughts or thoughts about harming yourself

Mental Health 'What is Mental Stress?' Research

Definitions:

Mental stress is a mental condition where we lose our peace of mind.

Information:

When everything has become too much, we generally use the term tension or mental stress. This includes times when we feel like a resolution is out of our control or if the amount of going on are abnormal, it may put us uncomfortably out of our routine.
We feel as though we really can't cope under the pressures that have been put upon us.
Anything that creates a threat to our well-being is stress.
It can make us feel constantly on edge during every moment of life if it does get out of control.
However, there are some stresses that do have a good impact on us. I'm sure we've all experienced being behind on something, realising it's due the next day, and taking that stress to get it done in the quickest time possible.
Without stress life would be boring as we would have nothing there to exhort us into doing the mundane things.
But remember, if a stress undermines our mental and physical health, that is when it is considered bad.
Stress can be caused by thinking about something bothering us, or several small things that accumulate.

Mental Health 'Mental Pressure' Research

Definitions:

When something that was said or done has overwhelmed your mindset and at becomes difficult to think. Pressure is the burden of physical or mental distress.

Information:

Mental pressure happens because your brain is receptive of everything. This means it will take information and process it how it sees it.
Stress or mental pressure is not a bad thing, having to cram everything in last minute actually urges us to have a positive take away from it, as it teaches us to not repeat the same thing again.

Mental Health 'The Negative Effects of Social Media on Mental Health' Research

Facts:

Compared to individuals who use 0–2 social media platforms, individuals who use between 7–11 social media platforms have a higher likelihood of depression and anxiety.
48% of adults and 66% of teenagers agreed that sleeping badly has a negative effect on their mental health.
Researchers found that after using the social media platform Facebook, envy was the most reported feeling, with 29.6% of respondents

Information:

Social media causes us to lack sleep if we are on it excessively or before bed. Another thing that is caused by having unhealthy habit of using social media is being disconnected from the world. We get entirely consumed by what we see on social media platforms.
This all contributes to a negative impact on our mental health.
One huge problem people face while on social media is comparison. We have thoughts like "Why don't I look like that?" Or "They look like they are having so much fun and I'm just sitting here at home." (Comparison)
An increase of social media usage has seen an increase in the term FOMO. Fear of missing out is very common, especially among teens. It also links with low mood and the feeling of dissatisfaction. (FOMO)

Mental Health 'Hopelessness' Research

Definitions:

Hopelessness is an emotion characterized by a lack of hope, optimism, and passion. An individual who feels hopeless may often have no expectation of future improvement or success.

Facts:

One survey, conducted among 1000 people who had been diagnosed with a psychiatric condition, shows that some messages of hopelessness may originate from the mental health care system. Of those who completed the survey, 41% reported being told by a health care professional that recovery from their distress was unlikely or impossible.
Sixty-nine percent of these individuals later self-reported themselves to be “recovered” or “fully recovered.”

Information:

Hopelessness is something that effects human behaviour as it reflects an individual's negative view of the future.
People experiencing hopelessness may make comments such as: My situation will never get better, I have no future, no one can help me, I feel like giving up, it is too late now, I have no hope, I will never be happy again.
People who feel hopeless will end up losing interest in activities they once found enjoyable, events, or people.
This normally happens as a result of lack of inspiration along with powerlessness, helplessness, abandonment, captivity, oppression, and isolation.
Hopelessness itself, happens when an individual is discouraged by dissatisfying, distressing, or negative life events.
Someone who is hopeless, may not value things that were once important.

Mental Health 'Mental Health and Social Media' Research

Facts:

Eight hours is the average time teenagers spend on their phones.
Teens between the ages of 13 and 18 spent about 9 hours a day on social media and other outlets like TV, online videos, and mobile games.
Teens are spending over 60% of their waking days staring at a screen!
Using social media less leads to a significant decrease in both depression and loneliness.

Information:

There were no signs, symptoms or any change in attitude and behaviour that would tell Michelle, a forty-two-year-old executive assistant, that her daughter, Kristina, was going through emotional distress. (It wasn’t obvious)
Kristina would wake up every day at 6am and, still half asleep, she would go on her phone and browse through social media. Kristina would subconsciously do this to find an emotional fix. The saddest thing, is that although she’d make it to the shower, eat breakfast, and get ready for zoom school, she’d skilfully stay glued to her phone, still craving for her reward.
The rest of Kristina’s day would comprise school, homework, text messaging, TV, cooking, and more social media interaction. This sounds fairly like most teenager’s daily lives.
Kristina’s anxiety was almost certainly caused by too much interaction with social media, not enough self-care, a lack of parents’ monitoring, and a lack of human interaction. Kristina also suffered from FOMO.
Kristina, while on an emotional rollercoaster involving social media and other personal issues, showed no signs of distress. I wonder if that’s because she was too busy getting her fix on social media and her parents were too busy living their own lives that no one noticed anything. (Kristina’s story)
Because of the embarrassing amount we stay glued to social media, it becomes impossible to say the truth. (Addiction has no time constraint)
What are the effects of social media on our brains?
It is important to note that addiction doesn’t only occur in teens. It happens to adults too. (This is not a “Them problem”)
Are we too busy to realize that we’re living at a lower level of existence? We can all be in the same room, but no one is there. Does this make sense?

Mental Health 'Mental Health and Social Media' Research

Facts:

A University of Pennsylvania study examined how “social media use” can cause the fear of missing out (“FOMO”). In the study, one group of participants limited their time on social media to 30 minutes a day, while a control group continued to use Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and Tick Tock. The researchers tracked the participants’ social media time usage, and participants completed surveys about their mood and well-being. After only three weeks, those who limited social media said that they felt less depressed and lonely than people who had no social media time limits.

Information:

The reason people feel more depressed after using social media is because of comparison. When we continuously view other people’s impeccable lives, it’s easy to see their perfect pictures and think their lives are better than ours. (The devil has many faces)
We’re so addicted to dopamine release from social media interaction that we create phantom vibration syndrome — we feel like our phones are buzzing even though they’re not. (Impact of social media on the brain: Not so good!)
Social media is so easily available to us that most of us can’t live life without getting addicted at some point.

Summary of negative effects of social media:

Increased loneliness Loss of self-worth and self-esteem, which may be promoted by erroneous perceptions that others’ lives are “better” than ours; anxiety or depression ; onset of social anxiety disorder; fear of missing out (FOMO), which can lead to more social media usage; sleep disruption, particularly if you use social media right before bedtime; decreased physical activity, which will affect your overall health; poor grades or work productivity and performance; reduced empathy to others; ignoring the relationships with others in “real” life.

Mental Health 'The Effects of Social Media on Mental Health' Research

Information:

Social media apps and websites have the same kind of effect on the brain as playing a slot machine, they keep us extremely engaged.
Because you don’t know what content you’ll see until you open the app, it creates the feeling of being rewarded.
Social media causes us to rely on the interactions we receive. For instance, if you post a picture hoping to receive likes or comments and don’t get the feedback you desire, you may feel disappointed or invalidated. (Almost Addictive)
Low self-esteem is another huge issue with regards to social media. This is caused by comparison, which also causes anxiety and depression. (Focusing on Interactions)
Filters exemplify how social media can be both positive and negative.
Filters strengthen false illusions. Filters can be used for a laugh, but the ability to airbrush body parts, clear up a person’s skin, change someone’s facial structure, can make it feel impossible to live up to other people’s lives. We get used to seeing such perfection that we feel insecure about our own looks. (Filters are Fun…But Also Fake)
Social media creates feelings such as fear of missing out. This tends to happen when your friends are on social media, and you notice them doing things without you or creating group chats without you.
As an example, when your friends and classmates are using social media, you may worry about missing a message, inside joke, or other information that connects you to your peers.
Constant checking out of fear can have a detrimental effect on studying. We lose our point of study and must restart, it causes distraction, and lessens the ability for us to retain information.
FOMO makes us feel lonely and excluded too.

Summary of points:

Feeling increased anxiety, depression and/or loneliness, spending more time on social media than with friends and family, comparing yourself with others or frequently feeling jealous, being trolled, or cyberbullied online, engaging in risky behaviours or outrageous photos to gain likes and comments, noticing that your schoolwork and relationships are suffering.

Survey

To make my survey, I used a site named Paperform which was paid for by my Dad. Paperform allows you to make forms of any kind with lots of available customisation. I used a template to begin with and edited it to my liking. I started with the colours. I chose a colour that fit the theme of my documentary. Then I decided on a text font. I wanted one that was clear, easy to read, and simple. I used my interview questions as a starting point for my questions. I had to really think about what kind of information I wanted back from the results. So I needed to choose questions that were useful and important. I didn’t want my survey to take too long to complete. I cut the survey into 3 sections. 1, about you; 2, negative; 3, positive. This keeps things tidy for the people participating in the survey. At first, I found it hard to create answers that weren’t written. I had quite a few questions that couldn’t be answered with easy multiple choice. But, after thinking over it, I worked out a way of having multiple choice answer options for every question. Therefore, I was no longer boring the person answering the questions. I did this by using my research to think of every possible answer a person might want to give. For questions like ‘What negative affects has social media had on you?’, people no longer have to type up an answer manually. Now, it is possible to just select an answer with just a click. Not only does this help them, but it also helps me, as I am receiving black and white information which I can see tallied. This is opposed to seeing separate and individual written answers which would be impossible to collect and tally myself. For some questions, I decided to include an option to select more than one answer as that would help produce more accurate information.

Survey – Results

Paperform has something in the results section called ‘Report’ which lets you see all of the results totalled. (This only applies to multiple choice questions). When I look at the totalled results, I can clearly see how many people selected a certain answer and the percentage of how many selected an answer. I plan to include the percentages of the survey results in my narration. Above the listed results, I can see a pie chart of the colour coded answers as well. I like the way that everything is so black and white, as it will allow me to provide accurate information.

Structure

Introduction

I would love for the video to start with the main point of the video. Discussing mental health and social media. The introduction should include descriptions of what each of these things are and how they intertwine. To grab the viewer's attention, I will provide a few facts. I would like to use ones that are quite shocking but will keep in line with the opening theme. It's no good if we move into interviews without the audience knowing about the running theme.

Middle

I would like to pull up some subjective information. This will include survey feedback and interviews. To support this, I would like to mention counteractive points. For example, why social media isn't such a bad thing and all the positive effects it has on people. This will create interest and argument. Moving further into the video, I can use animation to show a personal story. This will back up my statements and show that it does happen to people. The main reason for this is that it gives an example of someone going through the situation that the documentary talks about. This will help the viewer understand the documentary better when speaking about the effects social media has on people. The reason I have gone for animation, is because it looks simple and slick and it’s a realistically easy way to go. Especially compared to creating a whole side story film, which would have to be a completely separate project on its own. By using a stickman, I can show what is happening in a very basic way. I will use speech bubbles to indicate what the character is thinking, feeling, and saying. I can also use colour to show these things even more. I will use software Animate to do all of this. While this is happening, the narrator will be talking about the story, preferably in third person.

Conclusion

A summary of what we've learnt. Maybe I could include a few rhetorical questions, so the viewer is left thinking about the topic after the video has finished.

Story

Beginning

There were no signs, symptoms or any change in attitude and behaviour that would tell Michelle, a forty-two-year-old executive assistant, that her daughter, Kristina, was going through emotional distress. Kristina would wake up every day at 6am and, still half asleep, she would go on her phone and browse through social media. Kristina would subconsciously do this to find an emotional fix.

Kristina, while on an emotional rollercoaster involving social media and other personal issues, showed no signs of distress. I wonder if that’s because she was too busy getting her fix on social media and her parents were too busy living their own lives that no one noticed anything.

Middle

The saddest thing, is that although she’d make it to the shower, eat breakfast, and get ready for zoom school, she’d skilfully stay glued to her phone, still craving for her reward. The rest of Kristina’s day would comprise school, homework, text messaging, TV, cooking, and more social media interaction. This sounds fairly like most teenager’s daily lives.

End

Kristina’s anxiety was almost certainly caused by too much interaction with social media, not enough self-care, a lack of parents’ monitoring, and a lack of human interaction. Kristina also suffered from FOMO.

Preparation

Script Planning

Intro

This section will be about social media generally.

Start: Rhetorical questions
Middle: Descriptions
End: Facts

Post Intro

This section will start to move out to specific areas of social media and its effect on mental health.

In this order, we can speak about: Filters and how they make us compare ourselves leading to lower self-esteem, messaging compared to face-to-face interaction and how it effects our relationships and how it leads to mental health problems, FOMO and what causes it, we are always looking for reward and how the constant new content drives this feeling, receiving likes and comments and how the release of dopamine leads to addiction, moving from talking about addiction to Kristina’s story as they link.

Middle

This section will be intertwining Kristina’s story with interviews and survey results.

We will start by showing the negative areas of the interviews and then follow up with survey results. After this it will be time to conclude Kristina’s story, start with something like “back to Kristina’s story”.

Script

Concept Art

When deciding what concept art I wanted to produce, I thought of the key purpose of my documentary. I was originally going to draw the obvious images of a mobile phone and someone looking unhappy, but then I realised the point of concept art is to plan out the style of whatever it is you’re featuring in your film. In my case, the story that will be flowing through out my film is the story of Kristina. Kristina is someone who suffers all kind of mental issues along with negative feelings as a result of too much social media usage. So, I would need to think about how I’m going to portray this through animation. (This is the production style I have chosen to show ‘Kristina’s story’). I knew that I wanted it to be a simple style so that it would be easier for me, but also so it makes the story clearer. I didn’t want too much happening all in one shot. To suit my needs, I opted for a basic stickman style. This would make it easier while I’m animating, in terms of moving the character’s limbs. In order to help draw these images, I searched online for stickman drawings that matched what my character would be doing. For example, ‘stickman bed’, ‘stickman phone’, ‘stickman computer’. I used these images as references for my drawings. I tired to create drawings that showed exactly how Kristina would look along with the character’s actions.

Story Board - Draft

My story board is a way of me knowing exactly what will be happening in each shot and who will be in each shot. I separated the story board into scenes and then the shots within each scene. I numbered each shot so that while I’m making the animation I know when each action in the story is happening. For example, the segment where I demonstrate that Michelle is oblivious to her daughter’s problems, is scene 1: shot 2 and shot 3. The segment where I show Kristina attending school, is scene 4: shot 4. I kept the drawings simple as the idea isn’t to show precisely how the characters will look, but more to outline their actions. The colours above the character’s head are to show whether they are happy, worried, or distressed. For instance, this comes in handy as I can show a happy expression while the character is actually feeling distressed. Scene 1 shot 3 is where is use this example. As you can see, Kristina is actually feeling distressed, but she’s pretending to be happy in front of her mum. Little details like this will help me while animating ‘Kristina’s Story’.

Story Board – Final

To produce a new and improved story board, I looked over the first one I did and what parts of it I felt could have been better. The first thing I noticed was that the shots were too small. This meant I couldn't draw easily, because the area I had to draw was causing me to cram the drawing into a tight space. The amount of detail wasn't a problem, as I didn't want detailed images anyway. I just felt it was hard to see the shots as they were so small. To fix this problem I will have bigger shot outlines and fewer on the page to allow for larger drawings. This way, they will be clearer.

I also want to change the order of some of the emotions Kristina experiences, as I thought that the emotions shown in a few shots were inaccurate. There were times Kristina's emotions would go from happy to distress, but I think it makes more sense to be the other way around in certain scenes. This is evident in scene 2 of my first story board, where I made Kristina happy first when in fact, she should have been distressed before using her phone and happy after. This is something I will change with the new story board.

Also, to speed up the process of numbering, I have added the words ‘scene’ and ‘shot’ into the document before printing. This way, I don’t have to write those words for each shot.

Story Board - Mind Map Version

This is a concept I learned from my Dad, who has a big interest in mind maps and finding ways to combine them into any form of creation. Here, I have taken the planning of a story board and twisted it into a simplified mind map of shot ideas. In place of drawings, I have used basic images to represent the action in each shot within each scene. I started by labelling my scenes as separate branches. This goes from scene 1 to scene 5. Then, I labelled the shots within each of those scenes. I went through my story board draft to help me pick out images that portrayed what was happening within the shots. For the shot where Kristina takes a shower, I simply used an image of a shower. It’s as basic as that. This will help me remain on track while making the animation. I know exactly what Kristina is doing at each point in the story. To support the images, I have included a description as well.

Poster

For my documentary poster I wanted something simple, something that made a statement, and something obvious. The idea of a poster, is to tell the viewer exactly what the film is without them having to stare for long periods of time. With an obvious poster, they won’t have to do this. I used graphic designing software Canva to design this poster. With Canva you can choose a template and edit it to your liking. I searched for movie posters as that was the style I wanted. I went for a basic design and used colours that I thought best displayed mental health. A sad looking grey-blue suited the theme best. I made sure the title was big and bold by using a strong font and sizing it up. Just in case the viewer wanted to look further into the film, I added a descriptive explanation at the bottom. I then found three images I thought showed the films key themes the best. So, I have an image of a phone screen showing close-ups of mobile apps, an image showing a scrabble of the word mental health, and then an image showing a scrabble of social media next to a phone that evidently has Facebook open. All these image distinctly show the key areas of the documentary. This way, the viewer doesn’t even need to read the title to know what it is about. I put my name at the top, as it’s useful for the viewer to know produced the film.

Risk Assessment

Lists

People

Narrator
Interviewees

Software

Celtx for script writing
Canva for poster and thumbnail
Animate for animation
HitFilm for editing
Audio Hero for sounds and music

Equipment

Cameras (2x) – for filming
Lens' (2x) – so I can get best image possible
Charged batteries – so the equipment will work and last long
Replacement charged batteries – when camera needs battery replacing
Spare charged batteries – in case we need to replace battery
Microphones (2x) – for crisp audio
Microphone receiver – to connect the audio to the camera
Microphone adapter cables (3x) – to attach the microphones to the camera
Headphones – to listen to and check audio
Tripods (2x) – to keep the image still
Lights – so that the scene is well lit, and the image has depth
Greenscreen – so the background can be edited
USB cable – to transfer footage to computer ready to start editing

Process List

Check that each set of equipment has a fully charged battery in place (Camera, mic 1, mic 2, mic receiver)
Pack equipment (Keep audio equipment together so it’s easy to find)
Layout equipment so that each individual item is clearly visible
Plug equipment together (Start with camera on tripod, then mic receiver, then attach mics to camera, then put lighting equipment together, plug in lights)
Switch all equipment on
Check the settings on the camera
Check the levels on the mics (Use headphones to test)
Check lighting
Direct interviewee to seat
Complete a test video
Begin production

Interview Questions

Brainstorming

Who, what, why, when, how.
Use open questions.
What information do I want to receive?
Start with open questions.
Towards the middle section, ask detailed questions.
In concluding section, seek clarification for any information that is still unclear.
Ask questions that link to any research theories you may be using.

Example of information you want to find out:

I want to find out what teachers do that make children want to come to school.
I want to know how children’s friends influence their behaviour.

Make sure that each item on the list contains only one idea.

An open question, is one that can’t be answered with simply yes or no. Example - what kind of activities did you do at school today?

The goal is to answer your research questions through a person’s perspective and not online. Does your interview guide help answer your research questions?

Be careful, as interviewees may not remember the things you are asking them about.

Interview Questions - Mind Map To Help Plan

Interview Questions

(Open Information)

Is there anything that you do on a day to day basis that is not a good habit?
What are you interested in?
What do you spend your time doing?
What aspects of your life cause you to feel stressed?
Think of a particular day at work or college or school when you felt significant pressure. Tell me what happened and how you felt in as much detail as possible. What caused this feeling? Why did you feel that pressure?
Was there anything that could have been done differently in that situation to prevent you feeling like that?
How did that compare to a day where you did not feel stress? Can you remember a day you felt at ease and happy? What made that day so good?

(About You)

What group of people are you predominantly surrounded by?
Do you use social media?
What do you think of social media?
What do you prominently use social media for?
What content do you look at on social media?
When did you start using social media?
(Personal) When did you start posting and uploading content?
(Personal) How do you feel when people watch your videos or like them? Do you think this is a positive emotional response?
When are you most likely to use social media?
Where are you most likely to use social media?
How often do you use social media?
How often do you see your friends?

(Personal and Specific)

What negative affects has social media had on you?
What aspect of social media is the most damaging?
Why is social media a dangerous thing?
What are the effects social media has on mental health?
In your view, how does social media effect people's minds?
What mental health problems have you experienced? Do you know anyone who has experienced struggles?
Who is most vulnerable to social media?
(Personal) How many young people who struggle with mental health problems are caused by social media?
What positive affects has social media had on you?
What emotional benefits has social media given you?
What are your favourite things about social media?
Why is social media a good thing for society?
How much do you value good socialisation with your friends?

Lighting Diagram

Shot List

Share0

Tweet0

Share0

Recieve Weekly Post Updates by Subscribing now!