Flat Plans

Film Poster: I have created the following poster for my film, I have named the film 'flush', a hustler is someone who makes money in an un-sporting way. This is a big feature in my film and therefore I feel as though it is an ideal name for my film. I have positioned the film title above the main image on the poster as I feel that this will be easy enough to recognise, without the image not being able to stand out effectively. I am going to choose a bold font to use for my title, this is because I want the title to stand out, but I want to make sure that the font is sensible and gives of a serious impression also.

The genre of the film is indicated by the fact the scenery in the picture is set at night, with a mysterious car flashing it's lights and the cameras angle. The cars main beams are shining towards the camera, I have shown this by using bright and bold colours that stand out on the poster. I have decided to pay attention to detail and look closely at making the picture as realistic as I possibly can, I have put in the line off the rear window heating strips as an element of realism and detail.

The tree in the picture is used to give the impression that the scenario which the picture is from is set in a place which is not very open and is fairly enclosed, adding to the horror genre which is being set.

I have decided that I would like to include a slogan in my film poster, this will be in a bold font and will be positioned beneath the main image. It is important that the slogan attracts the audiences attention effectively and therefore helps to promote the film by doing this. The slogan that I choose to use cannot be too long and difficult to understand but it should make the audience think and get them wanting to watch the film. A short and clever slogan should effectively attract the attention of the audience.

The release date for the film is essential in a film poster, this can be in either numerical form or in words, for example; 'coming soon' or 'in cinemas 24/09/1998', this should not be too large in comparison to the picture but it should be a reasonable size within the poster and therefore stand out to the reader.

An institutional logo should be included within the poster, this indicates who is responsible fore producing the film and can influence whether or not the audience wish this film, the logo should be created so that it stands out to the viewer but it shouldn't be placed too big on the poster as there are more important aspects of the poster to occupy the larger areas of the poster.

Risk Assessment

I had to complete a risk assessment sheet for each and every location which I decided to film at, this ensured that the place in which I filmed did not endanger the people that I had agreed to participate in the filming of my trailer.

I have posted a couple of the risk assessment forms below:

Logos

The idea behind these logos was that they represent the audience of the companies products. The shape of the logos are of people which vary in shape and sizes, therefore this reflects the wide range of products which the company produce to satisfy the needs of a broad variety of audience.

The black and white desaturated colours mean that the logo stands out to the audience and therefore enables the logo to be easily recognisable, this is important to companies as they want to take recognition for the products which they have produced.

A lot of the logos which I looked at whilst I was researching institutional logos were created in black and white and consequently I decided to design my logo in the same way to see how effective it was.

New Plan For My Soundtrack

I have decided that I will get my actor to play the music for my soundtrack on the drums, this will be achieved by the music being played into headphones that he is wearing and then following the song this way.

I will use the music produced as the soundtrack for my trailer, but I intend on showing the actor playing the drums visually also, this will use both diegetic and non-diegetic sound.

I will record my actor playing the drums on a camcorder and then use Final Cut Express to adapt the footage that I wish to keep and also the sound that works the best.

Nicola's bombshell - sound

I have just been informed that I can no longer use a soundtrack that had been produced by a signed artist, this has affected me as I was intending on using the song 'the breaks' by Kurtis blow. However I have decided that I can overcome this potential problem by covering the song. I will do this by getting my actor to play the drums whilst I record it and use it as my soundtrack, both diegetic and non-diegetic.

Letter of Consent

Dear Copyright Holder

I am an A level student and I am writing to request your permission to use the track ‘the breaks’ by Kurtis Blow.

The track I wish to use is "The Breaks". With your permission this track would be used in my current A-Level Media Project, acting as a soundtrack, this involves creating a Film Trailer, as well as producing a poster for the film and a film magazine cover.

If I received your permission this track would be viewed by my peers, teachers and the OCR exam board, it would also be uploaded to a public video website in order for it to be embedded into my personal blog for research and planning.

The Artist and your Company would be fully recognised throughout pre-production and the final trailer itself. A copyright notice, with wording supplied by you can be included in the records of the project. If this is required, please send full details.

Yours Sincerely,

Michael Waine.

Props

I will need to use a mobile phone in my blog, I have decided that I will need to use a mobile phone that is clear to read as I need the camera to focus on it in one shot, therefore I have to ensure that the screen is as easy to read as possible. By changing the settings so that the text on the phone's screen is as large as possible will make the text clear to read and therefore effectively allow the audience to be able to understand what is happening. If the screen is not clear then it will make the trailer look unprofessional and no trailer would do this.

I will need to use a car in my film trailer, this has to be used legally and therefore it is essential that my actor has a full UK driving license and is fully insured on the car that they are using. It is important that these precautions are met because it would be illegal if they weren't. The car that I am going to use will therefore belong to the actor that will be using it in the trailer. The car effectively typifies that character that the actor is trying to portray for the film. when using the car as a prop I will ensure that it is being used safely and does not conflict with rules involved with driving, and therefore other road users comfort will not be affected when filming.

I will be using drums in my trailer, these drums belong to the actor that is in my trailer and therefore these are at no expense to me. I will have to use these drums to produce my soundtrack following recent news that I can no longer use the soundtrack which I had previously planned on using.

Skills Development

As part of my skills development I went on an educational visit to Teeside University, this visit lasted half a day and I went along wit other A2 Media Studies students. The purpose of the trip was to allow students to gain a wider knowledge about filming and editing, this was run by a university lecturer in the university.

Following an introduction we then we told about the equipment that we would be using, this included expensive professional equipment that the university owns. I learnt about different settings on the camera that allow the person filming to effectively cope with different elements, such as; if the light was too bright to film, then there was a setting which changed the mode of the camera and then this allowed effective clear images being recorded.

We went outside and used a variety of different shots with the camera to create a short video of a section of the university grounds, making sure that the shots we had used had all been created with the tripod on an even level ensured by using the spirit level on the top of the tripod.

After taking shots outside, we then used final cut pro on the Apple Macs to have a try ay editing our footage, there was also parts of the film Gladiator available for us to use as well, we tried editing our footage and then we had a go at creating a trailer video with the footage from Gladiator the movie.

Institutional Logos Research

Every film trailer includes the company/companies institutional logo, this tells the audience who produced the film and also helps to advertise the company and spread their recognition.

I have therefore decided to include an institutional logo in my film trailer, by looking at logos and researching them it has given me an in-sight what I should aim to produce.

The logo on the right is the logo for Warner Bros, this is a huge film within the film market. The logo is a black and white one, this means that it stands out because of the contrast between the black and the white colours. It is not very complex at all, the use of two letters and a border is all that makes up the logo, again, this makes the logo easily recognisable and therefore effective when used for advertising. The logo has got the 'registered trademark' symbol next to it, this means that the company has protected anyone from usingf the same symbol or copying it to a certain extent.

This logo is the Paramount logo, Paramount are also a very successful company within the film market.

The use of black and white colouring has been used here also, this gives a contrast and therefore makes the logo stand out, which is effective because the company need to ensure that the logo is as recognisable as possible.

The 'registered trademark' symbol is used again here, this is essential if you want to protect your product and stop people stealing your ideas.

After looking at both of these logos I have decided that there are a few characteristics of each that I nedd to include in mine, such as; the 'registered trademark' logo, this will need to be included if I did not want others to benefit from my design and also it adds professionalism.

The use of contrasting the logos colours togther to make it stand out is a good way of getting people to recognise the logo.

i will try and make my logo so that it does not seem too complex and is therefore easily understandable.

Recce

This a picture of one location where I will be filming at, I have decided to use this location because of the impression it will give the viewers and also the history that the place has. It is an area local to where I live and also a supposed notorious spot for illegal "dogging".

The way in which the layby is hidden by plants and trees means that the shots will seem to be in a mysterious location.

This shot has been taken in the day time and has natural lighting used, if I were to film my shots at night then I would have to use a source of artificial light from the resources that I have available to me.

This is a picture of a backgarden, the purpose of the backgarden is to denotate that the character is wealthy, the idea behind this is because the character is meant to have 'hustled' a lot of money, and therefore the audience will understand and recognise this after seeing the scenery.



This is a birds eye view of the Heinginton/Newton Aycliffe area, I have sourced this map from www.google.co.uk/maps this location is where I will be filming. I have chosen this location as it is where I live and also where my actors live, the location offers me all of the scenery which I need in my trailer.

Audience Research - Primary Research

I have decided to interview someone about the genre of film that I am going to produce a trailer for, the person that I am interviewing is in the same age bracket of my target audience (18-35). I have ensured that the person is in the same age bracket because this will give me the chance to successfully gain intelligence about the market for the film I am promoting.

The aim of my interview with this person is to increase my knowledge of what my target audience would expect to see in a film promotion aim towards them.

Do you often watch films?

yeah yes yeah

How often would you say you watch films (per week)?

3 a week 3 a week about 2 a week

Do you tend to choose to watch a film because of it's trailer?

yeah, new films nope for new ones, yes

Which genre of film most interests you?

thriller adult comedy

What characteristics of that genre of film appeal to you the most?

scary/exciting good acting good quotations

Which UK tribe would you say best suited you?

none techie none in particular

How long do you feel a trailer should last for?

30 seconds-1 minute 1.50 approximately 1-2 minutes

What do you feel a film poster should include?

big picture, slogan bright images hints to what the film will be about

Do you like simple film posters? Or do more complex film posters attract you?

complex complex not too basic and not too complex

I then decided that it would be wiser to collect answers to these questions from a wider range of people in the same age category, this would therefore increase the accuracy of the results that i gained at the end.

I collected the data and analyzed it, this meant that I could identify any trends that may have become apparent throughout the data.

Checklist

A2 Research and Planning Checklist

Following on from A2 fortnight you need to complete the work outlined in this checklist. In order to succeed in the coursework unit of A2 Media Studies research and planning needs to be complete upon your return to college. Students who fail to complete the work are seriously endangering their chance of achieving their target grade and beyond. Remember 3 products need to be produced and the entire portfolio will be submitted before the Christmas break.

ALL of the following MUST be evident in your blog for first deadline of August 31st 2010

1. Action plan (this will still be updated throughout the process)

2. Textual Analysis (2x detailed deconstructions of teaser trailers from the same genre as you intend to produce, 2 x deconstructions of film posters from the same genre as you intend to produce, 2 x deconstructions of film magazine front covers) with a detailed write up of how your research will influence what you produce (what codes and conventions will you use and why or what codes and conventions will you challenge and why?). You could create prezi’s for this, a video of you discussing the texts whilst you screen the texts in the background of the shot, you could even peg posters on your washing line and video yourself pointing to and discussing specific codes and conventions etc. The more creative your approach the better. You can also import JPEG’s or embed videos and write about them.

3. Secondary Audience Research with write up of whom, specifically, the target audience is (after researching the audience profiles of products similar to the ones that you intend to produce). You can use pearlanddean.com to do this. Also, create a montage (photographic or video and edit it to a soundtrack) of who the audience is. Write a short account of how who the audience is will affect what codes and conventions you’ll use.

4. Primary Audience Research - Questionnaire & Focus group with detailed write up of findings and how they will influence the product you create (as with textual research what codes and conventions will you incorporate or challenge and why?). Try and video your focus group and embed it into your blog or photograph the people from your focus group.

5. Institutional Context - write up of the companies involved in the production and distribution of your product and how their status affects the product. Also you'll need to include a write up of the stages of production involved in creating trailer and the subsequent print productions. Higher marks will be awarded for students who acknowledge how this will affect them (what roles they will take on and the skills they need). You should refer to http://www.skillset.org/ for the process of film production.

6. Proposal of Ideas – Create a treatment for your entire film (outline of the story). Then discuss the narrative of your trailer (how will it be structured?) and the genre (how will it be apparent what he genre is – think about the genres repertoire, offering the viewer familiar pleasures, character types etc.). You should also discuss your two ancillary products (poster & magazine cover).

7. Source the copyright free soundtrack – where did you find it? Provide the website and technology you’ll use to create it. If it’s from an unsigned artist you need to have a signed permission letter from them. If you can embed a copy of the song into your blog that would be excellent

8. Sketches of Institutional logos that you’ve created alongside evidence of these being produced during the construction process or initial planning stages ( you should make a post ready for the construction of your logo)

9 . Storyboard – this needs to be detailed and in colour with the shot distance, camera movement, shot length and sound clearly identified. You could make a post it note storyboard and scan it in or you can use our template on the IDrive.

10. Flatplans – Detailed and in colour for your film magazine cover and film poster (with supporting rationale, justifying the design choices made - the connotations of this and how it will appeal to the intended audience)

11. Animatic (with sound and appropriate transitions). This is where you film and edit your storyboard with the appropriate shot duration, soundtrack and sound effects. Upload it to youtube and then embed it into your blog

12 . Photoshoot Plans (for every location you intended to shoot in)

13. Recce (this needs to be detailed and cover every location that you intend to film or photoshoot in)

14. Call Sheets – create one for every person that will be acting/modeling in your production

15. Scripts (If needed)

16 Skills Development – any skills development activities you have done or tutorials from the Internet should be uploaded with a discussion of what skills you have developed and what benefit these will have on your production.

17. Photoshoot Images Uploaded during construction Phase (with brief discussion of what you like / dislike about the photograph)

18. Shooting Schedules These will be uploaded after you have filmed

19. Screen shots of the construction process These will be added during the construction process you should use the grab feature on the mac to take screen shots of final cut pro and print screen of you working in photoshop. You should produce a write up of what features you’ve been using and how your skills are developing.

20. Rough Cuts These will be uploaded during the construction process. You should include rough cuts of your trailer by embedding it from Youtube and rough cuts of your poster and magazine cover. Alongside these you should include some audience feedback which suggests what the strengths and weaknesses are followed by how you intend to improve the work. You could record people providing feedback or upload your work to facebook, get feedback, take a screenshot (save it as aJPEG) and upload to your blog. You can also invite people to comment on your work in Youtube.

21. Photographs or Videos of you producing the work. Take regular shots or mini videos of you producing the work and then expand on this with annotation or bullet points of the process you’ve been going through.

22. Regular Audience Feedback with discussion of refinements that will be made in light of this. You MUST evidence, ongoing, audience feedback and for the evaluation be able to discuss this in some detail alongside evidencing a detailed knowledge of why audience feedback is important. You could do this via Youtube,facebook, focus groups, individual interviews etc.