PSA

Idea Generation

The Public Service Announcement (PSA) assignment was completed by a group of three - me, Angsagan, and Akmaral. Initially, we explored various topics during our initial meeting, but it wasn't until our second gathering that we settled on addressing addiction, a pressing issue in Kazakhstan. Statistics reveal its significant impact, with over 350 thousand individuals in Kazakhstan affected by addiction, and a concerning 20% of last year's 31 thousand criminal offenses attributed to gambling addiction, according to the General Prosecutor's Office.

Allocation and Responsibilities

After selecting a topic, we each took on a different set of tasks. In addition to being the lead actress and reporter, I also edited the video. Angsagan oversaw the filming, while Akmaral penned the screenplay. When we were shooting, we were all together and really engaged in the process.

Script and Storyboard

The video starts with a great hook - two people sharing their stories in a few seconds.
This was specially done to:

• catch the attention of the audience from the first seconds
• emotionally involve the audience in watching the video
• to convey the context (what the video is about) at the very beginning

I then provide statistical insights to expound on the issue's significance in Kazakhstan. The main character, Alisher, describes his journey from the first inclination to gamble for money to his fall into adversity in the main narrative. In conclusion, I discuss the possible consequences of an addiction to gambling and offer workable remedies. Considering the seriousness of the issue, which has a substantial influence on lives in Kazakhstan, our video purposefully uses emotional resonance, mostly from the viewpoint of regretful people who have become entangled in gambling. As a result, the mainstay of our strategy is the evocation of pathos, which is supplemented by the inclusion of statistical data from reliable sources to support our claims.

Why did we choose this topic?

Numerous lives are being lost and families are being split apart by this problem. Kazakhstan has one of the highest rates of gambling and betting of any country, yet it also has one of the highest suicide rates. There is no chance behind this correlation. Our goal is to draw attention to how serious this problem is and to implore the government to act by closing casinos, lotteries, and bookmakers. The need to halt this tendency is highlighted by the ubiquitous appearance of betting commercials on radio, television, social media, and even in sports leagues bearing the names of bookmakers. Even while our film might not be able to stop this issue on its own, it would be a huge win for us if it could stop even one person from gambling.

Design Choices and Visual Mode


The success of visual media is largely dependent on the text's design, as the sources make clear. Color, frame, alignment, contrast, emphasis, and scale are some of its components. We made sure to take these ideas into account as we were editing. To talk about a few specific shots:

We start by presenting statistics on gambling addiction in Kazakhstan. This text is shown in white, using a formal font, against a black background, with the typewriter effect added to captivate the audience's attention within the first few seconds. (WD, Ch2)

When the two characters share their stories, we deliberately filmed them in an empty hall, seated alone, to emphasize their isolation and convey the message that they are currently isolated.
Additionally, in the reporter scene, we employed screen dimming and bolding of text to highlight key words. However, the dimming effect was implemented more subtly, with careful consideration of camera angles to ensure a smoother transition.

Another element of visual mode that was used here is alignment, that is, central alignment of the individual elements that is considered to be the most effective for our eyes (WD, Ch2).

Additionally, the colors successfully capture the mood. Askhat purposefully used darkness in the scenes where he confesses, and he wore a dark sweatshirt. The Visual Culture reading claims that this portrayal does a better job of expressing the character's feelings.

We used bright graphics during happy times, and a completely desaturated black and white color scheme for negative ones. The idea that the characters' lives are becoming less vibrant is more successfully communicated thanks to these color techniques.

The Universal Principles of Design's notion of readability guides our design decisions. We tried to use the characters' reactions to portray their feelings rather than overdoing the language in the video.

We automatically split the frame into two parts near the conclusion. I talked about the difficulties' answers on the left side, and words appeared on the right. This was also done to reduce the number of unnecessary transitions and preserve the video's cadence and flow. The video is therefore visually simple to understand.

Aural Mode

The footage was captured in Kazakh to ensure the message reaches the Kazakh audience. However, subtitles were included to expand the video's reach to a broader audience.

We selected two background sounds that conveyed a sense of anxiety. The particular genre of music was chosen due to the significant impact sounds can have on people's emotions (WD, Ch1). This is also where pathos was employed. The use of ominous music aims to establish a solemn atmosphere surrounding the text and captivate the audience's attention towards the content.