Tuesday, 11 May 2010
Sunday, 9 May 2010
Evaluation
2. How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary text? 
Above are three images, Image A is a shot taken from our film trailer, Image B is a section of our film poster and Image C is a section taken from our magazine front cover. As you can clearly see the font we have used for the word "Missing" in all three of our media texts is the same, meaning it is easy for our audience to identify that all three are part of the same advertising campaign and immediately associate this font and style of writing with our film.
Above are another two images, Image D is taken from our film trailer and shows the child and villain walking away and Image E is from our film poster and again shows the child and the villain walking away. As you can see there is a clear link between the image taken from the trailer and the image from the poster and therefore our audience can immediately tell that the two are linked. Although most film posters look like an image from the film and people therefore believe them to be a shot from the film, they are always taken separately as still images. For very basic reasons, for example the lighting that is appropriate for a scene in the trailer, may not be acceptable for a poster. As you can clearly see from images D and E above, there is no way that we could have used that screen shot from our trailer as the image for our poster as the lighting (or rather the lack of lighting) makes it extremely bad quality for a poster.
Above, Image F is taken from our magazine front cover and Image G is a screen shot from our film trailer. Although Image F (our magazine) doesn't really tie in with our poster, there is a link between this image and the screen shot (Image G) from our film trailer. Making it possible for our audience to make a link between the two and realise that it is part of the same campaign, even if it is not as simple to link the magazine and poster together- the link to each one and the trailer is very strong.
Film Poster- In general the audience feedback I gathered was very positive. The majority of people I asked said that the poster would make them want to see the film, with the only reason the people who said it didn't make them want to watch it being that it wasn't their preferred genre. Some of the reasons that people said they liked the poster were due to the conventions of existing media products that we chose to use. For example, using the young, innocent looking girl to be the character to go missing, our audience were very sympathetic towards her and wanted to know what happens to her.
I used Google Images to research existing film posters and to look at what sort of thing film magazines include on their front covers. I then used Blogger to record all relevant information that I gathered.
We used Blogspot (Blogger) to record all of the information and research we found. We also used it to plan our pieces based on what we found out and then to record our evaluation.
Once we had decided on the two tracks we wanted for the soundtrack of our trailer, we then had to edit them together. For this we used GarageBand, which allowed us to cut the bits of music up and leave us with just the bits we wanted, and then adjust the sound levels in order to fade one out and the other in. We also discovered how to add highlights to the music to increase and decrease tension when and where we wanted.
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Trailer- Our trailer uses some of the conventions of real media products because it leaves the audience asking questions. We also used a mixture of tranquil and fast shots and editing to show a contrast between the scenes of 'normality' and scenes where things start to go wrong. It also uses conventions because like the trailers I analysed to start with, it introduces the character in the film but also leaves you in suspense about one or more characters- we created this by never really showing you the face of the person who has taken the child. Also with no names mentioned in the speech, you never find out who any of the characters are for definate and are never told exactly the relationship details between the characters. As well as this we also used the idea of allowing the code of clothing to distinguish between the good and evil characters. To create this we had the mother and the child chaaracters wearing 'normal' generally colourful clothes and the character that takes the child wearing dark clothing- a hoodie as this is generally in films associated with bad characters- having their hood up makes it seem mysterious and like they have something to hide/ do not want to be seen. We also used stereotypes in our video, by having the character that got kidnapped being a young, innocent looking female, and also by having the female character who is searching for the child in the video as crying, panicking and in a complete state. (Typically, this is how women are portrayed to act in situations like this. For example in "Taken" which is a film I looked at in preparation for this coursework, the male character is the one who stays calm, collected and eventually restores the equilibrium by bringing the child home. Whilst the female character cries, worries and doesn't really do anything to help the situation.) For our video we looked at Tzvetan Todorov's theory of how a media text starts with equilibrium which is then disrupted by some action. Then during the text, this action is then resolved to create a restoration of the equilibrium at the end. We decided to use this in our video by showing the equilibrium at the outset and then showing how this gets disrupted. However, although a sense of equilibrium is restored in the films themselves, the trailers that I analysed left it uncertain whether or not the equilibrium is reinstated, in order to leave the trailer at a cliffhanger- this was even more evident in teaser trailers. Therefore our trailer follows conventions by having a cliffhanger ending and not having the final stage of Todorov's theory. However we subtly went against conventions in our trailer as well through small details. A traditional stereotype (before the time of rise in feminism) was that the hero was male- in this case the person who should look for the child and eventually bring them home (as seen in "Taken"), should be a male character. To challenge this convention we have used our female character as the 'hero/heroine'.
Film Poster- Our poster conforms to many of the conventions of real media products. The title is the biggest bit of writing on it. We have included names of the actors on the poster, as well as details like the director and producer and the release date. We put the logos on there as we saw that many film posters do this. Also we included some reviews at the top as you usually see comments from magazines and newspapers at the top of existing film posters. The image on the poster is simple and easily remembered, it is also very closely linked to our trailer.
Picture A is the film poster for "Twilight" and Picture B is our film poster. As you can see the style of the writing for the names of the actors is very similar. It is less eye catching than the rest of the text on the poster and harder to read. We thought that this was a good convention to carry across as the idea is to advertise the film and the characters rather than the actors who play the characters and for this reason we kept that convention. However with all of the posters that I analysed (and I realise that this is not the rule for all posters, simply the ones I chose to look at) they simply had the release date or "coming soon" to indicate to the audience when the film would be in cinemas. We decided to challenge this convention by making this line more catchy and in the end we chose "The search begins..." to do this. Although this challenges conventions I believe that it has worked well and is effective at what we wanted it for.
Magazine Front Cover- For our magazine we used the convention of the little details that magazines always have. For example the barcode, price and the line underneath the magazine name which essentially tries to convince you to buy the magazine (where we have put "The UK's number one for film!"). These small touches are what adds authenticity to the magazine cover and therefore make it look better.
However we have also challenged conventions. In a few of the film magazines I looked at (examples shown below- Images C and D) the background of the magazine is a location related to the film. We chose to challenge this convention by simply having the background as a plain colour with a slight texture to it.
However we have also challenged conventions. In a few of the film magazines I looked at (examples shown below- Images C and D) the background of the magazine is a location related to the film. We chose to challenge this convention by simply having the background as a plain colour with a slight texture to it.
2. How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary text?
The combination of our media product and ancillary text is very strong. We have used the same font for the copy in our film trailer as we have on the poster and magazine front cover. Also the picture we used for the poster is very closely linked to the trailer and therefore as soon as you have seen both, you know that they are about the same thing and part of the same campaign rather than completely separate items.
However I do believe that it could be more effective. As the image we have used for the magazine, although it relates to the film trailer, doesn't really fit in with the film poster and also doesn't really reflect the storyline of the film. The fact that the image doesn't include the little girl that goes "missing" means that the image doesn't really relate to the actual story and this could then become complicated for the audience to understand.
Above are three images, Image A is a shot taken from our film trailer, Image B is a section of our film poster and Image C is a section taken from our magazine front cover. As you can clearly see the font we have used for the word "Missing" in all three of our media texts is the same, meaning it is easy for our audience to identify that all three are part of the same advertising campaign and immediately associate this font and style of writing with our film.
Above are another two images, Image D is taken from our film trailer and shows the child and villain walking away and Image E is from our film poster and again shows the child and the villain walking away. As you can see there is a clear link between the image taken from the trailer and the image from the poster and therefore our audience can immediately tell that the two are linked. Although most film posters look like an image from the film and people therefore believe them to be a shot from the film, they are always taken separately as still images. For very basic reasons, for example the lighting that is appropriate for a scene in the trailer, may not be acceptable for a poster. As you can clearly see from images D and E above, there is no way that we could have used that screen shot from our trailer as the image for our poster as the lighting (or rather the lack of lighting) makes it extremely bad quality for a poster.
Above, Image F is taken from our magazine front cover and Image G is a screen shot from our film trailer. Although Image F (our magazine) doesn't really tie in with our poster, there is a link between this image and the screen shot (Image G) from our film trailer. Making it possible for our audience to make a link between the two and realise that it is part of the same campaign, even if it is not as simple to link the magazine and poster together- the link to each one and the trailer is very strong.
3. What have you learnt from your audience feedback?
Film Trailer- From my audience feedback I found out that generally our trailer was successful and would make our target audience what to see the film. However there are some things people would have done differently- this seems to be mainly down to individual preference. One thing that seemed to be resonant was the quality of the acting in our trailer, in particular the speech. People commented that the speech didn't sound desperate as you would be if your child was missing, they said that it didn't sound realistic enough and for this reason it detracted slightly from the seriousness of the trailer.
Our most successful aspect that the majority of people commented on was our use of music, they liked the way it fitted well with the trailer and the way it changed the mood of the trailer. They thought that the music created and built up tension and let it drop again in the right places, very effective.
Also something that came up a lot was the cutting of the footage and the transitions between clips. Albeit that different people commented on different bits, scenes that wre mentioned included: the scene with the child in the corner and the fade out we used in order to make the child 'disappear', the transitions between the clips of the mother and the child later on (the ones where the two of them are spinning around, searching around them but in different locations) and also the way that the contrast between the slow pace of the action and cuts in the first section, contrasts with the fast action and quick cuts after the child goes missing to create tension.
Film Poster- In general the audience feedback I gathered was very positive. The majority of people I asked said that the poster would make them want to see the film, with the only reason the people who said it didn't make them want to watch it being that it wasn't their preferred genre. Some of the reasons that people said they liked the poster were due to the conventions of existing media products that we chose to use. For example, using the young, innocent looking girl to be the character to go missing, our audience were very sympathetic towards her and wanted to know what happens to her.
Also the conventions that we chose to challenge worked in our favour. For example, choosing to put "The search begins..." rather than just putting a release date or "coming soon". People commented that this was catchy and memorable, meaning that because it was easy to remember that, you would be more likely to remember the date that came after it.
One big criticism was the quality of the image, the fact that towards the top it is rather dark and therefore you can't really see the head of the villain as the dark clothing (the hood) merges with the foliage. Although they liked the idea of the image with the characters holding hands and walking off into the darkness.
Magazine Front Cover- Overall the feedback I got about our magazine front cover, was very positive. People liked the layout, colour scheme and the range of articles advertised on the cover. Our audience liked the balance we found between having only one thing advertised on the front and having a few but keeping it un-cluttered and not crowded. Something that was also commented on was the way that the actress on the cover fitted in with the colour scheme but still stood out from the background.
The things that people criticised were only very minor details, for example, one of the people I asked who studies media, said that the pug we have used on the cover doesn't look as realistic as it could. Also people didn't like the actress' eyes, saying they looked too edited. However we didn't edit the image at all, other than the colour levels, which would not have affected the eyes in this way. Therefore there was nothing we could do about this.
Again our choice of conventions which we chose to use in our product, for example the barcode, price and the line "The UK's number one for film!", worked really well. As people commented that little details like this really helped to make our magazine front cover look real/authentic.
Again our choice of conventions which we chose to use in our product, for example the barcode, price and the line "The UK's number one for film!", worked really well. As people commented that little details like this really helped to make our magazine front cover look real/authentic.
4. How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
As this is now A2 media, the range of technologies that we used was broader and we had to use many different ones to complete the whole task. These technologies were more complex in order to show our ability to use these technologies and show our skills.
I used Google Images to research existing film posters and to look at what sort of thing film magazines include on their front covers. I then used Blogger to record all relevant information that I gathered.
I used YouTube to research existing trailers based on my target audience and the genre that we were planning to use for our trailer. I then recorded this information on Blogger. We also used it in order to upload our finished trailer so that we could get it onto our blogs.
We used Blogspot (Blogger) to record all of the information and research we found. We also used it to plan our pieces based on what we found out and then to record our evaluation.
Adobe PhotoShop was the program we used to create the film poster and the magazine front cover.
To shoot the footage which we would then edit we had to use video cameras. We had to look into whether we wanted steady or shaky shots and in the end we used a tripod alongside the camera for most of our shots.
Adobe PremierPro was the program we used to create our actual trailer. We loaded all of our footage onto this program and used it to edit the footage, put the sequence together and put the soundtrack alongside the trailer.
Once we had decided on the two tracks we wanted for the soundtrack of our trailer, we then had to edit them together. For this we used GarageBand, which allowed us to cut the bits of music up and leave us with just the bits we wanted, and then adjust the sound levels in order to fade one out and the other in. We also discovered how to add highlights to the music to increase and decrease tension when and where we wanted. The main technology that we used though was Adobe PremierPro, as none of us had any experience in using this technology and it is also the most complex piece of software. We had to get used to editing on a timeline and even the most simple of effects and transitions were very complex to use, with many settings as to the levels of the effect and how long you wanted the transition to last. We used Adobe PremierPro rather than a program like iMovie as it allowed us to include better transitions and overall a better and cleaner finish to the finished product.
Adding the music onto the footage was surprisingly simple and because we were working on the timeline it was easy to adjust it to start in the right place and also finish in the right place.
Thursday, 6 May 2010
Trailer Feedback
Like with the film poster and magazine cover, I got together with a group of people and asked them the two questions but this time in relation to the film trailer:
1. State one thing you don't like about the film trailer.
2. State one thing you do like about the film trailer.
They said:...
Person one:
1. Don't like the way the tense changes in the captions.
2. I like the music.
Person two:
1. Don't like the grainy effect on the opening shots.
2. I like the fade out of the girl in the corner disappearing.
Person three:
1. The acting is bad, voices don't sound realistic.
2. I like the music.
Person four:
1. Don't like the music, too action-adventure rather than action-chase
2. I like the cutting and the way it tells a story but also leaves you in suspense.
Person five:
1. I don't like the font used for the title screens.
2. I like the transitions and the pace of the imagery.
Person six:
1. I don't like the acting.
2. I like the transitions between the shots of the girl and the mother.
Person seven:
1. I don't like the speech, doesn't sound realistic.
2. I like the fast transitions reflecting the panic.
Person eight:
1. I am not keen on the way it ends.
2. I like the transitions and the way the soundtrack fits in time with the transitions.
Overall..
All of the people I asked said that it would make them want to see the film, for a variety of different reasons.
Like with the film poster and magazine cover, I got together with a group of people and asked them the two questions but this time in relation to the film trailer:
1. State one thing you don't like about the film trailer.
2. State one thing you do like about the film trailer.
They said:...
Person one:
1. Don't like the way the tense changes in the captions.
2. I like the music.
Person two:
1. Don't like the grainy effect on the opening shots.
2. I like the fade out of the girl in the corner disappearing.
Person three:
1. The acting is bad, voices don't sound realistic.
2. I like the music.
Person four:
1. Don't like the music, too action-adventure rather than action-chase
2. I like the cutting and the way it tells a story but also leaves you in suspense.
Person five:
1. I don't like the font used for the title screens.
2. I like the transitions and the pace of the imagery.
Person six:
1. I don't like the acting.
2. I like the transitions between the shots of the girl and the mother.
Person seven:
1. I don't like the speech, doesn't sound realistic.
2. I like the fast transitions reflecting the panic.
Person eight:
1. I am not keen on the way it ends.
2. I like the transitions and the way the soundtrack fits in time with the transitions.
Overall..
All of the people I asked said that it would make them want to see the film, for a variety of different reasons.
Shot by Shot Analysis
1. This screen shot shows an image which is normally at the start of trailers (on a shot similar to this), which is part of the law of censorship. We put this in to make the trailer seem more authentic.
2. "JLMV Productions", normally have a shot at the beginning with the name of the company who produced the film etc.
3. Long shot. Opening shot of child with mother playing on swings, happy. We added an effect to make this shot grainy- show it is a different time/day, maybe even home video. We made sure that the soundtrack started here and not earlier, as we found that generally the soundtrack started after the shots of the company etc. Music is calm and quite quiet- reflecting the peacefulness.
4. Medium long shot, tracking shot. Child running, looks at camera and smiles- very similar to home video style footage. We added an effect to make the image grainy again.
5. Medium shot. Child sliding down slide towards mother. Again used the grainy effect. Another shot to show happiness.
6. "Just when everything seemed perfect", title shot to reflect what you have seen in the previous three shots.
7. Over the shoulder shot. Through a living room window, see mother and child playing happily in 'safe', family environment. However in contrast to this image the person whos shoulder we are looking over is mysterious, dark and creates tension.
8. Cross fade effect. Between the previous shot and the next one the music changes as the audience get the feeling someone evil is watching them (the mother and the child). Makes audience recognize that this is the evil character and that the atmosphere of the trailer is changing. Soundtrack louder and more chaotic, reflecting the emotions of the characters in the trailer. Makes the audience on edge and feel like they are involved in the action.
9. Close up. A pair of feet, creates tension. Audience want to know who the feet belong to.
10. Fade to black.
11. "There was always someone standing in the way", title shot to reflect what you have just seen in the previous two scenes.
12. Cross fade effect.
13. Close up, low angle shot. Child sitting in corner, looking scared. Change of tone- previous to this we have only seen the child happy.
14. Cross fade.
15. Close up. Hand opening door, hand had glove on, audience want to know who it is. Torch as the only source of light to the shot adds sense of mystery and helps to build tension.
16. Cross fade.
17. Close up. Child in corner again, puts head down- clearly scared by something.
18. "Prepared to reveal the truth", title screen which explains some narrative. Doesn't tell the reader much so this draws them in through their curiousity.
19. Extreme low angle shot. Camera really looks down on the child now, as though we could be looking at the child through the eyes of whoever is there.
20. Medium shot. Child clearly scared/ upset by something- we want to know what it is.
21. Fade out.
22. Fade out complete. Child has 'disappeared', reflecting the idea that the child has been taken by somebody.
23. "To take what is rightfully theirs", explains the last scene and confirms really that the child has been taken.
24. Cross fade.
25. Long shot. Mother sitting in the street, clearly distraught, doesn't know what to do.
26. Medium shot, tracking shot. Man walking with child. Taking the shot through some bushes makes it more interesting to keep audiences attention and also gives the impression that they are entering a location with a lot of foliage.
27. Long shot. Mother running, false hope as the mother thinks she has found her daughter only to find that it isn't actually her daughter.
28. Cross fade.
29. Long shot, tracking shot. Man and child walking again.
30. Extreme long shot. Lighting changed, reflecting the passing of time- they have been walking for a while now.
31. Cross fade.
32. Medium shot. Again the previous shot and the cross fade reflect passing of time.
33. Close up. Child still unhappy- unsure of what is happening. Creates tension as we sympathise with the child.
34. Close up. Mother in car, idea that she will travel any distance to find her child and will do it as quickly as possible. Dialling number on mobile- who is she ringing? what will she find out?
35. Close up. Mother on phone, can't hear other end of the conversation- tension, audience want to know what is happening.
36. Close up. Mother on phone, we can't hear responses, only her questions. Tension continues to build.
37. Long shot. We now get a shot of who we assume she is on the phone to. But we never hear what he is saying. Drops phone on floor.
38. Close up (of phone whilst feet walking away). Phone lit-up, is it the mother trying to ring again.
39. Extreme close up. We see the screen of the phone on the floor, see that it is an "unknown number" calling, mystery as to who it is. Wish we could find out and find out what they want, plus the answers to what they want to know.
40. Extreme close up. Mother- make up smudged, clearly distraught, worrying.
41. Close up. Filmed with camera circling around her as she spun round too. Disorientating. Makes the audience feel uneasy which, in turn, helps to build tension.
42. Cross fade. Mothers face fading into childs.
43. Close up. Child, still unsure/ worried.
44. Extreme long shot. Mother in middle of road, frantically searching for child.
45. Close up. Child, looking even more worried.
46. Cross fade. Childs face fading back into mothers.
47. Close up. Mother increasingly distressed.
48. Close up. Mother spinning around again, searching. Facial expression gradually becoming more desperate- tension builds.
49. Close up. Child, delicately looking around her.
50. Close up. Mother looking around her- fast, a contrast to previous shot of the child. Tension.
51. Long shot. Child spinning around- parallel to what the mother is doing.
52. Cross fade. Child spinning merges into mother spinning.
53. Close up. Mother spinning. Disorientating- tension. Between this scene and the next scene the soundtrack changes to a very strong beating, gets slightly louder, brings tension to the optimum level before the shot fades to black.
54. "Missing", "Visit www.missingfilm.com". Most trailers had the information which we have included over these next three screen shots, we therefore used this convention to make our trailer more realistic/ authentic.
55. "Coming to cinemas near you". Makes film trailer appear more authentic. By the end of this shot the soundtrack has come to a stop and there is then silence for the next shot. This happening after the massive build up of the tension through the sound makes the cliff hanger ending more dramatic and makes the audience want to see the film.
56. " January 2010" (+ actors names, director and producer. Also logos and age certificate information). Makes the film trailer appear more authentic.
56. " January 2010" (+ actors names, director and producer. Also logos and age certificate information). Makes the film trailer appear more authentic.
Music
To create the music for our trailer we decided to use a program called GarageBand:
We mixed two tracks together in GarageBand to create the final track for our trailer. We decided to mix two together so that we could get the calm slow music we wanted for the start of the trailer and also the more up beat, punchy beat of the fast track to make it more dramatic and to build the tension.
To create the music for our trailer we decided to use a program called GarageBand:
We mixed two tracks together in GarageBand to create the final track for our trailer. We decided to mix two together so that we could get the calm slow music we wanted for the start of the trailer and also the more up beat, punchy beat of the fast track to make it more dramatic and to build the tension.
Filming
We decided to do some of our filming in some woodland area near where we live. We thought this would create a good, mysterious setting for our villain to take the kidnapped child to. We thought this would make it realistic as in other films they never take the person somewhere easy to find and no one would know where to start looking in a forest. Also all forests look the same so you would have to find the right one first.
The other parts of our footage are:
- in a busy area: shots with mother looking around for signs of the child, we chose to do this near some local shops as it is a busy road and therefore the traffic would create a good, chaotic atmosphere.
- in the living room of a house: we used the living room of someone in our group, so that we could get some shots in an indoor environment, somewhere the child could get taken from and somewhere you would identify as being "safe".
- the inside of a car: to make it look like the mother was planning on going long distance to get her child back and was intending on finding her quickly.
- a park: common location for home videos to take place: we wanted to get some shots of the child and mother playing happily together outside of the family home. To show different locations and make it seem like a different time.
Magazine Feedback
I got together with a group of people and asked them the following two questions:
1. State one thing you don't like about it.
2. State one thing you do like about it.
They said:...
Person one:
1. Pug doesn't look realistic enough for me.
2. I like the way the head goes over the top of the magazine name.
Person two:
1. The black writing for the title isn't very clear on the blue background if it's on a shelf in the distance.
2. Nice balanced layout, not too cluttered or crowded.
Person three:
1. I don't like the way that her head blocks out the magazine name.
1. I like the variety of things advertised on the page and the way the mother stands out from the background.
Person four:
1. I don't like the fact that her eyes look edited.
2. I like the clear layout.
Person five:
1. I don't like the black make up down the face, looks too set up.
2. I like the colour scheme of the whole thing.
Person six:
1. I don't like the way the colour scheme is all blue other than the yellow pug.
2. I like the layout
Person seven:
1. I'm not keen on the image itself, make up looks unrealistic.
2. I like the way her head cover part of the magazine name.
Person eight:
1. I dislike the effect on the font of "Missing".
2. I love the catchy phrase ("we found the cast of "Missing"...")
I got together with a group of people and asked them the following two questions:
1. State one thing you don't like about it.
2. State one thing you do like about it.
They said:...
Person one:
1. Pug doesn't look realistic enough for me.
2. I like the way the head goes over the top of the magazine name.
Person two:
1. The black writing for the title isn't very clear on the blue background if it's on a shelf in the distance.
2. Nice balanced layout, not too cluttered or crowded.
Person three:
1. I don't like the way that her head blocks out the magazine name.
1. I like the variety of things advertised on the page and the way the mother stands out from the background.
Person four:
1. I don't like the fact that her eyes look edited.
2. I like the clear layout.
Person five:
1. I don't like the black make up down the face, looks too set up.
2. I like the colour scheme of the whole thing.
Person six:
1. I don't like the way the colour scheme is all blue other than the yellow pug.
2. I like the layout
Person seven:
1. I'm not keen on the image itself, make up looks unrealistic.
2. I like the way her head cover part of the magazine name.
Person eight:
1. I dislike the effect on the font of "Missing".
2. I love the catchy phrase ("we found the cast of "Missing"...")
Magazine Layout Ideas 
These are some layout ideas that I have come up with for a magazine front cover. I think that all of them could work but it depends on what we have that we want to go on the cover so therefore I think the best option is to simply get all of the bits we want to go onto the cover, together, and then we can play around with the layout and move the bits around to see what looks best.
These are some layout ideas that I have come up with for a magazine front cover. I think that all of them could work but it depends on what we have that we want to go on the cover so therefore I think the best option is to simply get all of the bits we want to go onto the cover, together, and then we can play around with the layout and move the bits around to see what looks best.
Audience Feedback On The Film Poster
I asked a group of people for their opinion on the film poster, I asked them three questions:
1. What is one thing you dislike about it?
2. What is one thing you like about it?
3. Does it make you want to watch the film? Yes/No and Why?
Person one:
1. At the top of the poster where is says "starring" and then the names, needs to be separated more from the reviews on the top line.
2. I like the image, I think the way that the villain, child and the bear are all holding hands. Showing the height difference etc. is really effective.
3. Yes it does. I want to know more about what it is about.
Person two:
1. The image looks confusing. Too dark and villain's head merges with the foliage in the top part of the image.
2. The line at the bottom "The search begins..." is catchy. Better than just having the release date on its own or "Coming Soon".
3. No but only because it is not my preferred genre.
Person three:
1. The font for "Missing" doesn't represent the title. I would suggest making it more eerie and spooky.
2. However I love the image and think it works really well with the concept of the film and the title.
3. Yes it does because of the wording used and the image- they make it look amazing.
Person four:
1. I don't like the font because it makes it look like an old film, or older than it actually is.
2. I like the image as it shows the characters walking off into the darkness.
3. Yes it would make me want to watch it because I am intrigued to find out more about what it is about.
Person five:
1. Can't read the writing under "Missing" very well because of the font and style of it.
2. I love the picture, the teddy adds an awesome touch and the title fits the story really well.
3. Yes because I love thrillers and films on a search or hunt for something. Also the reviews along the top make you want to see it.
Person six:
1. The image is too dark.
2. I like the layout of the poster and the image itself.
3. Yes because I want to know what happens to the little girl.
Person seven:
1. The image is too dark, can't see the villain's head very well.
2. I like the layout of the poster though.
3. Yes because it looks creepy.
Person eight:
1. The quality of the photo is very poor.
2. I like the text around the middle of the poster.
3. No because it looks scary.
I asked a group of people for their opinion on the film poster, I asked them three questions:
1. What is one thing you dislike about it?
2. What is one thing you like about it?
3. Does it make you want to watch the film? Yes/No and Why?
Person one:
1. At the top of the poster where is says "starring" and then the names, needs to be separated more from the reviews on the top line.
2. I like the image, I think the way that the villain, child and the bear are all holding hands. Showing the height difference etc. is really effective.
3. Yes it does. I want to know more about what it is about.
Person two:
1. The image looks confusing. Too dark and villain's head merges with the foliage in the top part of the image.
2. The line at the bottom "The search begins..." is catchy. Better than just having the release date on its own or "Coming Soon".
3. No but only because it is not my preferred genre.
Person three:
1. The font for "Missing" doesn't represent the title. I would suggest making it more eerie and spooky.
2. However I love the image and think it works really well with the concept of the film and the title.
3. Yes it does because of the wording used and the image- they make it look amazing.
Person four:
1. I don't like the font because it makes it look like an old film, or older than it actually is.
2. I like the image as it shows the characters walking off into the darkness.
3. Yes it would make me want to watch it because I am intrigued to find out more about what it is about.
Person five:
1. Can't read the writing under "Missing" very well because of the font and style of it.
2. I love the picture, the teddy adds an awesome touch and the title fits the story really well.
3. Yes because I love thrillers and films on a search or hunt for something. Also the reviews along the top make you want to see it.
Person six:
1. The image is too dark.
2. I like the layout of the poster and the image itself.
3. Yes because I want to know what happens to the little girl.
Person seven:
1. The image is too dark, can't see the villain's head very well.
2. I like the layout of the poster though.
3. Yes because it looks creepy.
Person eight:
1. The quality of the photo is very poor.
2. I like the text around the middle of the poster.
3. No because it looks scary.
Theory Behind Our Idea
Tzvetan Todorov:
Todorov believed that there were 3 stages to narrative structure, these were:
- 1. A state of equilibrium (all as it should be)
- 2. A disruption of the equilibrium (usually by an event)
- 3. Restoration of the equilibrium (hero finds solution to the problem and everything is resolved)
He later developed this theory into a 5 stage narrative structure, these 5 stages were:
- 1. A state of equilibrium (all as it should be)
- 2. A disruption of the equilibrium (usually by an event)
- 3. A recognition that the disorder has occured
- 4. An attempt to repair the damage
- 5. A return or restoration to start a new equilibrium
We will be using Todorov's 5 stage narrative structure in our trailer, by having the following:
- 1. Shots of the child playing with the mother at the start (a state of equilibrium)
- 2. Showing the child being taken (disruption of the equilibrium)
- 3. Mother realising the child is gone (rcognition that the disorder has occured)
- 4. Mother starts searching for the child (attempt to repair the damage)
- 5. We will not be including a return to equilibrium in our trailer as this would ruin the plot and the audience will know what happens and therefore not want to see the film.
Charlotte Perkins
Perkins' theory was all about stereotypes, she believed that:
- 1. Some stereotypes are positive
- 2. They don't all show minority groups as being less powerful
- 3. They can be about one's own social group
- 4. They are not rigid and unchanging
- 5. They are not always unrealistic and far from the truth
We will be using Perkins theory in our trailer, we will be using ideas number 4 to a certain extent and number 5:
-4. By going against the idea that it is normally a male character looking for the kidnapped child, we are going to have the child's mother (a female character) looking for her instead. However we do follow the idea of why the male character is normally looking for the child, by having the mother in a state and crying rather than calm and thinking logically.
- 5. The mother of the child is unable to find the child and throughout the trailer her attempts are very much unsuccessful.
Vladimir Propp
Propp developed a theory of the spheres of action. He believed that all tales followed these 31 functions after the initial situation was depicted:
- 1. ABSENTATION: a member of a family leaves the security of the home environment. This may be the hero or some other member of the family that the hero will later need to rescue. This division of the cohesive family injects initial tension into the storyline. The hero may also be introduced here, often being shown as an ordinary person.
- 2. INTERDICTION: an interdiction is addressed to the hero ('don't go there', 'don't do this'). The hero is warned against some action.
- 3. VIOLATION of INTERDICTION: the interdiction is violated (villain enters the tale). This generally proves to be a bad move and the villain enters the story, although not necessarily confronting the hero. Perhaps they are just a lurking presence or perhaps they attack the family whilst the hero is away.
- 4. RECONNAISSANCE: the villain makes an attempt at reconnaissance (either villain tries to find the children/jewels etc; or intended victim questions the villain). The villain (often in diguise) makes an active attempt at seeking information, for example searching for something valuable or trying to actively capture someone. They may speak with a member of the family who innocently divulges information. They may also seek to meet the hero, perhaps knowing already the hero is special in some way.
- 5. DELIVERY: the villain gains information about the victim. The villain's seeking now pays off and he or she now acquires some form of information, often about the hero or victim. Other information can be gained, for example about a map or treasure location.
- 6. TRICKERY: the villian attempts to decieve the victim to take possession of victim or victim's belongings. The villain now presses further, often using the information gained in seeking to decieve the hero or victim in some way, perhaps appearing in disguise. This may include capture of the victim, getting the hero to give the villain something or persuading them that the villain is actually a friend thereby gaining collaboration.
- 7. COMPLICITY: victim taken in by deception, unwittingly helping the enemy. The trickery of the villain now works and the hero or victim naively acts in a way that helps the villain. This may range from providing the villain with something to actively work against the good people.
- 8. VILLAINY or LACK: villain causes harm/ injury to family member. Alternatively, a member of the family lacks something or desires something. There are two options for this function, either or both of which may appear in the story.
- 9. MEDIATION: misfortune or lack is made known. The hero now discovers the act of villainy or lack, perhaps finding their family or community devastated or caught up in a state of anguish and woe.
- 10. BEGINNING COUNTER-ACTION: seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action. The hero now decides to act in a way that will resolve the lack, for example finding a needed magical item, rescuing those who are captured or otherwise defeating the villain. This is a defining moment for the hero as this is the decision that sets the course of the future actions and by which a previously ordinary person takes on the mantle of heroism.
- 11. DEPARTURE: hero leaves home.
- 12. FIRST FUNCTION OF THE DONOR: hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc, preparing the way for his/her recieving magical agent or helper.
- 13. HERO'S REACTION: hero reacts to actions of future donor.
- 14. RECEIPT OF A MAGICAL AGENT: hero acquires use of a magical agent.
- 15. GUIDANCE: hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search.
- 16. STRUGGLE: hero and villain join in direct combat.
- 17. BRANDING: hero is branded.
- 18. VICTORY: villain is defeated.
- 19. LIQUIDATION: initial misfortune or lack is resolved.
- 20. RETURN: hero returns.
- 21. PURSUIT: hero is pursued.
- 22. RESCUE: hero is rescued from pursuit.
- 23. UNRECOGNIZED ARRIVAL: hero unrecognized, arrives home or in another country.
- 24. UNFOUNDED CLAIMS: false hero presents unfounded claims.
- 25. DIFFICULT TASK: difficult task proposed to the hero.
- 26. SOLUTION: task is resolved.
- 27. RECOGNITION: hero is recognised.
- 28. EXPOSURE: false hero or villain is exposed.
- 29. TRANSFIGURATION: hero is given a new appearance.
- 30. PUNISHMENT: villain is punished.
- 31. WEDDING: hero marries and ascends the throne.
We will be using two of Propp's spheres of action in our trailer:
- 8. VILLAINY or LACK: we will be showing this through the abduction of the child.
- 16. STRUGGLE: we will be showing this through the mother's struggle at trying to follow the "clues" to find her abducted child.
Edward Branigan
Branigan's theory was much the same as Todorov's, in that Branigan had a structure of events which any film could be broken down into. Branigan's theory had 6 stages and they were as follows:
- 1. An introduction and the setting of the scene.
- 2. Explanation of the affairs.
- 3. Initiating the event.
- 4. Complicating actions.
- 5. Outcome.
- 6. Reactions to the outcome.
In our trailer we will be using the first 4 of these events. This is how we will do this:
- 1. Showing the mother and the child playing happily.
- 2. Explaining that things aren't as they seem.
- 3. Showing the child going missing, this will be further heightened with the mother's realization that the child is gone.
- 4. Showing the mother searching for the child and trying to follow the "clues" whilst getting increasingly frustrated and distressed.
Tzvetan Todorov:
Todorov believed that there were 3 stages to narrative structure, these were:
- 1. A state of equilibrium (all as it should be)
- 2. A disruption of the equilibrium (usually by an event)
- 3. Restoration of the equilibrium (hero finds solution to the problem and everything is resolved)
He later developed this theory into a 5 stage narrative structure, these 5 stages were:
- 1. A state of equilibrium (all as it should be)
- 2. A disruption of the equilibrium (usually by an event)
- 3. A recognition that the disorder has occured
- 4. An attempt to repair the damage
- 5. A return or restoration to start a new equilibrium
We will be using Todorov's 5 stage narrative structure in our trailer, by having the following:
- 1. Shots of the child playing with the mother at the start (a state of equilibrium)
- 2. Showing the child being taken (disruption of the equilibrium)
- 3. Mother realising the child is gone (rcognition that the disorder has occured)
- 4. Mother starts searching for the child (attempt to repair the damage)
- 5. We will not be including a return to equilibrium in our trailer as this would ruin the plot and the audience will know what happens and therefore not want to see the film.
Charlotte Perkins
Perkins' theory was all about stereotypes, she believed that:
- 1. Some stereotypes are positive
- 2. They don't all show minority groups as being less powerful
- 3. They can be about one's own social group
- 4. They are not rigid and unchanging
- 5. They are not always unrealistic and far from the truth
We will be using Perkins theory in our trailer, we will be using ideas number 4 to a certain extent and number 5:
-4. By going against the idea that it is normally a male character looking for the kidnapped child, we are going to have the child's mother (a female character) looking for her instead. However we do follow the idea of why the male character is normally looking for the child, by having the mother in a state and crying rather than calm and thinking logically.
- 5. The mother of the child is unable to find the child and throughout the trailer her attempts are very much unsuccessful.
Vladimir Propp
Propp developed a theory of the spheres of action. He believed that all tales followed these 31 functions after the initial situation was depicted:
- 1. ABSENTATION: a member of a family leaves the security of the home environment. This may be the hero or some other member of the family that the hero will later need to rescue. This division of the cohesive family injects initial tension into the storyline. The hero may also be introduced here, often being shown as an ordinary person.
- 2. INTERDICTION: an interdiction is addressed to the hero ('don't go there', 'don't do this'). The hero is warned against some action.
- 3. VIOLATION of INTERDICTION: the interdiction is violated (villain enters the tale). This generally proves to be a bad move and the villain enters the story, although not necessarily confronting the hero. Perhaps they are just a lurking presence or perhaps they attack the family whilst the hero is away.
- 4. RECONNAISSANCE: the villain makes an attempt at reconnaissance (either villain tries to find the children/jewels etc; or intended victim questions the villain). The villain (often in diguise) makes an active attempt at seeking information, for example searching for something valuable or trying to actively capture someone. They may speak with a member of the family who innocently divulges information. They may also seek to meet the hero, perhaps knowing already the hero is special in some way.
- 5. DELIVERY: the villain gains information about the victim. The villain's seeking now pays off and he or she now acquires some form of information, often about the hero or victim. Other information can be gained, for example about a map or treasure location.
- 6. TRICKERY: the villian attempts to decieve the victim to take possession of victim or victim's belongings. The villain now presses further, often using the information gained in seeking to decieve the hero or victim in some way, perhaps appearing in disguise. This may include capture of the victim, getting the hero to give the villain something or persuading them that the villain is actually a friend thereby gaining collaboration.
- 7. COMPLICITY: victim taken in by deception, unwittingly helping the enemy. The trickery of the villain now works and the hero or victim naively acts in a way that helps the villain. This may range from providing the villain with something to actively work against the good people.
- 8. VILLAINY or LACK: villain causes harm/ injury to family member. Alternatively, a member of the family lacks something or desires something. There are two options for this function, either or both of which may appear in the story.
- 9. MEDIATION: misfortune or lack is made known. The hero now discovers the act of villainy or lack, perhaps finding their family or community devastated or caught up in a state of anguish and woe.
- 10. BEGINNING COUNTER-ACTION: seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action. The hero now decides to act in a way that will resolve the lack, for example finding a needed magical item, rescuing those who are captured or otherwise defeating the villain. This is a defining moment for the hero as this is the decision that sets the course of the future actions and by which a previously ordinary person takes on the mantle of heroism.
- 11. DEPARTURE: hero leaves home.
- 12. FIRST FUNCTION OF THE DONOR: hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc, preparing the way for his/her recieving magical agent or helper.
- 13. HERO'S REACTION: hero reacts to actions of future donor.
- 14. RECEIPT OF A MAGICAL AGENT: hero acquires use of a magical agent.
- 15. GUIDANCE: hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search.
- 16. STRUGGLE: hero and villain join in direct combat.
- 17. BRANDING: hero is branded.
- 18. VICTORY: villain is defeated.
- 19. LIQUIDATION: initial misfortune or lack is resolved.
- 20. RETURN: hero returns.
- 21. PURSUIT: hero is pursued.
- 22. RESCUE: hero is rescued from pursuit.
- 23. UNRECOGNIZED ARRIVAL: hero unrecognized, arrives home or in another country.
- 24. UNFOUNDED CLAIMS: false hero presents unfounded claims.
- 25. DIFFICULT TASK: difficult task proposed to the hero.
- 26. SOLUTION: task is resolved.
- 27. RECOGNITION: hero is recognised.
- 28. EXPOSURE: false hero or villain is exposed.
- 29. TRANSFIGURATION: hero is given a new appearance.
- 30. PUNISHMENT: villain is punished.
- 31. WEDDING: hero marries and ascends the throne.
We will be using two of Propp's spheres of action in our trailer:
- 8. VILLAINY or LACK: we will be showing this through the abduction of the child.
- 16. STRUGGLE: we will be showing this through the mother's struggle at trying to follow the "clues" to find her abducted child.
Edward Branigan
Branigan's theory was much the same as Todorov's, in that Branigan had a structure of events which any film could be broken down into. Branigan's theory had 6 stages and they were as follows:
- 1. An introduction and the setting of the scene.
- 2. Explanation of the affairs.
- 3. Initiating the event.
- 4. Complicating actions.
- 5. Outcome.
- 6. Reactions to the outcome.
In our trailer we will be using the first 4 of these events. This is how we will do this:
- 1. Showing the mother and the child playing happily.
- 2. Explaining that things aren't as they seem.
- 3. Showing the child going missing, this will be further heightened with the mother's realization that the child is gone.
- 4. Showing the mother searching for the child and trying to follow the "clues" whilst getting increasingly frustrated and distressed.
Our Idea
We have gone through our film trailer and decided which shots are good enough to be used in our new trailer. We ended up with very few clips which we could use, which allowed us to adapt our story slightly so that the trailer tells more of a story about how the past has effected what is happening in the present in the film.
We are going to hint at the idea that the person who has taken the child is someone that the child trusts (her father). By changing the start of the video we intend on showing how life was for the child before she got kidnapped and you title screens to explain some of the narrative.
We are going to completely re-shoot the majority of the footage so that we can change the lighting in order to improve the quality of the shots this time. Due to the fact that we are keeping the same genre for the trailer and not changing our target audience I will be using the research that I found out at the start of the project which is shown below and simply adding to it when we come across things which help us to decide on things to use in our trailer.
For our new trailer, the characters will be played as follows:
- Jenny Barnard will play the child's mother
- Mark Humphry will play the child's father
- Nicola Armitage will play the child who gets kidnapped
We have gone through our film trailer and decided which shots are good enough to be used in our new trailer. We ended up with very few clips which we could use, which allowed us to adapt our story slightly so that the trailer tells more of a story about how the past has effected what is happening in the present in the film.
We are going to hint at the idea that the person who has taken the child is someone that the child trusts (her father). By changing the start of the video we intend on showing how life was for the child before she got kidnapped and you title screens to explain some of the narrative.
We are going to completely re-shoot the majority of the footage so that we can change the lighting in order to improve the quality of the shots this time. Due to the fact that we are keeping the same genre for the trailer and not changing our target audience I will be using the research that I found out at the start of the project which is shown below and simply adding to it when we come across things which help us to decide on things to use in our trailer.
For our new trailer, the characters will be played as follows:
- Jenny Barnard will play the child's mother
- Mark Humphry will play the child's father
- Nicola Armitage will play the child who gets kidnapped
Our Decision
Due to the very mixed feedback we recieved we decided to re-work our draft trailer and film poster. Taking on board the feedback each of us gathered we are planning on improving the quality of some of our shots, create more of an actual storyline to the trailer so that it is clearer as to what is actually going on and maybe add few shots to create an element of confusion to our trailer to entice the audience and draw them in.
We plan on re-shooting some of our footage, changing some of the locations to make it more mysterious and pulling everything together so that all the shots actually contribute to telling the story in a more effective way.
Due to the very mixed feedback we recieved we decided to re-work our draft trailer and film poster. Taking on board the feedback each of us gathered we are planning on improving the quality of some of our shots, create more of an actual storyline to the trailer so that it is clearer as to what is actually going on and maybe add few shots to create an element of confusion to our trailer to entice the audience and draw them in.
We plan on re-shooting some of our footage, changing some of the locations to make it more mysterious and pulling everything together so that all the shots actually contribute to telling the story in a more effective way.
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