Introduction to G324 Blog

My name is Oliver Wilkinson and I am a media studies student at the Fallibroome Academy. I have written this blog in order to evaluate my A2 media studies coursework. For my coursework, I have produced a teaser trailer for a new film, a film poster advertising the film and finally a film magazine front cover featuring the film.
My blog will include the research, planning and construction of my coursework in all its stages.

Research

Oliver Wilkinson 13X

Media studies - Research into media promotional packages

1 To aid the construction of my A2 teaser trailer i researched into the following areas.

I have analyzed two movie posters to research key conventions and apply them to my own work. I annotated the Spider man 3 movie poster, and also the (500) days of summer movie poster. I chose these particular posters as they represent two very different film genres, and therefore give a more varied range of conventions to feature in my own work.

The Spider man 3 movie poster is of the action/thriller genre, which I found useful as it was similar to mine. It showed some interesting conventions of thriller genre film posters and gave me some key ideas for my own product.
Click to see annotationThe (500) days of summer movie poster is a romantic comedy genre film, and therefore less useful to me as the genre conventions are completely different to those of thriller genre films, but it was interesting to see the differences in construction.
Click to see annotation

The style and content, and general visual look of the website should obviously be tailor made to match the genre of the corresponding film i.e. romance, horror etc. For example, paranormal activity 2, a clear horror genre movie has a corresponding website to strengthen its status as a horror film. Once the website is loaded, an eerie green loading sign appears. Once it has fully loaded, the trailer begins to play, to immediately expose the viewer to some film content and a general plot outline. Once the trailer has finished, the movie title appears on screen in blood red, contrasting against the dim background.

http://www.paranormalmovie.com/

Also a good example of a genre-correlating website is the movie website for Dear John, which is very clearly a romantic genre. The site loads with the line; Love brought them together. Will fate tear them apart? Then loads onto a background of the two main characters together. The color scheme is light and simple, reflecting the general tone of the website, and correlating with the films genre.

http://www.dearjohn-movie.com/

Overall I think that movie sites are important in reinforcing the genre of films.

Teaser Trailer Analysis
I analyzed two teaser trailers of different genres to get an idea of what genre I wanted to apply to my own work, and what key conventions of each genre I should include in my own trailer. I decided to use the thriller genre, similar to the genre of spider man 3, but without the action genre aspect.

Spiderman 3 Teaser Trailer

In the teaser trailer for Spider man 3, we aren’t told the name at any point in the trailer, Just given a large number 3 at the end in the branded font for Spider man. In my opinion this is because of the high popularity of previous films, and therefore the music choice, font, and main actors will be recognized in the trailer making the act of naming the film redundant, as all the information we need is that it is the third film. Although there is no actual text telling us the stars of the film, the stars of the film are made clear to us through their portrayal and length of time on the film. As well as with the title, we recognize that this is the third film in the series and therefore recognize the actors, providing a sense of brand identity. In my opinion this makes the trailer more effective as the viewer engages with it and concentrates in order to realize what the film is, and when it is being released, as well as distinguishing a general plot-line without having the entire film revealed to them. In the trailer it is made clear that the film is an action genre film. We are shown various clips of fight scenes without spoiling the actual outcome. There is use of fast paced editing which in keeping of the genre, and aids the dramatic scenes and keeps the viewer interested. The music in the trailer is a mixture of a dramatic crescendo, which reaches its peak at the end of the trailer, and the theme music of the Spider man films. This is used not only in tandem with the fast paced dramatic editing, but also to give a sense of brand identity further removing the need for a name to be given in the trailer, as the music is recognizable from other films. There is no voice over used in the trailer, instead having speech from the film to explain and describe what is happening in the scenes, and reveal a vague plot. I have already noted that fast paced editing is employed, but this kicks in fully towards halfway through the trailer in tandem with the music. At first, the filming is slow establishing shots showing us where the film is set. As the trailer progresses, and fight scenes start to emerge, the fast paced editing speeds up the rate at which we watch the trailer, faster than simply watching film clips, and therefore can fit in more content from the film. In the actual feature, clips can go at a normal speed as we are watching the full length feature. The very last scenes of the trailer tell the viewer that the film is the third in the series, when the feature is being released and where to find more information online. In my opinion the trailer is far more effective in making the viewer want to see the film as there is only so much that can be conveyed in the static image of a poster.

(500) Days of Summer Teaser Trailer

We are first shown the name of the film about halfway through the teaser, it very briefly flashes on the screen, and the trailer continues. This repeats throughout the trailer and at the last scene it is shown as a lasting image. The name is shown frequently because there are no prequels to the film, nor is it based on a book; therefore we need to be made aware of the identity of the film. The voice over denotes the names of two stars in the film, which is in my opinion to attract viewer interest in the film, as they may have seen the actors in other popular films. The music track in the trailer is sweet disposition – the temper trap; the track is an alternative, easy listening track which brands the trailer as a Rom-com, or even a drama, certainly not action or horror. The voice over is male, denoting a general synopsis of the film, explaining the scenes as there is no dialogue from the film included in the trailer. The voice over is in my opinion calm and equally has a calming effect on the viewer. It simply denotes what is happening in the film and reveals the names of the stars and of the film.

The editing in the trailer is slightly quicker than what we would be watching in the actual feature, but in no way is it fast paced editing, it simply uses a series of straight cuts to fit as much film as possible for a teaser without revealing too much of the plot, nor does the speed quicken or slow down throughout the trailer.

The last scenes are typical of a teaser trailer, revealing the name of the film, that it is coming soon and the studio that is producing the film. It is still my opinion that the trailer will always be more effective than the poster in generating viewer interest, as there is only so much that a static image can convey. I would expect to see this trailer before a film of similar genre, because the viewers watching a film of the same genre could be expected to be fans of that particular genre, or even before an action film. I think showing of the trailer on television would be indiscriminate, as television is meant for mass viewing, and therefore difficult to capture a particular audience in one minute and thirty seconds.

Research into Thriller Genre
I have conducted research into Thriller genre to improve my own work of the same genre. Below is a mood board showing images of various aspects of the thriller genre, some of which I have applied to my own trailer.
I have also created two wordle's to help portray key conventions and common aspects of thriller Genre films.


I chose the thriller genre based on my research because I felt that with the resources I had, a thriller Genre trailer would allow me to accomplish the most professional quality as opposed to attempting and action or comedy, which require large budgets and more complex lighting and camera work. For example, comedy genre features have high level lighting more or less all the time, which is harder to achieve than low level lighting, which is easier in thriller as generic conventions dictate that thrillers are mainly set in a night time scenario. Action Genre conventions are high budget stunts and explosions, perhaps a less strong storyline but backed up with expensive special effects. I found that the Thriller genre used enigma and mystery to heighten tension and suspense, and uses the subtleties of editing and camerawork to reinforce the storyline and keep the viewer intrigued. I think I managed to achieve some of these qualities in my own work to a certain extent, and would not have done so without my research into Genre.


This wordle reflects some of the aspects of thriller/action genre. I did research into this as I knew what that I wanted to create a thriller genre trailer, but wasn't sure as to which type of thriller I wanted it to be.

















This wordle is the generic conventions of classic thrillers, and what I've tried to model my own trailer on.

Preliminary Trailer Task
For my preliminary trailer task I was required to create a horror genre teaser trailer about being trapped in school after hours. We named our teaser trailer 'Detension' with a deliberate spelling error to create a pun.
I learnt a lot about the construction of teaser trailers by creating a preliminary product. especially about reinforcing genre. One of the ways that I learnt to reinforce genre in my prelim task was through use of soundtrack. The genre of the trailer was horror, and therefore should have been fast paced to create suspense, but the soundtrack I used was too slow, and made the sequence appear much slower, taking away from the desired effect.
The editing was also too slow in the first place, which I rectified in my final teaser, using a quicker pace of editing to keep the viewer interested and build suspense.
I also did not employ much mise en scene in my prelim trailer, which is crucial to setting the right scene and reinforcing genre. For example, although it was supposed to be a school setting, I could have made it more obvious through costume and dialogue. Although the viewer isn't supposed to get much of the plot from a teaser trailer, they should have a general idea of what is happening in the scenes. I could have done this by explaining it was a girl in detention through dialogue from the teacher.
I did learn some positive skills during my preliminary task, such as the speed up of movement, showing time passing by in detention. I used this again in my final trailer, by creating a time lapse of cars going by.
Overall, my preliminary trailer task helped me create a much more professional quality final trailer, and take away from the amateurish feel that I achieved in the first trailer.

Planning

Before I began the construction of my A2 level courswork in the form of a Promotional fim package consisting of a teaser trailer, film magazine front cover and film poster, I had to plan many aspects so that it could be successfully executed and to a realistic degree. For example I created a storyboard showing the shots in the trailer, and also a flat plan of my magazine cover and poster.

Plot synopsis

The aim of a synopsis is to give an overview of the film genre and general plot, and also give an indication of how professional and high quality the product is; therefore I would identify any famous, successful and popular actors/actresses that are starring in the feature. The potential audience will recognize the actor/actress from other films and perhaps be persuaded to watch the film due to a liking or loyalty to said actors, or even directors. I would also include a general storyline, with no specific plot references, as a synopsis with too detailed a storyline could either make the actual film a disappointment as all the key twists have already been revealed, or the viewer may feel that they have already seen the film as the synopsis is so detailed. I would exclude all significant plot twists and the ending of the film, again to prevent the film from being a disappointment. I would include a title, release date and website address to provide more information.

A string of murders occur a short while after the very citizens that a band of heroes were trying to protect, turn on them and have this band of vigilante crime fighters locked up in specially constructed facilities. However, the story does not end here. Humanities most prominent civilian leaders are revealed as having corrupt civilian backgrounds, and are responsible for the imprisonment of these heroes as they were close to discovering the roots of the city's most influential criminals. One by one, they are being stalked and slain by an unknown vigilante who alone knows the truth. Are they being held responsible for the penalties they so harshly inflicted upon the peoples own champions? Throughout the film, the story is constantly dogged by a go getter reporter, who is struggling at her low level journalism internship with the skill and tenacity to go far in the reporting world. The heroes manage to come in contact with the vigilante and organize a breakout, leading to a mass cleansing of crime throughout the city. However this victory comes at a bitter price as the vigilante is unmasked and slain in a fierce clash with the forces of evil in order to recover the kidnapped reporter who has fallen foul of the organized criminals. This vigilante is discovered to have been an ex hero of the golden days of crime fighting. It is revealed in a post mortem examination that he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness, which makes the loss easier to bear as he met his demise on his own terms, not at the hands of a wasting illness. Starring Anthony Hopkins as the vigilante, and Zooey Deschanel as the reporter. Dialogue/Voiceover

Voice-over –

First section – 00.05 – 00.14

In a time where heroes are villains..

And villains are heroes..

Only one man can bring justice

Second section – 00.48 – 00.58

Only one hero will remain in the shadows

To avenge the heroes the people scorned

And redeem himself

Final Title – The Revenger

Dialogue:

Shot 3: Muffled dialogue from captive

Shot 7: “Tell me who you work for!”

Shot 8: “we have incarcerated these vigilante criminals as a symbol of the zero tolerance that this city takes when dealing with those civilians that decide to take the law into their own hands.”

Shot 17: “The unjust will be punished”

Shot 18: Title – The Revenger”

Shot list

Shot 1 – Universal studios logo

Shot 2 – Establishing shot –time lapse of cars, reveals setting as urban, at night, which reinforces thriller genre

Shot 3 – Hooded figure in front of bright lights. This shot reinforces the genre the most in my opinion, as it adds a definite conflict factor to the plot. The fact that the figure is hooded and bound shows the viewer a very serious, thriller side to the product.

Shot 4 – Dark tunnel – shadowy figure. This shot connotes enigma, and intrigue, by keeping the identity of the figure unknown. It also reinforces the thriller genre with low lighting, and mystery.

Shot 5 – Fast shot of the moon – shows time passing, and is continuity editing with the rest of the trailer shot at night .

Shot 6 – dark tunnel – shadowy figure progressing down the tunnel

Shot 7 – Shot of radio, with police chief talking – reveals a little of the plot.

Shot 8 – Radio again, hand slams down

Shot 9 – Shadowy figure reaches camera and blacks out

Shot 10 – Hooded man stood in bright room – contrasts to darkness

Shot 11 – Low shot of hooded man, creates more power

Shot 12 – Masked man appears and subdues hooded man

Shot 12 – Masked man has back to the camera, hooded man slumps to floor

Titles

Animatic

My animatic is a document showing what shots I had planned to use before beginning to film my final trailer. When compared with my finished trailer, it is clear that the making of my final product was still a huge learning curve, as shots that appear in my animatic are vastly different to ones that appear in my trailer. This shows that what I had planned to do and what I was able to do to create good quality shots were very different.

Some of the shots in my animatic do feature in my final trailer, but it is often hard to distinguish which ones, due to the drawing, and heavy adaptation. My animatic gave me good ideas to start with, but I rapidly realized that I would need to develop the shots to create a product with a professional quality appearance.

Evaluation

Evaluation

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

My media product mainly employs currently existing conventions of real media products and in some ways does develop them. I would not say that my media promotional package really challenges any forms and conventions of real media products to any significant degree. The genre of my teaser trailer was thriller, and I used generic conventions to convey this. For example, to accentuate the thriller genre I used low level lighting in my shots, as opposed to high level lighting, which may be seen in genres such as comedy and romance. I employed various aspects of Mise en scene to portray the genre, such as costume and props i.e. the use of a mask and dark clothing. I also employed Mise en scene in my film poster, again with the use of a mask and also the sword, which promoted action/thriller. Overall, I felt that my trailer, poster and magazine front cover conformed to conventions of currently existing products.

2. How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

The combination of my teaser trailer and ancillary texts, in the form of a film poster and film magazine, is not particularly effective. The film poster coupled with the trailer does carry on a strong sense of the thriller genre, and portrays the main character of the film in costume. The magazine front cover however, fails to establish brand identity with font choice and colour scheme. It does name the actor, linking it to the film poster, but this is a low level combination and is easily confused. In my opinion, the film poster and teaser trailer do have a stronger link to one another, and does establish some form of brand identity, but the magazine front cover is lacking in key conventions of professional products.

3. What have you learned from your audience feedback?

I learned a great deal from audience feedback. This especially influenced my teaser trailer as I received criticisms based on music choice, editing and various features of Mise en scene that did not convey the genre properly. For example, the music on the first draft was far too slow for the pace of the editing, and made it appear slower, whereas the desired effect was fast paced editing. I changed the soundtrack based on this feedback.

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

I have learnt to use a range of new media technologies to put together my media piece, but also to develop my skills in media technologies that I am already familiar with from AS level media studies, for example blogger and Photoshop. I learnt how to edit footage on adobe premier pro which was new to me, and I also learnt to use adobe after effects to make my product seem more professional. Adobe premier pro was the biggest influence on my work technology wise, as I created my teaser trailer with it, and also used it to edit the majority of my footage. I used wordle to create collections of words to do with my product and generic conventions of media products. I employed Photoshop in the creation of my film magazine front cover, and also when creating my film poster. I was already familiar with this technology, but implemented different fonts with the use of Dafont.com to use fonts to fit the genre of my trailer. I was also familiar with blogger from AS level media studies, as I used it to evaluate my magazine front cover, contents page and double page spread at AS. I did use adobe after effects, but not to any significant degree, because I did not find it necessary to enhance my footage. I did use it in one shot, to create a time lapse of traffic. Overall, new media technologies allowed me to create a media film promotional package to a realistic degree, whereas without these technologies, the outcome would have been much more amateur.

Screen Shots

Click to view

The use of the Universal logo creates a strong brand identity to accompany the trailer, and also labels it as a professional quality product.

My first shot is of a time lapse of traffic, shot from above. This shot is quite technically intricate, and shows that I have some skills in using adobe after effects as well as other new media technologies. It also sets the scene, i.e. urban setting at night.

This shot connotes the Genre of my film teaser trailer. and

reinforces it as a thriller. The shadowy figure at the end of a dark tunnel creates a sense of enigma and also doesn't give much plot away, which is the aim of a teaser.

Click to view my evaluation of my film magazine front cover

Click to view my evaluation of my promotional film poster

Final Teaser Trailer

This is my completed teaser trailer product which together with my magazine front cover and film poster is the complete film promotional package that I created for my A2 level media studies coursework.