How is your contextual understanding of the media developing?

For our A2 media studies advanced portfolio we are required to produce an advertising campaign for our production. This is to include a trailer, radio advert, web page and the front cover of a magazine featuring our production. There is a vast range of different media forms and this has developed my contextual understanding of the media in a number of ways.
One way in which the advanced portfolio has developed my contextual understanding is by allowing me to look at more than just the visual media. For instance during the foundation portfolio we were only required to distinguish the codes and conventions for genres within films. Whereas with the advanced portfolio it is necessary for us to look at radio as well as the visual forms of media such as print and film. To add to this it should also be mentioned that because the advanced portfolio is a viral campaign there needs to be a theme in which all the products follow in order for the audience to establish an association with the product. This has developed my contextual understanding of the media in the sense that we needed to look at viral campaigns and find common associations within their products.
Through such research of other viral campaigns it was decided by the group that the common theme within our campaign would be the sound of keys or a visual representation of keys. The reason for this being that a set of keys seemed to be the logical theme in the sense that our film title is ‘locked away’ and our storyline is that a group of students find themselves locked in at college. Our aim is to create an association with a set of keys to our campaign.
Another way in which my contextual understanding of the media has developed is through the research into target audiences. The advanced portfolio has required me to further deeper my understanding of audiences as well as explore new audiences for example radio audiences have considerable differences to those of a trailer audience. Such differences all stems down to the fact that with a radio advert there can be no visual representation. Along side this with, radio adverts such issues as human psychology needs to be taken into consideration. For example it has been said that anything at the beginning of a radio advert is mostly forgotten by its audience. Therefore it is essential as media producers that we make sure all the information we want the audience to remember is strategically placed.
Furthermore my understanding of contextual media has developed as all the different media forms each have their own codes and conventions. Which in order to produce a successful campaign it has been important for me to interpret correctly. I have been able to note that with visual media’s such as print and web that those codes and conventions rely strongly on mise-on-scene to establish the genre. Whereas with such media forms as radio it is more difficult and all of it must be done through the use of sound.
Another key way in which my contextual understanding of the media has developed is through the research into the rules and regulations with regards to producing each of the forms of media. For example when producing an advert for the radio sudden loud noises are prohibited as radios can be found in most cars and sudden noise might distract the driver. Additionally on the visual forms of media it is important that nudity is kept to a minimum and is appropriate.