MY FILM POSTER

MY FINAL A QUESTION OF IDENTITY FILM POSTER

RESEARCH: MY FILM TRAILERS QR CODE

 

I have made a QR code for my film trailer poster (as seen above). I made this on a QR Code generator.

HERE is a link to a blog post I wrote on the planning of my film trailer poster.

HERE is a link to a blog post I wrote on the purpose of having a QR code and how I will effectively use it to attract and address my target audience.

I uploaded a screenshot of the QR code onto my film trailer Instagram page - attracting and addressing audiences to view the film trailer quickly and easily by using a QR scanner on their phone. They would then be attracted and addressed to view the film at the exhibition stages.

QR Code generator

My post on QR Codes

CONSTRUCTION: QR CODE

Below is a Emaze presentation of editing stages of my A Question of Identity poster. 

Please note that this presentation showing the editing of my poster excludes the making and editing of the QR code on the poster. I have left a space on the bottom right-hand side of the poster for the QR code. A QR code allows fans to scan, using their smart phone or iPhone, a code located on a film poster (or other product including a airplane ticket or tube ticket) and be led to information related to the primary product, for example my QR code would lead to my film trailer for A Question of Identity. I will add my personalized QR code once my film trailer is complete. 

The red box marks where I will put my QR code

This is what my poster could potentially look like with a QR code on it (this QR code is a mock up, not my official QR code for my film trailer)

CONSTRUCTION: EDITING A QUESTION OF IDENTITY FILM POSTER

HERE is link to a blog post I wrote on the making of QR Codes. 

HERE is a link to a blog post I wrote on independently completing a mini-case study on the Scandi Noir genre - this was a key influence of the planning and editing of my poster. 

HERE is a link to a blog post I wrote on independently completing a film shoot in Aberporth, West Wales on metaphorical weather, similar to those used in Scandi Noir genre texts. 



CONSTRUCTION: FILMING A QUESTION OF IDENTITY FILM POSTER



I took the photographs that I am going to use in my film poster for A Question of Identity at school. Since I planned what I was going to shoot before hand and made a call sheet, I found that I was organised and efficient during filming to experiment with different shots. I had considered using the school dark room, however I realised that my images, especially the extreme close up of Aarons face and the extreme close up of Sydney's side profile (as seen below), wouldn't be dark, mysterious and haunting due to two reasons. Firstly, the flash on the camera would completely wash out and brighten the characters faces going against my original intentions for the poster and the dark, sinister and haunting genre of my film. Secondly, the dark room would make my photos too dark and less visible without the flash. Therefore I made sure I picked my locations carefully fitting my vision.

The extreme close up shots of Aaron and Sydney taken in the tunnel

 PLANNING: A QUESTION OF IDENTITY FILM POSTER



I took this photograph above that I will have as a sky background at the top section of the poster behind the slogan on the top left hand side and the portrait image of Sydney on the top right hand side. This will create an eerie, dark, haunting and sinister atmosphere; suited to my film trailers action and thriller genre. I found inspiration for using the sky background when completing individual research of the Scandi Noir genre - HERE is a link to a mini case study I made researching the Scandi Noir genre and HERE is a link to a blog post on my individual research and photos taken on the beach in Aberporth, West Wales.



Before planning my poster design for my film A Question of Identity, I decided that it would be appropriate to gain some understanding on how Adobe Indesign works. I am planning on using Adobe Indesign to make my film poster as professionals use this programme to make posters for Poster and Advertising campaigns distributing information on movies pre release. I think using this programme will allow my poster to look professional, slick and eye-catching; successfully attracting and addressing my target audience to come and view my film at the exhibition stages.

HERE is a link to a blog post I wrote on using Adobe Indesign.

After completing the first step of planning, as described above, I then started to research different movie posters of the same genre as my film as well as films that have similar storylines and characters. I felt by doing this I would gain appropriate inspiration for my own poster.

I firstly started to deconstruct professional movie posters, looking at the codes and conventions of movie posters that successfully attract and address audiences' to come and view the advertised film at the cinema.

HERE is a link to a blog post on the deconstruction of Stoker movie poster.

HERE is a link to a blog post on the deconstruction of One Day movie poster.

HERE is a link to a blog post on the deconstruction of Black Swan movie poster.

From deconstructing these movie posters I then had a clear idea on what I knew was appropriate in clearly conveying the codes and conventions of film posters, in turn successfully attracting and addressing my target audience.

Two movie posters that had the most influence on my own movie poster was Stoker and Black Swan:

I made the poster collage above on PicMonkey.

I like the extreme close up of the protagonist in each film poster as it influences authority, a commanding presence and power due to the main character using direct eye contact to catch the audiences' attention. The posters above direct eye contact influences suspense and jeopardy due to their dark, mysterious and questionable story-lines. I will be putting the main protagonist Aaron behind the title text (HERE is a link to the blog post I learned how to do this) so his eyes are looking directly at the audience, as seen in the professional posters above.

I will have a sky background at the top section of the poster behind the slogan on the top left hand side and the portrait image of Sydney on the top right hand side. This will create an eerie, dark, haunting and sinister atmosphere; suited to my film trailers action and thriller genre. I found inspiration for using the sky background when completing individual research of the Scandi Noir genre - HERE is a link to a mini case study I made researching the Scandi Noir genre and HERE is a link to a blog post on my individual research and photos taken on the beach in Aberporth, West Wales.

Sky background behind the slogan and protagonist on the right hand side

Main plan of my intended poster for A Question of Identity

Aaron's eyes will be seen through the title text

I will be putting the relevant film industry information such as the credits at the bottom, actors/actresses names, exhibition date, slogan, 3D and IMAX 3D information, social media platform bugs, film website and QR code.

RESEARCH: USING ADOBE INDESIGN

In class today I began to experiment with Adobe Indesign.

After collecting thumbnails of social media platforms I can use on my film poster (and start updating to attract and address an audience with photographs and videos of the film trailers progress) such as Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and writing the films credits and institutional information, I began to experiment on Adobe Indesign.

I experimented on Adobe Indesign to know what software is used by professionals and how they successfully use it to produce posters, like mine, to attract and address their target audience.

This was the photo I took in the previous lesson and imported it into Adobe Indesign

Below are the steps I took experimenting with Indesign to create a mock poster for A Question Of Identity.

I learned how to add text to my page - the film title is seen above

I learned how to add a photo and project it through the text

I projected the trees from the image I took last lesson through the text

I learned how to change the shape of text - I could use this when I type out the title or actors/actresses/director/slogan/coming out date

My final poster with a title, photograph on the main protagonists, and institutional information and credits - I also experimented with other ways in which I can change the shape of text and add shapes to attract and address audiences.

Today in class I began to plan my film poster for A Question Of Identity. 

I began by saving images of thumbnails for social media platforms that I can use on my film poster to attract and address my target audience.

Thumbnails for social media platforms I will use - Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter

I have been updating the film trailers Instagram page - found on the right side of my blog roll.

HERE is a post I made on making my film trailers Instagram page.



I then started to write the films credits with my group. This will be put at the bottom of the poster in the font Bee Two. I will use this font to make my films poster look professional, like the Thor poster I looked at to gain codes and conventions of film posters and know the right format I should be writing the actors, producers, director of photography's name in - as seen below.

Credits I wrote

I then decided that I would take a photo that I can use to plan and experiment with Adobe Indesign in the next lesson. This photo isn't going to be used in the real poster I will make, but gives me a good idea on how I can structure the characters I want in my photo, how I want the mise-en-scene to look, the camera angle and lighting to be used to create an eerie, questionable and sinister atmosphere.

Experimental photograph to be used in Adobe Indesign - with the characters Sydney and Aaron, the two protagonists

RESEARCH: 3 FILM POSTER ANALYSIS'

HERE is a link to the FilmEdu website page on exploring film posters - I used this website to help me research and deconstruct the codes and conventions of film posters.

Below is my film poster analysis for the film Stoker.

HERE is a link to the FilmEdu website page on exploring film posters - I used this website to help me research and deconstruct the codes and conventions of film posters.

Below is my film poster analysis for the film One Day.

HERE is a link to the FilmEdu website page on exploring film posters - I used this website to help me research and deconstruct the codes and conventions of film posters.

Below is my film poster analysis for the film Black Swan.

RESEARCH: POSTER AND ADVERTISING AS PART OF AN INTEGRATED MARKETING CAMPAIGN

I have made a SlideShare on the purpose and successes of an integrated marketing campaign (Poster and Advertising campaign) for a film, like my own (my film trailer would be part of the P&A campaign). Completing research such as this allows me to have a better understanding behind the purpose, methods and successes of distributing a film - allowing me to know how to make my film trailer, film poster and film magazine front cover successful in attracting and addressing my target audience.

RESEARCH: VISUAL HIERARCHY IN POSTER DESIGN

Below is an Piktochart on the Visual Hierarchy in poster design. Visual Hierarchy in poster design focusses on the psychological viewing of the human eye when recognising what it observes - how the brain processes text and computes it. Piktochart is an extremely useful tool as it has allowed me easily and efficiently create a variety of different charts including photographs, drawings, hyperlinks, videos and information.

In my Piktochart I will show a study of visual hierarchy and the minds perception in advertising designs and the importance of developing visual paths when designing an advertisement, such as a film poster. I relate my research and findings to my film poster visual hierarchy, for example describing the theories in relation to the codes and conventions of film posters. Researching this will allow me to have a better understanding of visual hierarchy when I produce my film trailers poster, in turn making it look professional. I will also explore the theory behind visual hierarchy, and how the principles can be used to put these concepts/theories into practice. I have also embedded a YouTube videos on my Piktochart explaining what Visual Hierarchy is. 

I will take these Visual Hierarchy layouts into consideration when making my own film poster for my film trailer project - A Question Of Identity. I will make key information such as the films title, key graphic such as a photo of the main character (Sydney or Aaron in my case) stand out and eye-catching by following the Z pattern layout or Zig-Zag pattern. As a result of this the poster I produce, thanks to the influence of completing research of how professionals produce film posters that successfully attract and address audiences to watch films as well as researching different psychological theories such as the Gutenberg diagram, Z pattern layout, Golden Triangle pattern, Zig-Zag pattern and F pattern, will successfully attract and address my target audience.

HERE is a link to a blog post about how the research I completed when finding who my target audience for my film trailer were. I focussed on how other brands target their specific audience in turn successfully attracting and addressing them to buy or view their product. 

HERE is a link to a blog post on my target audience for my film trailer - including my audience profile. 

HERE is a link to a blog post I wrote on the BFI Audience Exit Polls. 

HERE is a link to a blog post on Maslow's Theory that helped me decide who my specific audience were when planning my audience profile. 

Film Posters can be classified as printed media texts. They are targeted at specific audiences to build interest and market the Film product. This is one of the key roles of the financier or distributor: poster or billboard campaigns may be used alongside Online campaigns, EPKs, TV and Radio promotions, advertising in Newspapers & Magazines, Tie-ins/Merchandising, Film Trailers in Cinemas and Free Publicity (Reviews, Profiles, Word of mouth, Premieres & Certification) to sell the film. 

Audiences may also be targeted using their familiarity with the star or director of the film, and its genre. The concept of Genre Marketing is often one of the most successful ways of persuading audiences into cinemas.

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.

RESEARCH: TECHNICAL AND SYMBOLIC CODES OF FILM POSTERS

Technical and Symbolic codes need to be analysed to understand how posters create their appeal.

1. Photographic Codes (framing, lighting, focus, camera angle, juxtaposition, types of shot, effects).

2. Textual Codes (tagline,captions, titles, writing, typography, language e.g. pun, personification, alliteration.

3. Symbolic Codes: Setting, Objects & props, background, colour, Indexical meanings. Main subjects – facial expression, eye contact, clothing, style, activity, pose, body lang., implied movement, status. 

4. Design / Layout – use of space, graphic devices e.g. effects, shapes, use of colour and typography

Essential additional points to look for:

Genre – Does the film create appeal through audience understanding of generic conventions?  WHAT ARE THOSE CONVENTIONS, HOW DOES THIS POSTER SUGGEST THEM? Look at the iconography, link with audiences’ expectations.

Narrative Enigmas – Does the poster create appeal through limiting understanding of narrative development or is it more obvious (action codes). What narrative structure is suggested or will its appeal be based largely on its stars (star marketing) and its visual appeal. Some typical narratives allow the film genre to be recognised.

Narrative Structure: Posters normally have an open narrative to tease the audience but does the poster suggest a classic three act structure? Can you map Todorov’s or Propp’s theories onto the text from the familiarity the poster has given you?

Narrative Themes – what narrative themes are developed in the poster if any?

Production Values – look at the credits and cast, what does it reveal about budget e.g. is it a major Hollywood studio production, a ‘British’ film or is it an Independent production?

Iconography / Intertextuality – what elements does the poster reveal?

Textual Signifiers e.g. production/distribution credits – what information do they provide?

Representation and Ideology – Does the poster reveal issues that you think may be worth mentioning in discussing how it creates its appeal?

Semiotic Analysis and Media Language should be used to identify and understanding visual signs and written language (e.g. signifier/signified, encoding/decoding, connotation/denotation, preferred meanings, anchorage…)

Target Audience and Demographics – identify the target audience in depth.

Niche / Mass Audiences: Will the poster be marketing the film to existing and new audiences e.g. Sci Fi films have been said to have the largest amount of existing audiences that will go and see the latest Sci Fi film, regardless of content.

Unique Selling Point (USP) or Emotional Selling Point (ESP) – how do you think this film is being sold to its audience?

Audiences’ Expectations of Narrative Structure – what sort of characters, type of storyline, action, themes etc.. would you expect to see in the film? How are the producers trying to create a sense of danger or disruption?

Stars and Directors – how will they engage the audiences’ interest?