Evaluation

 From my research and planning to creating and constructing my three media pieces I realised codes and convention are vital to creating a professional and believable media products. By understanding the importance of codes and convention, they can guide you and develop your own work. Either following them or challenging them a by creating something new, fresh and original. My knowledge, understanding and appropriate codes and conventions grew when I started watching horror films and analysing horror films, horror film posters and magazine front covers. I especially analysed media pieces from supernatural and psychological sub genre as they similar to media pieces and I could get inspiration for my own work. I used existing codes and convention in my three media pieces, As well as challenging certain codes and convention to make my work original.

Now I will relate this to my own media pieces, starting with the horror teaser poster. From researching and analysing horror film poster, I followed the codes and conventions of the horror poster and applied them my film poster. I followed the layout of film poster by having, the film title, a memorable but haunting tag line, a release date, a website and most importantly dominating main image.

Examples of horror teaser poster with conventional layouts.  

  

I have followed the conventional layout of a film poster by having the website and release date at the bottom of the page in a small, but readable font. I made the title of the film was largest text, in bold striking font. As my poster is teaser poster I made sure there is minimal text, so doesn’t give away lot of the storyline. The tagline was placed underneath the title as, and was clear to read and catchy, which would give away tints of the film narrative.It also creates a symbolic link between my trailer and poster, as the tagline features in the trailer. I made sure main image dominated the whole page I would be the first thing the audience would notice. The use of the colour red in the tagline connotes blood, death and fear. An example of how I challenged on conventions is by having many light colours in my poster, especially my background, as many horror poster have dark colours such as red, black, dark blue and brown. 

Examples of horror posters with dark colours.

 

However as the poster is set in a hospital we decided to have light colours, however to make the poster belong to the horror genre. We made sure image focused on the actors face looking directly into the camera looking scared and possessed and showing blood on her face is typically iconography of the horror genre.

My film magazine front cover also follows codes and conventions of film magazine. Drawing my inspiration from to successful film publication such as ‘EMPIRE’ and 'Total Film’. Their target audience ‘EMPIRE’ and 'Total Film' are largely male dominated.These magazines are mainly image orientated with little text. Therefore I followed these conventions by creating a magazine with a male target audience, with dominating images and little text. 

The main inspiration for my magazine front cover was the Empire edition which featured Megan Fox. The Masthead is placed at the top of the page with strong, bold writing which standouts. The main image is for Megan Fox actress not her film character, which normal main image on a film magazine. The image shows Megan Fox, with a white background topless and in provocative position, making her looking ‘sexy’ to appeal to the male target audience. The magazine features a main sell line relating to the main image, Megan Fox hardly mentioning the film she is in. The magazine other sell lines feature on the magazine near the corners, so they audience are distracted from the main image. The magazine also has the date and price is placed in small writing.  

I have followed the conventional layout of a film magazine by having red masthead strong bold writing, having the date and website in small writing. The main image is of actress of my film, not her character; in a tight black dress extenuating her curvaceous figure with would appeal to male target audience. The main sell line focuses on actress, Jennifer Gunn, rather than the film ‘Fractured’ and only mention the film once, very briefly.

I followed the conventions another empire issue, which features a puff with and sell lines listing film names. Also having the barcode at the bottom of page in the right hand corner, and it is where the target audience’s eye will go last so it doesn’t distract the main image.

I followed on convention from total film magazine; by have a motto/slogan at top the page on top of the masthead. 

The film trailer follows a basic narrative structure. Beginning with the introductions of the plotline, in middle of the story develops further and usually ends with a dramatic climax and visual montage and lastly the sting. The trailer begins the protagonist Holly in a hospital waking up from a coma, and then it changes to getting back to her ordinary life. The story develops as the audience see a flashback of holly and her friend Amber in a car crash where they are both seriously hurt, explaining why Holly was in a coma. Audience then see Amber the agonist as a ghost following holly. The dramatic climax and visual montage include Holly being haunted and chased by Amber in her house before the sting. I used strap in my trailer for my audience to understand the narrative better, as I have little dialogue in my trailer. The trailer also featured a soundtrack to create tension.

Trailers are usually between two minutes to two and a half minutes long. I follow this convention as my trailer in 2 minutes long.  It is essential that a my trailer isn’t longer than two and a half minutes as it will give too much of the narrative away, and after the target audience have seen my trailer, it will make them want to see it in the cinema. At the beginning of my trailer the green band trailer title card, this is rating cards which appear on many trailers. Also included a film company logo to make the trailer look professional and realistic.

I believe that my film trailer film poster and magazine front cover have successfully and effectively been able to promote my film. I think that the poster appeals to my target audience, by enticing them. As the main image shows Holly looking possessed with the tagline “I know what you did to me ” I feel this will get the target audience wondering and thinking why is she in a hospital? Who did this to her? Which will make them want to watch the film. I feel the poster and trailer would appeal to a horror fan. While the film magazine would male target audience. I have created a symbolic link between my poster and trailer, by using the same font for title in the poster and trailer as well as featuring the same the tag line in the poster and trailer. I feel there is symbolic link between film trailer film poster and magazine front cover as they all feature the same actress

Trailer feedback

Film poster feedback

Film Magazine feedback

With media technology I would not have been able to create my work, showcase my research and planning on blogger, or easily receive feedback on my media pieces Without the use of the Internet and different computers software programmes I wouldn’t have been able to create my media pieces. Computers software programmes has enabled me to be more creative while the Internet have has enabled me to become more knowledgeable about other media text. 

‘Google’ has been a huge contribution to my research and planning. It would have particularly difficult a search engine to find research on media existing media text, finding images on ‘Google Images’ analysing film posters and magazine front covers. Also through ‘Google’ I found other websites which help information the codes and conventions of horror.

I have used Using blogger for AS and A2 media studies to showcase my work. Blogger has allowed me to create and express my identity. I can make my blog personal to me by changing the layout and font to showcase my work. It is easy to upload my work and for people to navigate there way through the blog to access my work. From using blogger for the last two year my technology skills have grown and developed I have learnt how to create posts, upload images and text and embed videos from ‘YouTube’.

I used YouTube’ to examine film trailers, as well as to help me select sound effects and soundtracks for my trailer. I also used YouTube to embed videos on my blog making it more visual. Without YouTube I would be able to upload my pitch or film trailer. While analysing film trailers, I used trailers YouTube I could easily pause, stop, rewind, and forward my trailer which made much easier to analysing trailers in more detail. 

After taking my shots on a camera for my film magazine front cover and film poster. I edited them to create my magazine front cover and poster on AdobePhotoshop. I have used Adobe Photoshop in my AS level media studies project, therefore I felt confident using it again and made creating for my film magazine front cover and film poster quiet easy.

However, I also use a different programme; Adobe Premier Pro which is a editing software programme for moving media. Which I use this to edit my trailer, as I never used this software before at the beginning I found it difficult and challenging to use to edit my footage I had recorded using a camcorder. However, with help from my teacher and partner I grow more confident using the software and edit we were able to successfully edit our trailer.

I used media technology to gather the post-production results. I used social networking site, Facebook in order to get feedback from my three final pieces; film poster, film magazine front cover and film trailer. Facebook made it a lot easier for me to gather feedback as most people have an account on a social networking site. This also made it easier for me as  all I had to was print screen my results onto my blog. 

In conclusion, I have truly enjoyed this task. I have learnt new skills as well as developing some. From research and planning and editing my trailer for weeks and weeks I appreciate how much effect and time goes in to creating these media pieces.With my partner I create three media texts to our best ability. We have created film promotional package that I believe my target audience would watch and enjoy. However I have found this project extremely challenging and demanding at times but overall I have found this creative project pleasurable and I learnt a huge amount genre of horror 

Final Pieces

Pratice Shot- Film Poster

Pratice Shot- Magazine Front Cover

Choosing my actor's name

Mock Up- Film Poster

Mock Up - Film Magazine

Ideas for location

Supernatural film locations tend to me in isolated settings or small communities. However they are sometimes set in urban community. We have decided to film location in an urban community, our main location will be in flat.  We choose this location as the target audience associate a home with security and place to relax; we feel using a home, which make the audience alarmed when ghost appears. Many supernatural use houses for their main location.  For example The Paranormal Activity. In the house, we will be using bedroom and the bathroom. This setting usually feature in trailers as they are associated security and privacy.

The hospital, as can be associated with death. Many people feel uneasy when they have to visit the hospital it is not something they enjoy.

Other locations include a road. This will feature towards the beginning of the trailer, showing a flashback of how The protagonist friend died, who comes back to haunt her as a ghost.

At the beginnings of trailers you usually see characters in normal surroundings, doing everyday things. Therefore we decided to have a protagonist jogging in the park.