Final project beginnings!

* chosen project and why. how will this project work better in your portfolio than the other option?

I have chosen to go with the data presentation. I plan on making a commercial with stats on abandoned animals due to impulse buying. I feel this is an important issue in our society right now. I feel this will work better than the other option because I have been dealing a lot with humor with this project and this will show the other side that it can take. A more serious, factual side to an animal like my ferret. I think it would also be a good experience to deal with a subject that could create controversy. It will show that I can design for humor and for important social issues.

• the purpose of the work. why does this piece of graphic design exist? what is it supposed to do?

This piece is going to be designed to send a message out to viewers to not buy pets on impulse. It is supposed to make people realize that a pet may be so cute in the store, but they are going to be a responsibility for the pets lifetime. People buy or give pets as gifts and do not think about how many pets get abandoned to do lack of interest after time.
• context for the work. what surrounds it? where or when does it appear? is it stand-alone or does it require a presenter, what else is on that channel? etc.

The context for this would be like a public service announcement. It would appear during any normal commercial time. It could be on any channel. It may be played more on channels such as animal planet. It may also be on channels such as discovery, national geographic any channel that supports animal rights would most likely play it more often.
• audience description. who are they and why are they watching

The audience could be anyone who is watching tv at the time. It will effect the animal lovers more than the non animal lovers. It would hopefully make a person who is considering a pet think about the responsibilities of the pet they may be deciding to bring to the family.

-Four million cats and dogs—about one every eight seconds—are put down in U.S. shelters each year.

- Pet care Advisor for Purina, Shivaun Statham, says the company is drawing attention to the issue now because many of the pets that are bought as Christmas presents every year inevitably end up unwanted in animal shelter

- Statistics from the Auckland SPCA that show more than 1000 newly abandoned animals were collected in December 2008 alone.

- When you hear of people who plan to give a pet as a gift, please take the opportunity to educate them. Animals cannot speak for themselves, but you can be their voice - and convey the message that pets aren't disposable; they need love and commitment their whole life.

- Pets should never be an impulse purchase. Individuals and families thinking of getting a pet should research, prepare and then, when the time is right, seek a pet who realistically complements their lifestyle, schedule and energy level. Many people do not have the time, energy or money to care for a dog over the long term. A new owner may enjoy the animal for a few weeks, but then resent the gift once the novelty wears off, and the cute puppy starts growing into an active, needy, larger dog.

-Also, discourage parents from giving pups and kittens to their children as gifts. While children can help with some age-appropriate responsibilities, pets require adult caretakers. Remember, even bright youngsters typically don't have the strength, attention span, self-discipline and physical strength to care for a dog...or even a cat. Older children typically wind up redirecting their attention to friends, school, social activities and eventually dating and planning for college. Unlike with other holiday presents, owners cannot just pop in a fresh battery or put the pet away in the closet after the novelty wears off. In nearly all cases, one of the parents becomes the primary caretaker, doing the feeding, walks, litter scooping and all of the other chores the children once promised to do themselves.

-Furthermore, "pets as playthings" is the wrong message to send to children. Pets are living beings who require substantial time and daily care, plus expenses for food, obedience training, vet bills and occasional petsitters or kennels. Children get bored with gifts, and it's heartbreaking when families grow tired of the growing dog. Studies show that too often the gift puppy is given up within the first year, starved for training, socialization and affection. Regardless of what parents tell children and neighbors, the reality is that too many wonderful dogs go unadopted at shelters.

Pups between the ages of 7 to 14 months often wind up at shelters or at the vet for euthanasia, because the owners did not train them, resulting in "behavior problems." Even worse, some owners dump unwanted pets on the road or in the woods, where they cannot survive on their own, since dogs and cats are domesticated animals that depend on humans for care.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, most puppies and kittens born in the United States never reach their second birthdays. They die from being hit by cars, euthanized by owners, starving or being injured in fights with other animals, or taken to shelters or pounds, usually before age two.

As noted by the Pet Action League, the months following the holidays will be very busy for rescue organizations. Many of last year's holiday puppies and kittens are now up for adoption. It is tragic how many poor animals wind up abandoned.

reference: http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_giftpet.php

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0911/S00047.htm