After Easter, we need to write the 1,200 word essay analysing the poster and trailer for the film you researched earlier this term. Part of that essay involves evaluating our production work, specifically focusing on key conventions, institutional information and the representation of people, places or groups.
Blogtask: evaluating your production work
In today's lesson, you need to create a new blog post entitled Evaluating my production work: Assignment 2.
Answer the questions below - this will give you the basis of your evaluating for the essay after Easter. Aim to write a detailed, developed paragraph for each question explaining how your film poster has matched the brief and how you researched and used conventions to make your finished product authentic and professional.
1) What typical features (conventions) of a film poster have you used? How do they help to make the poster effective in attracting an audience? (Key conventions include title, release date, institutional information, reviews, a central image etc.)
2) What is the genre of your film? How would your target audience know this from design of your poster? E.g. Colour scheme, font choice, mise-en-scene (props, costume, character, setting).
3) What institutional information have you used to try and sell the film and how does this appeal to the audience? E.g. 'From the Producers of...' / Star power / Directors / Reviews.
4) Where are there examples of synergy between your storyboard and trailer? (Synergy is the link or interaction between two different media texts).
5) What representations have you used in your film? E.g. gender / race / age / nationality / place)? Are these reinforcing or challenging stereotypes? This is a good BBC Bitesize page on the key concept of Representation that will help with this question.
Example: Angels of Justice
Miss Fowler kindly completed an example of what this evaluation might include using a poster and storyboard from her GCSE class last year:
Miss Fowler kindly completed an example of what this evaluation might include using a poster and storyboard from her GCSE class last year:
1) When researching the conventions of a film poster, I noticed that most posters use a focal, central image to connect with the audience and interest them in the film. The central image dominates the poster and is usually related to the central characters or narrative plot. I have chosen to focus on my protagonist (the hero) and the antagonist (villain) as the characters on the poster. To show that they are opposing each other, I positioned them next to each other but back to back and I used fire and ice to demonstrate their powers. The plot of my film features two avenging angels so I used Photoshop to create wings behind my original photography to signify that they are angels - this also hints at the genre and narrative of the film. I used an indication of when the film would be released (‘Coming Soon’) to create anticipation and I name checked the stars of the film to interest people who might already be fans of their work. The title of the film is prominent and positioned directly underneath the image to link the two together. The tagline adds more information by summing up the film: You’ve Got Nothing to Fear…If You’ve Got Nothing to Hide. This helps to ground the film in the crime/action thriller genre and creates the sense of good and evil. Finally, I included an age rating – 15 because the BBFC would probably classify my film as suitable for audience members of 15 years and older because there is violence in my narrative.
2) The genre of my film is crime and action thriller but there is also an element of the superhero/ supernatural genre because I am including angels who are from a different world. I have signified my genre using dark colours and a smoke effect as this looks eerie and supernatural. The position of the characters makes them look confrontational which suggests the action element of the film. The fire and ice props connote the special powers which links to the superhero or comic book genre - they also suggest to the audience that there is going to be action and potentially violence in the film. For my costume, I put my characters in modern, casual street clothes to show the urban setting and to suggest that it is set in modern day.
3) Regarding institutional information, I have used the logos of Warner Brothers and Lionsgate, the two production companies that I would want to make my film. I have also included positive reviews to give the film credibility and I have included institutional information in a blurb at the bottom of the poster, as is conventional. This will encourage an audience to go and see this film if they have enjoyed other films by the same director or made by the same institution. Lionsgate is a highly successful American film studio that has made films like The Hunger Games and the Divergent franchise; my film will target a similar audience so I wanted to suggest that my film might have similar appeal to these hugely successful franchises. Warner Brothers is one of the biggest production companies in the world so the audience can tell this is going to be a mainstream blockbuster. I have name checked the stars of the film to endorse them.
4) There is synergy between my poster and storyboard because the main characters from the central image in my poster also feature in my storyboard for my trailer. The trailer opens with the institutional information for Warner Brothers but I have incorporated fire and ice around the logo to link with my poster. The tagline is also included along with the title of the film so that the audience can link the trailer and the poster. My storyboard features close up shots of the angel’s wings and the fire/horns of the villain both of which are shown in the central image of my poster. This highlights the importance of these characters.
5) I have represented two ethnic minority figures as my hero and villain. My hero is an Arab teenager and my villain is of Asian descent. This somewhat subverts typical Hollywood stereotypes as most action films feature white characters as the protagonists and cast ethnic minorities as the villains. I wanted to give a positive representation of an Arab male teenager as a role model with angel wings signifying that he is a positive character. This is a refreshing change from most Arab representations in Hollywood films which are negative or dangerous.
My trailer and poster reinforce gender stereotypes. My film features two male characters because most action adventure storylines feature male characters in the dominant roles. However, this may reinforce negative stereotypes that suggest women cannot be heroes in action or comic book movies. The age of the two characters is supposed to be young adults so that my film appeals to a teenage audience. I wanted them to look like typical teenagers but the red eyes and wings suggest that there is something unique about them that makes them subvert our expectations of normal teenage boys. This creates a unique selling point for the film and clearly targets the film at the teenage market - the most important audience group for cinemas and film studios.
If you don't finish the five questions on your blog you must complete this for homework - due Thursday 20 April.
