A2 MEDIA STUDIESADVANCED PORTFOLIORESEARCH & PLANNINGCENTRE NO: 11049ST FRANCIS XAVIER COLLEGE

Name: Jonathan Twumasi

Candidate No. 1546

My main portfolio project is the Teaser Trailer.

The 2 ancillary tasks for my project are the Movie poster and the Film magazine front cover.

Genre

The genre of my A2 project will be Horror.

The title of my trailer will be ‘Rise Of the Dead’.

The target audience will be 18+; as it is a Horror movie it will not be aimed at younger audiences as some of the images may be unsuitable for such an age group.

MODEL 1 (28 DAYS LATER) MODEL 2 (DEAD SET)

From 28 days later, The main generic conventions I was able to pick up were related to the camerawork and editing. As my trailer has a similar scenario to that which is shown in 28 days later (a single survivor, a continued existence against the odds concept). The shot selection is varied and a number of them really encapsulate the isolation of the chracter through the use of objective camerawork. A number of the wide, long shots, as seen above, highlight this.

I also learnt how to use sound for a variety of effects to extract differing emotions from the viewer; the sound used in the trailer ranges from dark, twisted howls from the zombie-like infected to an almost tranquil, soft sound played at the tail of the trailer, encouraging sympathetic feelings from the viewer.

28 Days Later is easily recognisable as a horror film due to the use of dark lighting in certain areas to increase the inquisitiveness of the audience and leave them engaged in the story.

I have also learnt to use a variety of shot angles in my trailer; using close-ups allow for more focus on the emotion of the character to be captured whereas long shots are better for chase sequences.

A generic convention that I analysed in Dead Set and I will implement in my own trailer is the use of make up to convincingly transform the ‘normal’ actors into zombies. The use of make up in Dead Set is highly effective and, as seen from the screenshot on the previous slide, can be used to provide a gory, believable effect that is true to my genre.

Although it is not a convention as such, the title of the production aided me in my decision to name my own product. For a potential audience member to hear the title ‘dead set’, they would easily think about a zombie, horror production and this is an effect I wish for my title and other products to have on my target audience.

Dead Set also influenced my decision on what type of editing to use and the lighting that would feature in my trailer. Throughout the trailer a dark, murky gradient is on the screen to give it a cold, threatening feel and can act as a foreshadowing the danger the main characters. In chase sequences quick cuts between clips were used including a tracking shot for a particular scene.

What I learned from the examples:

For my main project, the target audience will be people of both genders aged 18+.

I arrived at such a conclusion fairly easily. Firstly, as my trailer will be a Horror trailer, I realize that some of the images seen may be unsettling or unsuitable for younger audiences and therefore have to act accordingly as it is likely that people of a younger age group would get scared from what they are viewing.

A possible criticism is that the audience is not specific enough. If I were to specify further, I would suggest that the age group ‘boundaries’ would be 18-24 as I believe that this group of people are very socially active and socially orientated and would be very likely to go out to watch a film with friends. Also, whilst conducting audience research, the most popular genre selected was Horror, by people of my approximate age (18).

I do not believe that my audience should be specified by gender; I believe that both males and females will be entertained and enjoy my film, therefore there is no need to aim it at a certain gender.

Characteristics of audience: Young Outgoing Socially active Film enthusiasts

What I learned from audience feedback about planning my main task

My audience feedback proved valuable in the planning of my main task. I conducted interview sessions with people from the target age group (18-24) and asked them a number of questions such as ‘Would you go to the cinema to watch a horror movie?’ and ‘What would you normally expect to see in Horror movies?’. Asking my target audience such questions was similar to my initial research in analysing trailers as they provided me with further conventions that they had seen in other movies and would expect to see in a traditional horror.

Another of my questions asked the audience what concepts they would like to see in a potential horror movie, if they could create one. I obviously could not incorporate all of these ideas into my concept, yet the answers allowed me to see what kind of a twist I could apply to the synopsis or concept to make it all the more interesting for the audience.

Here are four images taken from my trailer

The image above is the original and the image below is the edited version in the finished product.

I have added a blur effect to the clip that distorts the original image. It could also act as a p.o.v shot as it could represent a character’s blurred vision.

This image was taken from my completed trailer and has been edited. In the editing process I used a grayscale effect to edit the clip and produce a ’cctv’ like image which is enhanced by the high angle and static camera.

This screenshot is also extracted from the trailer. It has been darkened to band with the overall dark theme of the trailer. Also, the lack of light in the left lane produces a sense of fear in the viewer as they are uncertain of what is chasing the character, who through the use of a close up has visible distress on his face.

A final screenshot from the trailer, similarly to the previous image, it has been darkened to sync with the horror film. The darkening in contrast enhances the shadows seen on the wall to create further fear in the audience.

What I learned from audience feedback about my main task

There were variations in the feedback I received from my audience. Myself and my partner held a screening to a number of fellow students to receive their thoughts on our trailer.

Some viewers stated that considering the budget was limited, the trailer is suitably a part of the horror genre. They also commented on the use of lighting to darken certain clips and the use of make up to make the zombies look as realistic as possible.

Others believed that the zombies weren’t as believable due to some scenes being too bright thus reducing the effect of the make up. Also I was suggested that we use darker locations to create more fear in the audience.

All of the feedback was very constructive and allowed me to retrace my progress and re-shoot or re-edit where necessary.

Professional model for Ancillary 1

Things I have learnt: The use of a billing

block. The use of an

interrogative as a tag line.

The use of props that can link to the style and content of the film.

The use of a single image.

A simple colour coding.

Professional model for Ancillary 1

What I learnt: The use of a single,

main image featuring more than a single character.

The ability to use separate layers to add features such as the special effects seen in the background.

The use of a bold, central title.

The layout influenced my use of pull quotes and where I decided to put the actors names on my poster.

I believe my poster appeals to the target audience in a number of ways. The use of pull quotes and a start rating at the head of the trailer will entice the audience to watch the film. Because they will trust the reviewers opinions. Most people will watch a film with high star ratings and/or good reviews from established movie magazines. Also, I have added a certificate rating sign in the corner of my poster to inform the audience that they need to e a certain age to view it. This could also appeal to the target audience; knowing that a film is exclusively for their age group. Also, the use of make up has allowed the zombies to be instantly recognisable and the title of the movie also informs the audience of the genre of movie.

This is how key concepts link main task and ancillary task 1

I feel my genre is easy link between my main task and this ancillary. The title of the film and the use of make up are inform the audience but also the pose of the actors and the horror on the main characters face all highlight the genre to the audience.

From the poster, I believe the audience will be able to sense that the narrative is of a single survivor attempting to outlast zombies due to the framing.

I believe it is easy to see the central character due to the framing and the use of make up on the other actors.

What I learned from audience feedback about ancillary task 1

From my feedback I learnt that the use of pull quotes and reviews really helped to ‘sell’ my trailer to the audience as many people admitted that having such features would encourage them to see a film. They also stated that the title was easy to spot and the glow effect linked well with the ‘bloody’ make up used. Also, the use of the certificate rating made the poster look realistic.

Professional Model 1 for Ancillary 2

What I learnt: The use of a bold

masthead which can be covered up due to the popularity of the magazine.

Varying the colours of text and text boxes to make them bolder and noticeable.

Giveaways. The use of subheadings

and banners detailing more content.

Professional Model 2 for Ancillary 2

What I learnt: Changing the colour of

the masthead to match or contrast with a costume

Listing of magazine contents compared with bullet points or banners.

Use of colloquial language on the front page.

Professional model 1 for Ancillary 2

The magazine will appeal to the target audience through the usage of a number of images; the use of a main and further screenshots provides the audience an insight on what to expect in the film. I have also alternated the text colour and raised the text to make it glossier, more pronounced and easier to read. The alternation of text also separates the headings. The genre is easy to identify and the use of red on certain headings helps this identification.

This is how key concepts link main task and ancillary task 2

The use of the colour red is bold and relates to the blood on the zombies faces which relates to the overall theme of the movie. I have used a variety of screenshots on the movie to give a sense of the narrative, what to expect in the film, to the audience.

What I learned from audience feedback about ancillary task 2

I have learnt that by using screenshots from the completed movie it will engage the reader and aide them to understand more about the movie concept whilst also retaining an enigma; a suspense about the film. Also, many people said they preferred the use of a variety of images compared to just a single main image. The feedback praised the use of filmstrips in which I placed the screenshots. The masthead is bold and would be easy to read and the listing helped the audience see the content quickly and efficiently.

Changes made in the re-draft of main task

I sped up the transition between clips by reducing the clip size therefore allowing me to fit in more clips of varied shots and locations. I also edited certain shots to retain a sense of suspense and used some video effects to darken certain clips o make them more relatable to my genre. My initial draft did not feature intertitling and it was recommended to include it so it would act as a narrator and provide detail of the synopsis.

Changes made in the re-draft of ancillary task 1

I was encouraged to edit the main image as initially I had not edited the eyes of the actors playing the zombie roles and many stated that they looked ‘too human’. I also added my institution logo from my completed trailer and the certificate to inform the audience of the age restrictions. I darkened the brightness and contrast of the image to keep in line with the generic conventions. I added the pull quotes and movie reviews as that was a feature found on many movie posters. I believe this feature added to the realism of my movie poster. The colour red also symbolized danger and death and was used as a glow on the main text.

Changes made in the re-draft of ancillary task 2

I made the masthead much larger than the original, to make it more pronounced and easier to see for the audience from a store shelf. I moved the position of the barcode to accommodate for the use of a banner across the foot of the front cover. This banner and headings were included to add more detail of the content of the magazine. I also added a ‘world exclusive’ tag line to engage the reader who may be interested in the main article.

How my 3 products work together to appeal to target audience

I believe my products work well together to engage the target audience into wanting to view the film. I believe that in the construction of both the movie poster and film magazine front cover I had a certain design scheme in mind consisting of the use of white and red for the text. In both examples I edited the images, darkening them suitably for my genre. This is but one of the generic characteristics that featured in all 3. In my trailer I aimed to use close ups, quick cuts and short clips to produce an enigma; suspense to keep the viewers engaged. I believe that the target audience will receive each product in a positive and reactive manner similar to that shown in the uses and gratifications theory. If a single member of my intended target audience consumes either of the three texts it is likely that they will pass it on to they friends and so forth. I ensured that on my trailer I included a certificate stating which age group I would target as the representations shown in the products are ideal for that age bracket. Although the central character is a male, the product can be received by either gender.

Link to Blog

http://jta2media.blogspot.co.uk/