Evaluation

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

Listed below are some of the ways in which my product has used, developed or challenged forms and conventions of real media products.

• The average length I observed for Science-Fiction film trailers was 2:20-2:30.My trailer was considerably shorter than this; lasting 1:33. This was so that the trailer would appear exciting and stimulating; and by not giving away too much plot information it creating a strong 'enigma' to intrigue the viewer.
• The trailer used a well-known 'song' for its soundtrack ('Requiem for a Dream'). This was so that the audience could be introduced to a new narrative, whilst still feeling somewhat familiarised with what they were seeing. All other trailers I researched used non-diegetic backing music, thus demonstrating a convention that has been adhered to.
• I used a production company logo; in order to give the viewer a greater deal of information about the film. A (theoretical) web address was shown at the end of the trailer in order to enable the viewer to enquire further about the film. The release date of the film was shown too; in order to increase the likelihood a viewer will go to see it. The film title was also revealed; and dominated the screen for several seconds. All of these are common features in film trailers, and are generally used to provide information about the film and hence maintain interest among viewers.
• Slides and on-screen captions were used to provide narrative. The 'white-on-black' was a colour scheme used deliberately; as this is a feature most commonly found in documentaries (which contain factual information) and this helped the narrative gain more 'believability'. This is important when considering the Science-Fiction genre, which often creates absract or unrealistic situations.
• Visually striking special effects were created; in order to grab viewer attention and firmly establish the Sci-Fi genre.
• Explosions and physical combat were used in order to excite the viewer.
• Phallic symbols such as guns and laser-swords were given to the characters, in order to give the characters more status in the eyes of the viewer. The 'laser swords' resemble lightsabers in order to capitalise on the immense popularity of the Star Wars films.
  
• A variety of shots are used; as well as a variety of shot transitions (cut, fade) are used to keep the viewer engaged in the trailer.
• Colour was used in order to distinguish between good (represented using blue costume and mise-en-scene; gunshots and 'energy balls') and evil (red swords and 'energy'). The protagonist was shown surrounded by blue as this connotes tranquility and therefore implies that this character is capable of reasserting a state of 'equilibirum'; as discussed by Vladimir Propp. The antagonist is shown to be an irrational and passionate individual as he is constatntly shown next to the colour red. In the same way that the colour red has connotations of anger and violence it is indicated that this character will perpetuate the 'disequlibrium' in the plot if he is not stopped. This technique of colour-assocation can most noticably be observed in the Star Wars trailer I researched. At the end of the trailer a 'Yellow' sword is used by a character; in order to hint that his allegiances are uncertain. Creating an enigma like this at the very end of the trailer causes the viewer to question any preconceptions they may have about the plot from viewing the rest of the trailer.
• Dissonant noise is used to grab the viewer's attention; at the end of the trailer when the viewer expects the action to have finished the slowly rotating planet explodes, accompanied by a loud noise .
• Intensity of emotion is used in all of the trailers I researched; be it anger, fear, sorrow etc. This is done to cause the viewer to gain a human interest and empathy with the characters they are viewing. This would, therefore, appear to be a crucial element to include in my trailer. However, what has not been mentioned is that the actors appearing in these trailers are experienced professionals; hand-picked for their acting skills and often paid millions of pounds for their services. I do not have aforementioned quantities of money; nor any famous actors who owe me favours. I relied instead on a group of my friends to produce this trailer, and had to take a pragmatic approach to the application of our collective theatrical skills. One way I did this was to keep the expressions of the characters as 'natural' (deadpan) as possible. This hopefully would result in very little misinterpretation of emotion by the viewer; and the main themes of the film were expressed by the slides (Betrayal, Innocence, Corruption, Redemption) rather than relying on the actors to convey these themes.
• Another exercise in pragmatism can be found in my use of sound. As I lack the high-quality sound equipment necessary to produce a peice of film with cinema-quality audio, I decided to omit diegetic sound from most of my trailer. Narrative (the majority of which is often provided by diegetic and non-diegetic dialogue) would instead be provided through a visual medium; of text appearing between shots and also layered over them.
• I created narrative through having a continuing visual theme; created using Adobe After Effects. This theme, or motif, constituted a subtle change in the aesthetics of the trailer by altering the 'Hue and Saturation' and also the 'Contrast' of the footage. I used a 'Colour Curves' tool to make the footage appear less vibrant and visually imposing. This enhanced the visual significance of my special effects; and made them more noticable to the viewer.

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary tasks?

I combined my main and ancillary tasks in an attempt to produce and coherent package, similar to one which would accompany the release of a new film. The following is an assessment of the effectiveness of this combination.

I used as many visual motifs as possible from the Film Trailer when designing the Film Magazine Front Cover; all of which are noted below.

• The images protagonist and antagonist shown are both taken directly from the trailer. This will trigger recognition from those who have seen the trailer (and indeed, those who have seen this front cover and subsequently view the trailer should experience similar). The colours have been altered in order to clearly demonstrate their character personality traits (red connoting anger and blue connoting peace/tranquility) and thus hint at their roles in the film. They are shown 'facing' one another to establish a sense of conflict between them in a single image; which is not obviously done in the trailer.
• I used the 'Europa' title image from the trailer in order to create a strong 'brand identity', which was further reinforced by the inclusion of the planet in the 'Bad Boys' title.
  
• The background is speckled with white, to create a simulation of a 'starry sky'. This is also a motif which can be found in several shots in the trailer.

My Film Poster also contains many elements from the trailer; in order to retain familiarity and continuity. As with the magazine cover, these are noted below;

• The 'Lava Planet' from the beginning of the trailer was included in order to establish the setting of the film; and also the red glow helped create a sense of intense emotion and danger.
• The 'Europa' title was saved as a Photoshop image and pasted onto the poster; in order to create the brand identity of the film. The planet earth, whilst not appearing on the title image in the original trailer, is nonetheless an iconic image tof the 20th Century so it was included to engage those who have not seen the trailer.
• Images of the minor characters have been taken straight from the trailer; as the viewer is not too likely to remember these who are given appearance in one or two shots they are included merely to acknowledge that they have a role in the film. Their smaller role is represented by their smaller size on the page relative to the other characters, and also their position below them.
• The production company logo was used; as often they are on film posters. So it did not detract from the film title or pivotal action between the main characters, the image of the logo was edited into a 'black and white' version to make it less visually dominating on the page.
• The image of the two combatants at the centre of the poster was taken from a peice of video footage not included in the trailer. It was used, however, to demonstrate the rivalry between protagonist and antagonist. By using a peice of 'unseen' footage for the poster's image I was able to create a nuance that corresponds with the narrative. People who have seen the film trailer will not have seen this image before, and will still be intrigued when they see this unfamiliar image on the poster. They will, however, have seen both of these characters before, so will not be entirely alienated.

I must therefore conclude my ancillary tasks to be in excellent synchronicity with my film trailer; as they contain several key elements from the trailer in order to enhance the film's 'brand identity', and also a few subtle nuances to continue interest among the audience.

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

In order to assess the reactions and opinions of the 'film-going public' as realistically as possible, I showed my classmates a screening of my film, and recorded their comments.The Science-Fiction audience is mostly male, and taken from older age groups. The idea of uploading the trailer to Youtube.com and reading the viewers' comments instantly occured to me, but unfortunately the trailer (due to it's large file size; necessary in order to preserve the visual quality of the video) was given an upload time in excess in 5 hours. Therefore, the in-class screening seemed to be the next best option. Further justification for this can be found when one regards the Office for National Statistics' report on Cinema Attendance (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=10983&More=Y). This states that
"Young people aged 15 to 24 are the most likely group of people to go to the cinema. In 2002, 50% of this age group reported that they went to the cinema once a month or more in Great Britain, compared with 17% of those aged 35 and over."Thus it can be seen that a class full of 17 and 18 year old people would be a perfect 'sounding board' from which to gain feedback. Comments made (both positive and negative) are listed below;

• The basic narrative is good because it appeals to a wide audience.
• The narrative of 'keywords' is perhaps insufficient to engage people in the plot.
• The use of sound is good, as the progession of the musical track builds tension.
• If the female character was not partially concealed by her hood the trailer may appeal more to women.
• The volume of the music track is too loud when it reached crescendo.
• The setting of the final scene [laser sword fight] is too cluttered with miscellaneous and non-essential objects, and takes focus away from the combatants.
• Visual effects clearly establish Science-Fiction genre .
• The slides ["Betrayal, Redemption, Innocence, Corruption"] are thought-provoking.
• The trailer is exciting, as tension is built, then relieved before the visually and aurally surprising explosion at the end.

I researched the genre of post-modernism, a loose connection of techniques often associated with science fiction peices. Among the conventions of post-modernism include re-use of previous or contemporary culture, as well as instances of intertextuality. I used these techniques in my trailer, and examples of them include the image of the spinning globe which has been iconic ince 1959 when the first image of the earth from space was taken by an American satellite. An example of intertextuality can be found when one considers the 'lightsabers' wielded in the short combat sequence between the protagonist and antagonist. These were included so that viewers would make the instant connection with the genre of science-fiction, and this will therefore help the trailer appeal to the identified target audience.

If I had more time to produce the trailer, most of the issues raised above would be addressed. The issue of 'insufficient narrative' could be addressed by perhaps acquiring an audio-recording device and swapping the slides ['Betrayal' etc] for a non-diegetic narration. The characters, however, would still be given little, if any diegetic dialogue; due mostly to the lack of high-quality sound recording equipment available to us.

How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

New media technologies proved to be crucial in the construction, research, planning and evaluation stages of the project. For the construction stage of my text I used a great deal of 'new' technology. The first of which was a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) digital camcorder, which records footage as files rather than to a DV (Digital Video) tape. The major advantage with this lay not in the superiority of the footage (which was, however, a factor) but in the upload time; where DV cameras upload footage to PC at a 1:1 ratio I was able to upload 20 minutes of footage in about 30 seconds.
The second phase of construction also heavily involved new media technology; with the use of graphical effects programme Adobe After Effects. I also used the internet to watch video tutorials (most of which can be found at www.videocopilot.net) which helped me immensely in creating the desired visual effects for my trailer.
After this stage I used Adobe Premiere to produce and co-ordinate my footage and add sound. The footage was then viewed using Windows Media Player; so that I could see exactly how the trailer would play in 'real-life'. This could not be done in either of the editing programmes; as my processor was insufficient for the unrendered footage to play out at normal speed.
My ancillary tasks were produced using images taken from my edited video: still frames in 'After Effects were exported as Photoshop layers for use in an image editing package. The image program I used was Ulead Photoimpact 10; and I used many of its features to alter the the images taken from 'After Effects to make a coherent poster & magazine front cover. The finished versions were saved as .jpeg files, which can be viewed on any pc, and are still high quality.

My research & planning phases made extensive use of the internet. My first step was to create a blog (which you are reading now) so that I could access my research from any computer; and not rely on a single saved document. The trailers mentioned were found mostly on the website www.youtube.com; also accessable from any internet-capable pc. Having digital sources for my research was also helpful in that it enabled me to take 'screenshots' of the trailers in order to have visual examples to support my notes. The 'screenshots' were pasted into Ulead Photoimpact 10 and saved as .jpegs so that I could upload them to my blog.

The evaluation stage was relatively straightforward. I copied my finished peices to a portable flash drive (or 'memory stick') and brought them into school. I then connected a laptop computer to a digital projector so that I could show the finished peices to my classmates. I also used external 'surround sound' speakers so that the audio could be fully appreciated. I found this technique of screening to be very alike to the experience one would have watching the trailer in an actual cinema; adding to the drama of the peice. As those present at the screening were of ages 17-18 they fit comfortably within the majority of the cinemagoing demographic; as discussed by the ONS. I found this 'focus-group' style to be helpful as I was able to record detailed and lengthy responses, and ask probing questions about the audience members' responses. This would not have been possible if I had chosen to conduct audience feedback in a different way; for example if I had uploaded the video to Youtube I would have only been able to gain feedback through text-limited comment boxes and a 'star-rating' system, which would not have enabled me to enquire as to what people considered appealing or unappealing. I took particular note of the comments and reactions of the male members of this focus-group, as they are a larger part of the typical science-fiction viewership.

Film Poster Research & Plan

Film Poster Research

I intend to research several film posters; noting the techniques and conventions observed. I will then list the techniques & conventions I intend to use for my own poster.

The above poster if for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

The film is third in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy; so all of the characters viewers will be familiar with are shown, as are familiar settings such as the 'Eye of Mordor' and 'Mount Doom'.
Phallic symbols (such as staffs and swords) are shown to give these characters an air of power and authority; which will give the 'reader' ('reader' as opposed to 'viewer'; as this is print media) respect for the characters; and thus a raised opinion of the film as a whole.
Male and female characters are shown. This is so that the film seems appealing to both men and women. This is particularly important as the cinema is a stereotypical 'dating' location, and a film appealing to men and women will be the most obvious choice for this group of people; as opposed to a 'chick flick' or an action film (appealing almost exclusively to men).
The title of the film is shown in gold, to give it status (gold connoting wealth, power, importance) and so increase the status of the film in the mind of the reader.
Names of famous actors and directors are shown at the bottom of the poster, in order to attract those who are fans of those people.
Tagline 'The Journey Ends' at the bottom of the page, in order to create a sense of enigma; as readers will then be curious as to how 'The Journey' will end. This also draws upon Frodo's 'Journey' to Mordor; creating a sense of continuity and appealing to those who have seen the previous Lord of the Rings films.

This poster for Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith is interesting because it does not use photo-realism; as most other science-fiction posters do. 'Photo-realism'; the portrayal of images as they are seen; is often sought to the highest degree in science-fiction so as to make the abstract ideas seem more 'real', however this poster uses a 'hand-painted' style instead; to create a sense of nostalgia towards the posters of the original Star Wars films (shown above). Creating a closer bond with the original trilogy (as opposed to the two films of the new trilogy) would be beneficial due primarily to the critique given to Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. This film featured on Entertainment Weekly magazine's '25 Worst Sequels Ever Made' list, so it is clear to see why the designers of the poster would rather draw upon the massive popularity of the 1980's trilogy.
The lightsabers are the prime pallic symbol used in this poster; phallic symbols inferring power and authority. This gives the characters a position of respect; which will in turn make the reader 'respect' the film. The lightsaber is also a major visual motif which runs throughtout all of the Star Wars films; therefore creating nostalgia amongst fans of previous Star Wars films.
Another visual motif is the helmet of Darth Vader. As can be seen on the other Star ars posters shown, this motif runs throughout the film series (creating nostalgia). This nostalgia, however, is not just limited to Star Wars fans: It can be recognised as one of the most iconic film images of the 20th Century by the general public.
The genre of Science-Fiction is represented not just by the lightsabers and the ominous image of Darth Vader; but also by other smaller images such as aliens (Yoda) and spaceships. Also, the stars in the background in the top-right corner anchor reference the film title 'Star Wars'; and also establish the concept that events are occuring in space. The artificial 'lense flare' coming from these stars helps maintain a degree of verisimilitude; as a camera pointed at a source of light is likely to be affected adversely.
The male and female characters depicted help the film appeal to both male and female readers.
Clear title; as the purpose of the film poster is to advertise said film this is an essential feature.
Eye contact created between reader and protagonist (Anakin Skywalker). Creates a 'bond' of sorts, an interpersonal relationship which makes the reader familiar with the character to some extent; and more likely to watch the film as a result.
Gold lettering gives the title status; as the colour gold connotes wealth and power.
Names of famous actors appeal to people who may not have seen the film, but will have certainly heard of such people as Ewan Macgregor and Samuel L Jackson.




This poster is for the 2005 film Serenity; a sequel to a television series named Firefly.
'From the creators of Buffy & Angel' appeals to fans of popular TV programs.
Barren landscape in background draws attention to characters.
Phallic symbols of guns and swords give status to characters.
Female in foreground dressed in revealing clothing draws the male gaze; and appeals to their sexual attraction. Her making eye contact further enhances her seductive ability; yet more appealing.
Black title stands out against white background; unusual considering the typical 'light on dark' trend. This gives it a unique appeal.
Names of famous actors and directors, to appeal to those who aren't fans of 'Firefly'.
'They aim to misbehave'. Creates sense of rebellion; as the connotations of misbehaviour are generally troublemaking, excitement and danger. This also links back to the protagonists line in the trailer "I aim to misbehave"; strenghtening the 'brand identity' of the Serenity franchise.

Film Poster Plan

I intend to use the following observed conventions in my poster;

Male and female characters will be shown; in order to appeal to readers of both genders

Phallic symbols will be featured, to give readers respect for the characters' power conferred by these.

The film title will be clearly shown; as the prime purpose of the poster is for the advertisement of this film.

A 'tag-line' should be shown; in order to intrigue the reader and thus make them curious about the film.

The actors' names should be printed beneath the title; as this will give readers respect for the film if they recognise the names of people appearing within it.

One of the settings in the film must be used as a background; in order to contextualise the actions of the characters within the image.

Film Magazine Research & Plan

• Magazine Front Page Research
  I intend to analyse several film magazine front pages, and observe the conventions used by them before planning my own page.
  
  
  The image to the left is the front cover of Empire film magazine; a monthly publication that is the number one film magazine in Britain. I observed the following features which could be regarded as 'conventional' aspects of the Film Magazine genre.
  
• Clear masthead, positioned at the top of the page gives the magazine a clear 'brand identity'.
• Colour scheme of page is mostly red; which reinforces brand identity of magazine.
• Partially-obscured masthead forces reader to recognise the brand identity themselves; which equates to them actively recalling the name of the magazine and thus connecting to it on a higher level than simply seeing and reading it. The main character on the page is also given greater status by being positioned in front of the masthead.
• Protagonist of film mentioned establishes eye contact with reader; which creates a 'relationship' of sorts and keeps reader attention.
• The 'golden line' is used; which places important information on an invisible line running from the top left corner to the bottom right; as this is the area in which a reader is most likely to look. Information such as other articles, as well as the protagonist's face and the 'buttons' are on this line; as a reader will have the greatest chance of being appealed to by the varying content in the magazine.
• Rhetorical question above main feature title provokes thought.
• Usual 'technical' details such as barcode and issue number placed in non-prominent locations so as non to divert reader attention away from more appealing details.
• Red is the most-used colour on page; and as red is a colour often associated with strong emotion it attracts attention more than any other colour this helps attract attention from the shelf.
• The word 'SEX!" is enlarged to grab reader attention and appeal to their baser instincts; in a similar way to the red colour scheme.
• Film title mentioned to give meaning to the picture, and also to the 'flaming' effect applied to the masthead.
• Film title named, in order to give meaning to the image of the character and appeal to fans of that film.
  

Another cover of Empire Magazine; shown to highlight the conventions of a magazine across multiple issues; as opposed to features of individual editions. listed below are more regular features of magazine front covers.

• Main character draws focus, engages reader with eye contact. Character has appeared in 3 previous films, and the famous actor (Hugh Jackman) will create familiarity and gain the reader's trust more effectively than a company name (masthead). He is positioned in front of the masthead to give him greater importance.
• Essential but non-interesting details such as the barcode and issue number are placed in non-prominent locations, to interest the reader in the content of the magazine.
• Self-aggrandising claims made about magazine "The world's biggest movie magazine", "Exclusive" and "Review of the Year" gives reader respect for magazine. EMPIRE as the largest word on the page also gives it importance. When comparing red masthead to other colours (blue & black) the title stands out and gains prominence.
• Other article titles mentioned, so as to appeal to readers not directly interested in X-men.
• Film title is re-inforced by image of main character, and appeals to those wishing to see that film.

This is the front cover of Total Film magazine, the second most popular British Film magazine behind Empire; It is also published monthly. Magazine conventions noted below.

• Clear and distinctive colour scheme (black, white & yellow)
• Magazine given status by self-aggrandising claims; "The Complete Picture".
• Enigma created by figures in sunglasses; encourages reader to buy magazine in order to discover characters' identity.
• Other stories mentioned in order to appeal to those who are not fans of 'The Matrix'
• Barcode, price, issue number and other non-essential details placed in non-prominent location.
• Masthead obscured by characters to give characters extra importance.
• Ellipsis used ("And guns. Lots more guns...") to entice reader to read on; by creating intrigue. Repetition of 'guns' also draws attention. Tagline from original Matrix film anchors meaning to the characters pictured.
• Main character in dark, smart clothing pictured from low angle gives an impression of power; an impression that transfers onto the magazine itself and causes the reader to respect the magazine, in a sense.
• Film title on front cover appeals to fans of 'The Matrix' and justifies presence of characters.

Magazine Front Page Plan

I plan to use the following observed conventions for my magazine front cover;

• Film title 'Europa' will be clearly shown, and images of main characters will be the focal point of the page. The characters and film title will 'support' each other; as the title of the film should go some length to explaining the what the charactgers are in relation to.
• Barcode and other details placed in non-prominent locations, as these are not details which will appeal to the reader.
• Clear magazine masthead, placed at the top of the page to establish 'brand identity.'
• Distinctive colour scheme, to make the magazine visually appealing 'close-up' and far away (from the shelf).
• 'Secondary articles' mentioned, to appeal to those who are not directly interested in the feature film.