Mock-Up for Final Film Poster

This is a mock-up for my final film poster design; this will give me a better precise idea of what I hope to achieve through the making of this product.

Further Attempt at the Film Poster

 Since I am nearing the end of the design for the film poster, I have decided to get some audience feedback on this attempt, to ensure that I have the best possible result for my final piece.

               'Layout is interesting and eye-catching'

This quote from my audience feedback is important as it emphasises the progress made from my first attempt as it shows how my design as a film poster is becoming more appealing to the audience. The layout is seen to be effective due to the way in which the character comes from behind the building. Although the character is situated behind the building, it is a strong enough photo not to be washed out and become a significant part of the poster. The positioning of the text also standouts, even though the majority of research posters have the text central, having it at the bottom of the page is just as effective.

               'The text is effective since it standouts. The review given is simple but effective'

This piece of audience feedback shows the effectiveness of the bold title, as the white text contrasts to the black background. Although this is an obvious choice in colouring (in order to make the title standout) it works well for the genre as it adds to the whole darkness of the genre. The font that has also been chosen here is valuable as it is done in a gothic format, the font is important when controlling the effect it has upon the text as the straight bluntness of the title emphasises the serious and non comical theme that is within the film. The review that is given within this film poster is short and snappy; this would help to get the point across about the quality of the film. Although it is just a star rating, rather than a quote, it still has the same effect.

               'It is not very informative'

This is an important point being made as although the poster doesn't have much text on it, and can be seen as effective because of that, it does not have enough. This is because it doesn't have any of the actor’s names or a release date. From my research it can be seen that this is a necessity and it is an important thing that I am missing from this design.

Initial Film Poster

This initial design for my film poster was not successful for many reasons, all of which have been reflected in my audience feedback on this piece. However saying that, there are some positive aspects to this work, for instance the way the poster reflects the genre of the film, due to the darkness of the abandoned house and the contrast in the trees it achieves the dark mysterious atmosphere that is also reflected in the trailer. Although it has been pointed out by one of the people reviewing this piece that the darkness has resulted in a flaw in this poster. This is because in all of the research posters the title has been the main focal point of it and it has always stood out significantly, this does not come across in my first attempt at the film poster. Nevertheless I am pleased with the photo of the abandoned house as it sets the scene for the film, however it is rare not to have a photo of at least one character on the poster, this is one way that I hope to develop my poster in my next attempt.

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.

Final Film Trailer - Evil Awaits

Link to our Film Trailer

Early Footage for Audience Feedback

 We showed our early footage, which is not yet complete, to a group of people to get their views on what we have done so far. This was done with the intention that we could take their comments on to improve upon our trailer. The thoughts were as so (comment on this post):