Imagery Used

I have taken the perfect image for my theme of the weather. Whitstable have been going through some strong winds, this is why the picture is suited for the theme as it portrays the weather being dramatic and heavy winds. 

 

This is the original image that I have captured in Whitstable however I have done research on bus background images on billboards and shows that the image has been edited lighter in order for the text to stand out clear.  From this information I then wanted to edit the image in order to for me to have a lighter background picture. I used Photoshop to do this. I used Photoshop in my As task last year so I was able to remember how to edit images. It was still good being able to recap everything I had learnt last year on Photoshop as I still managed to gain editing skills from this task itself. 

Above is what my image then became after I had edited it. It suits my layout of the billboard and is light in all the right areas so I am able to place text above the image. Using the rule of three, the dimensions of the page are more focused on the left hand side; this means that when I come to placing my text over my image It will need a focus point which will most likely be to the right hand side as it will have a clear background which will make the text more flattering apposed to the other side of the page which wouldn't contrast as well as it would on the right hand side. 

Creating My Billboard

I started creating my billboard by adding more features in such as my main text onto the page. I have put the text at a slant so it stands out for people's awareness to create an illusion. I wanted to see what the text would look like on top of this image so I got this image from the internet just to test out how strong the background is going to be against the writing and features. I am currently taking pictures for my billboard, I will then upload them and change the background image in order to use my own primary resources.

Planning out my design

In order for me to create my billboard I need to consider the basic bus features in order to design around them. 

Above I have shown a basic layout of bus features so am i able to work around them in order to convey a bus billboard. I have put the 4A on there for a reason, this is the bus route number to Whitstable which connects to my newspaper being called 'Whitstable Periodical'.

Adjusting Features

Newspaper Title

I have used grid lines to use the rule of third to adjust this image to make the structure right. My main focus is being brought to the window area of the bus, I do not want this because it is taking my attention from my main title. I will edit this this in order for the focus point to be taken back to the centre of the billboard. 

Ideas

After I came to a conclusion that I could not make my billboard 3D as the limitations were too high in risking people's safety in case of distractions and/or objects may fall off if the bus forgets about them at the back.I now need to focus on how I am going to make a 2D billboard stand out. I thought by using the back of the bus as the location for the billboard, it will be more suitable as my aim from it is to warn drivers about the danger in the weather at the moment.

The example above I have provided is a form of advertisement and has incorporated a large background image in order to really stand out. The bus is taller than all the other vehicles on the road, this means that cars far away can even see this billboard. This is why form of billboard works so well as it has a large image to draw your attention to and buses travel on similar routes so people will start recognizing the billboard and looking more into it every time it passes.

StageCoach Permission

From my research it showed that the bus company 'Stagecoach' had the most population at 22% in the UK. This means that stagecoach get more customers than any other bus company. As my billboard is going to be designed to be put on the back of a bus, my aim now is to have it on the back of a stagecoach bus, this would therefore attract the most people as they have lots of customers and many bus journey routes that will pass by even non stagecoach customers.

Contacting Stagecoach

In order for me to do this I will need to contact the bus company Stagecoach. I have gone onto their website at www.stagecoach.co.uk.

I now have their email address for a nearby bus station as the billboard about weather will affect mostly Whitstable but it will also affect nearby locations as they may travel into Whitstable. I am going to email them to inform them about my billboard and ideas, hopefully if it all plans out successfully I will be able to put my billboard on Stagecoach buses.

Can the Billboard still be 3D on a bus?

After looking back at my research I really liked the different 3D billboards that I came across and stood out. I wanted to consider turning the 2D billboard into a 3D billboard. I needed to consider all the possible affects if I was to do this. I looked into creating it 3D however I do feel that it could be a potential danger hazard if I did this. If my billboard was to come out of the bus at the back it could cause accidents or can create hazards incase the driver does not see the object hanging off the bus in the mirror and hits it. It could also fall off into the road which is already creating a hazard. I then considered instead of having the billboard hanging over the sides of the bus, maybe have it going over the top of the bus, going in the upwards direction taller than the bus. I thought about this, but I had to consider tunnels and height restrictions. By buses having this billboard on their bus they may not be able to go particular routes and can also be a danger hazard. After considering all these possibilities I realized that making it 3D was not the best idea for my billboard so I've decided to keep it 2D for safety reasons.

Where Is my billboard going?

Although statistics were very high for favoring 3d billboards, I have decided to create a 2D billboard however not just any 2D billboard. I have contacted stagecoach and they have agreed to put my billboard on the back of their bus. In my research It showed that there are thousands of people traveling to and from school/work via bus. Although the billboard will be at the back of the bus, people waiting at bus stops will see this, also people driving behind the vehicle. It will also attract people passing by. I did debate doing an electronic billboard however I thought the idea of having the billboard on the back of the bus is more quirky and less common.

Planning and Designing my Billboard

After researching into a great deal about billboards I thought it was about time I started creating mine from the inspiration and research I have found. I will first be deciding on whether or not I will be producing a 2D or a 3D billboard.