Friday 31 March 2017
Thursday 30 March 2017
Thursday 23 March 2017
Monday 20 March 2017
Magazine Cover Final Draft
Most of the feedback on the first draft of my magazine cover commented that it was too empty looking and wasn't very eye-catching. Therefore I added more information to it and gave the masthead a 3D effect so it stood out better. I also made the featured movie's title larger so it would take up more space and added boxes behind some of the cover lines so they stood out more.
Another commenter mentioned the blurring around the model, so I removed this. They also mentioned how the background didn't go very well with the model so I blurred the edges of the background image so it blended into the cover a little more and allowed the model to stand out more.
Another commenter mentioned that they didn't like the images used. However I kept these images the same as I believed they were best to give off the atmosphere of the film and also matched the layout of my inspirational cover.
Trailer Final Cut
In this scene I also put a longer pause in the space between when the music stops and the drum affect happens, this was to add more tension into this scene and to put in more spots in the trailer with no music as suggested for previous drafts.
Despite someone suggested I re-order the clips to have the phone finding scene before the text messages and the poster scenes together, I did not follow this through as I believed this would make the trailer look too narrative when trailers aren't necessarily supposed to be pieced into chronological order.
Others commented that the subtitles needed to be changed. Someone said they needed to be made shorter therefore I changed it from 'what lengths should a friend go to?' to 'what lengths would you go?' but then another commented that the words 'what lengths would you go?' were grammatically incorrect and should be 'what lengths would you go to?'. However, I decided to change the subtitle to 'how far would you go?' instead as this is the subtitle used on the poster which would maintain consistency throughout products.
Other commenters suggested that I put a filter on the scene where the knife is found in the bin as it looked too much like red paint. Therefore I darkened this shot along with the bloodied hand shots so they looked more gritty and realistic.
Trailer 2nd Draft Feedback
"The drum sound is really distorted and I don't think it's loud enough."
"Would be better to put the finding of the phone before the text messages."
"Put all the poster shots at the end together."
"I like the church shots."
"Make the subtitles short and more simple."
"The shot on the astro turf cuts in too quickly on the villain."
"Change the subtitle as it has incorrect grammar."
"Put a filter on the knife scene so the red paint looks more like blood."
"Put a longer pause in the music on the astro turf so there's more tension."
"Would be better to put the finding of the phone before the text messages."
"Put all the poster shots at the end together."
"I like the church shots."
"Make the subtitles short and more simple."
"The shot on the astro turf cuts in too quickly on the villain."
"Change the subtitle as it has incorrect grammar."
"Put a filter on the knife scene so the red paint looks more like blood."
"Put a longer pause in the music on the astro turf so there's more tension."
Poster Final Draft
The first feedback I acted on was making the title bigger so it stands out more, this was commented on twice by feedbackers as they believed it didn't draw out enough attention from the rest of the poster.
I also added a question mark at the end of the subtitle instead of an ellipses in order to make it more punctually correct.
A few people commented on the crosses over the eyes and the fact that in the previous version they were almost transparent. One person said it looked odd so I changed this so they were solid.
I also added the institutional information as this was a convention of posters that I did not add in.
Friday 17 March 2017
Trailer 2nd Draft
I also added more faded transitioning around the first third of the trailer in order to slow down the pace and drag the clips out more.
Another commenter recommended that I change the first subtitle to 'what lengths should a friend go to?' to establish the relationship between the protagonist and the victim.
Some of the feedback suggested cutting out the scene of the protagonist lying on the sofa, which I have done as it was not needed.
One commenter showed her appreciation for the parts of the trailer that went silent before the music started, therefore I enhanced this scene with a drum beat sound as the music goes silent in order to build up the tension that was missing in my first draft.
Another commenter told me I dragged some of the clips out too much, more specifically these scenes were the living room scene, bloody hand scene, and the torch under the bed scene. The reason I dragged these out in the first draft was to fill up more trailer time. However for this draft I had more filming footage so had no need to do this and ended up shortening these scenes.
One commenter mentioned that there was no drama in the trailer, therefore I added more dramatic scenes such as finding a knife in the bin and a phone in the bush. I also added in a scene of the missing poster being vandalised and then walked over by the protagonist.
Another commenter recommended that I swap the order of the scenes at the tennis court and put the OTS shot first, then the facial close up, and then put in the shots of the kidnapper. This was so is was made perfectly clear what the protagonist is looking at.
Following the want for more silent moments, I added in a pause in the music at the moment the kidnapper is spotted across the tennis court. This is then followed by a drum noise and base drop to increase the tension before the music starts again with a quicker pace.
Another commenter told me that it doesn't look like the protagonist is doing much other than walking around with a torch. Therefore at the scene where the victim walks down a path and turns round, I then had it fade into a shot of the protagonist looking around for the victim in the same place they disappeared.
Friday 10 March 2017
Trailer 1st Draft Feedback
"It's unclear who is trying to save who."
"It's quite static, there's no drama."
"The music starts too early and isn't very effective, it could do with some more silent moments or changing of pacing."
"It needs some shots of the moment she goes missing."
"There needs to be more emphasis on the lengths gone to get her back."
"The subtitle should be 'what lengths should a friend go to', to establish the relationship between protagonist and victim more."
"Maybe an intercut of victim where she went missing and then an intercut of the protagonist in the same place to show how she is looking for her."
"Take out the dog walking scene, it doesn't look like a search party."
"It needs more tension/pacing."
"The music is effective as it is different."
"It doesn't feel like a cinema trailer, more like a TV drama."
"The social media is effective for the target audience."
"Needs to maybe include review quotes."
"It's too similar to the BBC drama 'The Missing'."
"Could do with more fast paced editing as that would have suited this kind of movie, the scene with the bloody hands could have come to a surprise to the audience. Overall the trailer was good. Would watch the movie!"
"You can make the trailer seem scarier. Maybe more ominous music and darker colours?"
"Clips are dragged out too much."
"- The opening shot could be slowed down.
- Cut out the scene where the protagonist is lying on the sofa.
- I really like the music used.
- I like the scene with the torch and door but I don't think it should cut into the bloody hand scene because the lighting is too different.
- The scene at the fence has three shots, an over the shoulder shot, the protagonist's view, and then a close up of the character's face. I think it should be rearranged so the close up and POV are swapped. This is so we can see what you're looking at.
- Take out the dog walking scene.
- I really like the shot under the bed. The lighting is great and I like the boxes in the way of the camera.
- Maybe you could film a camera before you cut to the CCTV footage.
- I would speed up the hallway walking scene as you're walking too slowly and it's obvious you've slowed it down.
- For the bathtub scene, I would film lower towards the brim of the tub and then rise upwards rather than a POV shot and then a cut in to the hand. It's better for the shock factor."
"It's quite static, there's no drama."
"The music starts too early and isn't very effective, it could do with some more silent moments or changing of pacing."
"It needs some shots of the moment she goes missing."
"There needs to be more emphasis on the lengths gone to get her back."
"The subtitle should be 'what lengths should a friend go to', to establish the relationship between protagonist and victim more."
"Maybe an intercut of victim where she went missing and then an intercut of the protagonist in the same place to show how she is looking for her."
"Take out the dog walking scene, it doesn't look like a search party."
"It needs more tension/pacing."
"The music is effective as it is different."
"It doesn't feel like a cinema trailer, more like a TV drama."
"The social media is effective for the target audience."
"Needs to maybe include review quotes."
"It's too similar to the BBC drama 'The Missing'."
"Could do with more fast paced editing as that would have suited this kind of movie, the scene with the bloody hands could have come to a surprise to the audience. Overall the trailer was good. Would watch the movie!"
"You can make the trailer seem scarier. Maybe more ominous music and darker colours?"
"Clips are dragged out too much."
"- The opening shot could be slowed down.
- Cut out the scene where the protagonist is lying on the sofa.
- I really like the music used.
- I like the scene with the torch and door but I don't think it should cut into the bloody hand scene because the lighting is too different.
- The scene at the fence has three shots, an over the shoulder shot, the protagonist's view, and then a close up of the character's face. I think it should be rearranged so the close up and POV are swapped. This is so we can see what you're looking at.
- Take out the dog walking scene.
- I really like the shot under the bed. The lighting is great and I like the boxes in the way of the camera.
- Maybe you could film a camera before you cut to the CCTV footage.
- I would speed up the hallway walking scene as you're walking too slowly and it's obvious you've slowed it down.
- For the bathtub scene, I would film lower towards the brim of the tub and then rise upwards rather than a POV shot and then a cut in to the hand. It's better for the shock factor."
Friday 3 March 2017
Magazine Cover 1st Draft Feedback
"Cover isn't catchy, seems a bit empty perhaps? The back of the models' head looks blurred into the background(?). Great pallet of colours though."
"You could add more words that stand out/make it more busy. Also, some of the lettering is blurry in a way?"
"If I saw this magazine cover, I'd be interested on the text. Let me explain better: the title, subtitle and captions are rather interesting, but the image isn't. The colours aren't the type that draw people's attention, and the 'cover girl' is just standing there, in front of a cathedral. It's hard to say what she's doing; or if she's happy, sad, worried or scared. So, I guess the image isn't good for the cover, but the rest is good."
"In my opinion the title text doesn't transition into the graffiti background very well (it just cuts into it directly). Otherwise it's pretty nice!"
"Fade into the skyline."
"You could add more words that stand out/make it more busy. Also, some of the lettering is blurry in a way?"
"If I saw this magazine cover, I'd be interested on the text. Let me explain better: the title, subtitle and captions are rather interesting, but the image isn't. The colours aren't the type that draw people's attention, and the 'cover girl' is just standing there, in front of a cathedral. It's hard to say what she's doing; or if she's happy, sad, worried or scared. So, I guess the image isn't good for the cover, but the rest is good."
"In my opinion the title text doesn't transition into the graffiti background very well (it just cuts into it directly). Otherwise it's pretty nice!"
"Fade into the skyline."
Poster 1st Draft Feedback
"- The pink on the lips doesn't quite go, different colour maybe.
- The grass (is it even grass?)needs to blend more at the top and not the bottom, you can see part of the top though the bottom of it.
- The texture effect is cool.
- Could the title be bigger? It doesn't really stand out at the moment
- did you intentionally leave the eyes seen through the crosses? maybe it should stand out more or less."
this is the only critique that I have, other than that I find it a very very strong poster."
"I feel like the x's could be more solid around the pupils and add that oomph/emphasis ish. It looks like it's floating on her face rather than something like graffiti, but I guess it you make it solid, it kinda falls into the horror movie poster stereotype.
"Title needs to be enlarged. Institution information needs to be added. Has a good hidden element that makes people want to watch it. Has a nice gothic look to it. The Mis-En-Scene is very effective."
"It's quite good for a first draft. If I were you, I'd keep this for the next line of work. Just needs a little more polishing; better quality image, and a different letter font."
- The grass (is it even grass?)needs to blend more at the top and not the bottom, you can see part of the top though the bottom of it.
- The texture effect is cool.
- Could the title be bigger? It doesn't really stand out at the moment
- did you intentionally leave the eyes seen through the crosses? maybe it should stand out more or less."
"The poster is extremely well made, and looks like it could come straight from a cinema.
I do think that you should add a question mark on the end of 'How far would you go' instead of an ellipsis, this is the only critique that I have, other than that I find it a very very strong poster."
"I feel like the x's could be more solid around the pupils and add that oomph/emphasis ish. It looks like it's floating on her face rather than something like graffiti, but I guess it you make it solid, it kinda falls into the horror movie poster stereotype.
"Title needs to be enlarged. Institution information needs to be added. Has a good hidden element that makes people want to watch it. Has a nice gothic look to it. The Mis-En-Scene is very effective."
"It's quite good for a first draft. If I were you, I'd keep this for the next line of work. Just needs a little more polishing; better quality image, and a different letter font."
Thursday 2 March 2017
My Film Magazine Pitch
Title Ideas
- Director's Cut
- The Final Cut
I will decide on my magazine name when designing the masthead as I need to know which one will look best on the magazine. I chose these two names as my magazine will be focusing on behind-the-scenes information which this name hints too and it's not as extravagant as 'Empire' or 'Total Film' which is perfect for the genre it's related to.
Magazine Style
This magazine will be a more formal magazine that features both indie and mainstream films but mainly indie. Like 'Film Comment', it will be a magazine that covers issues and topics within the film industry as well as featuring behind-the-scenes information on both new and old films. Other inspirations for my magazine are Sight & Sound, Film Threat, and Little White Lies. As Psychological Thriller is a very narrowed down genre, this magazine will be one that features films of all genres and not just one.
Target Audience
My target audience for my film magazine will be adults aged 20- 45 which is roughly similar to the target audience of my film. This is a mature audience which will be reflected in the style of my magazine cover in contrast to the flashy and cinematic covers of 'Empire' and 'Total Film'.
Featured Films and Articles
- My own film: The article for my own film will feature a behind-the-scenes look on my film. I chose this rather than an interview with an actor or actress because it suits the genre of magazine more as this magazine is entirely about the film rather than the star (going against Dyer's Star Theory).
- An article on how digitalisation has affected the film industry.
- Films that are going to be release around the same time as my own: As most film magazines write about upcoming films in order to be as exclusive as possible, it's important I include new film too. These are picked out from my research on film release dates and they are chosen based on their genre. The other films I will feature are: The Solutrean, Granite Mountain, Victoria and Abdul, American Made, Blade Runner 2049, The Commuter, Geostorm, and Flatliners.
- Reviews: Films I will review include: Fences, Moonlight, A Cure for Wellness, Nebraska.
Release and Price
My magazine will be released monthly and cost £3.50.
Target Audience
My target audience for my film magazine will be adults aged 20- 45 which is roughly similar to the target audience of my film. This is a mature audience which will be reflected in the style of my magazine cover in contrast to the flashy and cinematic covers of 'Empire' and 'Total Film'.
Featured Films and Articles
- My own film: The article for my own film will feature a behind-the-scenes look on my film. I chose this rather than an interview with an actor or actress because it suits the genre of magazine more as this magazine is entirely about the film rather than the star (going against Dyer's Star Theory).
- An article on how digitalisation has affected the film industry.
- Films that are going to be release around the same time as my own: As most film magazines write about upcoming films in order to be as exclusive as possible, it's important I include new film too. These are picked out from my research on film release dates and they are chosen based on their genre. The other films I will feature are: The Solutrean, Granite Mountain, Victoria and Abdul, American Made, Blade Runner 2049, The Commuter, Geostorm, and Flatliners.
- Reviews: Films I will review include: Fences, Moonlight, A Cure for Wellness, Nebraska.
Release and Price
My magazine will be released monthly and cost £3.50.
How I Am Ensuring Continuity
Continuity is important throughout my marketing package as not only does it create an identity for my film, but it also makes it easier for people to link the marketing packages together. For example, the Star Wars posters are instantly recognisable because they all feature the same layout and colour schemes. Black is the main colour of each poster accompanied by gold and blue. Every poster features a collage of the majority of the characters within the film with the villain usually blown up and looming in the background:
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Because all of these posters have continuity, the Stars Wars films have a certain image that's instantly recognisable. If someone passed one of these posters, they would immediately know it's for Start Wars without having to even properly read the title.
I will maintain continuity within my products by sticking to one colour scheme and also featuring things that have been used in the other products. For example, my poster will feature the kidnap victim whereas the magazine cover will feature the protagonist with the church as a background. All of these things have been featured in the trailer so alreader there is continuity in the images being shown. On top of this, I will keep the font used for the title in all three products so the title as a certain identity that will make the film recognisable.
Maintaining a colour scheme is also important to carry on following the conventions of the psychological thriller genre. My colour scheme will mainly consist of blue and black colours. Adding different colours to this such as making parts of the poster red, may make it look like it belongs to a different genre to the magazine cover and trailer.
I will also be keeping the same tagline throughout all three products, or at least variations of the same sentence. This way when the audience or reader sees the film's title, they will instantly think of the tagline. The film 'Alien' has a tagline that is instantly recognisable with the film 'in space, no one will hear you scream', and in this case the tagline has become almost as well-known as the film. This tagline also hints to the genre of the film, telling an audience that the film is scary and therefore most likely a horror. This is similar to the tagline of 'Jaws' 'don't go into the water' which tells the audience that this is a film about something lurking in the water that may attack swimmers.
Because all of these posters have continuity, the Stars Wars films have a certain image that's instantly recognisable. If someone passed one of these posters, they would immediately know it's for Start Wars without having to even properly read the title.
I will maintain continuity within my products by sticking to one colour scheme and also featuring things that have been used in the other products. For example, my poster will feature the kidnap victim whereas the magazine cover will feature the protagonist with the church as a background. All of these things have been featured in the trailer so alreader there is continuity in the images being shown. On top of this, I will keep the font used for the title in all three products so the title as a certain identity that will make the film recognisable.
Maintaining a colour scheme is also important to carry on following the conventions of the psychological thriller genre. My colour scheme will mainly consist of blue and black colours. Adding different colours to this such as making parts of the poster red, may make it look like it belongs to a different genre to the magazine cover and trailer.
I will also be keeping the same tagline throughout all three products, or at least variations of the same sentence. This way when the audience or reader sees the film's title, they will instantly think of the tagline. The film 'Alien' has a tagline that is instantly recognisable with the film 'in space, no one will hear you scream', and in this case the tagline has become almost as well-known as the film. This tagline also hints to the genre of the film, telling an audience that the film is scary and therefore most likely a horror. This is similar to the tagline of 'Jaws' 'don't go into the water' which tells the audience that this is a film about something lurking in the water that may attack swimmers.
New Images Taken for Poster and Magazine
Magazine
This will be the main model for my magazine cover. This is the protagonist of my film wearing the costume she is wearing in the trailer. This shot was taking within the school's drama studio against a black curtain and with professional lighting in order to get a high quality shot. This image will go in front of the background and the top of her head will overlap with the masthead. I kept full control over the colour scheme of this image as well - hoping to maintain black as the primary colour to keep the dark tones of the film.The model has a mysterious facial expression which goes with the element of mystery in the film. As well as this, she is stood to the side so the cover lines can be easily placed next to her.
This is the background image that will be placed behind the model on the magazine cover. It's a setting within the film and was purposely taken at a late time of day so the lighting would be gloomy and morose. However, I also had to make sure it wasn't too dark as that would have taken away the quality of the image.
Overall I hope to position the images on the magazine similar to this cover. This is a cover for 'Film Comment', one of the magazines I am taking inspiration from. I will mainly take inspiration from this cover and use the idea of having the main image as the protagonist against a background of a setting from the film.
Poster
This will be the main image for my poster. It's a close up of the victim in the film's face. I didn't have so much control over lighting in this image as I will be adding lighting layers on top of it anyway to create a very dark and blue colour scheme. Although the model is wearing a bright orange jumper, this will also be changed during the poster editing. I took this image in a similar style to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo's poster (left) as this film is one of the films I am using for inspiration. The images are similar in terms of facial expression and camera techniques.My Magazine Distribution Company
Because of Future plc publishing genre-specific film magazines, I thought they would be perfect for my own magazine that mainly features indie movies as it shows they are willing to publish and distribute for magazines that have a narrow target audience. On top of this, it publishes 'Total Film' which was one of the magazines I have been using as inspiration for my own magazine.
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