To film

• Convert teaser trailer to quicktime file and show focus group
• Individual reflections on the teaser trailer
• Quick fixes to poster and magazine, then present final pieces to focus group

Editing

I have almost completed editing my teaser trailer, I am quite please with the results so far. I need to edit some of the transitions slightly then covert the file to quicktime to exhibit to a group of my target audience. I will then gather feedback of how to improve the final product.

I asked several peers within my media class to look at the technical aspects of my productions, and asked advice on what could be improved or changed. I received positive feedback and was given a few hints on how to pace the trailer better, using transitions and video fx.

Teaser trailer, magazine and poster

These 3 products are all linked mainly through the consistant imagery based in naturistic surroundings. The film title in each product is the same font which allows it to be easily recognisable, I have also used the same female featuring in all 3 products.

I decided to feature the film 'Shame' along with some information on film festivals on my magazine as they are all linked with the arthouse genre and festivals are more often featured in this type of magazine, whereas in magazine's such as Empire blockbuster flicks would be shown. Shame (Steve Mcqueen) is a recent arthouse film which has caused a lot of controversiality due to it's sensitive content, I wanted to feature something like this as someone that inspires me a lot is Lars von Trier, a director known for controversiality. This film plus the subtle quote from Von Trier at the bottom of the page links all the content nicely together. My own 'film's content has similar themes to some of Von Triers work, things that people don't want to talk about (mental illness, addiction, death) which also relates nicely to Shame. I also featured a quote from Andrea Arnold as I admire her style of filming, I also thought that my use of naturistic surroundings would be a nice homage to Arnold's recent adaption of Wuthering Heights.

Feedback on magazine cover and poster

-Too much block white, change colour of title section
-Move image away from right side of magazine
-Sponsorship?

-Merge images on poster together? So the lines aren't so defined

Draft of Magazine cover done!

Another film poster draft, need feedback!

Change of placement

The feedback I got from my focus group suggested I need to rethink where my poster would be placed, the comments I received all shied towards using a billboard layout, as due to its format and content this would be most suitable.

My poster contains several elements and images which would require time to look at it, outside/inside a cinema on a billboard like the ones above would be a good placement, the landscape format also fits the conventions of a billboard poster rather than a magazine.

Feedback from focus group

POSTER
-Consider billboard format (outside cinema's e.g. cinema city)
-Left hand images not as strong as right, too dark and may not fit with others
-Film festival things need border
-Play around with order of images/borders

MAGAZINE
-Blend image with background
-Superimpose character's face into background of magazine
-Decrease size of link thing, move to bottom also
-Move movie title to bottom of page, within the image

Focus Group on Prezi

 Feedback

Experimenting with the magazine cover

I have been experimenting putting together the front cover of my magazine, I am having a few difficulties with photoshop but will seek advise to achieve the maximum result for my cover. I will update my progress..

More magazine layouts

Here are another two possible layouts for my magazine, I have decided on where the text and such will go, it's just the background image that I am finding difficult to gain inspiration for. I will experiment taking images like these two and will see if they are suitable for the cover, this will be done tomorrow.
I like the idea of having my figures face partially covered with a shard of mirror as this features in both my teaser trailer and on the poster, which would link the 3 nicely together. It would represent her broken up mind and psyche. 

Poster placement

Through looking at various types of film magazines I have decided that the Sight&Sound magazine would be a suitable place to feature my poster. When creating my draft posters I thought that I would change them to a typical A4 portrait format to fit nicely into a magazine, although now I'm beginning to like the idea of having the poster landscape. This would make the reader possibly engage more with the poster as they would have to turn the magazine to view it properly, which would perhaps make it slightly more interesting. As the poster is featuring a niche genre film it would be fitting to make the format less mainstream, to mix things up a bit.

Sight and Sound magazine

Sight and Sound magazine is a film magazine that offers information and features on more Art house type productions and niche genre films. Featuring my poster in this type of magazine would be the most suitable option, it typically aims at a male film audience and allows less publicised works to be shown.

The draft cover that I came up for my magazine is actually quite similar to some of the Sight and Sound covers I have just researched, which shows that my own cover will fit the conventions that I am studying.

 <-- This is the cover that appears similar to my own, as I was thinking of a simple layout with the serene blue sky background.


My original idea for the background of the magazine was the field image with my actor standing with her back towards the camera, but now I am steering towards a more horror orientated image..

I am going to draw a few of my new ideas up and upload them shortly. Looking at the covers for Sight & Sound has made me want to go in a different direction in terms of imagery, something more simplistic and eye catching. Something that reflects the psychological horror genre.

This magazine has quite a retro feel to it, as would my own, referring to it's title of 'Drive In' (typically an old way of watching movies).

Poster placement

I will be placing my poster in a film magazine, this means the dimensions of my poster will be around 8.5x11". I thought this would be a good place to advertise as the poster will be fairly detailed and so would require more time to look at, it is not quite 'eye-catching' enough for a billboard poster. Also being a niche genre film means that it would require a lot of finance to advertise over billboards and such, so a slot in a magazine would be easier financially.

Audience feedback

I have just received some feedback regarding the layout and design of my poster. From this I have learnt that I need to figure out the layout of the poster in regards to where it will be shown, e.g in a magazine, billboard. When this has been decided I can then work on what size and shape it will be.
The bottom two images on the poster have been more unpopular than the top, not as strong imagery. I will try to find some other images that will convey the theme of the story to the viewer, eliminating the weaker images.

Practicing on photoshop for poster

broken mirror - reflecting the characters mind frame, broken, shattered, dangerous.

moon - shows the films link with nature as in the other images, everything is outdoors, natural, unsafe.

figure standing alone - isolation, vulnerability, innocence

child running into woods - danger, running, fear, darkness, loss of innocence

The imagery used in these posters reflects some of the themes and conventions of my genre and storyline

Final Magazine and Poster layouts

What to include on poster

Title going across middle of the two images, splitting into 2 halves.
WRECKQUIEM - on either side of title put the film festivals it is entered for (make up names)
under title simply 3 actors names
top images: moon on left side, broken mirror on right
bottom image: actress on floor of the woods

What to include on magazine

TITLE - Drive In

MAIN STORY - Katharine Wood's debut hit with Wreckquiem, this years best
                             psychological horror
                             First interview with director + cast
                             Image of lead actress

SUB STORIES - The best film festivals to attend this summer
                              New releases (list across bottom of page)
                              Film buff's quiz of the year