Analysing a promotional film poster

I analysed the film poster for Larry Crowne in terms of audience, language and layout, with another girl in my class, as it was the task in the lesson. It will help when I come round to making a poster of my own for the promotional package we need.

Audience: The audience for this film would be women aged 30+, as the genres are romance, reality and comedy, so they would be interested for these reasons.

Language: The two names which are written on the poster are Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, who are well-known movie stars, so women interested in the film would be aware of other films that these actors had been in.

Layout: The fact that the woman is clinging to the man driving the scooter signifies a romantic relationship and shows that she trusts him. It is placed in the lower right-hand corner. The use of the colours blue and yellow signifies happiness and peace. The font is all capitalised and conforms to the blue and yellow colour scheme.

Looking at the promotional package of a film: Pazhassi Raja

As 'Emma' was an older film which was made in 1996, I have decided to look at a more recent film which is 'Pazhassi Raja', released in 2009. I will look at the promotional package for this film, which is a combination of a trailer, magazine front cover, promotional poster and website too.

Promotional Poster:



This poster shows the role of men within that time period, as the male looks like a figure of authority. We can tell by the clothes he is wearing and the writing on the poster that it is set in somewhere like India. The use of the gold has connotations of wealth and possibly royalty.


Magazine Front Cover:


I could not find a magazine front cover for this film, although there were reviews and online newspaper articles about it.


Website:

http://movies.sulekha.com/malayalam/pazhassi-raja/events/pazhassi-raja-website-launch/picture/1.htm

This website has features such as wallpapers, images and reviews and has links to other films that the target audience may also be interested in.


Trailer:



Even though this film is not of the same genre as the one which my group are going to make it has been interesting to look at, as it shows the outfits which people living in India in the 1800's would wear. It has given me an insight to how each of the coutries in the world during that period of time were different, especially the different classes and those with certain occupations.

Looking at the promotional package of a film: Emma

I have looked at a 'Emma' to seen how it is promoted through the use of a promotional package which is a combination of a trailer, magazine front cover, promotional poster and website. We will need to use these three items to create our promotional package for our coursework, so it will be interesting to see which features a film similar to ours uses in their promotional package. My group can then develop the ideas that film uses for their promotion to make our promotional package look just as good and for the target audience to be able to recognise the genre of film.

Emma

Promotional Poster:



This poster shows the leading female as being an attractive woman, and the way that she makes eye contact with the person viewing the poster puts across that she is also flirtatious. The cup she is holding makes her seem quite dignified and angelic, as she also has golden curls which are made to stand out against the white background.

Magazine Front Cover:

'Emma' was never on the front cover of any film magazines, although it was in the news because of the various adaptions of the novel. Gwyneth Paltrow was featured on both the front covers of Vogue and US because of her new found fame in 1996- these are shown below:



Website:

The film didn't have a wesite either, as it was a 1996 film. There is however a Jane Austen's World website where there are links to the 'Emma' film, enabling you to view features such as photos from the film and adaptions made to the novel. If it did have its own website then I think that there would be a link to the original novel by Jane Austen, as well as a description of the plot.

Trailer:




Even though I have already analysed this trailer I have put it onto this post anyway, as it is an essential part of the promotional package for the people watching the film.

Auditions

We held auditions in order to choose the best actors and actresses possible for our teaser trailer. As we filmed the people who auditioned it means we can watch them back and decide who we want to have the main parts.


The plan for the audtions was as shown below:

The auditions went well and we got a range of people who do drama within college who showed interest. Once we have decided who we think has earned which part we will get back to them and then we can begin to film the real teaser trailer. I think that holding auditions was a good idea as it means we got the chance to see which skills each actor/actress has to offer, and this will help to decide which part they will be suitable for.

Initial Storyboard

As a group we discussed the storyboard and then I created one on the computer so that we know what each shot will be, and also to give the potential actors/actresses an idea of the storyline. It will help us when it comes to filming the trailer as we will know how to edit each shot and what is meant to be happening at each point. Along with the script this will be the one of the key stages to making the film look good.

Mood Board

As we are doing a 19th Century romance drama for our teaser trailer, I have created a moodboard showing the fashions, buildings, inventions and transport from that period of time. This will help us when we come to filming the teaser trailer, as we will know which props to get and where to set the trailer in order to make it look authentic as a 19th century film.

Brainstorming

Brainstorm on Prezi

After we had chosen our groups we began to brainstorm ideas about the type of trailer we would want to do. We considered various genres, and we initially chose to do a horror film. However, we felt even though the idea for our storyline was good, it would not really work, as we weren't sure where we would film it or who would act in it, as we needed a young girl as an actress. After deciding that this idea was not what we wanted to do anymore we chose to do a film set in the 19th century about a wealthy girl who loves one man who is beneath her class, with the title of 'Ménage à trois', which means 'Love Triangle' in French. In the film he loves her also, but she is being sought after by a rich count. She feels attracted to him slightly, so she decides to lead them both on, resulting in a massive fiasco. I feel that our second idea is better as it will be more interesting and something very different to horror, which could turn out to be cliché and end up looking over the top if we did not get the balance right.

For our idea of a peridoic teaser trailer we are going to need to find props and shoot in buildings which are of the 19th century time period. The drama department at our college do have some costumes of that century which we can borrow, but we will still keep asking people around college if they have an 19th century clothes, furniture etc... or if they know of any buildings which we could use for the film trailer. We will also display posters around college letting people know that we need props for our teaser trailer.

Another thing which we need to do is display posters asking for possible actors/actresses so that we can hold auditions for those who will be interested. Once people come forward the auditions can be held and we can begin to plan the locations where we will shoot, as well as the costumes we would like people to wear. The auditons process will be carried out during lunctimes when people are free, and we will film each person. My group can then watch them back and decide who we think will be suitable for which part.

Market Research

We carried out market research by asking 6 people some questions. They were male and female, and we made sure that they were different ages too. By carrying out this market research it will help us to decide upon a final idea for our teaser trailer, and to make any changes that we need to. When doing the market research we took it in turns to do the filming of the person who answered the questions, the asking of the questions and the explanation of the task that we were going to carry out. This worked well as there are three of us in the group.

Market Research on Prezi

Understanding clues used in teaser trailers

I looked at the teaser trailer for the film 'As If I Am Not There', and analysed the clues given throughout in greater depth to see if I could guess the storyline. Before researching the film these are the clues that I found in the trailer:

·         Number tattooed on wrist- owned by someone else

·         Running towards cliff- trying to escape

·         Locked in room

·         Facial expressions- woman looks blind- extreme fear, petrified. Blank, almost possessed.

·         Setting- Doesn’t look like England because of the mountain ranges and types of trees. Children riding on a horse suggest the culture and the animals that people have in that country.

·         Clothing- what the women wear makes them look European, and poor e.g. headscarves. This suggests that they have nothing in their lives, and they cannot be free like they want to be.

·          Beginning and end link together as she is in the same clothes.

·         Theme of travelling throughout- riding the horse, bus journey. Another feature they have in common is the slamming of the door and the slamming sound when it shows the institutional information.

·         Could be refugees as they are under someone else's control.

·         Men and women are separate- suggests how the women in the film will be treated and that the men could be controlling.

·         Sound is slow and sad- indicates that it is going to be effect people emotionally.

·         Apart from music there is no dialogue and only a door slam at the end, which suggests the emptiness that the woman feels in her life.

·         The woman is about 20 whereas the men are older, and then there are the young girls who are about 10 or 11 years of age3·        

• Woman is with different men all the way through- so there is a suggestion that she could be a prostitute.

After looking at these clues I think that the film will be about a woman who is trapped from freedom. I think that she will be a prostitute for the various men she is with, and that she does not want to do any of the things they are making her. Eventually she may be allowed freedom, but I am not sure because of the fact she is locked in the room at the end.

What actually happens in the film:

"A harsh dose of cinematic realism about a harsh time-the Bosnian War of the 1990s-Juanita Wilson's drama is taken from true stories revealed during the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague. Samira is a modern schoolteacher in Sarajevo who takes a job in a small country village just as the war is beginning to ramp up. When Serbian soldiers overrun the village, shoot the men and keep the women as laborers (the older ones) and sex objects (the younger ones), Samira is subjected to the basest form of treatment imaginable."

Camera Angles/ Movement in teaser trailers

The camera angles help to pick up on the facial expressions of the actors/actresses, so the viewer can be transported to the world the characters are in during throughout film. The movement of the camera helps with the editing, as if it is fast-paced the camera can sweep across and take in all the action, and if it is a slow-pace it can do gradual movements to pick up on the action bit by bit.

The camera angles also help the viewer to learn about a certain character. If the camera was doing a birds eye view of them all the time, and making them look small then this would suggest a powerless and vulnerable person. However if the camera looked up to that person all the time instead then this would show a powerful and intimidating character who was in charge.

The various shots used help to create the storyline more easily. An establishing shot at the very beginning of the film helps to set the scene, taking in the location and major characters. The use of close-ups and extreme close-ups show the emotions that certain characters are feeling, but also help to pick up on important objects that will be of significance in the film. The use of camera angles such as long shots and extreme long shots allow the viewer to take everything that is happening in, and also lets them focus on every part of the image on the screen in front of them.

Mise-En-Scene in teaser trailers

The mise-en-scene plays a big part in teaser trailers, as it helps the viewer to identify the genre, roles of the characters, location and period of time in which the film is set. The lighting which is used can also trigger the imagination of the viewer, as natural lighting from the open countryside may have different connotations to artificial lighting in an abandoned warehouse. The weather in the trailer would also help the viewer to decide whether the film was going to sad or not, as rain has a connotation of sadness, whilst sunshine suggests happiness, and thunder would mean anger.

The costumes that the designer chooses for each actor are important, as it helps the viewer to make the distinction between each person on screen, and can help to build on the personality of that character. The set design and props contribute to the way the film looks, as it may be set in a large outdoor space or a dark cellar underground. They help to give the viewer clues about what may happen in the storyline, but never give it away completely. It is the viewer's job to pick up on these hints to get a better understanding of the film, and to interpret things the way they are meant to. If the viewer makes an incorrect guess then the end of the film comes as a complete surprise as it is so unexpected.

Editing in teaser trailers

We did a task in class where we looked at editing in trailers. The films I looked at are listed below, plus the editing techniques I noticed within those teaser trailers:

Editing:

Johnny English Reborn:

·         Fast-paced

·         Institutional Information

·         Cuts with ½ a second of a black screen

Life in a Day:

·         Editing gathers pace towards the end of the trailer

·         Fades

·         At the beginning of the trailer it shows the sky changing colour, indicating that the film is over a time of 24 hours

·         Narrative is indicated using words on screen

·         Cuts

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2:

·         Fast-paced

·         At the start the editing is slower

·         Fades in from a black screen on some shots

·         Institutional Information

·         Narrative is indicated with words on screen

Midnight Tango:

·         Institutional Information

·         Date of release given

·         It has a quick pace which matches the excitement put across by the voiceover

·         Cuts

As If I Am Not There:

·         Slow-paced editing

·         Institutional Information

·         Narrative indicated by words shown on screen

·         Fades

A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventures:

·         A combination of slow and fast paced editing

·         Institutional Information

Black Swan:

·         The pace varies, but it is fast paced at the end

·         Institutional Information

·         Fades

·         Onscreen Reviews

·         Wipe

It is also noticable that I looked at teaser trailers for films which would have different target audiences, as well as a variety of genres, so it was interesting to see if they had anything in common which was instantly recognisable as being in another trailer too.

Sound in teaser trailers

With some teaser trailers (such as those of horror) you can tell what the genre is going to be just by listening to the music. In class we watched some teaser trailers without the sound on, and we had to try and predict the genre, audience and the sound we would expect to hear if it wasn't muted. The two films we looked at and my predictions are shown below:

Larry Crowne:

What I think (without sound)

·         Genre: comedy/ romance (due to laughter and the kiss)

·         Audience: Middle-aged women

·         Sound I expect to hear: Sound track (soft and happy), dialogue, voice-over, diagetic and non-diagetic

Mothers Day:

·         Genre: horror

·         Audience: adults

·         Sound I expect to hear: Soundtrack (creepy), dialogue (fearful, afraid, people screaming), voice-over (male), diagetic (gunshots) and non-diagetic (doors slamming)

This task was really interesting as it made you realise just how important sound is in a teaser trailer. Although some of my ideas about what the teaser might include were right, the overall effect was not the same without sound.

BBFC Certificates

Symbol	Name	Definition/Notes
	Universal	All ages admitted, there is nothing unsuitable for children over 4.
	Parental Guidance	All ages admitted, but certain scenes may be unsuitable for children under 8.
	12A	Cinema only. Introduced in 2002. Films under this category are considered to be unsuitable for very young people. Those aged under 12 years are only admitted if accompanied by an adult, aged at least 18 years, at all times during the motion picture. However, it is generally not recommended that children under 12 years should watch the film. Films under this category can contain mature themes, discrimination, soft drugs, commonly used milder swear words, and moderate violence/sex references.
	12	Home media only since 2002. 12A-rated films are usually given a 12 certificate for the VHS/DVD version unless extra material has been added that requires a higher rating. Nobody younger than 12 can rent or buy a 12-rated VHS, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UMD or game. Films in this category may include infrequent drugs, infrequent use of strong language, brief nudity, discreet sexual activity, and moderate violence.
	15	Only those over 15 years are admitted. Nobody younger than 15 can rent or buy a 15-rated VHS, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UMD or game, or watch a film in the cinema with this rating. Films under this category can contain adult themes, hard drugs, strong words, moderate-strong violence/sex references, and mild non-detailed sex activity.
	18	Only adults are admitted. Nobody younger than 18 can rent or buy an 18-rated VHS, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UMD or game, or watch a film in the cinema with this rating. Films under this category do not have limitation on the bad language that is used. Hard drugs are generally allowed, and strong violence/sex references along with strong sexual activity is also allowed. Scenes of strong real sex may be permitted if justified by the context.
	Restricted 18	Can only be shown at licensed cinemas or sold at sex shops. Films under this category have material the BBFC does not allow for its "18" rating, thus the violence and sex activity will be stronger in R18-rated VHSs, DVDs and films than those rated "18," however, there is still a range of material that is often cut from the R18 rating. More cuts are demanded in this category than any other category.[6] These are the BBFC Certificates as shown on the Wikipedia site

BBFC Research

I am researching the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) as it will be helpful when it comes to making my own teaser trailer. It will mean that myself and the rest of the group will know what can be included and what it is not alright to include for our target audience, as all films are classified under a certain age, and we will have to choose the one that applies to our film trailer.




The BBFC are a non-govenmental organisation who are funded by the film industry. They are responsible for the national classification of films all over the UK, and they must classify all DVDs and videos, as well as some video games (under the Video Recordings Act 2010.) Even though it is up to the BBFC to rate and classify theatrical films local authorities do have the power to decide under what circumstances the film should be shown in the cinema, but they do usually follow the advice of the BBFC.

The Video Recordings Act means that any film that has not been certified cannot be supplied. It also restricts whether or not the film is sold to under 18's, only 18's or is specially limited to be sold in licensed sex-shops.

As the certification which each film has been given must be displayed on the packaging and the proudct it means that only UK releases can be sold or hired in the UK, even if there were a foreign copy with identical content.

Some video games such as The Grand Theft Auto Series are also rated by the BBFC, but if they contain extreme violence or encourage criminal activity then they would be rated by the Video Standards Council instead. Other video games may be submitted at the publisher's discretion.

Each film/ video game comes with a certificate where it tells the consumer how much sex, viloence and coarse language there is in it. If the product specifies that it can only be bought by someone of a certain age then only those above that age can purchase it.

The BBFC can advise the producers of the film to make cuts in order for the film to be given a lower rating than it would be otherwise. It is compulsary for scenes to be cut if they violate the Protection of Children Act or Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act, but if they do not then it is up to the distributor to make the final decision about whether cuts are necessary. If the cuts are not made then the film or video game may be rejected.

The examiners and directors who work for the BBFC are required to watch 5 hours 20 mins of media, to a maximum of 35 hours a week. All of those who work for the BBFC are hired on a permanent basis.

Analysis of teaser trailer 5: Emma

Here is a teaser trailer for a romance/drama film as these are the genres we are basing our trailer upon. 'Emma' is a 1996 film based on the novel written by Jane Austen, and it is set in the 1800's like our trailer is going to be. It is all about a year in the life of Emma, and how she plays matchmaker, finding a man for another woman. This relates to our film as we can look at how relationships were presented in the 1800's.



Camera Angles/Movement: There is an establishing shot of the picnic scene, where the warm weather and remote location are shown. A long shot of the horse and carriage is used, a close-up of the woman smiling in the candlelight, a two-shot of the man and woman together. There are also more close-ups showing the facial expressions of certain characters.

Editing: The pace of the trailer is slow, which hints at the romance within it, and builds up tension for the viewer, so they question what will happen in the film. The institutional information and the title of the film are also shown.

Sound: There are orchestral instruments such as violins, as well as bells at the beginning. This puts across connotations of happiness, and carries on all the way through. It is only because of Emma's dialogue that we know she is not pleased with what she has done, as the music never changes. There is also a voiceover telling the narrative, and he introduces each actor/actress who will be in the film. In terms of the jingling bells at the start of the trailer the weather also fits in, as it is sunny, so adds to the positive way the film is presented in.


Mise-En-Scene: You can tell from the outfits that the characters are wearing that it is not set in the 21st century, so you can instantly tell that it is a periodic film. At the beginning of the trailer a horse and carriage is shown, as well as women in maid's clothing, so this means that the viewer can begin to try and think about which century the film is set in.

Analysis of teaser trailer 4: War Horse

War Horse is a film which is directed by Steven Spielberg and is due for release in the US in December 2011, with the UK release being the following January. It is set in World War 1 as it is based upon the 'War Horse' novel, which was written by Michael Morpurgo.

Camera Angles/ Movement: There is a close- up of the old man, long shot and mid shot of the horse, and an extreme close- up of the horses eye, in which we see the refelection of the female. There is an old man of French nationality who is telling the story. We also get to see that the horse travels without the rider.


Editing: This is of a fast-paced speed with the transitions being fades.


Sound: There is the voice-over of the old man, with the dialogue being mostly shouting. The sound effects are explosions, artillery and cannons, with orchestral music being the theme.


Mise-En-Scene: The lighting is dim, with sunset which makes it appear natural, but it mainly shows the nightime. The characters or figures who are shown are the horse, the young boy and the old man. There are three settings which include the coutryside, battlefield and village.There are props such as weapons and the uniforms worn.

Analysis of teaser trailer 3: National Treasure: Book of Secrets

Natinal Treasure is a 2004 mystery film by Walt Disney. It is based around The Declaration of Independence, and how a map on the back of this points to the treasure. But Benjamin Gates is not alone in wanting to find the treasure, so it is all about who can get there first and find the greatest treasure in history!

Camera Angles/ Movement: Establishing shot shows setting, close-ups of characters faces showing expressions and on objects such as the president's table , extreme close-up of the diary page, two shots.

Editing: There is the use of fast-paced editing, with transition slides showing ancient writing and graphics.


Sound: There is the use of a voice-over to tell the narrative, sound effects and dialogue. There are the use of drums to build up tension.

 Mise-En-Scene: There is the use of natural and artificial lighting. The main character wears several outfits showing that many events take place e.g. the suit. There are many props but there is focus on the President's table and the book.