Conventions and Research Minor Tasks
- Matei MIKO
- Feb 7, 2025
- 6 min read
For my minor tasks, I must create an official social media page and a magazine article for the documentary. This will hypothetically help promote the documentary and reach its target audience. My management of my personal social media accounts and my regular reading of articles give me confidence in these specific areas. The main difficulty arises from maintaining strict rules for the documentary promotion conventions in both tasks. I will begin by doing research in these areas of social media and writing articles.
Why use Social media for promotion?
Below, I will attach a few paragraphs from articles I read that support this argument which have links to the sites attached to them.
"Social media marketing is a form of digital marketing that leverages the power of popular social media networks to achieve your marketing and branding goals. But it’s not just about creating business accounts and posting when you like it. Social media marketing requires an evolving strategy with measurable goals" - Worldstream
Conclusion
In today's world, social media is an important and efficient marketing tool for companies to promote their products. It allows the viewer to interact with the ad by sharing, liking, or commenting. This goes back to Clay Shirky's end of audiences theory and that consumers have become prosumers in this generation.
Which one?
I got struck with the question of what platform I should use for my social media page. To choose, I researched the popular platforms for promoting documentaries or media texts and which would suit my target audience.
From the platforms: Facebook, X, Instagram, Tik-Tok, Linkedin, Snapchat, YouTube, and Twitch, the one most suitable for me would be Instagram as it is more popular amongst younger people. TikTok also fits the same criteria, but it focuses mainly on short-form videos, which is not aligned with my vision
"In conclusion, there are many reasons why Instagram has become so popular among younger generations -from its visual appeal and high level of engagement, to influencers & brands providing interesting content for users to consume -all these factors make it an attractive option for teens & young adults alike who want an easy way to share their lives as well as learn about new trends & products from their favourite celebs & brands. Whether you're a teen or a business owner targeting younger audiences -Instagram should definitely be one of your go-to social media platforms!" - https://medium.com/@nav4027/exploring-instagrams-popularity-among-young-people-82c02ee15b28
Instagram pages
The Price of Everything is a polished documentary that explores the dizzying excesses of the high-end art market. The filmmakers have an established Instagram account to promote the documentary. However, their latest post was in 2020, meaning the account is no longer active. On the 2000 followers page, they have portraits of different characters to which they have taken interviews in the documentary with a small biography about them. Almost every post shows the documentary's title and a small subtitle highlighting the message. Great art. Mad money. No rules. Going back to the message of the media text. They also have archival Footage of interviews and behind-the-scenes shots. There is also a biography explaining where the documentary is available for new visitors. The rewards of the movie are also on the page to highlight to the viewer that they should watch the movie as it has gotten rewards. Also, conventions like the release date on different platforms, such as Cinemas worldwide and streaming companies ( HBO ), are shown.
The Social Dilemma is a documentary about the negative social effects of social media. It is showcased by a dramatized narrative about a family of five who are increasingly affected by problematic social media use. They are pretty active on Instagram for a 5-year-old documentary and have a massive 95000 followers. The biography summarises the message of the series to attract new potential viewers. Also, there is a linktree which directs the viewer to a page full of different links articles and documentaries related to the initial topic of social media's bad influence on people. Posting different debates, movies, and conferences and promoting them to raise awareness about the problem with social media. They also have released dates, quotes, petitions, reels and announcements posted. All follow the same main idea.
Sebastian Nasta is a local painter from Cluj who paints in superrealism. He started getting recognized nationally and even internationally for his paintings. My colleague Rianna told me about him as she went to an opening of his at the Museum of Arts. He posts personal photos of himself but also the process of painting. He reacts and comments on people's interactions with him. He also posts music and different sponsorships.
Articles
Types of Conventions:
Masthead – The title of a magazine, usually displayed in a bold, recognizable font at the top of the cover to establish brand identity.
Cover Image – The main visual element on a magazine cover, often featuring a celebrity, model, or striking image to attract readers.
Featured Article – A key story or main focus of a magazine issue, often highlighted on the cover to draw interest.
Coverlines – Short, enticing text snippets on a magazine cover that tease the contents, helping to engage potential buyers.
Strips and Banners – Horizontal or vertical design elements on a magazine cover used to highlight additional content, promotions, or special features.
Price, Issue, and Sell Lines—Details such as the magazine’s cost, issue number, and promotional taglines help position the publication in the market.
Page Numbering – The numerical system used in magazines or newspapers to help readers navigate through the content.
The Price Of Everything
Fineartmultiple is the publisher of the article “The Price of Everything and the Madness of the Art Market” in 2019. It summarises the documentary and discusses different people in it. The title is noticeably bigger than the rest of the text and is written in bold. The article uses the font Garamond Bold, which I discovered using the site MyFonts and pasting an image of the text. The Names of artists appearing in the documentary are in different colours and are underlined to highlight the fact that there is a link directing the viewer to the artist page.
They use images to help the viewer visualize the Art that the documentary is talking about.
Throughout the article, the prices of these arts are shown, and the documentary issue is discussed in Jess Harrison's eyes, which is the writer behind the article. Different links help the viewer get more information about different topics, like people or the documentary itself.
Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski
Erik Nielsen is the writer of the review posted on MUSEE about the biographical documentary Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski, which is centred on The Polish artist Stanislav Szukalski. They attack issues like the challenges of living in an east European country and politics. The conventions used are simple, such as a regular, bigger and bold title with the content text being smaller with a classic font. There is a link to the writer highlighted by being a different colour. The only visual aspect of the article is a picture of the artist shown in the beginning of the text.
Conclusion
All this research has helped me better understand conventions and topics. They will greatly influence my final minor projects, and these examples will definitely inspire me. I am now confident in my skills to achieve a great result. However, I will have to keep certain aspects in mind, like respecting as many conventions as possible.
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