Evaluation

Alex Horner A2 Coursework Evaluation on Prezi

Soundtrack

We have chosen this song by The Prodigy because we thought thatthe slow build up at the beginning of the song will fit in well with the way our trailer is structured. When the drop comes our trailer will switch to the fast scenes which we have recorded. This is a good feature of our trailer because it shows that we have thought long and hard about the choice of the music and where it will fit in. Click here to listen to the soundtrack for our trailer.

Risk assessment, venue and contributor release forms

These are the forms which we had to fill out as part of our coursework. These are to show that we have permission to use the actors we have and also to show that we have taken safety precautions into account when filming.

Final film magazine cover

This is the final design of the film magazine cover which I have created. The main attraction to this page is the headings "The Deal" and the title of the magazine "Light & Sound". I have designed it this way because I think that the colours and the text fit in well with the house style of the whole magazine. I have made the background to the masthead yellow because this is one of the colours which attract the human eye most (along side with red). I have given a short description of the film and what is to be found within the magazine, and I have also added another section at the bottom of the cover which states what is also in the magazine. I have given the issue number, the barcode and the price in a different position compared to mostother magazines and this is because I think that it looks better in the top right hand corner and more professional. The image which is in the background is dark because of the lighting in the scene, and I have made it this way so that it gives the film a more gloomy approach. Also I have stuck with the same house style throughout the magazine and this shows that I have an advanced understanding of the media and how different images are portayed.

Final film poster

This is the final design of my film poster. I have changed the orientation from the previous mock-up which I created and this is because I thought that it would look better if the orientation was portrait. The image is of one of the actors running through a garden and this links well with the film and the slogan because the film is about drug deals and what happens to people who dont pay up - this image shows one of the dealers chasing after someone which gives more of an insight into the trailer. I have also pt the slogan in the bottom left hand corner of the page and this is because I thought that it would look better there as the page would have looked too empty without it; and also because it ties in with the image. The other feature in the bottom right hand corner is the release date of the film, and this is so that the viewers can get an idea of when the film is going to be released. The film title is the biggest feature on this page, and I have made it this way so that it is eye catching for the viewers. If the poster looks good then I think that people will be more interested in it. I have also decided to take the actors names out of the film poster, and this is because I thought that without the names scattered unprofessionally across the poster it would be more to the point.

Film poster mock up

This is the mock up of a film poster which I am going to base my film poster upon for when I actually create the actual version. I think that the low level of features on this film poster are relevant and to the point. The right side of this poster will be filled with information on the film such as the release date and the actors who are in the film. I am using this because it is what the viewers want to know when they are watching the trailer. I have a slogan on the bottom of the poster so that it will attract the viewers attention. I think that this is useful on a film poster because it is what people will remember when they see the poster. The title of the film is located at the top of the page because in my opinion this is the most important part of the poster; this tells the viewers what the film is called and it will also allow them to recognise if it is part of a sequel or a prequel. The image is the second most important part of the poster and this is because if the image is poor people will not look twice at it; but if it is a big image which shouts at you then people will be more interested to find out what it is and what it is advertising.

Mock up of a magazine cover

This is a mock up of the film magazine cover which I am going to create for our film called The Deal. I have used a number of generic conventions on this mock up of poster becuase from seeing recent publications I have noticed that these are the most useful and memorable features. From the film magazines I have studied the masthead is universally across the top so I have applied that to my magazine. Also I have used a Puff in the bottom right hand corner of the page because this is going to be a fairly empty part of the page and I think that it would stand out. The cover is dominated by an image as this is the approach that all film publications adopt.

The Bourne Ultimatum film trailer analysis

I am now analysing the film trailer for The Bourne Ultimatum starring Matt Damon. Instantly from the very first second of this trailer you see Jason Bourne walking through a crowd of people - this tells all of the viewers that the final film of the Bourne Trilogy is on its way by using this instatly recognisable character. Depicting him walking through a crowd of people at the start of the trailer is a very useful tool because throughout the two previous films he has been a wanted fugative and this shows us that he has still not been found and is still on his mission. You could relate this to Richard Dyer's Star Theory as, since Matt Damon is an attractive A-List Hollywood star, many fans will be enticed to see the film because of his image.

This film trailer is a lot different to the other one which I reviewed which was Captain America: The First Avenger; and they are different because this film trailer is a lot more fast paced than the other one. In this film trailer, there isn't a shot which is longer than six seconds which tells us that it is going to be a very fast action film. This is a very good tool to have on your trailer for this genre becuase it keeps the viewers watching and keeps them tuned in until the end so that they can find out more about the film.

Here is a link to the trailer

Captain America film trailer analysis

I have analysed the trailer for Captain America: The First Avenger and this has given me a greater insight to the action film industry. By watching the effects which have been used on this trailer I have realised that we will not be able to pull off any of them, but we can do the basic things such as fighting and chase scenes. One aspect of this trailer is that the main character Chris Evans is given the typical role of the underdog, who rises against those who are bigger and seen as better than him. There is also a particularly long scene in this trailer which shows the transformation of his whole physical appearance and abilities. This is important to put in the trailer because it shows how he changes and becomes Captain America.

Straight away in this film, you can see that it is set in the past - I took a screen shot of the start of the film and this shows a lot for the whole film. The main things which stand out on this image above are the costumes and the whole scene - nowadays if the army were recruiting they would not use a post in the middle of a celebration festival like there is here. Another feature of this screen shot is that there are a umber of United State's flags in the back ground of this screen shot. This tells us that there is a celebration occurring in relation with the US army. Also, the costumes which these characters are wearing is not like what would be worn in this day and age - the people in this trailer are wearing top hats and suits, but also the man in the foreground on the left is wearing an American soldiers army uniform, so this tells us that there are a lot of soldiers who are there at this celebration. You can also tell that this is set in the past because of the style of the text; instantly looking at the text which says "United States Armed Services Recruitment".

This screen shot shows a lot about the era which it is set in - this is because  the US army uniforms are completely diffrent to what they are today and they resemble those which were used during the second world war. This adds a 1950's comic book feel, because the film does originally come from a comic book.

Here is a link to the trailer.

Film poster analysis

This is the official poster for the film Captain America starring Chris Evans. This is a really good film poster because it does not tell you a lot about the film; for example it doesn't even say the name of the film but it has the character in his armour with his famous shield in his hands. The expression on his face lets us know that he is both angry and looking for revenge - we can tell this because the text running across the middle of the screen says "Avenge" and this gives us the impression that he is looking to make something right from the past. His posture also says a lot about him - for example he has the pose of an american warrior showing repsect for the recently deceased with his head bowed and his arms in front of him holding his shield. This also links back to the disappointed expression on his face.

Film poster analysis

This is the official poster for the film The Mechanic starring Jason Statham and Ben Foster. The first thing I noticed from this movie poster would be the character in the center of the screen; we can tell that he is the main character becaue he is the only person in the shot. This tells us that because he is the only person there that he is important to the story and that he will make a big impact on the wole storyline. Another feature of ths film was the cars on fire in the background and the destroyed scenery. There is a Paradox in this film poster which states that he is no normal mechanic; he is meant to be a mechanic but he is walking away while there are cars on fire behind him in the background. There is another prop in this poster which stands out to me and that is the bag which he is holding; this suggests to the viewers that he is a mechanic. Also, you can tell he is the main character from his posture in the poster. He is half way through walking away from a fire which he may be responsible for with a big bag of tools in his hand - this highlights him as the main character and tells us that he is an importnat part of the story.

History of trailers

Trailers have existed since 1913 and the first trailer was shown in the US which was advertising the film The Pleasure Seekers. Since then, trailers have improved in technology and have gone from different lengths depending on what they are advertising.

Codes and conventions of trailers

I found this informaiton on the internet and I felt that it gave a clear outline of the conventions used. I will make reference to these terms when I study trailers.

http://www.slideshare.net/guest78c406/codes-and-conventions-of-promotional-film-material-2668179

Trailer terminology

A trailer is what film producers use when they want to give the audience an idea of what an upcoming film is going to be like. These trailers are used to give an insight to the film and to keep the viewers guessing; also, viewers will want to know what happens next and will want to go and see the film. These are known as normal trailers but there is another type of trailer and these are known as teaser trailers - these trailers are very short and they do not give out much information to the viewers. The purpose of these trailers is to let viewers know that the next film is coming but you have to guess what is going to happen.

An example of general trailer would be this one which is advertising Batman: The Dark Knight; http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2313552153/

An example of a teaser trailer would be this one which is also advertising The Dark Knight; http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi324468761/

Introduction to coursework

For my A2 media coursework, I have been asked to create either a 2 minute film trailer or two 1 minute short trailers. I have also been asked to create a poster for the film which we are making a trailer for, and the cover of a film magazine covering our film. I will create my film poster and magazine cover on Adobe Photoshop.
But before I begin to create these film features, I have been asked to do some research on film trailers and post any useful information which I find on this blog.