CONSTRUCTION: PRODUCTION COMPANY IDENT

My group and I changed the ident from being a black circle with the title Blacklight Productions written in white in the middle to a rotating Earth. We decided that it would look slick and professional if the Earth rotates; an easy and logical animation that can be made on Adobe Photoshop. Therefore we decided against using iStopmotion to construct out Production Company Ident due iStopmotion looking less professional than Adobe Photoshop and the focus is clearer.

My group experimented with Moovly, an online software programme that allows you to create animated videos and presentations. However due to the software not allowing you to make a rotating earth we abandoned it.

Moovly

Below is a collage of photographs taken in class when we started making the ident. I made this collage on BeFunky; BeFunky is a really useful tool as it allows me to make a variety of different collage using bright, vibrant colours and filters. I can also upload these onto my social media platforms including Twitter and Instagram allowing my film trailer to attract and address audiences.

Demi then developed the ident at home adjusting the colour and vibrancy of the Earth. She adjusted the layers of the photograph so she could adjust the gradient making the Earth a 3D sphere. She added the Production Company name Blacklight Productions and animated it by selecting the Animation tool adding layers to fade the sphere in and out. 

RESEARCH: POSTERS AS PART OF A POSTER & ADVERTISING 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 HIEARCHY 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. 

PLANNING: DECONSTRUCTING FILM POSTERS

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.

Technical and Symbolic Codes

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? 

MEDIAEDU MOVIE MARKETING GLOSSARY

Below is a selection of media marketing words that will help me describe and analyse a movie marketing campign, especially useful when I analyse a selection of film trailer posters.

Movie Marketing Glossary You may find the following words help you describe and analyse a movie marketing campaign: Awareness what marketing seeks to create - when audiences know something about the content of a film (stars, plot premise etc) and when it is going to be released Buzz Positive word-of-mouth Day and Date Release Simultaneous distribution of content on different platforms (e.g. a movie released on DVD and VOD on the same day) Distributor Business entity that buys the rights to sell a film to the cinema, video and TV markets. All blockbuster movies are made with the distribution rights pre-sold or arranged as big studios have their own distribution arm. Smaller, or independently produced movies often have to wait till they are completed before anyone will buy the distribution rights Exhibitor Cinemas - usually large chains of cinemas (eg UA in Hong Kong, Cineworld or Odeon in the UK) Hold-over When a film plays for longer than originally intended, perhaps because of large audiences, or winning an award Interactive Building a brand through a 'conversation' with the consumer, usually online e.g. a Facebook fan page where consumers leave comments and download images and videos Junket Held either on the set or at a hotel, members of the press are invited to meet the talent, doing either round table or one-on-one interviews. A nice lunch and swag bags may or may not be provided, depending on how much the studio wants to impress the journalists. Key art The central concept or design used in posters and print ads Merchandising The process of manufacturing, distributing, licensing and sale of T-shirts, toys, posters, key-rings etc that contain characters or designs from a movie Platform release A limited opening at key cinemas to develop word of mouth. Once a good buzz has been achieved, the movie will open at more cinemas (wide release) Playdate Date of release of a film in a specific market Press kit The pack given to journalists containing such things as still photos, press release, biographies of main personnel. Some press kits are unusual and inventive, and contain small gifts as a not-very-subtle persusasive tactice to get the journalist to be nice about the film Primary Audience The main target audience of a film, those who are likely to go and see it on its opening weekend, or even start queuing up six months before it is released Secondary audience The audience who will only go and see a movie after they have heard about it - either from friends or from reading reviews - and have been persuaded that it is worth seeing. They will not risk it on its opening weekend Tagline The one-liner summing up the story which appears on posters ("Same planet. Different scum" etc) Teaser Trailer A short trailer which does not give very much at all away about a film. It is designed to arouse curiosity and may appear a long time prior to the release of a movie (6-8 months) Tie-ins Promotional campaigns (Happy Meals, car tvcs - you name it) where another company gets together with the film company and they promote their products jointly Trailer A 'sample' of the best points of a film which works to create awareness in audiences. Can be anything from 30-180 seconds long Twitter bombing Moviegoers now tend to tweet the moment they leave a theater, and the mass of their opinions can have an instant, harsh effect on ticket sales. This effect is noticed when early screenings on the opening day for an anticipated movie sell well, but later screenings are empty. Viral use of pre-existing social networks (E.g. YouTube) to "spread the word" about a movie. Like a virus, a short video clip can pass from one consumer to another. This UK Cadbury's advertising spot became a global viral phenomenon, thanks to YouTube. Word-of-mouth The general public attitude to a movie - what people tell each other about it. This is thought to be the most important ingredient for box office success

COPYRIGHT FREE SOUNDTRACK

OCR specification on using copyright free music 

From viewing the OCR specification my group and I took into consideration using original music written and constructed by myself and my group.

FUTURELEARN DIGITAL FILM MAKING COMPLETION CERTIFICATION CERTIFICATE

I have successfully completed by FutureLearn Digital Filmmaking course and will be receiving a Statement of Participation for completing it over 4 weeks. 

I have also completed a FutureLearn film making course previously last year. I have ordered the Statement of Participation for completing it as well. 

HERE is a blog post I wrote on completing Week 1 of the FutureLearn Digital Filmmaking course. 

HERE is a blog post I wrote on completing Week 2 of the FutureLearn Digital Filmmaking course. 

HERE is a blog post I wrote on completing Week 3 of the FutureLearn Digital Filmmaking course. 

HERE is a blog post I wrote on completing Week 4 of the FutureLearn Digital Filmmaking course.