For my one of my ancillary tasks, I'm going to produce a poster. Where my product is based off of a pre existing product, there are already fan and official posters made for short films. This allows me to draw on inspiration from others.
My main aim is to have a main character centered either at a slant or facing away. This gives off the sense of being detached and makes it seem less personal as the character wont look at the audience. It can leave questions in their minds such as why wouldn't they give immediate address to the audience. This draws people to the film as the curiosity makes them interested and means people will want to consume the product.
As well as this, the majority of the gear/kit my character uses will be visible from behind, so by using this angle of the charcater I'm ensuring the Mise En Scene is complimentary of my ideologies. The audience needs to grasp from the poster that this character isn't just any survivor. It needs to be immediately known that they're part of an elite team designed to control situations like this. In a situation like the one in my product, there are various archetypes of people. The one's who're prepared and have the means and method to survive with the relevant equipment and expertise. Those who try their best. And those who follow the fall in society and become lawless savages.
The range of posters released for the Sherlock Holmes advertising campaign were all very similar in design, whilst varying slightly in content. The range of posters was designed to create familiarity in the recognition of the posters for the audience. The way in which they mirror each other links them all together and makes the overall campaign seem much more varied and interesting, if the audience becomes bored of a poster, the may associate this dislike with the film itself, this technique of releasing a variety throughout the campaign maintains interest and entertainment.
The poster shown above has been kept extremely simple in order to maximise impact on the audience. The overall colour is kept dark and dull so as not to detract from the main image. The image in the background is of a dull and rainy scene, possibly mirroring the setting of the scene, the small image of boats and a harbour is another location indicator, and suggestion of the narrative. The characters themselves shown in the foreground are an indication of the genre of the film and also the time period, this is shown through their costumes (moustaches, haircuts, and style of clothes) and their props. However, not only do they indicate the setting of the film, but also the target audience, as the age of the characters suggests that this is not a film for children. The overall impression of the poster is also an indicator of this, as is portrays an image of ominous darkness, suggesting possible danger. The body language of these characters also suggests their status, as the man standing in the front is clearly in charge. The position in which he is standing is very dominant, and his facial expression suggests power and knowledge. The man standing behind him is also clearly upper class, which is indicated by the way he holds his head and also his general style of dress. The cane and top hat also suggest the time period and his social status, however the way he stands behind the first man shows his submission and willingness to relinquish control. The title of the poster is displayed in capital letters clearly across the top of the poster, the light colour of the lettering stands out against the dark dusky background, as does the pale typography of the actors names displayed along the very top. The release date is shown across the bottom of the poster in the same font, slightly larger than the actors names but much smaller than the title so as not to detract from it. The border around the poster is simple but effective, indicating the narrative but not drawing attention to itself.The backgrounds in each of these posters are kept dull and blurred to draw the eye of the audience to the character.
The tag line in Sherlock Holmes themselves poster is simple and effective, shown printed across the character just below his name, its font size in comparison with the title shows that the fact that nothing escapes him is almost irrelevant, as the name "Holmes" on its own is enough to sum up this amazing character.
In Watsons poster he has his head dipped as though he is assessing the audience, an indicator of his personality. By revealing each of the characters separately in this way one by one, the producers enable the audience to become closer to them, as they can analyse them in more detail, leading them to have a better understanding of to the characters and their story.
The image in the female characters poster portrays her as being very seductive. The tight corset like dress and immaculately curled hair suggest that she is fashionable and desirable, whilst the pink dress implies femininity. However although the way she dresses implies she is a delicate and girly woman, her facial expression suggests that she is confident and in control.
Due to changing some of my shots and recorded scenes. I decided to change the trailer in most of it's entirety, this meant the trailer would have a different feel to it. I've cut back on the amount of fight scenes and firefights and instead have the trailer giving you the start and background to a story that will later be told in the film. Equally due to the software I was using being removed from the school system to create my after effects, I can no longer implement the holographic effect for the character's "Smart Watch" and therefore this scene had to be scrapped. Looking at most teaser trailers in contemporary media many tend to just use a constant monologue over pre recorded footage as I intended too, however this tends to usually cover the entirety of the trailer which is where I've made the change. This means that some scenes will have less significance than before The new voiceover can be found below.
New Monologue-
In times of crisis people flee and panic sets in. In an instance where no one has power and everyone is looking out for themselves and only themselves. It seems there is no hope. But all hope is not lost, there is a chance to start a new. A chance for redemption and survival. When we were activated we knew the situation was bad, worse than anyone knew. We are an elite highly skilled group of embedded agents formed under the Catastrophic Emergency Response Agency’s Command and COBRA. They only call us when everything else has failed. We have no rules we have no limits our only job is to protect what remains. We are your coworkers we are your neighbours, we might even be your friends. But when we get the call we leave everything behind. In a society where all has fallen we are the only ones who remain a group of battle hardened survivors. After seeing countless numbers of your loved ones turn against your cause and kill in cold blood. What would you do. We can't stop this. But what we can do is stick together and form a team. Together we can give help to those in need and rebuild the city we’ve lost. Together we’re a group, a family. Are you with us? Or against us? For we are, The Division.
For part of my trailer I want to show off the technological advancements in the environment and setting, but at the same time use my editing skills to represent this. I want to use a birdseye over the shoulder shot to view a certain item. This will allow me to superimpose the effect but also make use of a key shot to help develop the story with props.
Equally I want various shots of the firefight I intend to include. These will each convey different emotions and points. For example by using close ups I can express regret and fear by the facial expression. However by using a shot of someone running towards others I can convey fear and anger in their character at the other people. As well as this shots of people on the receiving end can allow me to show various different emotions and ideologies by combining narrative with the shot.
Plot Points.
A thew of the key moments in my trailer will be outlined and devout. However other parts can be made of footage to fill empty spaces, this can be of the main character wandering and roaming as well as searching bodies and overcoming small obstacles. This will allow me to have a few well thought out and scripted/narrated scenes as well as these fillers to lengthen the trailer.
These points are;
Incoming message on a smartwatch
Flashback to family life
Firefight with scavengers
Memories of civilisation(moving cars and busy streets)
Flashback of daughter
Becoming militant
Before and after shot's
How it all happened
These points can be made up of a thew shots and small sections of footage. Combined with the visual effects, narrations and music there will be a significant amount of footage that will be used.
Ending.
The ending of trailers usually detail the release date and main title/logo. This will be the same in my trailer, I intend to have a sharp cut in the footage and then fade in my title and release date allowing the music to slowly fade out ending the trailer. The main title can be seen below, it's an adaptation of "The Division's" logo. Where the main product would be about the moral divide in society after it collapses I have named it 'The Divide'
Opening.
In contemporary society people are very cautious with warning so trailers are often banded for certain audiences. To ensure my trailer seems professional I intend to add a red banded preview warning, this will also help re-enforce who my are audience at the start. as well as this the music will pick up as a shot fades in of my main character walking down the street with his back to the camera.
The film my trailer is for, is set in a post apocalyptic period where a plague has dominated the majority of society. There are deep elements of survival engrained in the narrative and plot, so to survive and flourish in a period like this sometimes force could be considered necessary as I have already outlined in my Audience Effects post. So to really enforce this I have implemented an imitation firearm. This is as my product is a British film, and when we look at British film there is usually quite a lack of props such as firearms. This is due to the statutory gun laws in Britain, so Hollywood films often have an edge or advantage in the prop department which will draw more viewers.
I have looked at legislation and it details that in 'Section 36 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2007' "It is an offence to manufacture, bring into or cause to be brought into Great Britain, or sell realistic imitation firearms. The act also makes it an offence to modify imitation firearms to make them realistic" However 'Section 37 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2007' States that a defense/exception may be made for the case provided that the use meets a list of mitigating circumstances, one of which being "the production of films and television programmes" This prop will only be used on times where I have discussed it's existence with my neighbours to prevent panic if used in my garden, and in my home. This is to prevent any misunderstanding.
As well as this prop the main character will also have various other props attached to their costume. These will include items such as:
A Tornicator
First Aid Kit
Gas Mask
Multi Tool
MRE Rations
Smoke Grenade
Costume
My character is being designed with a rustic type patchwork idea in mind. He isn't initially built for survival and is slowly developing his understand as well as the gear he carries. I intend for the first shots we see him in to be in plain clothing that you'd see in day to day situations. However as the plot thickens and the story progresses he will start to gain warmer clothes and military uniforms. This fits in line with the plot as it will become progressively colder in winter months. Equally it is stated almost immediately that the military have a presence in humanitarian aid and riot control in the story. So with this plague combined with the anger and lawless society it's expected that some of these men and women would pass. let it be known I'm not stating that anyone should defface/steal from the bodies of the dead but as stated in the Audience Effects post there can be times where it is considered necessary and we wouldn't know them till we experience them first hand.
Various items will come together to achieve a look that really reflects a survivor in my character. For example clothes that may be too big or are in poor condition, and then the pieces of military uniform they may find. By the end of the trailer I intend for my character to be wearing:
The 'Smart Watch'
British Multi Terrain Pattern Jacket
Jeans
A Beanie
Walking Boots/Shoes
A Military Style Patrol Bag
A Scarf
Gloves
Possibly a Bullet Proof Vest
Equipment
The equipment that I use will primarily be whatever is available to me at the time. The school have just invested in a new camera and hopefully I will be able to use this in due course. likewise we already have some camera's that have the capacity to film as well as take static shots, however for the most part I will probably use my iPhone SE.
This is as "the Apple iPhone SE is powered by A9 processor. The Apple iPhone SE has a 12-Megapixel primary camera on the rear and a 1.2-Megapixel camera for front facing photo's" This means I can get very close with a considerable amount of detail. For example in shot's where the character is lead down hiding I'm able to get good quality face shots. Likewise by moving myself on a desk chair with wheels I'm allowing myself to ensure moving shots and shot with professionalism as the camera will be easy to maneuver and it will eliminate the sound and wobble of the camera technician walking.
Although these will be my primary pieces of equipment, Sandown Bay Academy have various professional recording devices with expert sound gear that would allow me to record sound more effectively. However as most of my sound will be edited in after i wouldn't need this during the production phase but possibly during post production to get a clean and crisp sound. As well as this I have the opportunity to use a green screen in my work. If i were to use this, it would most likely be to use as a backdrop for a news report.
Day in and day out we live our lives and take it all for granted. Letting each person pass us by and just living in blissful ignorance. Adults and children alike completely unaware of what would happen if the smallest change were to take place. We live in a feudal system where the poor are constantly undermined and mistreated by the rich. We’re used to the inequalities in life. However there could be a change, and someone made that change. A change that touched every soul equally.
No one saw it coming. It started at the bottom with the weak, but within days it was affecting the powerful. Emergency response teams tried their best to control and quarantine it. But this was something we’d never seen before. It was the beginning of the end. And we were all stuck in the ground zero for it. Sooner than later roadblocks were formed and no one could leave. They couldn’t stop this plague, but they could stop us with ease.
Silence-
Various shots for the trailer, will play combined with sound bridges and non-diegetic sound overlaid.
Shot’s to include:
Genetic Coding Scene
Firefight
Family Flashbacks
Introduction to Character
Ending-
We can't stop this. But what we can do is stick together and form a team. Together we can give help to those in need and rebuild the city we’ve lost. Together we’re a group, a family. We are, The Division.
PM-
Ladies and Gentleman. This is a time of crisis, this great country is under attack from something we’ve never seen before. CERA have been called in and a meeting of COBRA has taken place. I suggest that you stay inside and protect your young. This is a time of crisis but not lawlessness we must all remember we have laws and that we are all civilised people.
Binary Opposites are a pair of terms which are antonyms of each other. He believed that our understanding of a word originated not from it's direct meaning, but from our understanding of the differences between the word and its opposite. In their basic form, these include Good and Evil, Light and Dark, On and Off, Up and Down.
In relation to narrative, binary opposites can be seen in terms of hero vs villain. When we think of the hero and the villain, they can involve secondary binaries which derive from them. For example the hero can be loved whereas the villain can be hated, the hero can be iconic and the villain is unheard of, the hero can be content whereas the villain can be jealous. These simple distinctions form the way we understand stories and sympathise with one side. For example people are more likely to connect with a hero that has been through tragedy, this can be seen in characters like Batman, Superman and The Flash. It's a narrative writers use to allow us to sympathise with the hero
.Equally villains can be empathised with for example in Suicide Squad it's more so about a group of people bullied by society and rejected that allows us to empathise. Especially in the case of Margot Robbie's character Harley Quinn, whose subject to both emotional and physical abuse from her 'lover'. Which means that we can try and feel as it's a real issue in contemporary society.
However more so than often it's the positive traits that follow a Hero and not the villain this is more frequently shown in film. Holmes and the Moriarty are a traditional binary opposite, they are both so similar but when you evaluate the bare details they couldn't be more different. Where Holmes can be seen as Neutral Good Moriarty can be seen as Neutral Evil. This has been popular in film in the last decade, whereas the more contemporary Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is centred around the exploration of 'good' protagonists with two conflicting ideologies of right and justice, demonstrating the alternatives to the definitive good and evil to offer a more immersive plot.
Todorov - 5 Act Structure
The main three stages (Equilibrium, Disequilibrium, Restoring Equilibrium) can be closely compared with Syd Field's three acts. However Todorov proposed a more in-depth structure which includes two other points that give the story more exposition.
Equilibrium- A state of stability; the story begins where everything is content.
Disequilibrium- An event occurs which disrupts the balance.
Realisation- The characters acknowledge the problem and become aware of the change.
Restoration- The characters now face the problem in order to restore the balance in their lives.
Equilibrium- This stage demonstrates a cycle. With the disorder stopped, characters now settle back into their restored equilibrium, which would have likely changed the characters psychologically.
Many films use this model and it can be evident in the trailer, this allows us to get a basic understanding of the narrative and what will happen. For example Taken 3 is a perfect example of this.
As you can see in the trailer there is a state of Equilibrium at the beginning with Liam Neeson and his on screen Ex Wife and Daughter sharing happy moments to start the trailer off with a light mood. However the music then changes from uplifting to dark and we then see the blood and corpse of the Ex Wife this is the Disequilibrium, Neeson then see's the body and begins to be arrested, realising that there is an imminent threat/problem. This is the Realisation stage. There are then various scenes of Restoration where Neeson is trying to work out what happened and how he can fix this. The trailer unlike a film, isn't able to show the final reversal back to the Equilibrium as it will release too much of the plot and ruin the film.
Therefore it would imply that my trailer needs to do the same. I will use the first 4 points of Todorov's theory to keep it concise and allow it to refrain from ruining the film upon release.
Barthes - Narrative Codes
Barthes' studies on semiotics and how meaning is constructed can be applied to film. Barthes argues that every narrative is woven around codes. He states that there are five different codes and that when a film uses only one, the narrative is 'closed' (meaning only one intended meaning can be denoted from it) but when the narrative uses more than one, it is known as 'open' (allowing for multiple interpretations).The five codes are as follows:
The Hermeneutic Code (HER): Using ambiguity and implication to build suspense. Audiences are intrigued to see how loose ends will be tied up. This code is most commonly implemented in police procedural dramas, where the audience's suspicions are frequently toyed with.
The Enigma/Proairetic Code (ACT): Another code of suspense, but this time through actions rather than implications. The audience are in anticipation of how the action will be resolved, not in a state of mystery.
The Symbolic Code (SYM): Often where semantic meanings are conveyed through a visual motif or symbol appearing, like the use of colour in 'Breaking Bad'.
The Cultural Code (REF): Points to the shared knowledge of the audience. The contexts bear resemblance to relatable cultural factors.
The Semantic Code (SEM): Underlying meanings and interpretations beyond the literal explanation.
Propp - Character Archetypes
Propp studied fairy tales, and claims that when you watch a film or take in a piece of media that you can see the characters that relate to the individual. For example if we looked at a news story about Trump and Obama we automatically see a hero and villain. Equally in modern film Batman and The Joker as well as Spiderman and Green Goblin. It can be argued that Propp's Archetypes work well when merged with Strauss' Binary Opposites theory.
Campbell - Hero's Journey
In 1949 Campbell proposed the idea of the monomyth, or the hero's journey, which is the protagonist's arc over the course of the narrative. The three main stages he comes up with also tie into Syd Field's 3 Acts as well as Todorov's Equilibrium. They are called the Departure, Initiation, and Return.
He lists many different events within each of the three stages, but in summary the Departure act is the 'Call to Action,' the Initiation is the 'Road of Trials' and the Return is 'Freedom to Live.' Although I have mentioned Syd Field a lot, I do not feel that his 3 Act structure needs explaining, since we have seen it among these theorists in different forms. For example Todorov and Campbell both implement his structure but with more depth.
When looking at the theories I would like to use in my own narrative, I think short films will be incredibly different to apply certain structure to. Therefore until I have examined the conventions of short films I do not want to select any of the above structures. But I will come back to it once I have researched any theorists relating to short films and once I understand the conventions I am able to work with.
Trailers begin in almost every single instance with the production information and age restrictions, the company logos can instantly make a viewer decide if they want to view the film or not. This can even mean a decision on whether they will enjoy the trailer/film before even watching it, this is because big companies often have higher budgets and usually higher quality productions so audiences once they see who made it will make up their mind whether it will be good or not. Reputations are massive in the film industry and production companies such as Universal and 20th Century fox have built huge ones with their worldwide audiences and can ultimately be a deciding factor in someone going to watch a film.
Production logos can be a genuine indication of the genre of the film you are about to watch, this is because many companies will concentrate and stick to one genre they create their productions on there is however companies that will have a structure of different subsidiaries that produce their own genres such as Sony. Columbia pictures, Tri-Star and Sony classics are all part of Sony’s movie structure and produce their own films but are given the finance by Sony and concentrate on their own style and genre.
Production logos are generally used to show those that were responsible for producing the film, they are usually only on for a matter of seconds as they are not part of the actual film sequence instead just to promote the company. The designs are often imaginative and creative in order to catch the viewer's’ attention so they can easily be recognised later on and promote the company helping them to gain more money and customers. Lower budget film company’s logos are often plain and not as effective because of the limited resources available unlike mega companies.
Plot Summary
The plot of a film has to be well structured and interesting if it is to be successful, trailers are similar and this is why they show the most interesting parts of the film to make sure they grab the viewer and keep them engaged for the whole length. I have a couple of screenshots that show the sort of action elements trailers will show. Taken 2 is a great example from the very beginning they show action flashbacks from the film before and then moving into fast paced action with explosions gunshots and car chases.
Cast, Credit, Studio Info
Studio information is vital to a film’s success and also the growth of a company, if they are not shown in the right way or creatively made then they will not attract viewers and they will not receive the promotion they would want. They are shown throughout the film rather than at the beginning or the end because this is when people are most likely to not be fully concentrated, as the film gathers pace the viewer will become more involved. Massive companies like Sony have built a huge reputation so their studio is instantly recognized and they can create films with a massive budget and special effects and the stars involved will be of a high standard.
Cast and credit is used to showcase the actors that are involved in the film and those who helped in the production of the film are credited for their work. The cast is usually well recognized and viewers will not need prompting to who they are but the names are usually still put in to those who may not be film fanatics can see if they want to view the movie based on actors reputations. Audiences may dislike a certain actor and if they see they are in a film this may put them off from going to watch it. Actors are sometimes like production companies in the respect of genres, they may only star in certain genres such as Liam Neeson who is well known for his high octane action thrillers like The Grey, Taken and Star Wars.
Title of Each Movie
The title screens of films are used to showcase the name of their film in a much more effective way than just text; they use different effects and often link to the plot of the film. They are not over complicated however even with the mass of effects and resources available, this is because simplicity is effective if they are full of useless shapes and affects the viewer will not really understand the meaning behind it or even bother looking at it. The most important part is that they remember the name if they do then it can spread through word and mouth or social networking sites which can allow promotion of the company and the film itself.
Stars Appearances
Major actors are often showed as many times as possible in film trailers because of the reputation and the positives that this can bring to the film. Actors such as Liam Neeson, Bruce Willis and Will Smith are huge and have fan bases that will follow their work closely and no about upcoming releases just like music stars. The financial positives are massive the audience actors can bring in make a huge profit so making sure they are showcased well and frequently is important. they are also a major part of the marketing campaign as they on posters for the films, social networking sites and film premieres, an example I have used is the new film Taken 2 and the frequency and the way Liam Neeson is shown throughout the trailer.
Liam Neeson is used many times throughout the trailer of Taken 2 because of his huge reputation as a massively successful actor; this means there will be a huge audience that follow his work. The screenshots all show certain codes and conventions of action/thriller films, there are an image of Liam Neeson with a handgun in his hand looking menacing and it enforces fear within the audience. The screenshots all show Liam Neeson looking strong anger expressed on his face and this appeals to males who love action and fighting, the film director has seen this and threw in loads of fast cuts and action.
Music/Voiceover
Voice overs and music are used to narrate the scenes and give the audience a better understanding of what’s going on and also to help set the tone and pace of what is happening on screen. The music is usually in relation to how intense a scene is if there is romance then it’s likely the music will be softer and much slower than that if it was an action movie where it would be loud and fast to emphasise what is happening. Voice overs as said before are used to narrate what is happening in the scene, it can be used to compact chunks of information that would be too hard to understand or too long to show in the scene. Action films often use it to make sure the emphasis is on the action appearing on screen and not reading text.
I took a small group of students from both Years 12 and 13 aside and asked them some questions regarding my product, the results to the questions are as follows.
"What comes to mind when someone says Apocalypse?"
Most of the students answers revolved around the idea of zombies. There was a lot of reference to the pre-existing products such as The Walking Dead, Shaun of The Dead and Cockneys Versus Zombies. This gives me reassurance that there is prior interest into the concept, and whilst there is interest there is also a lack of loyalty as these are either one off films or a series, meaning a viewer would be happy to look at new things.
"What appeals to you about a Survival/Plague movie?"
One person responded ; I think that the hook of these types of films, is the thrill. The innate instinct to survive. When watching a film related to survival, the challenge of 'working alongside the characters' to discover a solution present itself. Instantly, I'm shouting at the screen; 'Don't get in there! Get out now!' The impending decision of a group on whether they will survive or not, starts my adrenaline rushing through my body. The challenge of making decisions that will result in a good outcome, is why I love survival/plague movies.
"What would you expect to see in a Survival film?"
A year 12 pupil said ; In a survival film I would expect to experience a range of emotions throughout the film, primarily being scared. I would expect a group of people to have to fight for survival in a bizarre event such as a deserted island or zombie apocalypse. I would expect there to be maybe one or two survivors at the most with a equal distribution of males to females within the film.
