RESEARCH: WHAT IS THE AIM OF A FILM POSTER?

Film posters are used to engage audience interest. 

Film posters use a high ratio of photography to text to attract and address audiences' visual interest. A film poster is part of a marketing media form - a Poster and Advertising campaign.  

1.   They have to create an initial impact to ensure audiences take a secondary look and to create a hook - a striking central image, creative use of colour, size and style of font or tagline. Due to the nature of the sites of exhibition of film posters, this impact has to be immediate. There are various types of film posters that are used specifically with this in mind – the teaser poster will have limited textual information while a character poster looks to communicate with a knowing target audience who are familiar with the film.

2.   Larger, framed film posters e.g. outside cinemas will have additional text at the bottom of the poster to encourage more convergent links.

3.   Convergent links on a film poster that engage audience interest include the film website address – here it is hoped the link will encourage a potential audience to find out more about the film by exploring rich media. 

4.   Twitter and Facebook links will encourage interactivity and hopefully for the film, file sharing and viral marketing. This references the personal relationships aspect of the uses and gratifications theory. Some posters also use escapism or diversion as a way of attempting to offer entertainment values– this can be an actor or character in a certain pose, or a manipulated action screenshot.

5.   Use of house style is often evident in film posters – the font and colour palette will appear as the same across a range of marketing platforms while the central image will be promoted in a range of media. 

6.   Variations in typography will also attract audience interest. 

7.   Pull quotes are important to legitimise a film and many film posters include reviews from carefully chosen publications that reflect the interests of their target audience.

8.   Finally, synergy can be a factor in arousing audience interest with linking wherever possible to other successful work but also selling the production values of a film by including the production company, and/or distributor’s logo.

MARKETING FILMS WITH NEW MEDIA

Below I have made an infographic using info.gram.

me
Create your own infographics

BOOMERANG

I was introduced to an app called Boomerang. Boomerang is an app, similar to PicMonkey online or Pixlr, that allows me to record 3 second short videos, called Hyperlapses, on my iPhone, similar to a GIF. They are 10x quicker than an average, generic time-lapse. The app is especially for Instagram and other social media platforms such as Twitter or Tumblr. 

HERE is a link to blog post I wrote about making GIFs. 

I intend to make use of this app in future blog posts on the planning, construction and evaluation stages of my film trailer. I have began to use it on social media platforms. I am in charge of updating my film trailers Instagram page and have used Boomerang to upload a short video whilst editing footage (as shown below). By uploading footage onto social media platforms such as Instagram, I am gaining a variety of feedback from people of different ages, genders and locations in the world, as well as reaching my target audience creating a buzz pre the film trailer/films release. 

uploaded onto Instagram

FEEDBACK: SOCIAL MEDIA

I asked on social media platforms for feedback on an over the shoulder shot of Sydney driving her car to go and see The Ghost, a shot of the credits featured in my film trailer and a shot of a local filming location. Asking for feedback will allow us to have a better understanding on what our audience likes and dislikes (to improve our shots); allowing us to have a high chance of producing a successful film trailer attracting audiences to come and watch the film at the exhibition stages. 

In one post on Instagram I showed that I have used an app called Boomerang to record the footage. Boomerang is an extremely useful app as it allows me to quickly record and upload footage onto numerous platforms including Twitter and Facebook, allowing me to quickly receive feedback from my target audience. 

I posted this on Instagram and interconnected with Twitter allowing me to have a variety of feedback from people of different ages, genders and locations in the world.

Below is a collage of screenshots of posts I uploaded onto Instagram to receive Feedback. I used Fotor to make it. 

Process of making the collage

Below are the posts I fed through from Instagram onto my personal Media Twitter page to gain a variety of feedback from numerous platforms.

PLANNING: CALL SHEET #12 - TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS FOR MY POSTER

I was set the task to organise the call sheets throughout our filming and construction process. I have typed up the Call Sheets including the date of the shoot, location (with a map to help people know the route to travel to the location), crew to be attending the shoot with contact details, equipment used further promoting people to remember to bring the camera, tripod and lights home from the Media Studies studios as well as props and costume to wear. By completing a call sheet this will make myself and my group organised for future shoots so we don't miss deadlines.

This is a Call Sheet for a session taking photographs for my A Question of Identity film poster. We took photos on the same day as Call Sheet #11.

FILM MAGAZINE GLOSSARY

Below is a selection of media marketing words that will help me describe and analyse a film magazine front cover (part of a films marketing campaign). These words are especially useful when I analyse a selection of film magazine front covers and my own.
 
Cover lines : Information about major articles given on the front page of a magazine 
Left-side third: A lot of important information designed to attract potential readers is placed in the left-hand side vertical third of the front cover page. This is in case the magazine is displayed in a horizontal shelving system rather than a vertical one.
Masthead: The title of the magazine or newspaper. It is usually placed at the top of the front cover for display purposes
Puff: Words or phrases on the cover of a magazine used to boost status
Plug: Information about the contents of a magazine or newspaper given on the front cover 

PLANNING & CONSTRUCTION: LOCATION RECCE & FILMING

This scene consists of Aaron being led into custody by Detective Gibbs. Previously to filming my group and I made a trip to the location of the custody scene at Claremont Fan Court School, Esher to check whether filming the custody scene would be appropriate, fit our vision of filming and also make us aware of how the scene would look like visually both in the construction stages as well as what it may look like against other scenes when being edited. 

The location is an old, 20th Century lift at the bottom of a set of 4 flights of stairs - this would be acting as a hall-way leading to the custody room. The grill that protects the wooden shaft-like door of the lift looks similar to police cells in a prison. My group and I thought this was a unique and appropriate aspect of the location creating a believable mise-en-scene for our film trailer; further creating synergy with the next scene (Aaron being interviewed by Detective Gibbs in custody - HERE is a link to the location recce before we started filming this scene, HERE is a link to a blog post on the filming of this scene)

We agreed that prior to filming the location had to be near empty as it we didn't want any disturbances such as pupils of the school being in shot without permission (especially through the windows shown in the photographs) as well as students walking up and down the stairs disturbing the sound and action being captured with pupils entering and exiting the main double doors located on the right of this location. We wanted the hall way leading to the custody room to be a small size with bright lighting (preferably filmed in the day), empty with no people and a cold, unfriendly and vacant feel further conveying a haunting, empty and vulnerable feel, similar to the atmosphere created at the church (HERE is a link to my post on the location recce I completed previous to filming at the church and HERE is a link to my post on filming the grave yard scene at the church) and scenes filmed at the car park (HERE is a link to my post on the location recce I completed previous to filming at the car park and HERE is a link to my post on filming the car park scenes in Woking, Surrey) making Aaron seem alone, vacant and lonely.

PLANNING: CALL SHEET #11

I was set the task to organise the call sheets throughout our filming and construction process. I have typed up the Call Sheets including the date of the shoot, location (with a map to help people know the route to travel to the location), crew to be attending the shoot with contact details, equipment used further promoting people to remember to bring the camera, tripod and lights home from the Media Studies studios as well as props and costume to wear. By completing a call sheet this will make myself and my group organised for future shoots so we don't miss deadlines.

CONSTRUCTION: FILMING IN KINGSTON - SYDNEY SHOPPING

 

Demi, Sophie and I filmed Sydney shopping in Kington Upon Thames for jewellery. Sydney has earned vast amounts of money, unlike an average 18 year old, through selling illegal passports to helpless, vulnerable and desperate refugees and migrants seeking refuge in the United Kingdom. I brought in an orange Hermes paper bag for Sydney to carry whilst shopping conveying wealth, glamour and sophistication. Sydney carrying expensive carrier bags from exclusive department stores and expensive jewellery shops would make audiences question how she earned her money creating jeopardy and mystery.

CONSTRUCTION: LOCATION RECCE

This scene consists of Sydney window shopping for jewellery in London. Previously to filming my group and I made a trip to the location of the scene in Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey to check whether filming this scene would be appropriate, fit our vision of filming and also make us aware of how the scene would look like visually both in the construction stages as well as what it may look like against other scenes when being edited. 

 

We initially decided that it would be appropriate to film inside a local shopping centre in Kingston Upon Thames, however we were told that we were unable to film in there without permission. We spoke to the management of the Bentall Centre, Kingston and she told us that permission would be expensive and time consuming, she said that filming outside would be more suitable. According to guidelines, we are allowed to film outside on the high street as long as don't show the branding or signs of businesses advertising their product without their permission.

 

We agreed that prior to filming the location had to be near empty as it we didn't want any disturbances such as members of the school being in shot without permission. We wanted the high street to be a vast size with day light visible and the shop windows to be impressive showcasing expensive, glamorous and luring jewellery; creating awe and spectacle at Sydney's wealth.

 

PLANNING: CALL SHEET #10

I was set the task to organise the call sheets throughout our filming and construction process. I have typed up the Call Sheets including the date of the shoot, location (with a map to help people know the route to travel to the location), crew to be attending the shoot with contact details, equipment used further promoting people to remember to bring the camera, tripod and lights home from the Media Studies studios as well as props and costume to wear. By completing a call sheet this will make myself and my group organised for future shoots so we don't miss deadlines.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND IDENTITY

In preparation for my summer exam, I read Mark Dixon article on the December 2015 issue of MediaMagazine called Social Media: Identity Heaven or Identity Hell?. I read it to see how his theoretical frameworks helped me analyse the representation of British Asians. 

Mark Dixon also develops points related to Cyber-utopianism and Participation including theories from Negroponte and Gauntlett. 


In relation to Dixon's article, he looks at the critical and theoretical responses to Web 2.0 technology such as social media platforms including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube that have allowed consumers (viewers, consumers of media platform information such as tweets, videos and news feeds) become producers (makers of YouTube videos, Instagram pages and other social media platforms feeds). An example of a successful 'consumer that became a producer' is successful YouTuber and HBO film maker Casey Neistat. 

Wired magazine article above - http://www.wired.com/2015/07/beme-authenticity-boring/

From watching Casey Neistat's daily vlogs on YouTube (HERE is a link to his YouTube channel, HERE is a link to his Instagram account, HERE is a link to his Twitter page, HERE is a link to his Beme account) for about a year now, I have viewed his amazing time-lapses he captures on his travels. Casey Neistat is a popular YouTuber with over 1 million subscribers to his channel; he is a film maker and founder of the new social media platform BEME. He has also inspired me to start capturing time lapses in my free time and for my film trailer. Neistat reaches to his audience through his social media platforms including Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. American theorist Henry Jenkins who is featured in Dixon's article believes Web 2.0 is 'an explosion in what he calls ‘participatory culture,’ wherein traditional media producers are replaced by a new generation of creative prosumers'. For Jenkins, Web 2.0 has the power to democratise our society. He states that 'we' as a society are no longer consumers of the 'manipulative' messages of the media, our voices are now part of the media, as shown by Casey Neistat and other popular YouTubers such as Lily Pebbles, Zoella, Tanya Burr, Jim Chapman, Alfie Deyes from PointlessblogTV and Sam Chapman and Nicola Haste from Pixiwoo. 

Secondly, As shown by Casey Neistat who has founded social media platform BEME after seeing a gap in the market, Jenkins suggests that Web 2.0 allows us to 'appropriate' professional media products, 'harnessing' their messages for our own purposes. Neistat has effectively used his initiative and founded/and uses a social media platform that suits his own needs compared to following a trend such as Snapchatting. 

Below is an example of one of Casey Neistat's daily vlogs on YouTube - stop at 4:07-4:15 to catch a time lapse of New York Cities Hudson River Harbour. This can be used as inspiration for my film trailer.

Below is another example of one of Casey Neistat's daily vlogs on YouTube - he plays the time lapses he has captured (normally on the same day as he films his vlog) at the beginning of each vlog with his name, date and number of vlog he has created. 

Dixon also develops points related to Cyber-dystopianism and comments that the power of Web 2.0 can have an extreme side effect to 'consumers that become producers'. For example, Alan Martin in Wired Magazine suggests that 'Web 2.0 concentrates our prejudices and intolerances', agreeing with Susteins view, also featured, that the internet is a land of ‘islands’ that users congregate in 'lice-minded ghettos', where ‘likes’ and ‘retweets’ are markers of ideological affirmation. The phrase 'follow for a follow' or 'tweet for a tweet' can have denotations, connoting social media users as 'fame hungry', desperate and needy for millions of followers making them appear popular or famous. According to Sustein, this ideological affirmation extolls the values of the ghettos that we sign up to - meaning that ideological affirmation takes away the original purpose of social media platforms creating a dystopic society. 

CONSTRUCTION: FILMING IN ESHER

Due to being on a University applicant day I was unable to attend filming in Esher. However, my group filmed Aaron in Esher sitting Café Nero pretending to read a newspaper. Aaron appears to be reading the newspaper, however he is watching The Ghost following his movement and changing locations. His main aim to find his sisters murderer.

Sophie got the idea of Aaron sitting reading a newspaper outside a coffee shop from the film Taken (Pierre Morel, 2008) starring Liam Neesona and Maggie Grace creating jeopardy and suspense, making the audience question what will happen next or Aarons safety being close to The Ghost.

Below is a collage of Sophie's idea being put into practice (taking inspiration, filming it and editing it into our film trailer). I made this collage on Photovisi.

 

Marcus, who plays Aaron, reading the newspaper outside a coffee shop - this is in the editing stages

 

CONSTRUCTION: LOCATION RECCE

This scene consists of Aaron reading a newspaper outside a coffee shop on the high street. He is following The Ghosts movement and changing location.

Previously to filming my group and I made a trip to the location of the scene on Esher High Street to check whether filming this scene would be appropriate, fit our vision of filming and also make us aware of how the scene would look like visually both in the construction stages as well as what it may look like against other scenes when being edited. 

 

We agreed that prior to filming the location had to be near empty as it we didn't want any disturbances such as members of the public being in shot without permission. We wanted the high street to be a vast size with day light visible so Aaron is clear and visible to audience. We also agreed that the traffic had to be minimal so the noise doesn't impact the shots captured.

 

 

 

PLANNING: CALL SHEET #9

I was set the task to organize the call sheets throughout our filming and construction process. I have typed up the Call Sheets including the date of the shoot, location (with a map to help people know the route to travel to the location), crew to be attending the shoot with contact details, equipment used further promoting people to remember to bring the camera, tripod and lights home from the Media Studies studios as well as props and costume to wear. By completing a call sheet this will make myself and my group organized for future shoots so we don't miss deadlines.

FEEDBACK: SOCIAL MEDIA

I asked on social media platforms for feedback on a over the shoulder shot of Aaron taking photographs of Chris in a busy High Street. Asking for feedback will allow us to have a better understanding on what our audience likes and dislikes (to improve our shots); allowing us to have a high chance of producing a successful film trailer attracting audiences to come and watch the film at the exhibition stages.

As of yet, I haven't had any feedback given, however Diana Bradford, 53, Surrey who doesn't have Instagram or Twitter commented saying "I like the light in front of Chris highlighting the busy street. I also like the fact that Aaron has his back to the camera creating a sinister, dark atmosphere. Well done!".

I posted this on Instagram and interconnected with Twitter allowing me to have a variety of feedback from people of different ages, genders and locations in the world.

EVALUATION: A QUESTION OF IDENTITY'S PLACE IN THE FILM MARKET

I read Mark Kermode's summary article, published in the Guardian newspaper, on the best films of 2015, summarising the audience admissions of Hollywood blockbusters, franchises and superhero films of 2015. The most successful feature of 2015 cinema includes strong, feisty female protagonist driven storylines covering women's issues, in films such as Brooklyn (John Crowley, 2015), Inside Out (Peter Docter, 2015) and Girlhood (Celine Sciamma, 2015). This was a feature that I noticed having a strong relation to my own film trailer: a strong, female lead and storyline.

My film trailer of A Question Of Identity is slick, fast-paced and gripping creating suspense and jeopardy, in turn attracting and addressing my target audience (18+ male and females). It can compete with the current and continuing audience fascination for the high production values and slick continuity editing of Hollywood blockbusters, franchises and superhero films, due to its strong gripping, female leading storyline, high quality production values and relevant storyline to the current affairs of migration in Europe.

Due to my film trailer being a small scale, independent production it is far less likely for it to be exhibited at the cinema; bypassing traditional cinema release or having simultaneous release, as Netflix did with Beasts of the Nation. Smaller, independent productions use a range of media platforms, such as official Instagram pages, official Twitter pages, official Facebook pages and an independently made and managed website to raise awareness of the production. These platforms then provide their target audience with the means to view the film streaming it via YouTube, Vimeo or hyperlinking the audience to a page where they can buy individual copies of the production. Ben Wheatley’s ground-breaking A Field in England, released simultaneously across a range of platforms (free-to-air TV, video-on-demand, DVD, cinemas) “enabling viewers to decide how, where and when to view the film”. I intend on following this trend when releasing my film's trailer in the cinema, on YouTube, Vimeo and social media platforms, allowing my target audience to view my film trailer both at home, on the move or at the cinema. Kermode advocates that this trend is going be continued into the future. Ultimately this creates synergy between parts of a film, like mine, package of interconnecting social media platforms; available on both computers, smartphones and iPads. Viewing productions on different pieces of hardware is a common choice for audiences as viewing productions at the cinema is cost prohibitive and time consuming compared to a quick, high definition computer, smartphone or iPads screen; in turn giving 21st Century audiences' this option presents them with choice.

For Kermode, the steady presence of women in film has been a trend in 2015. Biopic Amy focusing on Amy Winehouse's rise to stardom in the early 2000s earned over £2million at the Box Office in 2015; becoming the highest grossing British-made documentary in UK cinemas. Suffragette was a high grossing film at the Box Office in 2015 covering historical women's issues, featuring a near all female cast including Meryl Streep, Helena Bonham Carter and Carey Mulligan, and an all female production team; enforcing that film in 2015 was a year of female domination. Films as diverse as Bill Pohlad’s Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy, Nanni Moretti’s Mia Madre, and Kornél Mundruczó’s White God were all successful, however they were edged out by Todd Haynes’s Carol and John Crowley’s quietly powerful Brooklyn starring Academy Award winning actress, Saoirse Ronan and Julie Walters. Like Suffragette,  A Question Of Identity has a near all female production team and has strong, female principle cast members, establishing that the majority of our audience will be female viewers.

According to Kermode, as well as blockbusters, franchises and superhero films, independent/ arthouse cinema also played a key role in the success of film in 2015. Thanks to Kodak 35 mm film stock can be saved so independent film makers can upload their footage onto present technologies, making consumers producers including popular YouTuber and HBO film maker Casey Neistat who has gained nearly 2 million subscribers in the 6 years he has had a YouTube account. Trends such as animation: more than other area of movie-making, animation demonstrates how the old and the new/past and future, can co-exist - Inside Out was a success at the Box Office in 2015 grossing nearly £14.5 million. Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep finding a firm foothold in the multiplexes, Tomm Moore’s Song of the Sea taking inspiration from the hand-crafted 2D artistry of Ghibli , and Laika studios continuing to blur the line between the physical and the digital with scrungy delights like The Boxtrolls, it’s hard to remember a time when ancient skills and newfangled advances were so intertwined.

CONSTRUCTION: INTERROGATING CHARACTERS - AARON

To show how I developed each characters backstory my group and I hot seated 3 main available characters that were key to the focus of the storyline. 

Marcus hot seated Aaron (herself). I  got the idea from FilmEscape - found HERE. 

The character Aaron is portrayed in the film trailer as an average, stereotypical boy who is around 18 years old. He is protective of his sister Sydney, however begins to question how and why Sydney has managed to earn vast amounts of money; for example he sees her carrying in an array of expensive, high end brand bags such as Links of London, Harrods and Jaeger. He is protective of his sisters welfare and his questioning of her 'whereabouts', difference in appearance and difference in expenditure. This prompts him to try and avenge Sydney's killer and strongly wants to bring her to justice. 

Below is the list of questions Sophie asked: 

1. How are you coping with the death of your sister?
2. Have you ever been suspicious of the fact that had been hiding things from you?
3. Did you have a strong bond with your sister?

CONSTRUCTION: INTERROGATING CHARACTERS - FEMALE MIGRANT

To show how I developed each characters backstory my group and I hot seated 3 main available characters that were key to the focus of the storyline. 

I hot seated the Female Migrant (myself). I play the Female Migrant. I prepared for the hot seating challenge by getting in character and imagining how I would react or the thoughts I would have if I was a migrant in a new country seeking a home and support. I  got the idea from FilmEscape - found HERE. 

The character the Female Refugee is portrayed in the film trailer as a caring, sympathetic and emotional woman who is extremely protective of her husband; who is equally as protective, caring and thoughtful towards her as well. She has vacated and escaped her home country because she and her husband feared persecution based on their race, place in society, religion, minority (or social group); all of which was accumulated and exasperated due to a civil war making their home hostile, unsafe and a danger.

Below is the list of questions Sophie asked me: 

CONSTRUCTION: INTERROGATING CHARACTERS - SYDNEY

To show how I developed each characters backstory my group and I hot seated 3 main available characters that were key to the focus of the storyline. 

Demi hot seated Sydney (herself). I  got the idea from FilmEscape - found HERE. 

The character Sydney is portrayed in the film trailer as a girl who has been heavily influenced by her gaining of vast amounts of money illegally through the trafficking of refugees to the United Kingdom by selling illegal passports. As a result of getting involved in 'underground' gangs of criminals making illegal passports and selling them on for vast amounts of money she has gained a mentality and ego of an older, experienced woman; a huge change to a regular 19 year old female. She flouts the stereotype of a 19 year old drastically through her the way she dresses, her ego, advanced mentality and the lifestyle she has. She wears expensive brands and high quality diamond jewellery that she has bought from earning huge amounts of money illegally.

Below is the list of questions Sophie asked: 

1. Do you have any fears?
2. Do you have any secrets?
3. What would you say your skills are?
4. Do you have any hobbies?
5. Did your parents death affect you?
6. Who do you hang around with? Good or bad influences?