Empire Magazine Front Cover Analysis

Empire magazine front covers analysis

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Genre- Film Trailer Analysis

As if I Am Not There

Music

The music for this trailer is slow paced and mainly uses the piano and sometimes the violin. This portrays to the audience that the film will be quite emotional and psychological because these instruments by themselves create a depressing, low atmosphere.

Slow Editing

The slow editing matches the music and again emphasis's that this will be an emotional film because as the editing is so slow, it allows the audience to see study the character's body language, facial expressions and appearance so the audience can clearly tell that she is unhappy and uncomfortable.

Awards & Critic's

This film has been given many awards so they illustrated this in the trailer to show that they have been recognized for making such a wonderful film. Although these are from sources such as the Sunday Times which is a British newspaper which targets middle class people who want to learn about the world and politics; This shows that the film will also be educational to watch.



Types of Camera Angle

I have decided to conduct some research into the types of camera angles that there are, I have done this because I would like the background knowledge that I would need in order to make the best decisions of what shots to use.

1) Birds eye view -
This is where the shot is taken from overhead or directly above. This gives the audience a sort of god-like feeling as they look down on the action. People can be made to look ant-like and significant, this is a useful shot when trying to create the idea of insecurities or overpowerment. However this shot can also be combined with a point of view to create a super-hero or someone flying in a helicopter for example.

2) High angle -
This is a step down from a birds eye view shot, the camera is lifted over the action, a high angle makes the object or character filmed seem less significant or overpowered, I also think that this shot could be used along with a 'zoom out' in order to show the character become and blending in with the scene which can make them look over powered.

3) Eye level -
this is more of a neutral shot, the camera seems to have taken human form and is watching over the scene, this brings focus to the heads and in particular the eye-level of the characters. To create this type of shot the camera is generally placed about 5 or 6 feet from the ground. (depending on the height of the character)

4) Low angle -
low angles give a sense of confusion to the audience. as they will feel powerless with in the scene, as the background is usually a ceiling or the sky the viewer will feel slightly disorientated as they have little view of the scene they are in. The audience will feel a sense of fear and insecurity when this shot is used, as they will feel psychologically dominated.

5) Oblique/canted angle -
This is where the camera is tilted to give the feeling of instability and in balance. if this camera shot is used along with a point of view shot and a hand held camera it can create the feeling of confusion and disorientation.

Types of Camera Movement

I have also conducted some research into camera movement as I have very little knowledge of what camera movements there are and how to create them. I am going to try and re-create some of these shots myself so that I can get used to how to film them.

1) Pans -
This is a movement where the camera scans the scene horizontally. This is mainly used in order to follow a character across the scene.

2) Tilts -
This is a movement where the camera scans the scene vertically. (similar to a pan)

3) Dolly shots -
This is where the camera is placed on a moving trolley, they are used in order to follow the character around a larger scene. Usually a track in built into the scene for the 'dolly' to wheel round on. This portrays a good idea of movement and can be used to show a characters journey.

4) Hand held shots -
This is where the camera is mounted on the character being used. This gives the audience insight into what the character does. I can be stabilised by a harness on the chest or a head camera (Being N-Dubz is a prime example). However a hand held can just be carried in order to create a jerky and ragged effect that can make the audience feel disorientated and confused. hand held shots bring the audience into the scene and can create a type of gritty realism.

5) Cranes -
This is basically a dolly shot but in the air, the camera can move in all directions (up, down, left and right) and can create the idea of swooping (bird) or can follow a prop for example a feather into the air as it flies.

6) Zoom lenses -

A zoom is used in order to get further into or further away from the action, however if a smash zoom (fast zoom) is used the image can become blurred and distorted this can be an effect within itself however to create the idea of mystery or suspicion a slow zoom can be used.

7) Aerial shots -
This is where a helicopter is used to film, it creates an establishing shot and sets the scene in a very exciting way also the helicopter can move in every direction which gives the camera freedom of movement; however sound can be very annoying and no real detail can be picked up.

Different Camera Shots

When creating our teaser trailer we will try and incorporate some of the different camera angles displayed above, to give a variety of shots and make the teaser trailer more interesting to watch.

What is the role of the Producer?

Producer A film producer role is to firstly to obtain the rights to create the screenplay. The producer oversees the process of creating the film, through co-ordinating and supervising the major aspects of the film. Their role also includes fundraising for the film and also hiring important staff such as the line producer and the casting director.

“

From the first draft script, through all stages of production, to the final dub, success or failure rests largely in the hands of the producer. Experience in this field does not come overnight. Rather it is born out of long years of creative and technical know-how, and above all a love for the job and all that goes with it, together with the ability to choose the right talent with which to surround himself. - Julien Wintle (1913–1980) (producer and editor)

”

The producer also is in charge of the roles of executive producer and the line producer


The executive producer is not involved in the day-to-day production but is in charge of representing the financial investor of the film; this could be the distributor or a film studio. The executive producer can be also be the author of the book that the film is based on or even an actor who has convinced the studio to run the filming process.


Co-producers and Associate producers are not as involved as the executive producer, their role is to support the executive producer and producer where needed.


A line producer's has a very hands on role they are involved in the day-to-day financial and production problems, they are also involved in supporting the director with their decisions.

What is the role of the director?

The job of  a film director is one of the most important roles when creating a film. Their job involves many creative aspects whilst organising a production team. They are the main person needed to make a film as they control everything.  They include;
-Bringing the author/ screen writer's vision to life
-Overseeing the work of the film producer
-They cut the script into short sequences, and decide on the camera angles that will work well with certain events
-They normally conduct a rehersal so that they know how the scene will look and if any small changes need to be made e.g. the way an actor speaks a line
-Once the film is finished they work closely with the editor to ensure that certain emotions are portrayed well through editing, the composition of shots are correct and that the sound matches on screen actions.

Examples:
Steven Spielberg- War Horse, Shindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Transformers, War of the Worlds, Jurassic Park, ET, Indiana Jones etc.
Tim Burton-Edward Scissor Hands, Alice in Wonderland, Sweeny Todd, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Corpse Bride
Guy Ritchie- Rock'n'Rolla, Sherlock Holmes, Suspect

What is the role of the Distributor?

Distributor

I have decided to conduct some research into the role of the distributor as I would like to find out how important their role is in the film industry.

The role of the distributor is to promote the film on release, In order to do this the distribution team usually creates a distribution plan; This contains information on The budgeting, the marketing and the prints created.

There are factors that the distributor needs to take into account for example ...

• The competition - If there is competition releasing a similar movie then they need to take this into account as having two similar movies in the market at the same time can result in a lower turnover for both of the companies.
• The U.S.P - the unique selling point of the film needs to be taken into account as this can be a major factor to promote the film
• The actors - having main stream or blockbuster actor/actresses can also help to promote the film as their fans will want to see them in their newest role. Also having big stars in the film means that any party or event they go to may help to promote the film
• Awards - having the film win awards means that more people will be willing to watch the film and also will get them exited about being able to see a piece of work that has won awards.
• The certification of the film - this is really important because it decides the size and age of the market that the film can get to.

The marketing plan

• to raise awareness of the film
• the creation of trailers, posters and websites
• Promotional partners ships (MacDonald's)
• word-of-mouth (can have a negative effect)

Who casts a film?

I thought that I would do some research on who actually casts a film as I always thought that it was mainly the director's job to do so, but from my findings its not.
The casting director is the main person who casts a film, from choosing the main role down to extras used in the background. They are given a rough image that the director imagines to play the part, for example he may give them the gender and the persons particular age/hair colour/skin colour etc, and the casting director has to find someone who fits the bill.
When casting an actor an audition process is generally taken out and the casting director is given the final word about who plays the part.
Famous casting directors include Kerry Barden who casted films like American Pyscho and Se7en and Sheila Jaffe who casted Rambo and The Italian Job. This illustrates that they each have a particular genre that they mainly specialise in to make them appeal to production companies looking for casting directors.

Sound- Film Trailer Analysis

Types of Sound

• Diagetic
• Non- diagetic
• Natural
• Unnatural
• Sound Bridge
• Sound effects
• Theme tune
• Dialogue
• Narrative/ Voice Over
• Music

What affects the types of sounds you hear?

• Genre
• Target Audience
• On screen action
• Setting
• Narrative
• Characters
• Props
• Editing

Marketing/ Cross promotion

• Theme tune- CD, from TV series?
• Sound boards, IPods etc
• Ring tones
• Quotes/ Catchphrases
• Sound Track, e.g. song that goes with a film like Linken Park with Transformers movie
• Sounds that the audience will recognise

  

Larry Crowne

What I think minus the sound;

• Genre- Romantic Comedy

• Target Audience- 20- 35 year old women

- An indication of the genre and target audience is the actors that the casting director chose to play the main roles. Tom Hanks starred in films like 'Forrest Gump' and 'Big' and Julia Roberts starred in films like 'Notting Hill' and 'My Best Friend's Wedding'. All of these  were popular comedy's/ romantic films that were released in the late 1980's and throughout the 1990's. This means that this target audience grew up watching these actors go through different roles and increasingly gain respect for them. Also the main films that these actors are associated with are romantic comedies so when the audience see the trailer they will expect it to be this genre of film.
- Another indication to the genre of the film is the main use of warm, natural lighting. By using this type of lighting it gives a happy vibe to the trailer and signifies that it will be based around either romance or comedy. It is essential that the lighting is bright throughout the trailer to avoid confusion to the audience about what the genre is to be, as if the lighting was mainly dark or artificial they could think its a horror/thriller. 
-Tom Hanks falls of his moped in a comical manner

• Sounds expected to be heard- romantic soundtrack, diagetic sounds like bell ringing and keyboard being typed, sfx like moped crashing, dialogue, laughing.
• After watching the trailer without the sound I think that its going to be about a middle aged  man (played by Tom Hanks) who goes back to college/university and falls for his teacher (Julia Andrews)

When watching the trailer with sound;


After watching the trailer with sound I found that I was right about the genre of the film and what the film will be about. Although when the sound is added it creates more meaning and adds more detail about what the film is going to be about and what happens. Also it shows a couple of the jokes in the film to draw the audience in and make them want to hear more.
Also when the sound is on you can hear the soundtracks playing in the background. There are three different songs playing in the background, one being 'Hey Hey Hey' by  Michael Franti & Spearhead.


Trust

I then watched the first 15 seconds of the new film, 'Trust' without the sound on to see whether I could guess the storyline or not. 
From the first 15 seconds of the trailer, without the sound being played, I couldn't really gather what the film was to be about. From looking at the mise-en-scene it seemed to be a happy environment as it is a child's birthday party and everyone appears to be laughing and having a good time.

Once watching  the whole trailer with the sounds playing I realised that it was completely different to what I expected. I now think that it is a family drama about a teenage girl who gets a new laptop for her birthday and signs up to a chat room and begins an online relationship with a teenage boy, but later finds out that he is actually a 30 year old man , and it documents all of the drama that is added to her life and how she had to accept what happened to her and hunt down the 30 year old man.
The music played in the background to the trailer is very sinister and dark, even at the beginning at the birthday party to signify to  the audience that although this is a happy event, things are rapidly going to change for the worse.


Mother’s Day

With no sound-

• Expected sounds- screaming, dialogue, music picks pace as the trailer goes on and is really bold and striking, silence to cause an effect, crying, having fun at the beginning with happy music then changes to drums etc, gun shots
• What I expect to happen- I think this film is going to be about a group of friends who are having a small get together until a woman ('the mother') and her gang members raid the house and take the group hostage, not letting anyone escape and keeping them there by any means possible.

After watching the trailer with sound I found that my initial idea about what the film was going to be about was almost right, but the voice overs given in the trailer give additional information about the film and the background music adds to the tense atmosphere indicating to the audience that it is a thriller/horror.

What I have learnt from analysing sound in trailers

After watching these three different trailers, that are all of a different genre, I have discovered that the right soundtrack/ background sound is essential as it adds to the overall verisimilitude and atmosphere of the trailer indicating the genre and sometimes the target audience.

Sound can be used to emphasise what is happening on screen, for example screams being amplified to illustrate the horrificness of the atmosphere

Importance of Costume

Hardware/ Equipment

The Macs - I will be using the macs in order to edit the footage that I have taken. I have never used the macs before So I will need to do some tutorials and some research into how the operate and how to use the programmes on the desktop.

The Film camera (and equipment) - I will be using a professional sony video camera in order to catch the footage. Along with the camera I will need the seperate peices of equipment such as the boom pole and microphone, The tripod and a tape for the film. I have little knowledge of these peices of equipment however I think that after conducting some test shots the equipment will get easier to set up and operate.

Camera - I am going to use a samsung camera to take the photos that I need for the webpage and Poster. I have quite alot of knowledge and experience with the still cameras and understand terms such as the rule of thirds and framing. I think that I will be able to use this knowledge to my advantage in order to create a professional looking poster.

Software

Final cut pro - Final Cut PRO is a peice of software that is installed on the macs that you use to edit footage. I haver never used Final Cut Pro so I will need to attempt some tutorials and watch some videos in order to learn how to use this particular peice of software.

Garage band - Garage band is another Programme that is installed on the Macs. This programme is a sound programme that you can create seperate sounds or soundtracks on; that you can then add to the footage. I have never used this programme either so tutorials and research will be needed.

Photoshop - I am fairly familiar and confident with the programme photoshop, Photoshop is a programme where you can manipulate and layer images in order to create background, posters and other forms of graphics. I don't need to research this programme as I am resonable at using it anyway. However if I come across a certain feature that I am unsure about I will conduct the research as this arises.

Vlog Market Research

1) What do you think of when you hear 'pyschological drama'?
2) What pyscholgogical dramas have you seen/ heard of?
3) How long do you imagine a teaser trailer to be?
4) Do you think that drugs shown on screen is too much of a touchy subject and why?
5) What sounds do expect to hear in a psychological drama?
6) Do you like the idea of a blink being used as a transition in a teaser trailer?
7)What do you think of when you hear the name 'Life Drop'?



Market Research Results

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3NQNMVK

Market Research- BBFC guidelines

We researched the BBFC  (British Board of Film Classification) to understand what is suitable for different ages and try and decide what our suitable target audience would be.
We first looked at the 12 specification;

  

As we intend to have the character on screen to be contemplating taking drugs we thought that it wasn't suitable for a 12 year old, accompanied or under, as it goes against these regulations.

We then looked at the specification for audience members who will be of the age of 15 or older and see if our film fitted the specification. We found that it complied with all of the rules included in the guidelines as we will not be showing drugs as being glamorised or have him actually taking them, he is only contemplating it. Also if there is the odd swear word included when the man gets thrown out of the bar it will be allowed as it will be used in context and won't be said to cause offence to the audience.

When looking at the specification for the age 18, we decided that we would not need to have the age that high as nothing in the film would be so terrible that this certificate would be needed. Also it meant that less people would be able to go and see the film meaning less profit is gained.

To summarise our film will be certified as a 15.

The UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

This law gives the creators of;

-Dramatic (plays and dance)

-Literary (song lyrics, manuscripts, manuals, computer programs, leaflets etc)

-Musical (recordings and score)

-Artistic works (photography, painting, sculptures, architecture, technical drawings/diagrams, maps, logos)

-Broadcasts

-Sound recordings(may be recordings of other copyright works, e.g. musical and literary.)

-Films (broadcasts and cable programmes.)

Typographical (printing)arrangement of published editions (magazines, periodicals, etc)

-Video Games [newly established]

... rights to control the ways in which their material may be used. These rights cover; broadcast and public performance, copying, adapting, issuing, renting and lending copies to the public.

Copyright Occurs;

It is an offence to perform any of the following acts without the consent of the owner:

Copy the work.

Rent, lend or issue copies of the work to the public.

Perform, broadcast or show the work in public.

Adapt the work.

The author of a work, or a director of a film may also have certain moral rights:

The right to be identified as the author.

Right to object to derogatory treatment.

Although there are special exceptions when the copyright law is concerned;

Fair dealing is a term used to describe acts which are permitted to a certain degree without infringing the work, these acts are:

• Private and research study purposes.
• Performance, copies or lending for educational purposes.
• Criticism and news reporting.
• Incidental inclusion.
• Copies and lending by librarians.
• Acts for the purposes of royal commissions, statutory enquiries, judicial proceedings and parliamentary purposes.
• Recording of broadcasts for the purposes of listening to or viewing at a more convenient time, this is known as time shifting.
• Producing a back up copy for personal use of a computer program.
• Playing sound recording for a non profit making organisation, club or society.
  (Profit making organisations and individuals should obtain a license from PRS for Music.)
  
  
  
  
  We decided to research into the copyright, designs and patents act because we wanted to know exactly what copyright meant so that we didn't do anything to disrupt the law. Also we thought that it would be a good piece of knowledge to know for when we were constructing our products and for the future, if we choose to make anything else like this because it guides us through what is essential to know and what isn't so important. We have also recently looked for some music for our trailer so we wanted to make sure that we were making the right decision when finalising the music choice.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Storyboard- 1st Draft

This storyboard illustrates the main features that we hope will happen in our movie trailer. This is only a rough outline at the moment, but we will try to keep to the main concepts.

Final Film Company & Film Name

Here is the final film company logo with it's actual animation. We chose this design as we thought that it all fitted together really well. The way the heart monitor line desended into a flatline and how the term 'flatline' fits in with our chosen genre for our film ( the medical aspect) is perfect.

 

After conducting a survey we found that the text style above was the most popular so we decided to go with the audience's opinion as they are the people we are targeting and also the font itself fits in well with our genre as it looks dramatic and the skull on the 'i' also fits in with the medical aspect.

Name of film & production company design ideas

1

2

3

4

5

These are the different logos that we created for the name of the film company. They all incorporate heart monitor images that then flatten out into a 'flatline' as this is the name of our film company and also it made it easier to position the text.
In the end we chose number 5 as it appeared the most professional and generally looked the best. We thought that the use of the serif font looked the most medical as well which is what we needed.

1

2

3

4

5

We wanted the name of the film to be interesting to look and appeal to our target audience so we chose five different ways of making the text and tried to decide which one worked the best. As our genre is psychological drama we wanted the text to look sketchy and clearly illustrate what the genre was that is why some of the text looks a little smudged/scratched as these are sometimes associated with this genre. We cleverly played on the words of 'Life Drop' with font number one as we made it look the the 'drop' was actually falling. This didn't work too well on its own but we may be able to use this technique when creating the film poster/ magazine.

Overall the design that we decided to choose was number five. This is because it was the most popular design when we carried out our survey and also we both felt that it looked the most effective and linked in with our 'medical' sort of theme with the skull placed on top of the 'i'.

Which logo/font style do you prefer?

This is a quick survey that we created to decide on which logo to use for our film company and the name of the film. We carried out this survey as we wanted to see which ones would come out as the most popular and determine which ones would be the most appealing to the audience as it would encourage them to see the actual film.

Name of Film Company & Film



Name of film;

The name of our film is going to be 'Life drop'. This is because we thought that it fits in with the genre really well because by using the word 'drop' it indicates that some psychological effects on the characters may take place, and it can suggest action. Also it fits in well with the storyline as it is about a boy who's life deteriorates after the death of his parents. Out of all of the possible names that we thought of we decided that it stood out the most and that also when creating the poster for the film, it gave us more to work on, with the font etc.

Name of Production Company; 

When choosing the name of our production company we decided to look at different medical terms in the psychological field as we thought that it could give it that link to the name of the film. This is why we chose the name 'Flatline Media', as it uses a medical term and is adaptable to other sorts of films too. We thought that it was a good idea to put 'media' after flatline because when looking at other media companies like 'Bauer Media' they did the same. When choosing this name it instantly gave us ideas about how we could make the logo, and how to make it look unique and striking.

Plan

Storyline –

1)      Young guy (early 20’s) sat in bedroom alone  - silent

2)      Zoom in on face and into eye – heart beat starts

3)      1^st flashback – young kids playing  football scores goal wins cup

4)      Back to eye blinking

5)      2^nd flashback – parents killed  in car accident – toy cars

6)      Blink – heart beat gets faster

7)      3^rd flashback turns to drugs and alcohol – chucked out of bar

8)      Blink again – even faster heart beat

9)      Shot – drugs in hand debating whether to take them – heartbeat slows down

10)   Institutional information – in cinemas soon

Actors –

·         13 year old – Amber's brother and friends

·         17 year old – beard man 

Props-

·         Football

·         Trophy

·         Remote control cars

·         empty bottles and cans

·         pills

·         chalk for road

·         newspaper article

·         family portrait – my mum and dad

Location-

·         c of e field for football match

·         Amber's road for remote control cars

·         guy’s bedroom 

Costume-

·         13 year old – football kit – mud on face and hat

·         17 year old – beard , jeans , t-shirt , checkered shirt

Special effects-

·         Sound of crash with darkness

·         Sirens

·         Heartbeat

·         Newspaper article

·         Title and institutional information

Name of the film-

·         Life drop

·         Going under

·         Rehab

·         The decision

·         Life or death

Camera equipment-

·         Camera

·         Boom pole

·         Mic

·         Tripod

·         Camera – still

·         Batteries

·         Tapes

·         Wires