Final Trailer

Final Trailer

Final Poster

Final Poster

For my final poster design I chose to have the main character of the film in the foreground to capture the attention of the audience, I also decided to have his back facing the audience so that it builds up enigma as you are nit able to see the character's face, therefore he is seen to be mysterious.
In the background I chose to have woodland as the main setting for the film is in a woodland, I reduced the saturation of the poster also to make it closer to the saturation of the trailer product. Also in the background I chose to have a plane flying over that was smoking in order to create a sense of danger, the image was on that I took at an airshow. I used this image as I found it to be effective in creating a sense of danger.

I also edited in some smoke emerging from different locations to create a further sense of danger, but to also make the poster seem more action-packed as opposed to a more plain background. I think that the smoke allows the audience to speculate what happened and to determine what happened to cause the smoke.

There is also text on my poster, the main part of the text is the title for the film. I 'weathered' the title of the film to give it an aged and damaged look, so that it makes the genre of my film more clear, the typeface that I chose also sticks to the conventions of the genre as they are big and blocky, giving it a military-like appearance, therefore showing the genre of my product. The other text is a 'catch-line' which allows the audience to interpret the main premise and plot of the film that the poster is presenting.

Final Magazine cover

Final Magazine cover 

For my final magazine front cover design I chose to use a screenshot of my product as the main image on the cover. I chose to do this as I felt that it gives more depth to the product, opposed to a shot of just the actor with a plain background. By having more depth it allows me show some of the mise-en-scene of my product.  

I chose to have red text for the main title of the product as it is a bright colour and catches the attention of the reader, the colour red also connotes danger and stands out from the rest of my product.

I also added text over the cover as real life texts have these, as they inform the reader as to what is inside and also allows the reader to see what is being covered by the magazine. The typeface I chose, I chose because it conforms to the genre as it has a military-like style. It is also the same typeface I used on the poster, by doing this it makes it similar across the two texts and shows them to be relatable.

I have included the title of the film, in the same font and style to give it another layer to the text and make it look more 3D. To make my product look more like a real text I added a barcode as all magazines have barcodes in order to put a price on them. There is also an advert for a free poster inside, this makes it seem more realistic as there is a form of advertisement on the front cover, much like real texts.

Evaluation 4

Evaluation Question 4

How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

I created a mind map on Bubbl.us to answer this question, as by creating a mind map it allows me to visually show my response and to incorporate all aspects of the response on one place.

Click here to see mindmap

Research

I have developed through my research by using a wider range of examples to look at for research and different aspects that I would have to incorporate into my various products, which were my poster, film magazine, and main film. YouTube had influenced my research as it is what I used to look at different examples of products from other students, so that I was able to see what I would have to do in order to produce a high-end product.

I also used blogger to present my research and planning, this was good as blogger is a site that is accessible by many people, and therefore it allows my research to be seen by a variety of people. Blogger is a good way to show research as it is easily accessible and it means that I am able to embed other forms of media, such as videos and images into my research.

Planning

I used different forms of technology in my panning, as I used my mobile to text the owner of the location I chose to film and ask him for permission to film at the location. I also used blogger to show my planning and to post it so that it is easily accessible to whoever may want to see it.

I also used Photoshop to plan out the basic premise of my poster and magazine cover. By doing this, it allowed to me to use the technology that I would then use to create my final products. By planning it on Photoshop it mean that I was easily able to make amendments if I needed to, and ensure that my product was fully planned out before I finalised it.

Construction

In the construction of my products, I used a variety of different technologies such as iMovie, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Photoshop. In my A2 work, I used a lot more technologies as there was more features that I had to include in my products than I did last year.

I did use two cameras when filming my product, and for the ancillaries I used a variety of images that I either had sourced on the internet, or had sourced through pictures that I had taken previously. These technologies meant that I was able to create a variety of different effects in my products

Evaluation

In my evaluation I used different types of media technologies. I used Blogger as it is what I needed to use to present my work, I also used Bubbl.us to create a detailed mind-map, I chose to use bubbl.us as it allows me to express my answer and points easily and also adds colour, meaning that different parts are easy to identify. I also used YouTube to post my

I have progressed a lot since AS, I have used a wider range of media technologies in my A Level product than in my AS Level product throughout the construction, research, planning, and evaluation.

In my AS Level product, I only used basic media technologies to make my product and for the planning, research and evaluation. In my evaluation, I did not use any other media technologies as I only used blogger to present my evaluation.

In my A Level product, I used a lot more advanced media technologies throughout the whole of my product, from editing to evaluation. For editing I used a lot of different software to create the final product, I used iMovie (to achieve a basic edit), Premiere Pro (to refine my editing and obtain a higher quality), and After Effects (to add the muzzle flash to the guns, adding a more professional look to my product). For my evaluation I also used more media technologies, as I used Bubbl.us to create a detailed mind map.

Evaluation 3

Evaluation Question 3

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

I have learned a lot from audience feedback, as the feedback has been varied and has helped me to improve my product to ensure that it is better than the draft that I first showed. Audience feedback was an important part of my coursework as it meant that I was able to see the effect that my product had on an audience, and it also allowed me to see what I needed to change in order to create a better product and achieve a better mark for it.

The audience that I gained feedback from was within my target audience of young adults (16+) and it meant that I was able to see the reaction of the audience that I had designed my product for, as I wanted my product to be appealing to that age range. This was because they are the age range that is more likely to go to the cinema and see my product.

The main audience for my product is males as they are the type of people who would mainly like to see films from the war genre.

Response

The general response to my products were positive, and it was helpful to know which parts I could improve on to make my product more professional and original. Useful information from the responses of my audience was that on how to improve my product and also which parts work well and which parts do not. By gaining this feedback it means that I am able to improve my product to become more appealing and attractive towards my desired audience. The positive feedback was good as it allowed me to see what parts worked well and were attractive, and also what people’s opinions were on the product as a whole.

The feedback was also useful as it meant I could pinpoint which parts needed to be improved, and by gaining feedback from other people meant that my product was being seen by a ‘fresh set of eyes’, so it was not being seen by someone who had seen it before.

I also gained some feedback via questionnaire. Here is one of the questionnaires that I had handed out to gain feedback from someone from my target audience who watched my product.

Evaluation 2

Evaluation Question 2

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

I have created synergy between all 3 of my products by the use of mise-en-scene, representation, colour scheme, and design. My products are combined with the colour scheme as all of my products have been de-saturated to make the image look darker than what it actually was, and to give it a more 'aged' look so that it would work in conjunction with the genre. The mise-en-scene between my 3 products were the same so that the setting of the main product was not shown as something different to what it actually is, which was a wooded area that had many derelict buildings and ruins.

Main product

My main product was shot in a woodland, where the main scenes of the product take place. Within my product, the main character, an American soldier, is shown as the protagonist/hero, and the other character, a German officer, is shown as the antagonist/villain. This is a stereotypical representation of the German army in war films set in the Second World War, as the German army and soldiers are often seen as the 'bad guys' in those products. The mise-en-scene of this product is what makes the product unique, as the aspects that are within the mise-en-scene, such as the ruin of buildings, derelict buildings, and the woodland itself make it stand out. I think this makes it different to some war films, as they are mainly based in open areas, towns, or a variety of areas. Whereas my product is based solely in the woods, so that it creates a sense of danger, as the two characters are within the same location, which creates a sense of danger due to how close they are to each other but may not know it.

Ancillary 1 - Poster

My poster ancillary was made to look as if it is at the same location where my product  was shot. By doing this it creates a link between the main product and the ancillary. Within my poster I decided to add elements of danger and conflict, so that the genre is clearly identifiable, and that it captures the attention of the audience. My poster is also de-saturated, so that the colour matches my main product. There is a sense of enigma too, I decided to do this because my main product builds enigma, and I thought that I could convey enigma through my poster as well, by having the character facing away and by having smoke emerging from different points so that it creates a feeling of danger. I believe that my poster meets the expectations of a poster, by capturing the audiences attention, building enigma, and also making the viewer of the poster more willing to see the main product.

Ancillary 2 - Magazine cover

My magazine cover ancillary links to both of my other products through the use of mise-en-scene and colour. The mise-en-scene is exactly the same as my main product, which allows the audience to see a direct connection between the two products, and the woodland visible in the poster means that it relates to both of the other products too. The colour is de-saturated in this product, to match the colour of my main product and poster. The de-saturated colour allows me to give my products an aged, gritty, and dirty look, this makes the genre more evident and also the time in which the product is based in (WW2). My product will be easily identifiable to the audience through the use of colour and imagery, I chose to use a variety of colours on the cover so that it is eye-catching, and I have seen colour used on real products to highlight important parts of information, or just to catch the eye of the reader. The main character is clearly visible on the front cover, as he is seen as a strong figure, this conforms to the conventions of having the main protagonist as a strong figure.

Comments

I think that all three of my products are successful in capturing the audiences attention, and also by conforming to the conventions of my chosen genre it allows me to make my product easily recognisable by the people who have seen it. I am rather happy with the way that my products have turned out, considering that two years ago, I had no clue on how to use editing software, and had very little experience with photoshop. I am happy with the way that my main product has turned out, as I never thought that I would be able to create a film trailer that look rather professional.

I believe that my products meet the expectations and conventions required, as all of my products are easily recognisable for what they are, meaning that the conventions are easily identifiable. I have achieved the wanted effect from my products and have also made my products easily identifiable to the audience through the use of sound, text, and editing.

A theory that is relatable to my products is the reception theory. The preferred reading of my product is that it is just a war film that has been made for entertainment purposes, and is not meant to (in any way) present people in a negative or positive way. it is just my presentation of events that could have occurred during the Second World War. The negotiated reading could be from someone who sees my products as being unrealistic and false, such people could be military historians, ex-military, or people who do not really agree with my product.

Evaluation 1

Evaluation Question 1 

In what ways does your media products use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My media products have used, developed, and challenged forms and conventions of real media products in many ways, as it is what I had to do in order to ensure my product looks original and professional, so that I was able to achieve a high quality product.

I used YouTube to present my final film product, I chose this as it is a website that allows you to share videos on the internet and it is accessible by anyone who has access to a computer device and has connection to the internet. By presenting it on YouTube it means that I will have the ability to have a large audience that will be able to view my product, also it can be shared, meaning that this can increase the size of my audience further.

The genre conventions are the conventions that would be things typically expected with the genre that I have chosen (war). Conventions are mainly genre-specific as the conventions will change dependent on the genre of the product. Some conventions of the war genre are; explosions and shooting, destruction and damage, and blood and gore. These conventions are associated with the war genre as they are seen within nearly all war films, and that is why they have become associated with that specific genre. An example of conventions within real media products are in the film 'Fury', as within the film there are the conventions of explosions and shooting (throughout the battle scenes and fighting), destruction and damage (in certain scenes where things are blown-up and destroyed), and blood and gore (in scenes after battles where the injuries are shown as a result). I also included these conventions in my ancillary products, so that the genre is easily identifiable and that it links closely to the other product.

I have conformed to these conventions within my product as I wanted to keep my product original and not to steer too far away from the traditional conventions of the war genre. I decided to do this so that the genre of my product will be easily recognisable to the audience and anyone who views it. Conventions evident in my product are explosions and shooting as there is a battle between the main character and the 'German' where there is shooting and also the use of an explosion when the 'German' throws a grenade. I have also used symbolic codes within my product too, symbolic codes are codes that symbolise the genre of the product. A symbolic code can be; mise-en-scene, props., or setting. A symbolic code I used was the costume of my actors as they wore military uniforms and helmets, which instantly connote war and danger, they are also symbolic to the war genre. I think that the forms and conventions that I used in my product work well, as they enforce the genre and also make the genre of my product clearly recognisable.

One thing that I did change about my product compared to professional media texts was the use of only two characters, as in real media texts, war films often focus on a group of soldiers as opposed to one individual soldier. I found that by doing this it enables me to have a more personal feel to the story of the product. By having only one main character, it allows the audience to focus on the one character and develop a sense of emotion towards the character, instead of there being a range of characters and the audience does not develop much emotion for any of them. The use of two characters also supports the main plot of my film, that he is all alone and has no way of getting help.

I was inspired by professional media texts and also the history behind it, as I am interested in the Second World War and this has had a large influence on my product. Professional media texts that I was inspired by were things such as; Fury (2014), Band of Brothers, and Saving Private Ryan. These media texts inspired me due to the way that they are filmed, the plot behind them, and the action sequences that take place. They also had an influence on my product, in terms of mise-en-scene, camera, costume, and props.