Purpose:
The purpose of my website is to create an interactive learning space for children where they can discover information about tortoises. The main way I intend to educate and entertain my audience the creation of a documentary, but by hosting it on a website that provides fun facts and an interactive game, I am able to make my information more accessible.
Focus Group Results
Analytics
Target Audience Research:
The Secret Life of Tortoises is predominately aimed at children aged 6 to 12, a demographic that is highly curious, eager to learn, and drawn to both educational and entertaining content.
Reffering to Bulmer and Katz’s Uses and Gratifications Theory, children may engage with the website and its content to satisfy their desire for information, entertainment, and identity development. Therefore, the website would appeal to children’s informational and entertainment needs, offering fun facts, educational video content, and interactive games that highlight tortoise behavior, habitats, and conservation efforts.
Psychometrics:
The Secret Life of Tortoises can be divided into several Psychometric Categories based on how they engage with the content, both within the documentary and on the website. Many children in this age group would likely fit into the Explorers category, drawn to the interactive elements like the tortoise Tamagotchi-style game on the website. This game would captivate their curiosity and desire for hands-on, exploratory experiences, allowing them to care for and interact with a virtual tortoise while learning fun facts about real tortoises’ behavior and needs. The game’s interactive nature speaks to their love for novelty and discovery. Additionally, the website’s collection of fun, quirky facts about tortoises would appeal to Explorers, as these children are often fascinated by unusual, unexpected details that stretch their imaginations.
At the same time, some children might fall into the Mainstreamers category, as they tend to appreciate clear, structured, and familiar content. These children would enjoy the straightforward presentation of fun facts on the website, which provide digestible snippets of information in a comfortable, easy-to-understand format. The simplicity of the game, which focuses on basic care and observation, would also appeal to them because it offers a gentle introduction to tortoise biology in a safe, engaging way. For more goal-oriented children, the Succeeders category could be relevant, especially if the game includes challenges or rewards tied to successful tortoise care. This would give them a sense of achievement while reinforcing positive behaviors and conservation messages.
The Resigned category might be less likely to engage with the more dynamic or high-energy aspects of the website, but they could still enjoy the calmer, slower-paced elements of the documentary and simple facts about tortoises’ habits. Finally, the Rebels could be intrigued by any content that portrays tortoises as more unconventional or defying traditional expectations, especially if the website includes any surprising or rebellious aspects of tortoise behavior, challenging their perceptions of these creatures. The combination of engaging visuals, interactive games, and educational facts provides something for each psychometric type, making the experience accessible and enjoyable for a wide range of children.
Social Grade
This also plays a role in engagement. Children from different socioeconomic backgrounds may access content differently, with higher-income families (Typically C1 and above) more likely to have consistent access to digital resources. However, S.L.O.T ensures its content remains accessible, with free access making resources available to all, and educational material on tortoises widely accessible. This broad accessibility, combined with content that balances education and fun, enhances engagement, ensuring children of various backgrounds can enjoy learning about tortoises, regardless of their parents or guardians social grade.
This approach is extremely effective as it caters to wider needs and diverse preferences of my audience while ensuring the content is both educational and entertaining. Using a mix of engaging visuals, facts, and interactive content, The Secret Life of Tortoise project can inspire curiosity and learning, effectively reaching children through the medium they enjoy most.m
TECHNICAL RESEARCH
Equipment
Software
Trial and Testing
Drafts and Mockups
Stylistic Research:
The Documentary Modes for The Secret Life of Tortoises would primarily fall under the Expository and Observational modes, with elements of the Performative and Poetic modes to enhance engagement.
The Expository Mode is the most dominant in the documentary since it relies on a clear “voice of God” narration to present information about Hermann tortoises. The structured format of introducing topics, providing expert insights, and using animation for explanation reinforces this educational approach. It aligns with traditional wildlife and nature documentaries, similar to David Attenborough’s style, but with a more creative approach and playful tone. For my Expert interview, I will be speaking to a Zookeeper at Rodbaston Animal Zone, where they are highly educated and care for a diverse range of tortoises.
It also follows conventions of the Observational mode by acting as a “fly-on-the-wall”. The audience observes the tortoises’ real life without interrupting. When recording the tortoises, the aim is to be as unobtrusive as possible, so the tortoise footage is captured in an unguarded and raw state. This will be achieved through using CCTV footage of the tortoises, which will be presented in the style of a vintage TV, to make the low quality of the camera look intentional.
The supporting documentary modes are Performative Mode, as the playful narration and dramatic storytelling present a tortoise’s journey as an epic adventure, creating performative elements. Whilst the sound designs of exaggerated crunching and victory music add a humorous element and personality. This makes the audience feel emotionally connected to the tortoises. Meanwhile, the Poetic Mode can be seen through the macro shots of tortoises eating, slow-motion climbing, and basking in the sun introduce poetic elements. Also, the animated sequences add a stylised, artistic representation of their “secret lives,” making the documentary more immersive. To present the tortoise’s journey as an epic adventure, I will be creating animated sequences, I will be sketching a Mission Impossible-style scene using the app FlipAClip.
My documentary blends expository (education), participatory (personal involvement), and performative (engaging storytelling) modes, with poetic visuals enhancing the experience. This hybrid approach makes it both informative and entertaining, appealing to a broad audience.
Case Study: My Pet and Me
CBeebies’ My Pet and Me has heavily influenced the creation of the Secret Life of Tortoises in both style and approach.
The Children’s TV show is well known for making animal education a combination of fun, accessible, and educational. This is achieved through using a mix of warm narration, real-life experiences, and interactive storytelling.
Similarly, my documentary mirrors the way My Pet and Me presents information in a way that is both entertaining and educational through blending humour, playful narration, and engaging visuals to bring the secret world of tortoises to life.
For example, the use of animation in my opening scene, where the tortoise is portrayed as a “Secret Agent” before cutting to its real, much slower movement, creates a comedic effect to capture the attention of the young audience. The use of animation also makes the more scientific and difficult to understand aspects of the documentary more digestible and easy to understand- like the animated tortoise ……… Additionally, with personal footage of my tortoises and footage sourced by the public, viewers can connect with the tortoises as unique individuals rather than just a species.
