Research for Magazine Film Magazine Front Cover

The next form of advertising for our film trailer that I am going to produce is a magazine front cover, as this is a vital way of accessing the public and making our film known about to the right group of people, as people who would buy a film magazine would be interested in films and hence they become the perfect audience for our advertising. Before I begin designing this form of advertisement it is important to research into other existing film magazines, this is so that I learn of the basic techniques that are used as well as knowing what is required on such a piece.

What attracted me most about this film magazine is how the image overlaps the actual name of the magazine; however it is not completely covered. This technique used is effective due to the fact that it makes the photo standout, this is an important quality that I would want my film magazine to have, this is because it focuses on the film advertising, this is obviously what I am hoping to achieve by doing this piece. This photo is of the main character from the film advertised, this is I have noticed with other film magazines as well, this demonstrates how it is not usual for a scene or numerous characters to be on the front page, this technique is something that I intend on doing on my own product. The title of the film is also a main focus point for this front page due to its large font, this makes it eye catching. This front page also has tags saying what other articles are going to be inside of the magazine, this selling technique is effective as it makes the audience want to read more. The way it says '10 coolest movies being made right now!', this is something that a movie fanatic would want to read about, but with the exclamation mark at the end, it makes it seem more exciting and thrilling, this is also done with other words on the page such as 'EXTRA!' and 'SNEAKY!'. The text that says 'world exclusive' is further advertising for both the magazine and the film as it shows this magazine as being the only magazine having information on this film. This front page also shows other pictures of what is going to be inside the magazine, this along with all of the other techniques used, makes this an eye catching and interesting film magazine.

This different film magazine front cover is seen to have the same techniques as the one above, this demonstrates how there is a set format that the majority of magazines undertake. However there are some differences that makes this magazine individual and interesting, these similiarites and differences are outline below:

Codes and Conventions of Magaznes

Here are the main codes and conventions and what they look like on an existing products. This piece of research will be useful when it comes to making my magazine cover, as it shows what necessities are required to have a high quality finish.

Masthead:

Release date, Issue number and cover price:









Feature article photo:



















Articles inside the magazine being advertised:

Strap line:

Planning the Poster for Our Trailer

Now that our trailer is completed and we as a group have edited it to that extent that our complements have been enhanced and faults fixed, the next form of advertising that I as an individual intend on producing is a film poster. (I have posted a previous piece of text on how a poster is a vital piece of advertising when it comes to promoting a film; this is the link to this text).

Before starting the planning of the poster the analysis of other film posters are vital, as this will help in understanding the techniques used, as well as things such as they layout and information provided.

This film poster for 'The Descendants' has a very common layout of major films; this is due to its focus on the one large photo with little text. This format is seen to be quite effective due to the simplicity of it, whilst at the same time showing what type of film it is going to be. Due to the vibrant colours in contrast to the sadness upon the mans face the audience may get the impression that it a story about loss and emotion. Another common technique that has been used in this poster is the focus on the main star of the film, 'George Clooney', this is done through the mention of his name (amongst the small amount of text on this poster), as well as having him as the focal point of the poster. This gives the impression that it is a high class film as the lead is a famous actor. Whereas on posters where the there aren't any famous actors there is often less focus on the actors, more on the background etc.

This film poster for 'Last Nights' uses different techniques in comparison to 'The Descendants'. The main difference is the fact that it is not focused on one picture, it has four all the same size, hence not drawing more attention to one rather than the others. This is important to consider as it allows the audience to know about the characters and actors in the film. The title in this film is in a different positioning to the other poster, as it is centralised at the bottom of the page, this shows how the title doesn't have to be in the middle of the page to make it stand out. The main technique that has drawn me to this poster is through the use of review quotes, e.g. 'thought provoking and stylish'. This makes the poster stand out as it lets the audience know other peoples view on the film before they have even viewed it, this is a very strong way of advertising a film on a poster as it gives more information on the film through a still image.

'The Ring' is a horror film, which is portrayed clearly in its poster through the general darkness and mysteriousness of it all. This is something that I will need to take into consideration when making my own film poster for my trailer, as I will be using similair techniques to portray it as a horror film. Through the use of light contrast it creates the a very strong image as it reflects the true darkness of the film. The use of review quotes are also used within this, which helps to further create tension, it also helps the film to reach its right target audience. The image that is within the title, is also a very horrific way of presenting a title, this technique can be seen as very effective through how unusual it is to see the title done in this way.

Explanation of my Photos and How I Have Edited Them

Whilst filming our trailer we also took some pictures to be used for our poster and magazine front cover that we are going to produce. These are a sample of the pictures that we took and how they are going to be useful when producing the further two forms of advertising. The photos show before and after editing shots:

The photos that I have taken here I feel as if will be a useful when it comes to producing my magazine cover and film poster. This is due to the fact that it is a shot of the main setting of the trailer. This will help to create a link between the three products. As well as the dark and contrasting shades that I have edited into it show the house as being more dilapidated and mysterious. This will help attract the right audience due to the fact that this emphasises the horror theme. As well as that I have edited in a white background behind the house. This will allow me to put another picture/text behind it. This will help to create a more professional look finish to my poster once it has been fully developed.

This shot of the person staring at the camera behind her hair, once edited, creates a spooky effect. Due to the fact that you are unable to see her whole face, it creates an unknown and tense atmosphere. This photo will also help link the ancillary texts back to the film trailer since this character is shown in it. Especially on the film magazine front cover, it is an important to showcase the main stars of the film, as this can be seen as a key selling point. As well as achieving that, this photo also manages to emphasise the genre.

Similar to the over two sets of photos, these shots of the trees help to further anchor the atmosphere as a horror since the forest is a scene that is often used in a horror film. The way in which I have edited the photos help to give the impression of a thriller. Due to the black and white contrast that I have used in this photo, it creates a spooky tone that will go well in my poster or magazine cover.

Relationship Between the Trailer, Magazine Cover and Poster

Before I begin the actual making of the three products, an important quality that I believe must exist between them is the fact that they link together. This can be seen as a vital due to them being able to work as an end product to further enhance them from an advertising point of view. With them all working along side with each other, it will make each product stronger as it will help to anchor each of the other products and their selling points as they all have different target audiences theoretically. For instance the poster is directed at the mass public as they are put up everywhere, such as bus stops, train stations, billboards, shop windows etc... Since they are everywhere, they can not be targeted specifically at a certain audience. However, they still need to maintain their focal advertising points (e.g. for my film, the poster will still need to focus on horror). A trailer possess similar qualities to this, however it is restricted to a screen, e.g. on your computer or T.v. The magazine cover has a different audience all together as the people producing this are not the same as the people advertising the trailer and poster. This is because the magazine company itself would design the front cover and angle the film advertising in a way that would suite their specific audience.

With the trailer, magazine cover and poster having access to the public on such a large scale, it is important that they have united qualities. This has been done on many previous products, such as 'Hellboy 2':

These 3 products show a united front (even without the full footage of the trailer) this has been done through several techniques, such as, same font, main character being shown, statement about the film, same genre portrayed etc...
This is something that I want to show when creating my film trailer and ancillary texts.

Presentation of our Ideas for Evil Awaits

Other Forms of Advertising For Our Film

The trailer which we are producing is a very important aspect of advertising for the film industry, this is vital as it shows the main gripping story line to our audience. This results in the audience being attracted to view the film, which is obviously the whole aim of the production. Some distributors see the trailer as so important to the extent that they create 'special footage' just to entice the audience even more, this has been done in the 'Terminator 2: Judgement Day' trailer, they have added extra footage of special effects just for the trailer (footage purely for advertising purposes and does not exist in the film itself). From our project of making a trailer, we are hoping to make the audience interested in actually seeing the film, this will be done through the use of the most exciting and noteworthy parts in our film, without giving away the ending, causing the audience being left on a cliff-hanger. These techniques would be the most effective for the type of trailer we wish to produce.

Other forms of advertising that we are going to go on and make after the trailer would be an advertising poster. Posters are viewed as an important form of advertising due to it accessibility to the public, as you don’t have to go out and seek it, they come to you in many different forms. Posters can be seen on: buses, magazines, handouts (leaflets), billboards, and on the side of building etc… This small example shows how publicized posters have become; this as a result makes them a very effective way of advertising as it would catch the public’s eye.  As well as that the poster would reach the mass audience, rather than those who going seeking for the trailer itself. Although posters don’t provide as much information about the plot as a trailer would, they are still a useful form of advertising when it comes to making your film known about. The use of a magazine cover is also something that we are going to be designing; this is because the use of a magazine is another method used for wide spread advertising. It would be particularly useful for a cover advertisement on a film magazine, for example ‘Totalfilm’, ‘Sight and Sound’, and ‘Empire’ magazine, as the people who purchase the magazine are interested in films, and hence the perfect target audience for our advertising.

These 3 different forms of advertising is something that I am going to link together all the way throughout the production of each individual piece. Through linking the pieces together it will make the other components stronger and more noticeable. Overall what I aim to achieve throughout making these different forms of advertising is a strong form of advertising for a variety of people.

Trailer and Their Conventions

All trailers have the basic qualities that are more or less required to make a good trailer. The qualities and why they are necessary are as follows:

      Voiceovers are used to tell the story and give credit information 
      The stars of the film are showcased 

      Key points are sometimes conveyed through titles (words on screen) 

      Conversations between characters often consist of one-liners 

      Dramatic camera angles may be chosen to show events or characters 

      Action is interspersed with actor or director credits on screen 

      Music plays an important role in creating atmosphere 

      The film’s title may not appear until the end 

      The trailer builds to a climax, where it ends

            Montage (a series of shots from different points in the film, edited together) is often used to highlight the most dramatic, humorous or fast-paced aspects of the film

  

    The main conventions have been described further in detailed and explained their importance when it comes to making an effective trailer:

Title and other text – gives the footage a more varied use of techniques other than just video

Clips. It also provides the audience with information, whether that is the title, realise

Date, or part of the plot.

Sound / music - this gives more dynamics to the trailer as it can be used to set the mood of
            the film, whether this is for the build up of tension or to emphasise a romantic scene.
            Overall sound helps to reflect the genre of the film its self.
Location / setting - this gives background information to what the film is going to be like as
          different signifiers, such as housing, or general back drop, can emphasise the plot and a
          character as an individual.
Main actors are show cased - if famous actors are used within the film, they are often show
          cased to make the film seem a high end production, which can often entice the audience.
          As well as that it also gives you more information on what the film is going to be like.
Theme - the film is portrayed through using many different techniques, such as sound/music,
          location, and text. However it can also be shown through voiceovers and dialogue, for
          instance, comical 'one line' comments show the film as being humorous, and can set the
          mood for the rest of the trailer.

Distribution

Exhibition: This is done through many formats such as raising awareness (this is helped through the funding), improving access (this is done through Digital Screen Network having 240 cinemas in the UK, which support the growth of the UK film market)

Exit Polls

The BFI (British Film Industry) requires that any film released needs to go through the process of the exit polls. This involves at least 2 audiences from different cinemas to answer a series of questions on the film that they would have just seen. This helps the statistician decide what the set target audience for the film is. The questionnaire helps to establish why each person has gone to see the film, what their view on it was, and their general background life is. Exit polls are done so that the distributor is able to refine their target audience so that they know which ways to present future advertising as well as how to distribute the film.

This research has helped to understand the importance of a target audience, as they help to direct specifically which direction you take your advertising.

Funding Films

There are four main types of funding when it comes to producing films, they are as follows:

Film Funding - this is funding given my companies such as BFI who invest in the film. This funding covers all aspects of the actual film, for instance the planning (e.g. script writing), filming, editing etc... This is a vital fund as it helps the film to get going.

Innovation Funding - this works with the 'film funding' as it works across all areas of production. As well as that it helps the film company to develop its investors, market, distributors, audience, delivery platforms and research.

Print and Advertising Fund - this fund has been set up to help non-mainstream films produced to access a larger target audience through making their title more known about in order to increase their overall viewing. BFI has funded such films as: Another Year, Animal Kingdom, The Skin I Live In etc... In 2010 they helped 355 specialized films, this is 65% of the films shown in UK cinemas throughout this year. 

Film Export Fund - this gives films the opportunity to be showcased in important film festivals. This would provide a huge platform for international sales. This fund helps the film company to cope with such advertising as well as the technical requirements for such a thing. The BFI are involved in this mainly to promote the UK film industry and the talent that it has.

Film Trailer Case Study - Crazy, Stupid Love

Directors: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa

Writer: Dan Fogelman

Main Actors: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Julianne Moore

Release Date: 23 September 2011 (UK)

Budget: $50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: $19,104,303 (USA) (31 July 2011) (3020 Screens)

Gross: $82,068,926 (USA) (25 September 2011)

Film Trailer Case Study - Avatar

Director/Writer: James Cameron

Main Actors: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver

Genres: action, adventure, fantasy, and sci-fi

Box Office, Budget: $237,000,000 (estimated)

                  Opening Weekend: $77,025,481 (USA) (20 December 2009) (3452 Screens)

                 Gross: $2,039,472,387 (Worldwide) (31 January 2010)

Release Date: 17 December 2009 (UK)