Planning - Magazine cover, final

This is my final magazine cover. It's very similar to my mock because my mock received extremely positive feedback. I decided to fill the dead space with a free offer, but also something humorous. This technique was used as it grabs the readers attention, possibly making them buy the magazine or opening it up for more information.

Planning - DVD cover, final

This is my final DVD cover. As you can see, there were no major advances made from my draft due to my resources for it being limited. However, I responded to the main query of their being so much blank space, so I re-organised the layout slightly to fill some of this space. I also placed a couple more logos from conventional DVD covers on there in an attempt to make it look more realistic. Personally, I think it looks like something you'd find at a car boot sale, yet feedback from colleagues shows that it would be something that they would look into buying, because the message is still conveyed, regardless how cheap it looks.

Planning - Film poster, final

Above is my final film poster with edits made to it to adjust to the feedback.

The main picture I used was a man in a suit, but with an odd looking almost snowman style head. I selected this picture because due to my shooting schedule, it has snowed outside. This means that any outdoor shots will now show snow, which associated with winter and Christmas. It doesn't really affect the plot of the film, but people would question the snow/time of year if it has nothing to do with the film, so I opted to use it in the promotionals.

I also opted to keep a similar font to my last one. I did go for a more serious looking font, but I kept it simple because it looks 'childish'. This sounds strange at first, but when the film is called Pop goes the Weasel, and the main theme for the trailer is said song, they both tie to the childhood toy, 'jack in a box'. Ergo, the childish font matches up with this.

I also decided to add a few lines on there to put suspense into the viewers, hopefully wanting to make them see the film more. I also jumbled the words 'stay offline', almost playing with the viewers head, and revealing to them that the film has something to do with being online.

Planning - DVD cover, first draft

This is the mock for my DVD cover that I have had to produce as part of my digipack. I decided to keep the DVD cover matching a similar layout to my film poster and magazine cover. This meant that I used the same font and the same colour schemes, to help it tie in with the other products. This is effective as if a viewer sees only one of the products, regardless which one, they will still get the same meaning from it as it conveys the same message.

Feedback for this product is summed up in a small paragraph below:
"In general, the product contains large amounts of unnecessary dead space and doesn't advertise the film very well. On top of this, the cover lacks a lot of features you'd find on standard DVD covers released mainstream today."

Using this feedback, I am going to edit and post a final edition of my DVD cover.

Planning - Magazine cover, first draft

This is the first draft for my magazine cover, as part of my digipack. I decided to keep the cover simplistic following other conventional magazine layouts, whilst choosing to have the main antagonist from the film displayed clearly.

I obtained feedback from peers about my cover, and the majority said it was good apart from the large amounts of dead space that can be seen above and below the main picture. I noticed this myself during the creation of it, but due to the pictures I took whilst filming, there aren't many solutions as to what I can fill them with. So, I am going to have to look at other methods such as a different layout in an attempt to fill the dead space more.

Planning - Film poster, first draft

Above is the mock film poster that I have created for the first stage of my digipack. I decided to keep the poster simple and go with the theme of the name, 'Pop goes the weasel', so a Jack in the Box (renown for playing pop goes the weasel) was used as the center piece for the poster.

I have asked for some peer feedback on the poster, and I have summed it up below.

"The entirity of the poster looks too 'cheesy' and 'cheerful', and the simplistic fonts lead us to believe that the film is more childish then what you intend it to be."

Planning - Equipment/Props/Clothing

To ensure that my trailer can be filmed without any issues, I have outlined a list below of the equipment, props and clothing that will be required during my shooting schedule.

Equipment
-Camera
-Tripod
-Film-tape
-Spare tape
-Spare battery

Props
None, other then small location props such as white board pens etc for the Police station. These props however are already on scene and will not need to be located.

Clothing
Main victim
-Hoody
-Jeans
-Boots
These items of clothing have been selected to show that the victim is wearing casual items, with absolutely no further meaning put into them. This is because I intend my trailer to be realistic, rather then looking like everything has been 'put on' or spent large amounts of money getting Hugo Boss labels or whatever.

'The Stalker'
-Dark hoody, with the hood put up
-Dark jeans
-Trainers
Like the main vicitm, these items have been selected to portray him as a 'real world' stalker. Unlike high-budget movies, a real stalker wouldn't care about his appearance other then perhaps being able to blend in with the darkness and shadows, thus the choice of the darkened hoody.

Police officers
-Shirts, unbuttoned at the collar
-Suit trousers
-Suit shoes
These clothes have been shown to represent authority, your typical white shirt and black trousers. However, I have opted to lose the ties as it shows the stress the police officers are going through, trying to find evidence to incriminate the stalker. It's the subtle things that count.


Failure to get any of these could lead to discrepancies in my filming schedule, but I believe that all of them should be obtainable before the first day of filming.

Planning - Script

From my storyboard, I have deduced that my trailer actually contains very little dialogue, ergo it would be a waste of time, effort and resources to produce any sort of official script.

For the little bit of dialogue that is in the trailer, we will improvise the lines when it comes to shooting.

Planning - Storyboard

Storyboard

Planning - Soundtrack

For the soundtrack, I have found an ideal piece of music that suits the drama I want in my trailer. The track is "Pop goes the weasel" by Kevin MacLeod. The artist is well known for making royalty free music (no strings attached, no copyright), and as such, the track I have selected is free to use.

Below is a link to the track in question:



The track also sustains a nice beat/rhythm, meaning I can easily edit my trailer to match the beat of the track.

Planning - Actors

Actors are a key component to any film. Due to the fact that I have next to no budget (so everything I do effectively has to be free to use), I have no way to hire any form of professorial actors. Ergo, I have asked a few of my close friends if they will act in my film trailer. They agreed.

Using my storyboard, I've outlined that I need four actors, all listed below:
'The Victim'
'The Stalker'
'Police officer 1'
'Police officer 2'

I have managed to fill all of these positions with my friends, so I expect shooting to take place on schedule. Two of them have previous acting experience, with the others none. Ergo, I have prioritised that the positions with talking go to the actors with experience, that way the trailers integrity/seriousness doesn't get compromised.

Planning - Locations

Location, location, location!

For my trailer I need to use several different filming locations to represent several different locations in the film, ranging from a forest, to a local landmark and even a police station.

One of the locations I have chosen for my filming is the local country park, called the 'Grange country park'. This location provides a thick forest with easy access that I can use for many aspects of my trailer, and it is quiet so there won't be much interference. The location also provides a stream, waterfall and a large lake that can be used for background effects. In this forest there is a path which I can use to ensure my actors are safe, but also allows for easy shooting, as obviously shooting on rough terrain would be rather difficult.

What my landmark looks like

The second location I need is for a police station type location, so I am going to use my school to act as a sort of 'holding cell' for the criminally insane. This is because the building is large and very brightly coloured, but also available to shoot within my schedule.

Other then these key places, I may use a few simple/stock footage shots of sunsets or local buildings/streets just to help build suspense/tension or to fill the trailers gaps. The sunset footage could also be used to help represent the time of day.

Planning - First ideas

After analysing all of the below film trailers and film posters, I have begun to grasp a general idea of what I would like to see in my film trailer. Below, I have rough drafted some ideas of what I want:

General storyline: Action/Thriller. A stalker regularly meets people through the social networking site, Facebook, and then murders them in sick and twisted ways, hiding the bodies as he does. The police eventually get a hold of him, but discover that he is no ordinary human being.
Soundtrack: Pop goes the weasel - Royalty Free
Establishing shot: Facebook website, messages sent between two people.
Filming locations: Country park(forest), school (Police station)

I can use this as a basis to begin planning the rest of my trailer, such as elaborating on the locations, soundtracks, shooting schedules and of course a storyboard.

Research - Film trailer, Eagle Eye

Eagle Eye is the third trailer I have chosen to analyse because it falls into the 'Action/Thriller' genre, which separates it from the other two (as the others had hints of comedy). This once again fits into the genre I would like to produce my trailer in.

The trailer begins quickly, getting the production company logos out of the way, then jumping in to quick shots of the main character using an ATM, with very dramatic 'drum beats' in the background every time the shot makes a key change. Something immediately goes wrong, as we see him unable to withdraw money, yet 2 seconds later he is able to withdraw large amounts of money, and the machine begins firing bills at him. It then quickly changes to the character going home to his apartment, where upon entering we see him surprised to find an array of weaponry on the inside, once again using quick cuts.

These quick cuts help build suspense and add 'sudden drama' to the trailer, keeping the viewer enticed, but at the same time giving us a small amount of story for the trailer to progress.

The trailer continues to show the main character being arrested and going through some interrogation as well as encounters with an unknown being. The shots appear to show a continuous scene but with small bits cut out, effectively showing all of the action and none of the boring stuff.

Research - Film trailer, RED

RED is an Action/Comedy film released in 2010 starring some of the oldest action film actors. I have chosen to analyse this film as it falls into the action genre that I would like to make my trailer in.

The trailer begins with very relaxing violin music playing, with a few shot cuts fitting to the beat of the music. A few seconds of dialogue then takes place between two key actors, before it all ending abruptly after an actor saying “I do take the odd contract on the side”. It quickly switches to a shot of said actor on a mounted turret firing upon a convoy of vehicles in a parking garage. This kind of effect is sudden and is unexpected by the viewer, so is perhaps used as an attempt to get the viewers attention.

The next segment in the trailer has some very chilled cheerful upbeat music, cutting between title slides and shots revealing all of the actors/characters in the trailer, as well as releasing small parts of their personality/character histories. This is used to give the viewer a closer bonding with the character, perhaps to help them understand what may happen in the next segment of the trailer.

The last segment has a different soundtrack again, but reveals more action shots such as fight scenes, gun fights, explosions etc. basically anything associated with an action film. The use of these quick shots can reveal a lot about what's in the film, keeping the viewer enticed and wanting more.

Research - Film trailer, Knight & Day

Knight & Day is a 2010 action/adventure/comedy film with a slight tint of romance. I selected this film for my analysis as it is a classic sign of an action packed film, that has the slightly cheesy comedy tint to it.

The trailer begins with some shots that have been edited to the beats of the soundtrack, including fades and flashes to mix them together. Amongst these, the production company logos are cleverly blended in, instead of being at the very start like other conventional trailers. Continuing on, the trailer becomes very slow and more dramatic, adding a narrative of one of the main characters (Cameron Diaz). Her narrative is a line from the film, but also effectively sums up what the film is about, something useful for the trailer.

From here on, the trailer takes a more action packed turn, showing some of the more dramatic scenes in the film, along with a more fast paced soundtrack. In here are several action/gunshot scenes/car chases, but still mixed in with a couple of comedic moments. This overall gives an effect of how chaotic the films storyline could be, but also summing up what the entire film contains.

Research - Movie poster, Die Hard: With a Vengeance

The below film poster is once again for another Die Hard film, except this one is Die Hard with a Vengeance. Following the usual 'visual pattern' of looking from the top left, to the top right, across the center to the bottom left, then the bottom right, the first thing that hits you is the main actors name, Bruce Willis. This is capitalised and is in bold red writing on a black background. This makes it stand out, as by the time this film came out, Bruce Willis was almost a household name, so his name can effectively make or break a film. From this, you cut across the middle where it has the main image that's on the poster, a picture of Bruce Willis with a city in the background, combined with an explosion. The explosion represents that this film is going to be an action film like the other two, and the building in the back right is a popular building in New York, revealing the location. The picture of Bruce himself is him wearing a vest (once again a link to the first film), but his skin is also cut and he is covered in dirt. This suggests he is going above and beyond the first two films and bringing you more action. Around is neck/shoulders are his police badge (showing he's still a cop), and a gun harnest, showing the film will be filled with guns again. In the bottom left of the picture is a tag line "Think fast, look alive, Die Hard". This makes the film sound more exciting, which matches with the thriller genre that it has been labelled with. At the bottom of the image is the title of the film series, 'Die Hard'. This is written in bold red matching the actors name, showing the link between the Die Hard series and how the actor has been in them. Overlapping the words Die Hard is the much smaller text saying 'With a vengeance'. This is capitalised and bolded again like the others, but is written in white over the Die hard, to make it stand out from the link and that it's a new film compared with the other two. Last but not least at the bottom, there are another two actors names written in red, but smaller then the rest. The red would suggest, like the other text written in red, that they are linked with the Die Hard series, but they aren't. This must mean they are in red because they are important to the series as a whole, even though they haven't been in every film. Below that is just your usual mumbo jumbo of the director and the associated companies with the films.

Research - Movie poster, Kick Ass

Kick-ass is an american block buster action film with hints of comedy. I have selected it to anaylse because once again, it matches the genre of the type of trailer/film I want to create.

The poster is revealing about the main point of the film, but it also covers it up. In the center of the poster is the main character, a "superhero", but we only see the back of him, covering is identity like a real superhero. In the background of the poster is a typical city setting for a superhero film, but in the foreground infront of that but behind the superhero is the superimposed letters "CK". This can only be presumed to be taken from the film title, "Kick-Ass", where the CK appears almost in the middle of the phrase, and then in the middle of the poster.

Across the bottom of the poster there appears to be a roof which the superhero is standing on. This could imply his superhero powers help him climb buildings or possibly even fly. This could help the film appeal to people who like superhero films.

Research - Movie poster, Die Hard

Die-hard is, yet again, another film that matches the genre that I want to make. Firstly, this shows that the genre of trailer I want to make is a very popular genre filled with fantastic blockbuster films.

The poster shows a tower with the roof exploding and a helicopter being caught in this explosion right in the center of the poster.
One thing that can be noted about the poster is that it is all in black and white other then the words "Die Hard", which are displayed boldly in red. Not only does this turn the viewer's eyes immediately to the words Die Hard, their colour is the same colour associated with blood, which can tie in with the 'Die'. 

Research - Movie Genre

Before analyzing film trailers and posters, I need to make a decision over what genre I would like to look into. To make my decision, I have compiled a list of the most popular film genres, then I will weigh up which ones cover what type of film, and then make my final decision.

Action - films usually include an over use of special effects, fight scenes and gun scenes. Also included are car chases and any form of battle against the 'bad guys'

Adventure - films are usually exciting set in exotic or unknown locations, usually combined with action so that the film doesn't end up being a documentary.

Comedy - films are light-hearted and designed to make the audience laugh. This is usually achieved with the majority of the lines being a joke or a punchline, or using innuendos.

Drama - one of the more used genres. Drama films are serious films that stride themselves on their story, and usually involves character developments and creating a bond between the audience and the character. The films are usually high in emotion too.

Horror - the most simplistic film genre, a film designed to scare and frighten the audience in as many ways possible. The films usually contain a gripping ghost story based around paranormal activities and feeds off of peoples paranoia.

Sci-Fi - This genre covers any film that is usually set in the future. Science Fiction covers any sort of major technological advancements that would be unable to be achieved in the real world, such as sustained space travel through distant galaxies e.g. Star-Trek.

Thriller - this genre is a key genre such as drama. Thriller films are usually films heavy in story and character development, whilst being combined with drama to create the most gripping of films, that usually leaves the viewer dazzled by the amazement that just happened.


Each genre has its own pros and cons, but I believe it is clear which genre I will choose. I have selected to go for an Action/Thriller, because these genres are extremely popular, but also are both extremely easy to portray in a trailer with minimal spending and props.

The Beginning - research

My name is Hamish Mullen. I am currently attending Biddulph High School taking an A2 course in Media Studies.

My intentions for this project are to make a film trailer. To do this, I need to research other films and their trailers, as well as their advertising methods such as film posters, as I intend to make a digipack along side my trailer.

The only basis I have to begin with is that I would like my trailer to fit into the action genre.