Evaluation Question 4

When filming and creating our trailer one of the most important media technologies that we used was the camera. For obvious reasons it was one of the vital bits of equipment n order to create and film our trailer. As well as filming the core footage for the trailer we also used the camera to experiment and try out different styles of shots. The camera was also used to take images for the poster and magazine photographs. From filming a film opening last year I know that I need a variety of shots in order to show and add emphasis on certain sections in the opening. I applied that knowledge when I was filming the trailer.

Using this knowledge we tried to incorporate some variety in our trailer- we wanted to include different shots that would portray and signify different effects for the audience. For example we filmed some extreme close up shots of  the mobile phone in order to show the audience that this prop is important to the narrative and the trailer. We also did a couple more shots similar to this to add dramatic effect for the audience- we did close up shots of the knife which emphasises to the audience that the antagonist character is a danger.

As our camera had a viewing screen built into it this enabled us to re watch the footage on set and see how the filming turned out. This showed us how it looked upon screen and if there was anything we could do to improve the shots whilst on set. Re-watching the shots also helped us test the lighting and the sound of the shots. This enabled us to make group decisions on whether or not we need to reshoot or tweak anything to improve the shot and the trailer.

Having uploaded the raw footage onto the school computers it enabled us to see the footage on a larger scale and allowed us to narrow down any shots that did not have the high quality that we were looking for. This scale allowed us to see any small glitches or jolts in our shots- therefore we could illuminate shots that wouldn't work as well.

Having looked at our shots and narrowed down our most successful ones we then used the editing program Premiere Pro. This editing program is of a high quality and has been used in the media industry to edit films. We opened this program and tried to order our shots into a chronological order. We did this for both dual narratives. After we had ordered our clips we then interspersed these two narratives within each other to mimic the montage editing style that is constantly seen in films. In order to make our clips link in well with each other we used the small blade tool on premiere pro- this allowed us to trim down some of our clips and to get rid of access footage we no longer needed. In order to make our clips blend in more seamlessly we used a transition called fade to black. This effect allowed our clips to blend in well with each other instead of having harsh cuts. We thought that this effect would make our trailer look more professional.

In terms of ancillary products I used the same camera that we used for the filming. The camera we used take picture at a high quality and is mainly used for the photography side of media. Whilst filming alongside the shoot I took some images from behind the scenes to show our progression of filming.

 

As well as taking separate image for the ancillary products and creating a separate shoot I also created a film poster mock up using a screen shot of a clip from the trailer. In order to practise how to make posters and what they should look like I used this screen shot as a tester image to further improve my future designs upon. The image that I chose to create a mock up on was a close up shot of the protagonist on the phone. This shot relates back to the narrative and the theme that is predominant throughout the trailer. As this mock up focuses on the protagonist it also establishes this character as the face of the trailer.

In order to create this mock up I used the program Adobe Photoshop. I used the screen shot button on my computer and opened the image and cropped in slightly to try and centre the protagonist more. From Photoshop I opened this image on Adobe Bridge in order to edit the photograph more specifically and in more detail.

Using the font tool on photograph I placed the title in the top corner of the poster- a conventional placement for the title. I used the same font for the title as I did in the trailer. This shows a relationship between the trailer and the ancillary product. I decided to use black as the font colour because it stood out well against the cream toned background. The poster is very simplistic and could be advertised as an individual character poster instead of a conventional whole film poster.

 

These technologies that have been used encourage and help us become more creative. For example before programs like Photoshop and premiere pro were created students would have been very limited in the work and the outcome they could have achieved. It would have been hard to achieve an outstanding product using things that would limit students creativity. For example if I were to use paint to create a film poster rather than Photoshop it would not have the same outcome.

In terms of research search engines like Google became vital in the research stage of my project. Without this search engine I would've not found the royalty free websites that would be used for my incidental sound track and sound effects. I would have also struggled to view media film posters and film trailers to inspire my own project.

One of the most key and core technologies that have been vital to our project is YouTube. The use of this website was vital to our research and the publication of our own work. Without this website we would've struggle to watch and analyse the conventions and the styles of trailers that have been created within the media industry. The use of this website allows our audience to view our products publically and on the go. This makes it easier to view our work instead of using the core device it was created on. Without YouTube the media industry would've struggled to market and advertise their products to their target and aimed upon audience. Before YouTube if I had wanted to view trailers to build up research for my product I would've had to pay for a cinema ticket to view the trailers before viewing a film. This applies the same by purchasing a dvd.

Evaluation Question 3

The way that we decided to test our product on our audience was by creating a hand written questionnaire which was later transmitted into a digital hard copy using Microsoft Word. We gathered our answers to our survey by  asking current A2 Media students who are around the age of 17-18 years old- this age group fits well with our target audience range. The people we asked were of mixed genders in order to get a varied response. To complete the survey we played our trailer to our interviewees individually or in groups of two in order to get a more directed response. This also allowed us to get a more detailed and well structured response. When creating a response for this survey we played the trailer twice. The first time allowed our interviewees to watch the trailer as an audience viewer and then the second time as a media student giving us constructive feedback.

In order to get a varied and detailed response we used a different rating system that ranged from the basic scoring system- this was 1-5 with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best. This showed a basic response for our audience to respond with. We then contrasted these types of questions with ones that required a more specific answer that contained more detailing on improvements. We didn't want to use these types of questions for the entirety of our questionnaire as we felt it may become tedious and our viewers would only give short and quick responses instead of the detailed ones that would really help our trailer to improve. So we included some basic yes, no and I don't know answers to a couple of the questions.

The first question that we started with was a basic one and one that we felt was critical for our audience feedback, if we didn't ask our audience if they liked the trailer we felt that we wouldn't receive detailed enough feedback about our trailer. We felt that the audience enjoyment was one of the more important questions in our feedback. From all of our responses our average collected was about a rating of 3 or 4. This showed to us that our trailer was quite successful within our target audience and connoted to us that most of the really enjoyed it.

The second question from our survey was about interest in our trailer. We again received a score of around 3 or 4 for this question. Due to the dual narrative that we incorporated into our trailer I think that this could've helped the audience to maintain their interest in our trailer. The contrast we showed between the protagonist and the antagonist's scenes added a twist to the trailer and showed the audience two sides to our narrative.

As our questions were asked to media students we felt that they would be able to give us constructive feedback in terms of camera and editing as they will have experience on how it should look. For this question we received around 3.5. This feedback shows us that our camera work was relatively successful but could also be improved. From looking at the scores throughout the responses on this question I can assume that we may have scored slightly lowly on the parts where we filmed in the darker location. This meant that the camera quality wasn't as high as it would've been in more high key lighting.

The next question was about whether or not our trailer was long enough. The responses we received for this question were between correct length or unsure. We expected this sort of answer as the people that we asked these questions to were a mix of media students and non media students. This meant that the people who are studying media would have more of an idea of the correct length to the trailer. Therefore the non media students struggled slightly more on identifying the correct length.

The question that we felt was one of the more important ones in the survey was the one asking "what was effective in the trailer". This type of question allowed the audience to give a more detailed and  constructive answer to the question. Here as some of the responses that we received from this question:

• I found the switch between the two characters interesting and different to normal trailers.
• I thought the style of music was really creepy and fitted in well with the horror theme.
• I liked how the identity of the villain has been hidden- it adds mystery.
• The sound effect at the end with the Dialtone title fitted in well with the storyline.

These responses were extremely useful when we were editing our trailer. It helped us to know what we were doing right in the process and what we should keep in our trailer.

The other more detailed question- "Did you find anything confusing?". This question allowed us to know if we could do anything to improve our trailer. The responses we received from this question were mainly no. This showed that our trailer was clear and showed an understandable structure. Some of the people who we asked informed us that the voiceover was useful in grasping an understanding of the trailer.

Ancillary Products

In order to test out the products that have been created for our trailer we created questions in a similar format and were asked to the same mix of people in order to receive constructive feedback. For this set of questions we mainly used a scoring system as we felt it was the best way to receive feedback. The questions that we asked mainly focused on appearance and the aesthetic of the products as we felt these were the most important factors of a magazine cover and film posters.

After asking these questions to our target audience we received strong feedback. The first question we received a score of mainly 4 or 5. This was a success for this question and transmitted to us that the appearance was strong and worked well- this is vital as this was one of the more important questions in terms of ancillary products. The next two questions about the font being clear and how eye-catching the products were received again mainly 4 and 5. The interviewees informed is that the font used was bold and the colours used made it stand out well against the background. They also thought that the imagery used for the poster was bold and drew their eye to the products.

Another one of the more important questions were: "Do our products look like a poster or magazine?". From this question we received a score of mainly 4s. This signified to us that our products followed the conventions and the style of posters and magazines that would usually be expected in the media industry.

In terms of the quality of image and the overall appearance of the poster and magazine photograph our interviewees rated this as a 5. This shows my partner and myself that the images we took worked well for ancillary products and that the overall quality were very high and professional looking. From our audience feedback the viewers gave a 4 for the question enquiring about how the products relate to the narrative. This score is relatively high which shows my partner and myself that the images that we have taken relate well to the narrative of our trailer. I think that this was emphasized by the phone prop that was used in all of our images. The prop highlights and emphasises the title of our trailer.

Evaluation Question 2

Having completed my final trailer I then began to create several ancillary products which would reflect well and represent our film in the industry. Within these products it is important to exhibit continuity with our film so the audience can make a clear connection between the product and trailer. 

Posters.

One way that we created a link between our film and the products along side it was the use of the prop- the telephone. This prop is a key feature in our trailer and is an icon for the whole film. This prop adds a sense of recognition between our trailer and the audience. We decided to use an older style telephone for the poster shots as we felt the style of phone would stand out well in the poster and would be more eye-catching rather than a smaller style of phone such as an iPhone which we used in the film.  In order to include this element in our products we did two shoots. The first shoot was mainly focusing on the telephone by its self. This shoot was for our main poster. Within this shoot we mainly did a variety of close up and extreme close ups of the phone and the antagonist holding the phone. We decided to take our photographs as we thought it would add more variety to our overall outcome of our product. We thought just print screening images from our trailer would show a lack of creativity, skills and platforms. In order to follow the conventions used in horror and thriller films we included the colour red. The tones of red exhibited in the poster contrast well with the darker coloured telephone. The element of red exhibits the connotations of danger and evil. A concept that is common in this genre film.

In order reinforce the link between our film we included representation and the element of costume into these products. For our character posters we used the two main characters that have been featured within our trailer. The costume that we dressed the protagonist in connotes and infers to the audience that she is a typical teenager. The outfit choice used for this character makes her relatable to the audience as the viewers will be of a similar age. In contrast to this character poster we also have one of the antagonist. We decided to feature the antagonist as a character poster as it shows the contrast between the two characters and their personalities. 

In order to create a scene for our film and connote the trailer atmosphere and genre we created we used the element of low key lighting to portray a mysterious atmosphere. The low key lighting that we used for this shoot adds highlights and shadows to the characters face- making certain features stand out.

Another key element that we used in our posters that would show relation back to our film is the titles and the typography used. We used the same typography as we did for our trailer. The typography that we used looks quite archetypal and is the typical style of typography used for thriller and horror trailers.

Magazine

For our magazine we decided to base our magazine front cover on the popular magazine Little White Lies. We really liked the simplistic cover for this magazine company and felt that the pop art style was really interesting and made the cover itself look unique and iconic. The cartoon style that has been used in this image is eye-catching and immediately attracts the audience's attention. From looking at these covers for inspiration for our own ancillary products we decided to replicate this style into our own product. In order to begin with our magazine cover I organised a photo shoot with the actors who are featured in our trailer. This would show to the audience that they are the main focus of the franchise. From this photo-shoot I was able to pick out and narrow down the images that I felt would reflect my narrative to our target audience.

Once this image had been selected we experimented with different filters found of Photoshop and found that this one would mimic the style of Little White Lies perfectly. To further mimic the tones and structure incorporated into this photograph I did some minor adjustments in terms of contrast and clarity.

In order to make this image stand out well as a magazine cover I pasted this image onto a dark background in order to emphasis the tones and colours included in the photograph.

From looking at the other covers for the Little White Lies magazine covers I can see that the company includes a small title usually at the bottom of the magazine showing and informing the magazine brand what the issue is about. Therefore we did the same using the sae typography we used in our trailer- this shows uniformity within our products and the trailer. In order to further support the conventions used in this cover we included the trademark title logo. Within this we also included a title which reflected a price that we had typically seen fro other magazine covers.

Evaluation Question 1.

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

When we created and filmed our trailer we decided to fit this trailer into the genre of horror and thriller. This genre of film allowed us to explore different ways and techniques that would create atmosphere and tension for the audience. We wanted to give them the scare and mystery pleasures that are typically seen in these types of films. We followed many of the conventions that follow the forms and conventions of the these films. The most important element of our trailer that we wanted to relate back to conventional thriller and horror films was the idea and concept of the antagonist's hidden identity. This element of the narrative is conventional to many horror films and is a concept that tends to work well in this genre of film. We wanted to follow this convention as it creates an ominous atmosphere for the audience and could be used as a tool for the audience to keep watching the film in order to see the reveal of the character. The idea of a mystery identity to the antagonist adds another dimension to the trailer and becomes more inclusive to the audience as they can guess the identity of the character.

In order to mimic and follow the conventions of an antagonist character we decided for the costume that we would dress the antagonist in dark clothing. We decided to predominantly use the colour black as it has a lot of connotations- mostly of death and mystery. We thought that the dark clothing would make this character distinguishable as the villain in this trailer.

The inspiration for our trailer based on this convention was Scream. We found that this narrative structure and the effect it had on its audience would be a good idea for our trailer. In order to make our trailer's narrative differ slightly to Scream we used a different prop in order to show a development from when Scream was created. The different prop that we used for our trailer sequence was an IPhone. We used this as it would appeal more to the modern audience and our target audience of teenagers to mid adults. The use of this modern prop made the protagonist character more relatable to this audience. This prop could infer that if you have the same phone it could happen to you. The phone prop is an icon of our trailer and the narrative. We liked how the narrative was strung along by the incorporation of a telephone conversation. Therefore we mimicked a similar situation in our film.

Another way in which we tried to follow the conventions of the thriller and horror genre was the type of shots that we used. Within our trailer we tried to incorporate a variety and range of different shots which would keep the viewer entertained and interested. A shot type that we tried to include in our film which would follow the convention were close ups and extreme close ups. These shots add emphasis to certain things in the shot view- things that could be significant to the narrative. One of the most important shots of the trailer was an extreme close up of the mobile phone ringing. This shot exhibited to the audience the importance of the phone in the trailer and the effect that it has on the narrative. The framing and composition of the shot allows the audience to see that 'blocked' is calling. This small detail captured by this shot introduces the dual narrative and infers to the audience that the narrative is developing.

Another extreme close up shot that we used in our trailer was in the dual narrative sequence that was incorporated into our trailer. An extreme close up shot of the antagonist opening the gate introduces this character into the trailer- this shot connotes that this character is sneaking into the garden. It connotes that they shouldn't be there. We used an extreme close up shot of the knife in a dark location. The use of this prop introduces the mysterious character as a threat in the trailer. This characteristic is further supported  by the dark and eerie lighting. The framing and intensity of this shot shows to the audience that this character is a threat. The prop used follows the conventions of the horror genre and the weapons typically used.

As well as Scream we were influenced by Nightmare on Elm Street. This film is where we found that the inspiration for the dual narrative element. From watching the film my partner and myself liked how the film switched from two different perspectives and points of view. We found that this added contrast to the film and the characters that it focused on. We used this technique in our trailer as the different lighting and locations contrasted well with each other and emphasised to the audience how different the two character are.

Our film fits into both genres of thriller and horror. Within in our trailer we have featured elements that are typically seen in these genres. Predominantly through our trailer the main genre of horror has become stronger. The sub genre of this film exhibits a Slasher film. The elements in this trailer that relate to a Slasher film are mainly the narrative, location and props. The narrative structure of this film follows the conventions of a Slasher film as it includes these stages:

• Introduction- everything seems normal.
• Something happens which infers a threat.
• A problem is happening and is trying to be solved.

However the last stage of the structure which is an equilibrium is not shown in our trailer. We decided to do this as we didn't want to spoil the narrative and reveal too much to the audience as to what is going to happen, we wanted to keep the element of surprise and mystery. From looking at other Slasher films like Scream the location of the trailer is very important in order to set the atmosphere and tone for the trailer. The setting of our trailer is a typical suburban house- this location infers and exhibits a normal everyday life. This location also shows to the audience that anything could happen in a normal situation. In order to contrast this location as part of the dual narrative we introduced the antagonist to be 'living' in a garage type of location. This location was dimly lit which created a tense and scary atmosphere. The props used in the background of the location inferred a sinister tone as there were tools and saws upon the wall. This signifies that this character is a danger.

As well as the Horror elements that are predominant in this trailer. There are also some features of a Thriller in this product. For example as there is evidence of conflict within this trailer between the two characters, this is shown a lot conventionally in thriller films. The use of a weapon and the stalker sort of narrative relates back to narrative themes that have been exhibited in other thriller films like The Boy Next Door.



 



Magazine Analysis 3

This is a cover for the film magazine Empire. This cover is about the horror/thriller film Hannibal. My first impression of this cover is that it is quite dark and very simplistic. The tones and colours used for this cover are quite sinister and make the overall cover stand out. The element of this cover that drew my eye to it was the photograph. The low key lighting used for this photograph hides one side of his identify and face. This create a mysterious and scary effect to the cover. The tone used for this photograph infers that someone is shining a light on his face- obscuring part of his face. Throughout this cover I can see that red is a predominant colour that has been used throughout the cover. The colour red connotes death and evil. It could also represent Satan/the devil. In order to follow the red theme shown in this magazine- a red filter has been used onto his eye. The red tone on his eye, insinuating that he is pure evil. The theme of evil and horror is further supported with the dark background which connotes death and horror.
In order to further support the narrative and the themes included in this narrative, puns and a tagline have been included. The pun "What's cooking?" hints at the narrative and adds a comical tone to the cover and insinuates a key trait of his personality. The magazine also informs and hints to the audience that the film will be gory and would follow the horror conventions of a lot of blood. For example the pun "Gore Blimey".

The layout of the title which has been overlaid on top of the image insinuates that he is hiding and concealing himself from the audience. It also creates mystery for the character. In order to persuade the reader to buy the magazine and watch the film the magazine has included sentences and tag lines in order to entrance the audience. They have said things like "The most shocking scenes ever" and "exclusive interviews and a whole lot more". These tag lines convince and make the reader think that they are getting and reading exclusive content. The use of alliteration on the front cover connotes an exciting and fun atmosphere which contrasts 

Final Magazine cover.

Final Posters.