Compulsary question four: How did you use new media technologies in the construction, planning and evaluation stages?

How did you use new media technologies in the construction, planning and evaluation stages?

 

the voice over

The voice over.

 

We chose to have a voice running parallel to our trailer to help the audience keep up the the narrative of our film. It would also help the audience to understand Jake's side of the story from his point of view so that the audience would maybe sympathise with Jake.

 

 

The voice over:

 

'He was my brother,
Bullied by me and my friends,
Driven to suicide,
This was never meant to happen,
We didn't know what the consequences would be,
I will avenge his death,
If it's the last thing I do,
So let me ask you this,
How far would you go for redemption?'


story board

Story board.

 

 

Lela  started to do a story board on the outline of the main events in which happen in our trailer.

compulsory question one: in what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Compulsory question one:

analysis of a film poster

Analysis of the Taken 2 film poster.

 

The image:

The main image of the poster is of Liam Neeson who is the main actor in the film. He is centre of the poster so it indicates to the audience that he is the most important character in the film. Half of his face is shadowed in black which connotes that he has something to hide and that something bad is going to happen (Liam Neeson and his wife get taken), and makes the audience question what it is he has to hide. The other half of his face looks quite pale which could also connote that something good is going to come out of what ever bad is going to happen (his daughter saves them. His posture suggests that he is quite relaxed, and the way he is holding the gun indicates that he is experienced. The gun is also an enigma code that there is going to be lots of action and violence to be expected of the film.

 

The text:

Unusually, the title and Liam Neeson's name are near enough the same size. This suggests to the audience that the title of the film and the name of the actor are of the same importance. This may be because it is a sequel so the producers feel that 'TAKEN 2' doesn't need to be the main feature of the film poster as the first one did so well. Another reason could be that because Liam Neeson is a well known actor, people may see his name and go and watch it just because they like the actor. 'TAKEN 2' is in thick red writing which connotes danger, blood and violence, this could draw the audience in because they might relate it to a certain genre. Liam Neeson's name is in a big white font above the name of the film. This suggests that his name is more of a selling point than the name of the actual film. 

analysis of two magazine front covers

Analysis of two magazine front covers

 

 

 

The image:

The main image of the magazine is a black and white image which connotes an older generation. The outfits of the man and woman are very traditional, an evening dress for the woman and a suit and bow for the man. The gesture of them both look like they are inviting the audience to red the magazine and it could be used as an invite. They are both smiling which is also very welcoming and inviting. It is also giving an impression of old relationships, for example, many years ago people lived in a very close knit society and looked out for each other, I feel this image is doing just that.

 

The text:

The yellow box in the top left corner stands out and catches your attention, this is drawing attention to the name of the magazine so that it makes it more memorable to the audience so that it stays in their head and can easily identify it if they saw it again. The bold, black text stands out amongst the yellow background also makes the text stand out. The yellow and black together makes me think about a caution sign so it may be connotes that this magazine is full of information about films. The red '&' add extra emphasis to the title as it is a magazine about films and music so it is giving it extra recognition so that the audience feel like they are getting a lot out of the magazine. What is different about this front cover is that the box on the right hand side of the magazine contains the bar code and price of the magazine, this is usually hidden in a very small font on some magazines as it is not a main feature of a magazine and usually the price puts most people off from buying it. What I have also noticed about this magazine is that all of the extra things within the magazine such as 'THE BEST FILMS OF 2011', are all in red, this stands out on the page so that the audience will feel like they are getting more for their money. The white font, such as 'THE ARTIST', fit in with the black and white theme of the magazine, the connotations of white are innocence, this makes it seem like the magazine is a friendly magazine, especially with the inviting image.

 The image:
The main image of the magazine creates dramatic irony as the audience know that the alien/creature is behind the man, but he doesn't. From the image we can clearly see that the man doesn't seem very comfortable and looks less experienced holding a sword which shows that he may feel out of his comfort zone. The expression on his face looks anxious/scared/nervous which could suggest that he is looking for something or looking for the alien which is actually behind him. The blue/green colour connotes a sci-fi genre. Also, the main image is covering the title which suggests that the main image is more important that the name of the magazine. The scenery in the picture looks like hes in a forest. the connotations of a forest are isolated and dark, from the image you can clearly see he is nervous and out of his comfort zone.

The text:
The masthead of the magazine is in a big bold, gold font. The gold connotes rich and 'the best', this ties in with the name of the magazine as 'EMPIRE' is seen to be powerful and dominant, this indicates that empire magazine is the dominant and the best film magazine. Also, the sentence at the bottom of the magazine 'THE FINEST MIDDLE-EARTH COVERAGE CONTINUES INSIDE...' also implies that this magazine is the best magazine when it comes to films which makes the audience trust what they read. The Hobbit fans would be able to relate to the front cover as the lexis is clearly do to do with hobbit, for example, 'THE SHIRES BIGGEST MOVIE MAGAZINE', only a hobbit fan would know that this relates the the hobbit. The 'PLUS' on the left hand side makes the audience think that they are getting more for their money as it sounds like they are getting more. The other films it features are listed down the sides so that if people don't like the hobbit , they can also read about other films that they might like. Unlike the magazine above, the price is very small and out of the way so that it is less noticeable on the page, it also isn't a selling point of the magazine so there is no need for it to be in a big font.

analysis of our film poster

Analysis of our film poster.

 

The image:

The image used on the our film poster is a very dark image. We used this to create a dark mood for the poster. The dark colour connotes death, misery and revenge. As Jamie is looking down, it suggests that he is hiding something, however, the light on his face may suggest that he is about to redeem himself of find some good out of something he has done. The clouds in the sky also suggest that he is hiding something but the moon shining through also suggests that he is about to find some peace of mind for his actions. The clenched fists is an enigma code that their is going to be violence and that there is going to be action within the film. The image can relate to the target audience as a male may be able to identify with the main character.

 

The text:

At the top of the poster, it is clear that as the actors name is in a big, bold font, which could suggest that he is a big star and the audience might go and watch the film because of the main actor. Also, the main image is just of Jamie, we know that he is the main character. The white text contrasts against the black background so they are acting as binary oppositions. The title of the film is in white block capitals so it is evident that this is a many feature in which will attract the audience's attaention. The cracks in the font could connote that Jamie has many splits in his personality which could leave the audience questioning the plot of the film. The rhetorical question underneath the name of the film is making the audience question it themselve so it is trying to identify with them. The use of the new media technologies such as facebook, twitter and blackberry bar code state are there to identify the target audience. The BBFC is 15 so the target audience is going to be from 15-24, the majority of the target audience use social network sites so it is linking the film in with social netweok sites.

analysis of our magazine cover

Analysis of our magazine

 

 

The image:

The main image shows the contrast between the two characters, for example, Jamie is dressed in  a tracksuit with his hood up, this is a representation of a what is seen as a typical youth. However, Josh is dressed different which goes against the teenager representation. This is one of the main focus's in our film as Josh gets bullied for being different as it is evident from the picture that he isn't anything like Jamie. By them standing back to back, it creates a country and western stand off feel. It could connote that although they don't always see eye to eye, they are still quite close. The image is slightly covering the masthead which suggests that the main image is more important than the name of the magazine. The film strip at the bottom of the magazine clearly identifies the magazine as a film magazine as it is a film strip with all different films in.

 

The text:

The masthead of the magazine is a thick gold font. The colour gold connotes that it is bright and extravagant which could show that the magazine is of good quality. The price of the magazine is a small font as it is not a main feature of the magazine. Down the left hand side of the page, there is a list of what is included within the magazine, for example, FREE redemption poster, this is making the audience feel like they are getting more for their money because it says 'FREE' in capital letters so it is trying to catch their attention. The gold circle on the right is advertising what else is inside the magazine, it is also drawing attention to it by having 'EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW', as exclusive is in capital letters, it makes the audience feel like they will only get the exclusive from this magazine. 'REDEMPTION' is just about centre of the page overlapping the image, this is making the name of the film stand out so that the audience will be able to recognise it again. The white font stands out on the black background which connotes innocence so it may leave the audience questioning the plot/genre of the film. The skyline 'THE REDEMPTION WORLD EXCLUSIVE' by using the word exclusive again, it is constaly reminding the audience that it is up to date and all essential to up coming films.

narrative

Narrative theory.

 

Narrative theorist such a Todorov, Propp, Levi-Strauss and Barthes try and explain the ways in which narratives are organised. Audience's can identify mea

 

 

Preferred/Dominant readings:

This is mainstream ideology which the audience prefer. An example would be in Shawshank redemption the end scene would be that Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins were happy to see each other, this is the preferred reading which is the mainstream ideology.

The dominant/preferred reading of our film is that Jake is simply getting revenge on the people who drove his brother to suicide, this wouls make the audience sympathise with him so they would support him throughout the film.

Oppositional reading:
This is an alternative reading which depend on how the person views things. For example, in Shawshank redemption, the oppositional reading would be that may be Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins were gay.

The oppositional reading of our film is that Jake is just as bad as all of the other people who bullied his brother and he deserves the same as what he is doing to people.

Classical Hollywood Narrative:
Hollywood scriptwriters constructed their narratives according to a three-act structure -

ACT 1: Exposition and development towards the first major problem or distribution to the natural order.
ACT 2: Intervening complications, working towards a solution to the problem.
ACT 3: Climax and resolution.

PROPP:
1. Preperation
2. Complication
3. Transference
4. Struggle
5. Return
6. Recognition

TODOROV:
1. Equilibrium
2. Disruption
3. Recognition of disruption
4. Attempt to repair disruption
5. A return or restoration of a new equilibrium

BARTHES:
Barthes created the semiotics theory, which consists of denotation, connotation and context/culture.
Denotation is what something actually is, for example, a red rose, the connotations of a red rose could symbolise love. Context could depend on how the red rose is given, for example, if a man gives a woman a rose, then it would be seen as love. 

step by step process of making the poster

Step by step process of making the film poster. 

 

 Firstly, we established that on every film poster, there was text at the bottom including the production company, some of the actors name and what major label that was involved in the production of the film. We created our own including most of the typical features in which we found was used in a professional one.

 Secondly, we used a photography suit to take some photos that we could use on our poster. We chose this image to use as the lighting on Jamie's face stands out against the black clothing.

 To cut the background out of the image, we uploaded the image onto photo shop and used a tool in which allows you to cut around the image to get rid of the background.

 From researching other film posters such as 'The Grey', we found that the actors name was commonly found at the top. This is a good feature on a film poster as it lets the audience know who the main actor is that is featuring in the film so it would attract the audience to go and see it.

 We then inserted the name of the film 'Redemption', the text at the bottom and the production logo at the bottom. By having the name of the film in white text, it makes it stand out on the black background. The black background connotes, death and misery, but the white text could connote that some good will come out of the narrative. The BBFC rating which is 15 is also at the bottom of the poster, this should draw in the attention from our target audience which is 15-24 year olds. By having the facebook and twitter links, it also relates to our target audience ans the majority of people that age use either one of the social networking sites.

We inserted the image that we cut out and placed it behind all of the other features such as the text. We was going to have a dark background as it created a really dark setting so it connotes that it is going to be a dark film.

 

This is the finished film poster that we all contributed into making. We decided at the last minute to change the background from black to an image of a cloudy sky and the moon shining through. The image of Jamie looking down could connote to the audience that he might have something to hide, however the moon shining though could connote that there is hope. 





locations

Shots we took on location.

 

 This is the house we used to film the scenes where Josh over dosed and the establishing shot of Jamie and Josh. We decided to use this house as it is clearly working class which reflects the background in which Jamie and Josh were brought in. We represent Jamie as working class as he wears tracksuits, hoodies, bully and a violent thug.

 When we filmed Oliver getting pushed in front of a train, we used the train track at Attenborough nature reserve which is about 10 minutes away from college. We decided to use to train track as it is dangerous and the trees around it make it look isolated.

Finally, this is where we filmed Jack getting stabbed by Jamie, we also shot this at Attenborough nature reserve as it is an isolated setting. 



Compulsary question three - What have you learned from audience feedback

Audience Feedback.

We filmed our audiences response to our trailer and asked them some questions about what genre they thought it was, where they would expect to see it ect. We learnt that from our audience feedback that most of the people understood the narrative behind the trailer and where abouts they would expect to see our film being shown. Two possible readings that the audience might have got from our film is one, the dominant reading which would be that Jamie was getting revenge for all of the people who bullied his brother, another reading would be an oppositional reading where people would think that he is just as bad as everyone else because he bullied his brother too and now he's killing people. It is evident that not every audience is alike as everyone has a certain genre in which they prefer. 

ideology

Ideology.

 

Ideology:

Ideology is a set of beliefs, values and idea's of a particular group.

 

Karl Marx developed the idea that 'Property owning class protected their interests by representing the hierarchical class structure, based on ownership of the means of production as natural'. Our trailer includes working class culture as is portraying the characters as what is typically expected of working class youths, for example, hoodies, violence and bullying.

 

 

 

 

 

A popular Hollywood narrative is the American dream, this is the belief that if you are prepared to work hard then you will succeed. This concludeds that the rich people are the ones who have worked hard to get where they are, whereas, the poor people do not work hard resulting in them being poor.

 

 



theories on representation and subcultures

Representation theories.

Representation:

All media products re-present the real world, however, they only show one version of reality, not a true view of reality itself.

A major theorist involved within representation is Stuart Hall. He quotes that 'The power to represent the world in certain ways. And because there are so many different and conflicting ways in which meaning about the world can be constructing, it matters profoundly, what and who gets left out, and how things, people, events and relationships are represented'.

Stuart Hall's quote fits in with our trailer as the teenagers are being represented as what is typically seen in the media which is negatively, for example, hoodies, gang crime and violence.

Another representation theorist is Richard Dyer (1993) who argues that representation is a political tool. 'How social groups are treated in cultural representation is part and parcel of how they are treated in life, that poverty, harassment, self-hate and discrimination are shored up and instituted by representation'.

Richard Dyer's quote also ties in with our trailer as the teenagers are evidently from working class backgrounds so they are behaving how they are expected to behave. 

Compulsory question two: audience feedback for our magazine front cover

Audience feedback for our magazine front cover.



Compulsory question two: audience feedback for the film poster

Audience feedback for our film poster.



the finished trailer and analysis

 

The Finished Trailer.

 

 

We started off our trailer with our production logo 'THRILL'ER CLOCK' , this would automatically indicate to the audience one of the genre's of our film (thriller). We decided that the best way to get our narrative across to the audience was to use a voice over of Jamie who plays Jake explaining his side to the story, this would make the audience sympathise with his as he's telling the story. We also thought that it would be a good idea to put some key words such as 'SUICIDE', 'BULLIED' and 'AVENGE', these are the main features as to what happens in out trailer so it creates more sympathy for Josh who plays Stuart.

 

We used a range of shots in order to create pace and tension in our trailer. One shot that I thought we used exceptionally well was the cupboard shot where Josh is getting the pills just before he commits suicide. This shot allows the audience to see a close up of Josh's face so that they can see that he isn't happy. It also creates suspense as you don't know what he is getting out of the cupboard so the audience would be thinking 'whats he getting?'. Another shot in which was used really well was the bit where the camera was going around Josh's head, this created the illusion that the audience was going round Josh's head as he doesn't know what he is thinking, this shot connotes that his head is all over the place. A match on action shot is used when Jamie grabs the knife after he finds Josh dead. This is also an action enigma code as when he grabs the knife, the audience know that something is about to happen. An editing technique that we decided to try out was when Jamie went to stab Jack, we used a slow motion edit so it emphasises the force behind Jamie going to stab him. The final shot, we decided to use a panning shot going from the bottom half of Jamie, upwards. We used this to remind the audience that Jamie is a typical working class youth as he is wearing a track suit.

The music in the first half of the trailer is a fast paced piece which runs creates pace while Stuart is being bullied. After Stuart has committed suicide, the music changes into a dark, triumphant piece which compliments Jake getting revenge on the people who bullied his brother. The music plays a big part in the pace of the trailer as it helps create suspense and keeps the audience guessing what might happen next.

hollywood and british film industry

 

Hollywood and British film industry.

 

There are many difference's in the way that the Hollywood and the British film industies differ in the way that they produce films:


Hollywood: 
    
- Large budget
- Vertically intergrated
- Big actors
- Big stunts   
- Massive studio's

British film industry:

- Small budget
- Shown at film festivals
- Unknown actors
- Horizontally intergrated
- Setting is usually in an urban area