Magazine Review: Final and Finished Draft

Magazine Review: Development of Ideas

Magazine Review: Making of the Review

To make my poster I used the programme InDesign as this is a programme often used by professionals when creating magazine pages. I also used my mock up design as a base to create my double page spread.

First Draft:
I used the image below as the background for my double page spread. I wanted to use one large, bold image for the article as I wanted it to be eye-catching and I thought this would be the best way to achieve this as opposed to using multiple smaller images. I used the image of the protagonist running in front of a sunset as it reflects the happy, nostalgic tone of the short film.

I adopted a black and white theme for the text on the article as I wanted the background image to be the most colourful segment of the article. I felt this colour scheme looked the most professional. I added black and white boxes to the background of text to make it stand out from the background. I also altered the opacity of the boxes so the background image was slightly visible beneath, this made them less harsh against the background. For my first draft I added elements such as a star rating from cosmopolitan magazine, the article itself, quotes from the directors, awards the film has won, a review, a summary of doubled page spread for example 'an exclusive look at the new Scanhouse production', a review page tag, film release date, page numbers, and a webpage address. These were elements I had learned about whilst researching magazine reviews. I also downloaded fonts from the website 'Da Font' to use for the quote used as the title of the article as I wanted an interesting font to catch the eye of the reader. 

Second Draft:

However upon reflection of my design and after speaking with teachers and a few peers I realised my magazine design had a few flaws and therefore I corrected these whilst creating my second draft. The image below displays my second draft. One change I made for my second draft is I moved the background image to fit the whole page as previously I had placed it to fit within the trim/bleed lines. This means that the image will fit the entire page and not leave a white border around it. I also then extended all the black background boxes to go past the trim/bleed lines, this gave the double page spread a more professional appearance. I also changed the text on the left hand page of the double page spread as this was previously a star rating from the Cosmopolitan magazine, however upon reflection I realised this was not a convention of a magazine review, therefore I changed this to 'Jessica Leigh takes an exclusive look at the new Scanhouse production', this therefore tells the reader what the article is about. I also made it a different don't to make it stand out. I also moved the web address to the bottom of the page and made it smaller. I also moved the star rating to below the title of the article, this implies that the star rating is from the magazine itself instead of it being a quote. I also moved the film release date to the bottom of the white background box. 

Third Draft:

After finishing my second draft of my magazine review both my teacher and I agreed that the double page spread would look more professional if the silhouette of the protagonist running was made slightly darker. This would create a larger contrast between the bright background and her silhouette. Therefore I used the programme Photoshop to do this. 

I then replaced this image with the original background image straight from InDesign and therefore finished my final draft. 

Magazine Review: Mock Up Draft One

This is my initial plan for the layout of my magazine review. Below is my initial plan for the design of my magazine review. I used both of these plans whilst creating my first draft of my magazine review on InDesign. 

Magazine Research: The Incredibles Analysis (3)

Institutional Information:

The Incredibles was an animated film, released on the 5th November 2004, based on a family of undercover superheroes who while trying to live a quiet suburban life are forced into action to save the world. The film was written and directed by Brad Bird, also known for the long running TV show The Simpsons and films such as Ratatouille and The Iron Giant. The film stars voice actors such as Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L.Jackson and Holly Hunter. The film falls under the genres animation, action, adventure and family and has the motion picture rating PG. The films tagline is 'Sock-er Mom'. Overall the estimated budget for the film was $92,000,000 with the film grossing $70,000,000 in the United states on its opening weekend and overall grossing over $260,000,000 in the United states alone. 

Images:

The articles uses a lot of images to get the reader interested in the film. The largest of the images is the image on the left, this is a long shot of the main characters within the film, the Parr family. The use of this image tells the audience that one of the main themes within this film is family and the relationships between them. There are also four images placed on the right hand page these show the various characters in the film also providing the reader with snapshots of their superpowers giving the audience an insight into the plot. The article also uses two cut out style images of two of the characters, these images are foregrounded in the article making them appear to be reaching out of the article towards the reader thus making them more immersed and involved in the article. 

Mis En Scene:

The reader can tell from the top left image that the characters in the shot are superheroes this is due to the tight fitting colourful outfits they are wearing with the black pants placed over the top. The audience is also able to tell that they are a family and a team due to the 'i' symbol on all of their outfits. The fact that they are superheroes is also supported by the black eye masks they are all wearing, this is a stereotypical superhero costume in the the film industry. The characters stance in the image also show the audience that they are superheroes and the fact they are stood in a defensive but ready to attack position is stereotypical of the superhero genre. This is also supported by their determined and smug facial expressions, this is typical of characters who have superhuman powers as it demonstrates their self assurance in their own abilities. 

The top image on the right presents the character as having superhuman strength. The juxtaposition of the small protagonist lifting the large heavy craters suggests that he has superhuman strength. 

Colour Scheme:

A red and black colour scheme is used throughout the article, this links with the red and black colour of the protagonists superhero outfits. The colour red also has connotations of danger which is a large element of this film as its the reason the protagonists come out of hiding, therefore this links to the plot and the genre of the film being action and adventure. The colour and tone of the images used in the article also hints towards the genre of action, for example in the pages on the right hand side orange and teal tones are used, these coloured tones are typical for the genre action. All of the images in this article are bright and colourful therefore catching the readers attention and thus getting them interested in the film. 

Orthography and Graphology:

The main body of the text is written in the classic 'Times New Roman' font, this makes it clear and easy to read. The first letter of the article 'T' is displayed in a large red font, this stands out in the article therefore making it more likely for someone to read it. Another similar technique is the way the first three words of the article are written in red font and are capitalised. The quote used in the article is also capitalised and written in a red font, this makes it stand out against the white background intriguing the reader and making them want to find out more about the film. Perhaps one weakness of the article is that it doesn't display the title of the film clearly as the reader has to search the page to find out that information as it is not obvious. 

Text:

The opening paragraph of the article immediately introduces the film and gives a brief insight to the characters by providing a few well recognisable quotes from the film, brief summaries of their appearances and personality traits. The main body of text includes many elements like quotes from various people involved in the film such as Ed Catmull, the President at Pixar, this provides multiple perspectives on the film for the reader. 

How does the article advertise the film?

This article advertises the film through the use of colour, images, graphology and orthography. The article uses bright images and text to capture the readers attention and build their interest in the film. The use of quotes from influential people such as the President of Pixar build the readers trust in the author and ultimately making it seem like a film worth watching.  

Magazine Research: Peter Pan Analysis (2)

Institutional Information:
Peter Pan is about the Darling children who received a visit from Peter Pan who takes them to Neverland where an ongoing war with the evil pirate Captain Hook is taking place. The film is directed by P.J Hogan, also known for Muriel's Wedding (1994) and My Best Friends Wedding (1997). Peter Pan the play was originally written by J.M Barrie which was then turned into a screenplay by Hogan. The film stars actors Jeremy Sumpter, Jason Isaacs and Olivia Williams. The tagline for the film is 'all children grow up expect one' and the film comes under the genres adventure,  family, fantasy and romance. Peter Pan was released December 25th 2003 in the United States with an estimated budget of $100,000,000 grossing an estimated $1,800,000 on its opening weekend and around $48,000,000 in the US alone. Production companies involved in the film include Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures Corporation and Revolution Studios.

Images:
This article uses two main images and three smaller images to intrigue the reader and capture their attention. The main image on the left hand side of the double paged spread presents the two main characters of the film: Peter Pan and Wendy. This image takes up over half of the left hand side of the immediately capturing the readers attention. The fact that this image is the largest in the whole article tells the audience that the characters in this image are the two main characters that the plot will follow. The fact that this image features two characters also suggests to the reader that romance will be a key theme throughout the film and that the romance will involve the two characters featured in the image.
The second main image from the article is a mid/long shot of the antagonist of the film, Captain Hook. The reader is immediately informed that this character plays a large role in the film due to the fact he takes up a large portion of the right hand page.
The top of the double page spread features three images of shots from the film, these hint towards key themes of the film such as adventure, shown by Wendy looking through the door, family, shown through a shot of Wendy and her siblings and finally romance which is shown through the shot of the protagonist Peter Pan and Wendy standing in a typically romantic stance. These give the reader a small insight into the film, its key characters and themes.

Mis En Scene:
The mis en scene used in the images in the article also tell the audience that the film has a theatrical tone to it. This can be seen through the extravagant costume the character Captain Hook is wearing for example the large feather on the top of his pirate hat. The costume also tells the reader that the character on the right hand page is pirate due to the recognisable costume. We can also see that he is the antagonist in the plot as his right hand which is replaced by a hook is clearly visible in the image, this hook is easily identifiable by the audience as this hook has strong connections with the well known character Captain Hook. We can also tell he is the antagonist through his stern facial expression in the image.
We can tell from the images that the two protagonists are young children, this is emphasised by the lack of makeup used on the actors. The images also present the characters in the larger image on the left as the protagonists as they have happy facial expressions. We can see that Peter Pans character is carefree and wild through his the clothes he is wearing for example a sparse ripped and crumpled shirt. Wendy's character is presented as being more civilised and domesticated, this can be seen through the formal white shirt the character is wearing in one of the smaller images in the article. The old fashioned costumes seen on characters Captain Hook and Wendy also tell the reader that the film is set in the past.

Use of Colour:
One way colour is used throughout the article is through the characters outfits to demonstrate their personality and position within the plot. The brown neutral colour of the protagonists clothing suggests an earthy tone which has connotations of nature, youth and growth. This therefore links to the main plot point around the fact that Peter Pan is a child who ever ages. The colour red is also used throughout the character Captain Hook's outfit has connotations of danger and evil, signifying to the audience that he is the antagonist. The use of the strip across the right hand side of the right hand page of the double page spread also uses the colour green which relates to nature which has strong connotations of youth and growth. Green is also used for the first few words of the main body of text, for example 'Once upon a time...' and 'A clarification'. The white font used for the title of the article 'An Awfully Big Adventure' also has strong connotations of youth and innocence.

Orthography and Graphology:
Orthography is used throughout the double paged spread. An example being the change in font, font size and colour to indicate the start of a new segment in the main body of text. This also adds a sense of professionalism to the piece. This technique draws the readers attention to an otherwise visually boring body of text and therefore getting them to read the rest of the article. The rest of the the text is printed in the typical font 'Times New Roman', this makes the article clear and easy to read. The word 'Adventure' in the title of the article is printed in a font similar to calligraphy, this gives the impression that the word was written with a quill and ink. This therefore adds to the idea that this film is set in the past in a fictional world. This font is also used the signify the start of a new segment in the main body of text as well as for the quote on the right hand page.

Text:
The main body of text starts with the opening 'Once upon a time...' this immediately tells the audience that the film is based off of the well known fairytale. The first paragraph of the article introduces the film as a cinematic remake of the original fairytale therefore drawing in a wider audience as almost everyone has heard the tale of Peter Pan. It also introduces the film by referring to the directors previous work, this also brings in a wider audience. The use of words such as 'wedgie' used in the text, in this case the quote, create a childish tone to the article therefore intriguing younger readers into watching the film.

How does the article advertise the film?
Overall the article advertises the film Peter Pan through a use of graphology, orthography, colour and mis en scene.

Magazine Research: The Manchurian Crisis (1)

Institutional Information:
The Manchurian Crisis is a drama/sci-fi film, based from the original film The Manchurian Crisis 1962, released 30th July 2004 in the United States. The film is based off the novel written by Richard Condon, who also helped with adapting the story into a screenplay with other writers such as George Axelrod, Daniel Pyne and Dean Georgaris. The Manchurian Crisis tells the story of Sergeant Raymond Shaw after his army unit is ambushed during the first Gulf War. Starring actors include Denzel Washington as the leading role, Live Schreiber and Merly Streep. The film is a rated R due to strong violence and language, with the tagline '... is anyone seeing the truth?'. The budget for the film was an estimated $80,000,000, with the film grossing an estimated $20,000,000 on its opening weekend and an overall $65,000,000 overall. Production companies involved in the film include Paramount Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions and Clinica Estetico.

Images:
The double paged article includes four images from the film. Each of these images are focused on one individual character. The largest image is of the protagonist of the film, Major Marco, played by Denzel Washington. This is a medium shot of the character stood in a tall, formal stance. The fact that this image is almost centred on the double page spread and is larger than the other images, shows the audience that he is the main character in the film and that the plot will be centred around him. The fact that the character is stood alone in the shot also suggests that the plot will follow his personal struggle.
Another image in the article displays Meryl Streep's character, this is also a mid shot. This again tells the audience that her character will play an important role in the plot. The fact that she is alone in the shot implies that her character is a head-strong leader within the plot.
The use of smaller images for the other two photos suggest that these are more minor characters within the film. The use of large images of the well known actors playing a role in this film will intrigue the reader as these are faces they will recognise. This will draw in a larger audience for the film as people will go see the film because they have enjoyed actors such as Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep's work.

Mis En Scene:
In the main image of the article the main character, played by Denzel Washington, is displayed as standing tall in an officers uniform. This suggest to the reader his character has a highly professional and senior job. This subverts black stereotypes within the media as black characters are usually presented as making a living through crime and gangs, the fact that the character is presented with loads of medals on his uniform tells the audience he is very successful and respected within his profession. He is also shown wearing glasses, this presents him as intelligent. This intrigues the audience as the film is about the protagonist second guessing his own memories, the fact that the protagonist appears to be very intelligent suggests that the plot of the film is complex and interesting therefore expanding the potential audience of the film.
The image of the woman, played by Meryl Streep, displays her as professionally dressed, this implies that she is in a senior profession. The fact that she is dressed in all white clothing suggests that her character is innocent, however the caption located in the bottom left of the photo 'Meryl's scheming senator is all smiles in public' contradicts this presentation. This would therefore intrigue the audience as it adds complexity to the plot of the film. Her short brown hair presents her as practical and sensible, a stereotypical hair style of someone in a senior role.
Similar representations are used to present the other two characters. The use of professional clothing, and props such as pens present the characters as professional higher class individuals.

Use of colour:
Throughout the article there is a clear colour scheme of blue, red and white. This can be seen through the large text 'Primary Killer' and the media sized quote within the article ''Movies aren't religion. Nothing is sacred...' Jonathan Demme'. It can also been seen in the top left hand side of the double page spread where the title of the film is located. The colour scheme also matches the colours of the clothing the characters are wearing in the images, for example the blue uniform Denzel Washington's character is wearing, the white suit Meryl Streep's character is wearing, the white shirt of Jon Voight and the blue suit of Live Schreiber. This colour scheme links directly to the colours of the American flag, this links to strong theme of American politics throughout the film. The use of the red font for the word 'Killer's' has connotations of danger, corruption and murder, also themes found within the film. It also grabs the readers attention immediately therefore making it much more likely they will read the article and then go see the film.

Orthography and Graphology:
The majority of the main body of the text is displayed in a simple 'Times New Roman' font, this makes it clear and easy to read. Orthography is used throughout the text, each first word at the start of a new sentence is capitalised and punctuation is used clearly. The main body of text is also surrounded by a text box separating the article from the images and making the layout more clear and easy to read. A typewriter/stamp style font has been used throughout the article, a few examples being the work 'primary', the first sentence of the main body of text 'in 1972, Jonathan Demme' and the quote in the centre of the text 'Movies aren't religion. Nothing is sacred...'. This font appears to be a similar font used commonly throughout cinema to the 'secret' stamp placed on folders of private government information. This links to the themes of secrets, lies and corruption throughout the film.

Text:
The text immediately presents information about the fact that the movie is a re-make of the previous film, also called The Manchurian Crisis, released in 1962. This would attract a wider audience as anyone who had enjoyed that film would be interested in seeing the re-make. The text also gives a brief summary of what the film is about therefore drawing the readers interest in straight away. The quote used in the middle of the main body of text 'Movies aren't religion. Nothing is sacred...' is very mysterious and generates a sense of enigma around the new film.

How does this review advertise the film?
This double page review spread advertises the film through the use of colour, an example being the strong colour scheme of blue, red and white which links to the colours of the American flag presenting connotations of American politics, therefore clearly displaying the genre and main themes of the film. The use of font also advertises the film as the use of typewriter/stamp font for different elements of the article as it creates a sense of enigma as it has connotations of corruption, therefore intriguing the audience. The inclusion of images of the starring actors such as Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep also advertises the film as it draws in fans who had watched and enjoyed their previous work. Overall this article successfully draws in a particular audience for the film The Manchurian Crisis 2004.

Magazine Spread: Research

For the other ancillary product I have chosen to create is a two page magazine review on my short film. For my initial research I decided to create a mood board of different two page spreads to development my understanding of the media product: 

While researching magazine reviews I included film reviews from other genres that weren't just coming of age and for short films, this is because there aren't many film reviews that fit into both those specifications, therefore so I didn't limit my research I included review from any type of film or genre. 

One key characteristic I found when creating my mood board was that many of them include one main image from the film which generally takes up at to around half or three thirds of the double page spread. This immediately catches the audiences attention and gives a brief insight into the plot of the film. For example Twilight, a romance film, displays an image of the two love interests dancing romantically where as the image for Alice In Wonderland gives an insight into the interesting and unique world the film is set in. It is quite rare to feature just the protagonist as the main image of the magazine, as throughout my research generally there are multiple characters displayed. 

The purpose of a magazine review:

The primary purpose of a magazine is to promote and advertise the chosen film. The review can often include a short synopsis of the film providing the reader with an insight into the plot. Positive reviews can help generate a wider audience for the film and therefore generate more profit once it is released. A magazine can also help attract the films target audience as different magazines have a different average reader profile therefore they can directly address their chosen audience. 

Conventions of a magazine review:

• The films tagline, proving an insight into the narrative of the film.
• A star rating or percentage rating, this is to suggest how entertaining the film was to the reviewer. 
• A short summary and synopsis of the plot of the film, introduces the genre and tone of the film. 
• A large image will be shown to display the main characters and often demonstrate the tone of the film to intrigue the audience. 
• The article itself may begin with a quote to catch the readers attention. 
• Increased font size for the first letter of the paragraph. 
• The review will focus on the protagonist and give the reader a sense of their character and personality within the film. 

Film Poster: Overall Development of Ideas

Design One:


Design Two:

Poster: Final Poster after feedback from focus group

Changes to final draft:

I decided to choose my first poster design as my final poster as this was my favourite design and it was also the most popular design amongst the members of my target audience I spoke to during my focus group. I also received some suggestion on ways I could improve my poster and therefore when creating my final draft of the poster I included these improvements. One improvement I made to the poster was that I made the font size of my title bigger, I did this to make it stand out more to immediately draw the viewers attention upon their first glance at the poster. Another change I made to the poster was the fact that I included the release date of the film, this was a popular piece of feedback I received therefore I moved the actors name to the top of the poster to make room for the release date as this is an important convention for film posters. One final element I changed on my poster was that I adjusted the font of the credits to give the poster a more professional look. I think these changes made my poster more conventional and overall made the poster look more professional. 

Poster Planning: Focus Group

I gathered a focus group of 10 people within the ages of my target audience (12-25) and asked them some questions about my two poster designs to decide which was the best design to then do one final draft of it with the improvements from the focus group. The focus group also included people from my media class, therefore their experience of studying the subject will help give me valuable feedback. These are the questions I asked my focus group:

1) Which one stands out most from your first impressions?

2) Which one looks the most professional?

3) Which one is your favourite?

4) Is there anything you would change about the layout or design of the preferred poster?

Poster One: 

Poster Two: 

Responses:

1) Which one stands out most from your first impressions?

Poster One: 7

Poster Two: 3

2) Which one looks the most professional?

Poster One: 8

Poster Two: 2

3) Which one is your favourite?

Poster One: 7

Poster Two: 3

4) Is there anything you would change about the layout or design of the preferred poster?

Poster One: 

• I would add the release date to the poster.
• Maybe make the title a bit bigger 
• Change the font of the credits, I think a different font would make the poster look more professional. 
• Add the release date to the poster.
• Put the cinema release date on the poster 
• No 
• Make the film award badges more visible. 

Poster Two:

• Make the film awards badge stand out more. 
• Add a quote from a magazine.
• No.

Conclusion:

From the feedback I have received from the focus group I have decided that poster one is going to be my final poster design. I have also learnt from the feedback to make the following changes: 

• Add the release date of the film to the poster.
• Make the title a bit bigger.
• Change the font of the credits to a more professional looking font.

Poster Planning: Developed Ideas

I used photoshop to create both of these posters and followed my mock up and initial idea plan throughout the process.

Design One:

I chose to use the colour white for my title as it stands out against the background image, it also have connotations of youth and innocence which conforms to my chosen genre: coming of age. I also chose white for the film credits and the tag line as I wanted these to be visible against the darker background image. I chose neutral tones for most elements of my poster such as yellows, golds, browns and white as this colour scheme fit best with the background image of the poster without drawing too much attention away from it. I chose a brown font for the quote from cosmopolitan magazine as it make the font stand out from the blue sky behind. The colour brown also has connotations of nature which implies growth which is the centre of the plot in my short film. I chose handwritten fonts for most of poster such as the title, tagline, actors name and the magazine quote. I did this as handwritten style fonts hint towards youth. The handwritten fonts appear fun instead of serious which is a similar theme to what we are portraying about youth seen through the tagline of the film 'Don't waste your youth growing up'. I also used a symmetrical look for this poster which was used for many of the posters I looked at in my research.

Design Two: 

I chose a landscape layout for this poster as many of the poster I had analysed had been portrait and I wanted to make a product that would stand out. This poster uses a brighter colour scheme with colours such as green, orange, white and blue. I chose the orange tone of the star rating, release date and film award as the background photo was taken at sunset and I wanted to replicate these tones throughout the poster. To get the tones to match I used the colour eyedropper tool to make them the same colour as the orange/brown jacket seen in the shot. I used the colour green for the film title as green has connotations of nature and growth which conforms to my chosen genre. The green also stands out against the rest of the neutral orange and blue tones in the poster and the white background. The white used for the actors name and the credits also stands out but doesn't take attention away from the image and title. I also took a symmetrical approach towards this poster. 

Poster Planning: Two Initial Designs

Design One: 

For the first design I chose to stay quite conventional to the stereotypical features of a film poster. I wanted to include many elements that had been included on the film posters in my mood board, therefore my design features: quotes from a magazine, a star rating system, actors names, tagline, film titles, idents and credits as well as film award badges. However this film poster does flout one stereotypical convention as the poster will feature the protagonist and her best friend, this is unconventional as film posters usually present their protagonist through one mid/close up shot of them looking into the camera. This is a typical layout of a romance film as seen through my research when creating my mood board through film posters such as 'Love Rosie' and 'Juno', however this layout will represent the key theme of friendship in my short film. This poster design also follows the rule of thirds as the first thing the audience will be drawn to is the main image that will feature the protagonist and her friend as it is placed in the centre of the poster.

Design Two:

This poster design also conforms to many conventions of stereotypical film posters as it includes elements such as: the film title, the release date, a star rating system, magazine names, main actors names, certificate, awards and the idents and credits. This poster also flouts the convention of the main image being a close up/mid shot of the protagonist as the main image is of the protagonist and her best friend, this was done to present the strong theme of friendship throughout the film. This poster is also landscape where as generally film posters tend to be portrait.

Poster Research: Submarine Analysis (3)

Institutional Information:
The film Submarine was released in 2010, directed by Richard Ayoade, also known for films such as The Watch (2012) and The Double (2013), and based from the 2008 novel Submarine written by Joe Dunthrone. The film is a coming of age drama based off of the protagonists quest to loose his virginity before his next birthday and to extinguish the flame between his mother and an ex-lover who has resurfaced in her life. Submarine was released in the USA and the UK on the 18th March 2011 and stars actors such as Craig Roberts as the leading role with supporting actors Sally Hawkins and Paddy Considine. During its opening weekend on box-office it grossed £244,476 in the UK, grossing $466,702 overall. Several production companies were involved in the making of Submarine, a few examples include Warp Films, Weinstein Company, Film 4. Submarine has been nominated for multiple awards also winning the BAFTA for Best Feature/Television Film in 2012 and Best Screenplay at the British Independent Film Awards in 2011.

Main Image:

This film poster displays one main image, a medium close up shot of the protagonist Oliver. This poster doesn't follow the rule of thirds which would argue that the best position for the main image of the poster would be right in the centre of it, as this is where your eyes are drawn first. Instead this poster positions the main image in the lower half of the poster. However it could be argued that the use of the abstract blue filter over the lower third of the poster creates a new middle for the poster therefore making the first place you look upon glancing the image is the protagonists eyes.

The protagonist in the image is looking just above the camera lens, this is effective as it creates direct mode of address. This allows the audience to built a rapport with the protagonist as it makes the audience feel like he is looking directly at them. This element of the poster is effective as it makes the audience more inclined to view the film as they will feel more connected to the protagonist. The use of a medium shot also gives the audience lots of information about the main character such as emotions, facial expressions, costumes. 

The use of colour throughout this poster makes it eye-catching for the audience through the use of the repetitive colour scheme. The use of the three primary colours: red, yellow and blue is effective as these three colours are used throughout the whole marketing campaign therefore associating the film with the three colours. The use of the filter/block of blue links to the title of the film as it appears as if the protagonist has half his face underwater similar to a submarine, this also creates an element of abstract and creativity within the poster which is often seen in films within the coming-of-age genre and also reflects the themes present in the film. Being underwater also has connotations of anxiety and 

Mis En Scene:

There is limited mis en scene seen within the poster. However in the foreground the protagonist is presented in school uniform. This implies to the audience that the protagonist is between the ages 12-18 years old, this is a stereotypical age for main characters within the coming-of-age genre this therefore immediately tells the audience what genre the film is. The fact that the protagonist is wearing school uniform would therefore suggest that the film is set in a school environment, this is also stereotypical of the coming-of-age genre. The blurred background of the poster would suggest that the protagonist is facing some psychological challenges and is disconnected from his surroundings.

How does it relate to the narrative?

The poster is designed to be ambiguous as it doesn't reveal any key elements of the film, the only thing it does tell us is who the protagonist is and the fact that he goes to school, this is presented through the uniform he is wearing. The use of the block of blue links to the title of the film 'Submarine' as it appears the protagonist is half submerged underwater. This block of blue and the theme of being underwater also has connotations of depression and anxiety as it creates the impression that the protagonist is trapped under heavy pressure. These themes link with the narrative of the film as these are some elements the protagonist struggles with. However the poster doesn't present the key element of the narrative, this being a romance, as stereotypically a film poster where a relationship is prominent within the storyline usually present the two characters in the relationship on their poster, however Submarine only presents its main character, therefore not hinting towards a romantic relationship at all as part of the storyline. 

Does it conform or reject stereotypical conventions?

One way the poster rejects the conventions is the way they only feature the main protagonist on the poster and not the romantic interest. Stereotypically film posters based around a romance will feature both the people involved in the relationship on the poster as this immediately tells the audience there is a romance in the film. As a real media text the film poster includes many of the stereotypical elements generally included, for example it features: a main image, a quote from a review, a star rating, the title of the film, film credits, idents as well as production companies, directors, producers, actors names in small font at the bottom on the poster. 

Lighting:

The film poster uses high key lighting thus creating a bright neutral tone to the film, this could reflect how the protagonist feels about romance and his relationship throughout the film. The use of the block of blue over the bottom half of the poster links to themes of depression and anxiety the protagonist struggles with throughout the film.

Font and Title:

The title of the film is presented in three lines, each in a different colour, this links to the ambiguity of the poster and adds to the 'original' tone of the film that is used to attract an audience. 

Poster Research: Boy Analysis (2)

Institutional Information:

Boy is a short film released in 2011 that follows a 10 year old boy as he experiences a rite of passage with his dad that will change him forever. The short film was written and directed by Topaz Adizes, starring actors Finn Greene who's plays the 10 yea old boy and Jeff Wells who plays the father. The runtime of the film is just under ten minutes. Companies such as Blow Gun Films and ReKon Production helped with the production of the film. The short film ha been nominated for multiple awards such as the Discovery award at the Cannes Film Festival, the Bronze Horse Award at the Stockholm Film Festival and the SXSW Grand Jury award at the SXSW Film Festival all in 2011.

Main Image:

This film poster contains one main image, a close up of the protagonist looking directly into the camera. This image doesn't conform to the rule of thirds as the protagonists head is placed at the top of the poster and is therefore in theory not what the viewer would see first. The young boy in the poster is placed in the foreground, showing the audience the film is based on his story. The fact that the boy is alone on the poster also suggests that this film is about personal growth. Finally, the character in the main image is presented as looking directly into the camera, this is effective as is creates a direct mode of address. This makes the audiences feel as if the protagonist is looking directly at them, therefore allowing the audience to build a rapport with the protagonist. This will in turn make the audience feel more inclined the watch the film as they will feel connected to the protagonist, a key element in the narrative.

Mis En Scene:

In the background of the poster there is an abandoned desert setting connoting the protagonist is isolated in this film and is disconnected from his family and the rest of society. The use of a rural setting for the poster suggests a theme of nature in the film which has strong connotations of growth and is stereotypical of the coming of age genre. This is also reinforced by the green/yellow t-shirt the protagonist is wearing as the colour green also has similar connotations of growth. By having the protagonist holding a large shotgun in the image of the poster suggests that this character has been forced to grow up quicker than he should have and act older than his years. It also connotes to the audience that the protagonist has a broken or damaged relationship with his parents as a parent would generally not allow a young child like the protagonist of this film to hold an object so dangerous. The gun also implies that the protagonist is having issues connecting with his father as a gun is a stereotypically male object and is often used for hunting which is generally viewed as a stereotypically male hobby that fathers and sons tend to participate in to strengthen their bond. This would therefore suggest the protagonist is using this gun to win the affection of his father. 

Conventions:

In terms of conventions this film poster both flouts and follows the modern codes of a film poster. For example the poster includes elements such as the use of a main image, film titles, film credits. However the poster doesn't include stereotypical characteristics such as a star rating system or quote from a reviewer, an ident, a release date, website or tagline. This could be due to the fact that the poster was from an independent film therefore it is unlikely the film would have had a well known media outlet rate the film as it wouldn't be necessary for the films target audience as it was released on the directors website without an exact release date set. Where as a typical convention of film posters is to display the starring actors names in large visible font as a way to attract an audience, this poster however displays the directors name in large visible font instead of the actors, this could be because the film stars lesser-known actors and therefore their names wouldn't be used as a device to build an audience, however as the director has directed short films previously, this could be used to draw in the audiences from his previous work to be interested in Boy. 

How does it relate to the narrative?

This poster relates to the narrative as the poster displays the protagonist, the boy, as isolated through the deserted background, this is a key factor within the film as the plot follows a day with the protagonist and his dad as he takes him out to shoot a wolf, the plot of the short film is based upon the protagonists inner conflict to shoot the wolf. The protagonist is isolated as his father leaves him to go shoot the wolf while he waits in the car and smokes. 

The use of the gun in the film poster also connotes to the audience that the relationship between the child and his parents is not supportive and loving as this wouldn't be an object a good parent would allow their child to hold. This reflects the relationship between the boy and his father in the short film as this isn't a supportive relationship. In the film the father seems very disconnected from his son, the boy seems resentful towards his father but also wants to win his approval which is why at the end of the short film he shoots the wolf. The negative facial expression on the protagonist in the poster also reflects his resentment towards his father and family as well his sadness about shooting the wolf. 

Featuring the gun as a main element on the poster reflects the props purpose in the short film which is for the boy to gain respect from his father and overcome his youth. 

Lighting:

The lighting in the poster has yellow and orange undertones imitating a sunset, this has connotations of endings and transitions as in the literal case sunsets transition from day to night. In terms of the short film this lighting could reflect the transition of the protagonist changing from an innocent boy to a boy with blood on his hands. It could also reflect the protagonist finally gaining his fathers respect. Sunsets also have connotations of nature which can presents themes of growth within film. As the light source is positioned from behind the protagonist's left hand shoulder this could represent him leaving his innocent past behind him as he now carries the guilt of killing the wolf with him.

Poster Research: King Jack Poster Analysis (1)

Institutional Information:

King Jack is a coming of age film that follows a young boy named Jack as he struggles with bullies, summer school and a sick aunt, however everything changes after he is forced to look after his younger cousin who comes to visit for the weekend. The film was directed and written by Felix Thompson and stats actors such as Charlie Plummer, Cory Nichols and Christian Madsen. This film's certificate is 15. This film was released June 10th 2016 in the USA. King Jack was nominated for the Best American Independent Feature Film award at the Cleveland International Film Festival in 2016 and has also won awards at the Independent Spirit Awards as well as the Tribeca Film Festival in 2016.

Main Image:

The film poster for King Jack contains one main image, this is a medium shot of the protagonist Jack looking directly into the camera and in turn directly at the audience viewing the poster. This poster also conforms to the rule of thirds as the centralised image of the protagonist will be the first thing the audience sees, this also shows the audience that the plot will be centred around him. In the background of the poster there are two of the protagonists friends behind him on either side, this gives the audience the impression that friendships and relationships will be a key theme throughout the film and that the protagonist replies in these two characters. 

Mis En Scene:

In terms of mis en scene, the protagonist is presented as a middle class teenager, this can be seen through the casual clothes he is wearing and the bike he is riding. The inclusion of the bike also presents the protagonist as adventurous, this is reinforced by the mud on his face and the fact that he is standing up on the pedals of his bike in the image. These elements of the poster tell the audience immediately that the film follows a young boy, therefore its clear to the audience that the genre of the film will be coming of age. From the background of the image we can see the film will be set it a rural area as we can see an open road surrounded by trees. The green trees behind them connotes growth which corresponds to typical conventions of the coming of age genre. 

Typography and Graphology:

The title of the feature film 'King Jack' is one of the first elements of the poster that draws your attention. The handwritten font also links to the theme of youth, it also looks as if someone has repeatedly scribbled the words which could connote the character has made mistakes and is trying to correct them, a stereotypical plot convention within the coming of age genre. This title also links to the overlaying image of the crown on the protagonists head, this suggests a theme of royalty and imagination, another characteristic of the youth. This is further reinforced by the second crown added to the title above the 'i'. The use of white font makes the title and tagline stand out from the image behind, the colour also has connotations of youth and innocence thus conforming to the coming of age genre. The institutional information is displayed in a small clear font at the bottom of the poster, this is made smaller to take up less room as this isn't information that would catch the audiences attention or make the film more appealing at a glance. The quote 'brings an assured sense of perspective to the rite-of-passage movie' and 'exceptionally powerful', as well as the star rating beneath is presented in large clear font making it easily visible to the viewer. They have chosen burgundy for the colour of the font to make it stand out from the light blue background, the colour also links to the colour of the shirt the protagonist is wearing. The designer has also used a similar method when choosing the colour font to display their film festival awards in, the light blue stands out significantly from the green background without taking the immediate attention away from the white title. 

Conventions to genre and media type:

The film poster successfully includes all the necessary information usually displayed such as the protagonist being in the foreground, the background of the poster reflecting the setting of the film, the film title large and easy to read, the institutional information at the bottom of the poster in a smaller print, the tagline for the film displayed. However, one typical convention that isn't displayed on the poster is the release date of the film, this is an unsuccessful element of the poster as this is critical information the audience needs in order to sell tickets and generate a profit. The layout of this poster is also traditional as the structure is stereotypically conventional with the quote and rating at the top of the poster, the image and title in the centre of the page and the credits and institutional information at the bottom of the page. The quote 'brings an assured sense of perspective to the rite-of-passage movie' immediately attracts anyone who enjoys films within the coming of age genre. 

Lighting:

The film poster uses high key lighting to create a happy and peaceful tone, this also links to the theme of youthfulness and the idea of having no responsibilities. This juxtaposes the synopsis and main plot of the film which follows a young boy through a number of difficulties he faces. Therefore the high key lighting could be used to imply in the end he does overcome his issues through the support from his friends and family.

How does this link the film narrative?

This poster links to the narrative well. The green trees in the background link to the key theme of personal growth and self discovery prominent within the plot of the feature film. The poster also successfully presents the protagonist and the other characters behind him as young through the use of the bikes, casual clothes and mud, cuts and bruises on his face. The whole film takes place over a weekend, this can be seen through the use of the sunset in the background as it is representation of time. The theme of friendship is key within the film, this is presented through the placement of the three characters on the poster. By placing the two supporting characters, his cousin and his friend/love interest behind him either side, this gives the impression that the protagonist is reliant on these relationships to aid him in overcoming the issues he faces. The consent referencing to the theme of royalty reflects the plot as the protagonist begins the film as naive and by the end of the film he becomes more confident and self assured. By giving Jack the title of a king, it presents him as being a strong authoritative figure who in the end is in control.

Film Poster: Research

For one of my ancillary product I have chosen to create a film poster to go with my short film. For the first stage of my research I decided to create a mood board to develop my understanding of film posters in my short films genre. 

Whilst researching short film posters I found that there are not many posters available from short films in the coming of age genre to explore and analyse, therefore I included posters from feature films in my mood board to add a wider range of styles to my research.

This mood board gave me an idea of the typical characteristics found within film posters for the coming of age genre. One characteristic that immediately stood out to me was the use of bright colours used throughout the posters, this is effective as it attracts the audience immediately upon viewing. There is also a wide range of different styles and colour schemes used throughout the mood board. 

One key characteristic that can be recognised from the mood board and my initial research is that for films with a plot based on one character's struggle, their film poster tends to only display the main protagonist. Where as, with coming of age films based around a romance, they tend to display two characters on the film poster, this tells the audience clearly whether the film is based around one characters journey, or two characters journey immediately. This will help influence my designs for my film posters, as my the plot of my short film follows one character it would make sense to have our protagonist the only character on the poster, however as our short film follows a theme of friendship perhaps we could incorporate the protagonists friend onto the poster as well.

The purpose of a film poster:
The primary purpose of a film poster is to inform the target audience about the film and its release date. It also aims to create a hype surrounding the release of the film. The poster will display key information such as release date, starring actors, classification. Posters use a combination of images, font and layout to create an impact with their target audience. The aim of the poster is to be effective and memorable the audience will be interested in paying to view the film upon its release.

The conventions of a film poster?

• A film poster generally displays the main protagonist in the foreground with the background simulating a setting similar to that the film is set in. The list of actors is also displayed as if an award winning actor is playing a role in the film this will usually be displayed in large font to attract a wider audience. 
• The images used for the foreground and background of the film poster reflect the characters and setting within the film. 
• The film title is generally displayed in large font clearly visible for the audience to see. 
• Institutional information is usually displayed at the bottom of the poster in smaller print.
• Typically the release date for the film is displayed in large font.
• A tagline for the film is generally also displayed. 

Filming: Day Seven

For our seventh filming day we aimed to get a lot of the filming done therefore we planned to shoot a range of sequences for our short film.

In the beginning of the day we shot the scenes of the protagonist sitting an exam. We used a range of different camera shots and angles for this scene. We shot it in a classroom at school to make the scene look as realistic as possible. We used props such as paper, an exam paper, pens and whiteboard during this scene.

We then captured a shot of the protagonist listening to music with earphones in, this was at the same angle we previously shot the train scene from, this was done so we could edit shots such as this together to create a montage. We changed our actresses clothing to make it seem like the footage was from another day.

We then went to my house and filmed our protagonist throwing paper out of the window of her bedroom. We used an over-the-shoulder shot of the protagonist as she approaches the window, we then switched the angle to being from below the window outside to show the paper falling. We also aimed to get a piece of paper to fall over the camera as we could then use this as a transition into another scene.

We then captured another shot for the music sequence of our protagonist sat in the car listening to music from the same angle to use for our sequence. 

We then travelled to Newbottle Woods to shoot footage of our protagonist jogging through the forrest. We changed our actresses clothing into gym clothing to make sure it looked like this was shot on another day. We also put her hair up to make it look like she was jogging. We shot various shots of the protagonist jogging, we also timed it so that the sun was also setting in the background of the shot during the time we were filming therefore we were able to capture bright natural lighting. We also captured another shot of the protagonist listening music whilst taking a break from her jog, this was to be added to the sequence during the editing process. We then shot the footage of Molly scratching out her and her ex-boyfriends initials from a tree. We kept the clothing and makeup the same for this scene as we wanted it to look like she had stumbled across the initials during her jog. We shot a variety of angles of Molly approaching the initials and we used car keys to scratch them out.

In the evening we went to my house and shot the scenes of the protagonist and her friend drinking alcohol together before a night out. We used cantered angles and fast, blurred camera movements to demonstrate that the characters were intoxicated. We also filmed shots of Molly applying makeup and Georgie applying makeup to Molly, a scene showing the two friends getting ready before going out.

Finally, we shot a series of clips of our protagonist revising for her exams. We wanted to use jump cuts for this sequences to emphasise to the audience the large amount of time that had passed whilst she had been revising. To do this we placed the camera in one position throughout all the clips. We also placed a light box in the foreground of the shot which displayed text such as '2 weeks before' and '2 days before'. In the background of the shot we had Molly revising, as we would count down the days until the exam which each new clip we would add more revision to her pile making it seem like her workload was comically increased with each day closer to the exam. We also changed her hair and makeup throughout the different clips to show the audience it each clip is a different day.

Call Sheet 7:

Filming: Day Six

For our sixth filming day we travelled on the train to oxford to capture footage of the protagonist and her friends shopping. Some examples of footage we shot were scenes of the protagonist and her friend walking down the street, looking through bath bombs, walking into shops, looking through clothes in a clothing store. We decided not to give our actress clear direction for what we wanted during these scenes as we wanted it to look as natural as possible.

At the end of the day as we were travelling home we shot some footage of the protagonist and her friend stood on the train platform as the train travelled past in front. We also shot some scenes of the protagonist listening to music on the train whilst looking out the window, we will use these as part of a montage during the editing process.