Evaluation

Target audience

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/BS6T2FW

Final piece

I was able to finish my project thanks to the feedback i received in our lesson's focus group where i was able to build upon suggestions that resulted in these improvements

• I added in narration at the start from an external character which helps set the scene and give expalnation behind the protagonist seeing his deceased parents in a ghostly manner, whilst hinting that their death may not be an accident.
• I also added in distinct sound effects to add emphasis and drama to a particular shot which implies there is danger ahead.
• I also added in the telephone effects for the antagonist's dialogue to make it more sinister whilst including another shot o the prtagonist which reinforces his dialogue 'im not afraid' whilst also filling a lengthy amount of time where there was black

Drafting and planning

Here is my step by step response to part of my trailer draft feedback in class.

For the antagonist's line 'you had it coming, your family' i found different telephone sounds on freesound to make the dialogue more sinister.

One is a long monotonous telephone line and the other, the sound of a telephone being put down

Then, using audacity, i took the line of dialogue and edited in the ending sound of the phone being put down and then two telephone lines edited a part for the ringing sound at the beginning

Drafting and planning

Here is the final version of my magazine cover ancillary product.

I was given feedback in a lesson focus group and it was suggested that all cover lines should be of a cult nature to fit with the cult edition approach

Subsequently, i changed the 'Star wars', 'Spielberg' and 'Prometheus' cover lines to 'Rams', 'The Conjuring 2' and 'Manchester by the sea'.

I also adjusted some of the text positions

It was suggested i moved the pug so it didn't overlap with the main cover line but this is actually a convention i picked up on in my research which gives it more prominence on the cover, so i kept this the same

research into similar products / drafting and planning

Here i have visually identified how empire magazine conventions are influencing the current design of my magazine cover.

• I use the large overlapping mid shot of the protagonist like in the Skyfall cover
• The red overlapping pug that advertises content to the readers as seen in the Bourne cover
• The banner across a corner of the magazine as seen in the captain america cover
• the listing at the bottom left hand corner, the overlapping secondary image and conventional anchorage text below the main cover line

Drafting and planning

This is a first official draft of my poster. I experimented with the cover star images in my rough layout drafting of my magazine in this blog but i intend to use these images for the poster primarily and maybe take different images for the magazine so it better conforms to the conventions of a cover star
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3664132413503481447#editor/target=post;postID=3759002359836806334;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=2;src=postname

I cropped and added darkening effects so the sky was a darker more ominous color and the dark shadows and dark foliage were prominent to add to the ambiguity of the poster, reflecting the mood of the trailer.

I followed my original rough draft so i could fulfill the ideas i came up with, for example the intimidating and ambiguous half-face of the antagonist looking over the scene in a position of power.https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3664132413503481447#editor/target=post;postID=7300003465690443908;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=13;src=postname

I ensured the tag lines matched the house colours of the posters and selected a font that was spaced out but bold and defined. I also tried challenging a convention of trailers, by rotating the title, which i thought was a cool effect as it slightly disorientates the viewers and adds to the ambiguity of the poster, reflecting its uniqueness and the non-mainstream approach of the film on the whole

However I think I may have to drain some of the colour from the background and maybe change the font and its colour to make it as serious as possible

Drafting and planning

These are two background images of the protagonist's house as discussed in this blog.

The house is in center view as it will in the poster due to how its the main setting in the film whilst there is also darkened foliage around the sides to add to the ambiguity.

However i will need to adjust the contrast and other lighting effects to make it slightly darker to give a sense of the dark mood in the trailer and its dark themes

This is the main reason i prefer the back garden image in comparison to the front garden image to the right here, as it doesnt have the darkness or ambiguity that the enclosed foliage brings.









Here are three images i took of the antagonist's lower face, creating enough lighting with an LED torch to define his face but at the same time create shadows and black and white contrast to convey the dark, evil ambiguity stereotypical of film villains

I prefer the above image as the bottom one is slightly higher key, which lights up his face a bit too much and makes grimace of his face more defined which looks a bit too cliche and stereotypical of a film villain.

Drafting and planning

these are two rough layouts of my potential film magazine cover. Although only the second cover star image would be appropriate as 'Empire' cover stars are normally facing the front with a straight mid shot, they are both effective for my poster.


The cover star image will be center aligned overlapping the masthead to display importance with the title also center aligned towards the bottom overlapping the cover star, connecting the two together.

The two backgrounds are the types of images i am considering using, dark and ominous just like many other empire magazine backgrounds which fit with the mood of the film.

Drafting and planning

These are the photos from my mini-photoshoot 

Drafting and planning

These are some of the ideal fonts i'm considering for both my poster and my magazine cover titles.

Some like the first and fourth are more smoother whereas the last two have more block-like and edgy feel to them. I feel theses might be a bit too much for the genre of my trailer as they're quite synonymous with big mainstream action films.

Therefore i prefer the more subtle fonts and i think this would suit a poster as generally, the images are supposed to carry the main message of the film as opposed to the title which doesnt always take center stage and sometimes doesnt appear at all.

Despite this i think a bold, mainstream font wold still suit a magazine cover as its usually the title that takes center stage just in front of the cover star therefore the third with its defined but slightly slimmer appearance would be most suitable.

The second one is an example of a more unique font that adds a bit more edge to the title, but again i feel it wont suit the drama genre very well as dramas are normally more formal, so a generically subtle or flat out bold font are the more likely options

Organisation

For my film poster i am also planning a mini photo shoot of the two main protagonists

• For both i think i can achieve good lighting in the house of the trailer where i can use natural light for my protagonist, giving a semi-low key feel to it to match the mood of the trailer.

• As for costume i will try out both a standard jacket and the white more formal shirt seen in the trailer climax with the sleeves rolled up and the knife prop present to give the protagonist a bolder, more sophisticated and more fearless look.

•  I feel a low angle, mid shot of his back with him looking over his shoulder would give the effect of him looking more dangerous, adding to the 'he means business' attitude and suggesting there is always someone in his shadow, the antagonist.

• As for the antagonist i think some night time shots with dimmed down low key artificial lighting will add to the mood and the character's air of mystery and danger.

• A standard close up or an extreme close up of the bottom half of his face should be taken and if need be the top half can be faded out in post production, concealing his identity and giving him an ambiguous yet dangerous presence on the poster like in the trailer

Drafting and planning

Research into similar products

Drafting and planning - official trailer draft

This is a first rough draft of my trailer

Organisation

For the background of my poster, as discussed in this blog https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3664132413503481447#editor/target=post;postID=7300003465690443908;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=6;src=postname, i plan on using an image of the Protagonist's house as this is where most of the drama/ action of the film happens.

I could use the back or font as seen in the images which are screenshots from my trailer. I think organizing pictures to be taken of both sides around dusk/ late afternoon possibly on a slightly rainy day in order to capture the serious mood for the poster to match with my trailer would be most appropriate.

Both would also need to be taken from further away to get a longer shot in order to make more room for the characters on the poster. The car would also be removed from the front image (see left) in order to give the house full center stage. However i am leaning more towards using the back image of the house because a longer image would capture some of the surrounding foliage which would make it more scenic and add some ambiguity to it

The protagonist would be on the left hand side of the house with half of his body in shot whilst a closer up image of half the antagonist's face would cover the part of the roof/ sky above meanwhile, the auntie, if included, would be on the right side, ensuring that the house is surrounded by all the characters and thereby giving it greater significance

Drafting and planning

These are two trailer sound effects i am planning on using for my trailer's climaxes which are found in all drama trailers as it it heightens audience intrigue by generating a tense atmosphere, building up to some of the most clinical shots in the film as dramatically as possible

Research into similar products

Research into similar products

Ancillary product - magazine covers

For my film magazine there are 3 main British magazine companies to consider; Total film, Empire and Little White Lies.

Total film (TF) is a magazine published monthly by  Future publishing and originated in 1997.

Empire (E)  is a magazine published monthly by Bauer media group and originated in 1989

Little white Lies (LWL) is a bi-monthly magazine internationally published by TCOLondon

Whereas TF and E magazines take a typically crowded out magazine style with effective use of space and proportions through cover lines, secondary images and pugs, LWL takes a much more minimalism approach with a textured and artistic close up of the cover star.

Whilst this simplicity is a unique selling point and aesthetically appealing to audiences it would be very difficult to replicate its artistic style.

Meanwhile TF and E follow the normal conventions of a magazine which would help target a more general audience who are interested in film. nonetheless it would still be challenging to replicate all of the conventions which would require more planning and more consideration into the finer details like house colours which string all of the other conventions together coherently to make a coherent and complex magazine cover.

Drafting and planning

Here are two rough drafts of the potential layout and style of my film poster.

Both feature the half faded into black head of the antgomnist looking down over the scene as i discussed in this blog - https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3664132413503481447#editor/target=post;postID=7226023958996784773;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=4;src=postname

However the first features a screenshot of the protagonist in the 'desperate escape shot' which can be seen here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZuHNQRBKiE , which i think will convey the suffrage and struggle the antagonist is bringing upon him

As labeled though, the real poster would have the head enlarged or could have scenery/ the house behind it in the background to fill the sides

With this idea, the backgarden shot of the house in the trailer will bw the scebne at the bottom poster with both the antagonist, auntie and protagonist overlooking it.

The protagonist will be more central and looking over his shoulder as well, slightly overlapping the house and garden in the background

Drafting and planning

After researching into drama film posters i started to draft up ideas for the tagline which is prominent in many posters.

I decided the three line style would suit my poster as it reflects the simplistic yet dramatic plot of my film, short bursts that are clear, catchy and quite chilling, intriguing any readers.


I felt 'one killer' might have been a bit typical/obvious of a drama, so i started with 'one family' instead which implies they are the main focus for the film, giving my audience insight into the themes in the film.


I then used 'one enemy' instead as it suggests there is more to him than just a killer but instead draws a link between them and the family. I then end on Inquisition, effective as its the film title but gives insight into what happens, otherwise it would just be stating that there is a family and an enemy.


I thought about using 'two enemies' to convey the idea that the protagonist was fighting on two different fronts, one the killer and the other, the Auntie, possibly hinting at some unison between them.


However i felt the repetition of 'one' was much more effective, especially since the killer is a much greater threat than the auntie character 

Drafting and planning

here are some screenshots of editing currently in process in order form top to bottom, starting off with the granddad scene before moving onto the argument, ghostly parent and climactic scenes

Cut to blacks have been eay to use and helps to separate and convey the drama at the end of each scene at the same time.

I have lso been able to mute the sound of each shot although music and sound will be added in the coming days

Drafting and planning

Using a standard microphone i recorded a sinister line of dialgue spoken by the auntie character which is meant to over lap shots, giving the audience insight into who she is and why she upholds a spiteful attitude although I will have to edit out the muffle at the end .

Rather than ust seeing whoever is speaking i thought it would add variation and keep the trailer fluent if i just had over lapping dialogue

Drafting and planning

The climactic shot where the antagonist and protagonist clash before it cuts to black was re-shot and this is the result.

I improved the lighting so that both characters were clearly visible and changed a mid shot to a high angle so that there was a better view of their clash and an effective reflection of the antagonist approaching in the mirror.

The old shot can be found at 0:14 of this quick edit i made to represent the trailer's climax https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoc03MbvDDk

I feel one of the last two shots will be decent enough for the climactic shot, bearing in mind it will be a one minute flash at most, mainly down to the lighting, clear visibility of the characters, the costume colour contrast of black and white and the raised knife prop which is more prominent with a high angle.

Research into similar products

For my poster, i like the style of posters in which there are faded close ups of the characters at the top over looking the film's setting and so i think i like the idea of the protagnist and antagonist amongst other characters in the same style over looking a long shot of the house.

I imagine that the antagonist could be over looking in this style, looking a bit like the character in the grey poster although the top half of his head could be faded into black to add mystery and conceal his identity.

Meanwhile i am also considering a style like the warrior poster in which a close up of the two enemies are split and aligned next to each other which i think could work between the antagonist and protagonist although this may be too revealing.

Drafting and planning

One of these shots will help make up the climax-building part of my trailer in which numerous, incoherent shots will be shown in quick concession, this being one of them.

It depicts a desperate escape for the protagonist leaving the audience with questions towards where he is and why he's there, a shot that generates intrigue, reflects the drama's gritty side and builds tension towards the climax - the antagonist confrontation.

 Both shots are of decent quality, i feel the first shot better shows the protagonist crawling as the hands are in better view meanwhile the camera is also slightly tilted to the left, depicting a more uphill struggle.

 However the second shot has slightly better lighting and more clear foliage in the background. 

Whilst I would be pleased to use either shot, I like the cold breathe that is visible in the first but not in the second, combined with the slight tilt, i really feel it depicts a desperate struggle, whilst the lower key lighting suits what is quite a dark part of the trailer

Research into similar products

After researching different drama film posters its clear that there are a distinct few types that i can take inspiration from

One of the types consists of:

• a medium close up (or close up) of the main protagonist(s) to present them as the dominant, lead character
• direct mode of address which forms a connection between the viewers and the characters on the poster 
• A telling costume connected to the plot or simply the time frame
• A bold, colourful title with possible connotations, 'Burnt' being orange to denote itself and connote passion or anger whilst suffragette being pink to connote femininity and therefore pride 

Another type consists of:

• The main protagonist in clear view but without direct mode of address, implying they have their mind elsewhere, perhaps on a mission
• A black and white colour scheme or simply low key and high key lighting contrasts to convey the film's dark themes, perhaps morality with right vs wrong (concussion) or inner good vs inner bad (captive) due to the contrast in light.
• A more subtle and more plainly coloured title, possibly to convey the film's more serious and subtle emotions which is matched by the facial expressions of the main character

Research into similar products

Ancillary product - film poster

I have decided to do some early research into film posters and more specifically, what makes a good film poster under the drama genre in comparison to other genres.

In the horror genre, it is evident that their posters are dark and ambiguous, achieved through:

• obscured images of the antagonist(s)
• the use of close ups or extreme close ups to capture the fear/ horror in a facial expression
• a prop with obvious denotations like a knife, implying murder.

In the action/ adventure genre, it is evident that their posters are packed in order to convey the action and excitement in the film, this includes:

• Multiple characters with the main protagonist usually in the foreground 
• some form of action scene in the poster's background
• Lots of colour/ post-production effects
• Numerous props, usually weapons

In the comedy genre, it is evident that their posters are bright and somewat slapstick to convey the humour in the film which is achieved through:

• multiple characters all in a slapstick position either through body language or facial expression
• possibly an action-like event taking place made humorous through the slapstick characters
• A close up/ medium close up of the main protagonist

However in my film's genre, drama, the posters are often quite simplistic, focusing on the main characters and trying to convey some of the film's emotions, which is achieved through:

• Close ups or long shots of the main protagonist
• facial expressions/ body language of the main protagonist giving a sense of their personality/ feelings
• props that tell us something about the character or the plot
• black and white or faded colours to try and convey the emotions in the film or the time frame