Overall, the group was very happy with how we went with our presentation and also how everyone else in the studio did as well. It was so good to see what everyone was up to and the stories that they wish to pursue and how they aim to do so. Every story was very different, which means that we have a variety of projects throughout the class, making the end of year exhibition all the more exciting.

The feedback that we received was very beneficial, our work wasn’t picked apart, instead it was all ways that we could improve – it was new ideas and fresh sets of eyes that could look at our work and see something that we couldn’t. It was great having the two professionals come in and give their honest opinions, and it was interesting to see how they would go about making our project, and what they think we should do (one of them even wanted to help us out – however we couldn’t afford her). To start with they said that the trailer needed a hook, it was great, but it needed to reel the audience in and make them want to explore the app/website. This I agree with, as we are wanting to capture people’s attention, and after seeing some of the other trailers, I can see now how the hook can be used. A way to engage the audience and keep it interesting would be to involve a little spirit, whether that be John Mitchell Christie himself or a new character. Someone or something a bit cheeky and fun. Otherwise the content could become too historically dense and dry. We need to make it enjoyable, which is how we all see John himself. Another concern of theirs was that people wouldn’t want to just go out and explore the locations, maybe they will, but could we entice them to places through a reward system or even the idea of earning badges? The group toyed around with the idea that when you reached a certain point within the story you could unlock badges which could even allow the viewer to see behind the scenes footage, or footage that not every one could view. Another point that we have to remember is that the historical sites need to be very assessable, so that people of all ages and disabilities can reach them with no trouble at all, and it needs to be a place where the viewer can sit down with their phone and go through the content and audio that is on offer, whether there is seating or even a place for them to watch their phone in private. They said that it is all about getting the right balance between informative and silly (and that this could be quite tricky). It isn’t about mocking the character and the history attached, it is about making it enjoyable for people to engage with and to learn about this man through either a sense of humour or another way that makes him human.