Restricted

We felt that our film was a 15 certificate and also noticed that a lot of the films have 'Restricted' boxes on their posters and websites. So, we made our own restricted icon so that it fitted with the colour scheme of our film, which of course is bright green and black.

Typography

We decided to use the site http://www.dafont.com/ to find our font as it has much more varied fonts compared to the standard ones on programmes such as Word and Paint.

We decided on the font 'Terminator' which we felt had a game-like feel and was reminsicent of retro-games such as Pacman and Space Invaders but also had the modern feel of games such as Call of Duty and Halo.

Slogans/Tag lines

Slogans/Tag lines

We needed to come up with a slogan/tag line as this is a  code and convention of media products. This slogan would then be used across our ancillary tasks to tie the tasks together in a smooth and subtle way.



We really liked the tag lines from Xbox and PS3 which include:

- Live in your world. Play in ours
- This is living
- The game is just the start        --> We really liked this one because it really relates to our trailer and the concept of our film
- Life, Advanced.

However we were unable to use these due to the fact that they are copyrighted and too recognisable as established slogans. Some that we came up with were:

- Is it really just a game?
- Are you really in control?
- Who's controlling who?
- Some live to play. Others play to live.

We decided to go with the last one because we felt it reflected the themes in our film and suits the plot well.

Media Aggression

Some people believe that behaviors like aggression may be partially learned by watching and imitating the behavior of others (social learning theory) . Some scholars have concluded that media may have some small effects on aggression. However there is evidence against this idea, for instance, a recent long-term study of youth found no long-term relationship between playing violent video game and youth violence or bullying. One study suggested there is a smaller effect of violent video games on aggression than has been found with television violence on aggression. This effect is positively associated with type of game violence and negatively associated to time spent playing the games. The conclusion was that there was insufficient evidence to show a link between video game violence and aggression. However, another study suggested links to aggressive behavior. One study suggested that adults (i.e. parents) suffering from dissociative symptoms related to post-traumatic stress disorder may be more likely to expose their children to violent programs and video games. There were also links between poverty and how much a child would be exposed to more violent media sources.

Idents

We chose two companies to produce our film, these were Lionsgate and Lakeshore entertainment which produced a film called Gamer which we felt was a similar genre and concept to our film. The Lakeshore Entertainment ident also 'bounces' as if it were a game loading and this fits with our music and we were really pleased with this effect.

Obsessive gaming

Video game addiction is the overuse of computer and video games so that it interferes with daily life. Users usually play compulsively, isolating themselves for the outside world as much as possible. They avoid social contact so their complete focus can remain on the game. Achievements in a game are more important to the person that real life achievements, they lack imagination and often will be moody.

Inclusion of video game addiction as a psychological disorder has been proposed and rejected by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Some symptoms of video game addiction may include:
Preoccupation

Someone who is addicted to computer, video, or Internet gaming often exhibits an unusual preoccupation with the game or computer when he is away from it. The teen could seem distracted, irritable, or disinterested and may talk about the game almost constantly.

Downplaying Computer Use

It's common for someone with addictive, computer-related behaviors to downplay the amount of time she spends in front of the TV or computer. The person may make excuses, saying she "needs" to be online, or may outright lie.

Lack of Control

A person who is addicted, or at risk of becoming addicted to gaming, is unable to control the amount of time she spends on the computer. She may go online with the intent to spend 15 or 20 minutes, but will keep extending the time until several hours have passed.

Loss of Time

Along the same lines, a person may sit down at his computer, again with the intent to spend only a few minutes, but completely lose track of time and suddenly find that several hours have passed. It is not unusual for someone with a gaming addiction to play through the night and only realize how much time has passed when the sun begins to rise.

Negative Impact on Other Areas of Life

Because the person spends so much time on the computer or video game console, other areas of life are neglected. He may grow distant from friends and family who had previously been close. Homework may go unfinished, causing grades to slip. In more extreme cases, the teen may even neglect personal hygiene, choosing to play video games rather than taking a shower.

Hiding From Negative or Uncomfortable Feelings or Situations

Some people become addicted to gaming because they use it to self-medicate. When confronted with situations or feelings that are uncomfortable (feeling sad, arguing with a friend, or getting a bad grade), the person may "hide" in the game as a method of avoidance.

Defensiveness

When confronted or asked about his time spent gaming, a person may become defensive. Denial is often an indication that something is wrong, especially if the person seems unconcerned that friends and family feel neglected or left out of his life.

Misuse of Money

Someone who is addicted to video, computer, or Internet gaming will spend a disproportionate amount of money on computer-related items. The person will seem to be continually upgrading hardware, software packages, and accessories. This becomes an even greater problem if the person spends money that should be used for bills, groceries, and other necessities.

Mixed Feelings

As with any addiction, use of the "substance" – in this case, the video game – initially causes euphoric feelings, but that euphoria is quickly followed by guilt. Guilt may be felt either over what the person is doing while online or simply the amount of time he is spending at the computer.

Research suggests...

Web addicts have brain changes similar to those hooked on drugs or alcohol, preliminary research suggests.
Experts in China scanned the brains of 17 young web addicts and found disruption in the way their brains were wired up.
Internet addiction is a clinical disorder marked by out-of-control internet use.
A research team led by Hao Lei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuhan carried out brain scans of 35 men and women aged between 14 and 21. Seventeen of them were classed as having internet addiction disorder (IAD) on the basis of answering yes to questions such as, "Have you repeatedly made unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back or stop Internet use?"
Specialised MRI brain scans showed changes in the white matter of the brain - the part that contains nerve fibres - in those classed as being web addicts, compared with non-addicts.

These findings could change treatments for web addiction. Most of the addicts played violent games which some researchers say was key to their addiction.

Source: bbc news: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16505521