Evaluation question four

Here is a mindmap for my evaluation question four

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

Evaluation question two

Evaluation question three

I created a video on windows moviemaker then uploaded it in two parts to youtube. 

Evaluation question one: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

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

Film trailer final

 

final poster

Here is my completed poster, as you can see I have made a few changes. After looking at the way the image is broken up, I felt that lines were needed to separate the sections even more. Using the line tool, I added thin white lines on each join. I also felt that in my previous draft, the joins between the sections were very untidy, I amended this by re-editing the original image more neatly than simply placing it back under the text. I also moved the headline down as I felt it was too near the middle of the poster. 

Now that I am happy with my poster, here is a detailed analysis of it: 

Main image:the main image is a medium closeup of the actor. This enables the audience to see the facial details of the character, this is further emphasized by the direct address the actor is making at the camera. Using sections from two image, one of the artist in a stable state and one of her as a z-ombie is further emphasized by white lines at the join to each section. The editing of the eyes makes the image look both shocking and intriguing, this invites the audience in and opens up the possibility for discussion. 

Headline: The headline, or main title is located at the bottom of the page, a typical convention for a film poster, this also ensures the image takes pride of place. I used a duplicate font technique to make it stand out from the page. Using a darker colour at the bottom makes the text three dimensional. Using a sans-serif font gives the poster an overall modern look, with a harsh edge, this relates to the harshness of the society my protagonist lives in. 

Tagline: I chose to use the popular idiom 'on the doctors orders' as my tagline. I subverted the typical positive connotations this phrase has and gave it a negative spin. This creates an almost shocking and intriguing effect of the audience, therefore they will want to find out more about the film. 

Release date:I decided to be fairly specific about the release date, stating the season the film will be released in. Unusually, I placed the date within the context of a tagline, this gives the date more interest. To emphasis the date even further, I made the text red. As the only element of red on the page, it is bound to stand out. 

Company logos and billing block:As these elements are typical conventions for film posters, I decided to place them at the bottom of the page as normal. However, I changed the colour to an off white, similar to that used in the headline, this creates a colour scheme and a more coherent poster.

Film awards:As a persuasive device, I included film awards that are commonly given to independant films. This will attract film fans of indepandamt or indie films and set high standards for the film without the audience having to watch it. 

Final magazine analysis

Here an analysis of my final magazine. I decided not to make any changes from my final draft as I feel it is effective as a piece of film marketing. I did try to edit the secondary images to make the heads of the individuals overlap with the 'film strip to make them look 3D, however I would have to have got rid of the picture captions, a vital part of the cover.

Main image:
The main image conforms to typical conventions of a film magazine. Using a medium closeup shot enables the audience to see the face of the actress and the background. As some of the background is free, room is left for the coverlines to frame the face of the actor. The image uses high key natural lighting to give the actor that 'ethereal' glow. As she is looking directly at the camera, she is making a form of direct address to the audience, this establishes a bond in some ways. To make the image jump from the page, it overlaps the masthead slightly. I subverted conventions of the main image by using a photo of the actor not in character, this emphasises the realism effect I am going for as my magazine is an independent film magazine.
Headline:
The headline, like regular film magazines is located roughly in the middle of the poster, this draws the audiences gaze to it. I used the same sans-serif font and 'shadowing' style like I used for the poster, this creates a recognisable motif for the film advertised. I placed it on the diagonal to parallel the strip of secondary images, this ensures coherence thorough the page.
Masthead:
The masthead uses a similar sans-serif font as magazines TOTAL FILM and EMPIRE, this makes my magazine recognisable as audiences realise it is a film magazine. This is further highlighted by the editing of the letter 'I' into a film strip. The title itself relates to the topic of the magazine, 'film' and the 'REEL' part refers to the REAL films (independent films) featured.
Secondary images:
I used both EMPIRE and TOTAL FILM for inspiration for the layout of the secondary images. I placed them in a film strip format on the diagonal. using A boxout also distinguishes the secondary images form the main image. I used a mix of medium closeups and long shots to show stills from actual films. These actions shots create excitement, this is reinforced by the picture captions used to indicate the film shown. I used the banner style coverline to advertise the contents of the magazine, stating it is an ultimate summer guide. This anchors to the secondary images as they will obviously be part of this 'summer guide'.
Colour Scheme:
 After looking at my questionnaires, I discovered that the audience preferred my scheme of red, off white and green/grey as it gives a subtle tone to the cover. Red and white both contrast well, this is highlighted by the bright green background which also provides a colour contrast. The colour scheme also reflects the scheme of my film, this is a common convention of film magazines as the scheme of the magazine often reflects the distinct scheme if the main film featured (E.g TOTAL FILM using red, white and blue to advertise captain America.)
Cover-lines:
The cover lines in my magazine have a referential function to provide information to the reader. in my magazines case, the larger the cover line, the more important the article. I used the colours red an white to distinguish the text. To separate elements of the cover lines, I used red lines to separate them. Some of the cover lines feature buzzwords such as 'ultimate' and 'plus', to distinguish the m further I used a different font, weight of font, size or colour. I also included a tagline just below the masthead to summarise the objectives of the magazine.
Puff/pug:
The puff of information on the right hand side advertises a competition. This is further emphasised by the use of a boxout to separate the puff from the rest of the cover. I edited the circle to look like a peeling sticker, this makes it stand out from the page. I used a different font for the buzzword 'WIN' to also catch the readers attention.
Skyline:
Like most magazine covers, I used a skyline to set the premise of the issue. I have used it to summarise the issues contents. It features that the magazine is a thriller special, this will attract certain fans of a thriller genre. To make it stand out, I placed the text on a white boxout. The buzzword 'Exclusive' is in red, this further highlights the buzzwords function.

Evaluation questionnaire

I used survey monkey to collect some feedback for my evaluation

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/T33MYV9

analysis of my trailer

Here is a link to my trailer analysis https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ow7zWpml0RVnBkYfIYzqD2FK53FFnM9gd5QqYBXFwVg/edit?usp=sharing

Construction of film trailer

http://issuu.com/erinlovescake/docs/trailer_production/1

Font selection for magazine

For my magazine, I decided to restrict my fonts to around four different ones. Using a niche number of fonts makes the magazine more simplistic, thus maximising the persuasive effects

ELKWOOD: http://www.dafont.com/elkwood.font I sourced g=his sans-serif font from the website da fonts. As this font is the largest and has the most impact, I decided to make it my masthead. The large width enables me to stretch it across the width of the page without it looking distorted

Tw Cen MT Condensed Extra Bold: this is the font I used for all my cover lines and subhead lines. Its compact style means I can easily pack more information on the cover without it looking overcrowded. As it is the same style font used on billing block credits on film posters, it will subtly echo the film genre.

Book Antiqua:I used this old fashioned serif font for the buzzword 'plus', this distinguishes it from the rest of the sans-serif modern text.

Rosewood Std: This 'circus style' font was used for the buzzword 'win'. As this was located on a puff for a competition, I wanted the text to stand out. The detailed font also captures the eye as everything else on the magazine is quite clean cut and modern.

Magazine production process

Film magazine survey results

Here is the link for the results of my film magazine survey, click the link below :)
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vrTLPUn4A0GQIxgkJyLAMwdtWvVC4dZ5cI_bG5If4MQ/edit?usp=sharing

colour research for magazine

As part of the research for my magazine, I have decided to research various colour pallets for different magazine covers. This will therefore help me to establish a colour pallet for my own magazine.

 

 

 

This issue of TOTAL FILM uses a very strong colour pallet relating to the main film featured, Captain America. The film itself features the patriotic character of Captain America, who embodies the colours of the American flag, red, white and blue. To create cohesion thorough the cover, a bright red is used on the masthead and box out behind the secondary images. The blue is used for the skyline and cover lines, while the white is used on the headline and cover lines. The black is used solely on the puff at the top of the cover. These three colours give a patriotic feel to the cover and strongly symbolises the key themes of the film, heroism, bravery and patriotism to the American flag.



 
 
 



The colour scheme for this issue of TOTAL FILM uses a luminous colour scheme of aqua blues and fuchsia pinks to link to the garish colours used on the poster for the film featured, Inherent Vice. The pink is used on the masthead to give a luminous neon light effect, it is also used as an accent colour on the cover line 'world exclusive' and as box outs to the picture captions. The blue is again featured as a neon light effect but used on the headline and skyline instead. White is used as the accent colour on the cover lines and the puffs. Overall the three colours create a luminous feel to the cover and adds a 'gaudy' look to connote to the 'gaudy' colours used in the film.

 

 

 

 

For my film magazine, I have decided to use a colour scheme relating to that of my poster. After looking at other magazines I have noticed that the colour schemes on the cover relates to the colour scheme of the film featured. This helps creates an overall theme to the cover. My colour pallet features a blood red colour to link to the violent/gory themes in my film. A grey/green off white colour will relate to the colours used on the masthead of the poster. I will then use a white colour on the masthead and as an accent colour on some of the coverlines. 

Change to plotline

Just a quick update, I have made a small change to the plotline by removing the mugging scene. This was because it didn't really fit with my trailer and plotline. I felt it was an unnecessary element because it would deviate from the main focus of the trailer and give too much away to the audience about what happens to the character.

Creating trailer end credits

After researching the various codes and conventions of film trailers, I have noticed that they feature end credits. These feature a billing block of the cast and crew followed by a release date with a tagline. These are featured at the end of the film trailer to provide the viewer with crucial information regarding the film, placing the information at the end makes it more memorable.

Poster production

This prezi contains step by step processes for my poster. It shows all of my drafts as this prezi was an on-going document over the course of making the poster. I screen-shotted my poster every time I made a change and added it to this prezi.
Here the process of draft one and two is shown:

Photography used in film magazines

Here, I am going to research the types of photography used in film magazines. I will analyse different main images used in different film magazines and their effects on the audience. After looking at various magazine covers, the style of the main image often differs depending on the film advertised.

Creating a billing block

When creating the billing block I type the text below into a billing block generator. I will then edit the colour of the text on Photoshop if needed. Most of the names are fake as it would look ridiculous if I kept repeating Erin Harper.

PICTURE PICTURE ENTERTAINMENT _PRESENTS ‘REPLACED’ FAYE WIGGINS _WITH CHLOE BULLOCK _EDITOR KAYLA BLAIR _{PRODUCTION DESIGNER} TERENCE BRADLEY _{DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY} DAN SCOTT _{EXECTUIVE PRODUCERS} KATHERINE ROGERS RUSSELL THOMPSON MARIE ADAMS _{PRODUCED BY} ERIN HARPER ALAN TAYLOR GEMMA BECKETT _{SCREENPLAY BY} ERIN HARPER AND BETH LACEY _{DIRECTED BY} ERIN HARPER

As you can't download a billing block generator at school, I found similar condensed fonts of fireworks I wish to use. For my final poster production process, I will create the billing block using these fonts and condense as appropriate.

 

My secondary images

After looking at various film magazines, I noticed that several secondary images are featured. Here are the images I will use on the front cover, all portray films of a thriller genre as my magazine will be a thriller special. 

The Prime Initiative:
This image is a mid-shot, therefore allowing the audience to see all of the actor. As she is placed to the right of the frame, the emphasis is also on the window she is looking out of. High key natural lighting is also used to maximize brightness and to enhance the shadows on the actresses face. This light and shadow effect makes the actress look sinister as she is in shadow, this connotes to the pen and book she is using, suggesting she has a plan or initiative. The overall picture creates a sense of mystery as the audience wants to know what she is writing/planning.

Secret decay:
This image is again a mid shot so the audience gets a clear picture of the surroundings and the actors face. Here, the actor is looking round a door with a scared expression on her face, this could infer that she is being cautious or has seen something 'secret'. High key lighting emphasises the shadows, I achieved this by using the flash on my camera. The 'looking behind the door' pose is a pose typical to a horror or thriller film, therefore the audience can recognise the genre without much more information. 

Runaway:
This image provides an obvious connotation with the title. She is seen about to walk through a metal gate, perhaps into an unknown place. This looks like she is running from something or someone. Natural lighting gives an overall ethereal glow to the image whilst the mid shot gives the audience a clear view of the actors facial expression. The title evokes the films genre, a thriller, because of the fast paced connotations. As she is looking directly at the camera, the audience connects with the character.

Coffee Break:
This image is obviously connoted to the title. I used an image of three people instead of one, this creates more interest. To attract a male audience also, I used males in the image. This image is high action based as I took the image under natural circumstances (i.e not a specialised photo shoot like the other images), therefore it looks like a still from a film. 

Film magazine cover analysis:

Here I have analysed two magazine covers, one from TOTAL FILM, and one from EMPIRE. I have analysed them in terms of layout, imagery, colour, typography and persuasive devices. Click the link below.

http://www.flipsnack.com/F68BDCC7C6F/analysis.html

Extra conventions

After doing some more extensive research on film magazines, I have been able to establish some more conventions.

Pull quotes: pull quotes are direct quotes from an actor or director used on the front cover in place of a secondary lead. They are usually 'pulled' from the corresponding interview in the magazine. They give the reader an insight into the content of the magazine, thus promoting interest.
Cover lines: magazine cover lines are pieces of text designed to provide information to the reader. They act as previews of certain articles inside the magazine. 
pugs: these are small elements of the magazine designed to catch the readers attention. They are usually placed at the top right hand corner and feature the price, logo or issue number.
puffs : puffs are small puffs of information with the intention to grab attention. They display unique aspects of the magazine that may benefit the reader, for example a competition may be advertised or a collectors edition cover. They are usually placed in circular box outs to distinguish themselves from the rest of the text.
Kicker: the kicker is a  story designed to stand out from the rest of the page, this could be due to a different font, a different colour or layout
Headline: the headline is the main statement regarding the main film presented on the cover. It is usually in the biggest font and spans the width of the cover; acting like a banner.
Box out: A box out is designed to highlight the importance of certain texts. It is usually a coloured box placed behind the text, designed to make the text stand out. Usually the box out is a contrasting colour from the text.

Font research for magazine

To produce my magazine, I need to take into consideration the fonts I will be using for each aspect of the text. After looking at different magazines, I have noticed that not all fonts are constant

Here is a font mood board for fonts to use on the MASTHEAD:

To establish a firm corporate image thorough my tasks, I have chosen bold, sans-serif fonts to keep within the modern theme. These bold fonts will be good as a masthead as they can be easily edited if needed. Because of their size, they can stretch across the top of the cover when the text features minimal words (i.e. it doesn't need loads of words to fill the space, one word or two will suffice). I have narrowed it down to the 'ELKWOOD' font and the 'LEMON MILK'  font due to their modern and professional feel.
HEADLINE :

 I didn't feel like I needed a mood board for my headline as I know which font I will use. I have chosen, Tw Cen MT Condensed, this font will create a coherent corporate image because it is the same condensed font I used for the billing block on my poster. The condensed font evokes a cinematic feel as it is similar to the condensed fonts used on film posters. On its own it looks pretty plain, but I plan to edit it by changing the colour, size and adding a shadow to make it look more unique.

More editing of the z-ombie photo

After receiving some feedback from one of my media classmates. I have decided to edit the strip on the poster containing the eyes. My classmate said they need to look more inflamed and sunken in. Therefore I have used photoshop to do this.

 

Step one:

 



To make the eye sockets look sunken in, I used the burn tool to darken under the brow bone and in the inner corners of the eye. Then I increased the opacity (so the lines were not as harsh) and made dark circles under the eyes.

Step two:

 

Then, I used the paint tool to add a light line of dark red to the waterline, this ensures the eyes look more sore and inflamed, almost like their is an infection.

Photo editing for magazine main image

Here I have used Photoshop to edit my main image, whether it be by removing blemishes, small imperfections or  flyaway hairs.

Step one:

 Firstly, I wanted to remove any flyaway hairs from the image, I used the clone stamp tool to clone the sections of the background and replace the flyway's with that. The use of a detailed background with a repetitive pattern of the trees means cloning is easy. The reason for removing flyway's is for the overlay process I will undertake when I layer part of the main image over the masthead for emphasis, flyway's would make the image look more messy and less professional.

Step two:

 Again, I used the clone stamp tool to remove the bobbles from the jumper, this makes the image more refined and neat.

Step three:

 I wanted to remove slight imperfections such as blemishes to make the overall image look more smooth. Using the clone stamp tool, I cloned areas of perfect skin to blur small spots. The first image is the before and the second image was after. As my actor doesn't really have any spots, my job was pretty easy!

Step four:

 To improve the overall look of the image, I adjusted the contrast by increasing it, this makes the image more sharp and well defined, thus emphasising its professional look.

Step five:

For the final step,  I adjusted the tone by making the image look more lively and bright (increasing the tone), this will make the magazine have an overall bright appearance.

Here is the final image:

Film Magazine survey

Here is a survey on survey monkey for my film magazine. I have had to split the survey into two separate surveys as I have too many questions.

Click the link for survey one: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BPKV8QS

Click the link for survey two: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HKKTN78

Poster colour scheme ideas

I wanted to go one of two ways with the colour scheme. Having looked  at various film magazine covers, I realised that the colour schemes are interchangeable depending on what film is featured on the cover or what type of edition the issue is. Film magazines can either use a colour scheme corresponding to the film represented, for example when the film 'X-Men Days of Future Past' had special covers on the front of EMPIRE magazine, EMPIRE replaced the usual red of the masthead with a metallic grey to correspond with the colour scheme of the film, it also relates to the sci0fi genre where modern colours such as silver and blue are represented. On the other hand, if a film magazine has a theme to the issue such as a 'blockbuster issue' the colours evoking that theme may be represented, yellow often connotes to blockbuster films in magazines. I have created two colour pallets, one depicting colours used in the film I am representing (REPLACED), whilst the second depicts the colours relating to the theme of the issue (Thriller films).



Colour scheme 1



Colour scheme one relates to the colours used in my film poster, muted greeny greys and reds. The use of this on the cover will create coherence as the film I am representing will be evoked in the whole magazine.  

Colour scheme 2

Colour scheme two relates to the type of issue my magazine is, in this case a thriller special. After colour researching different films, I realised that bold reds, blues and blacks are used for thriller films.

In my questionnaire I will ask which colour scheme the audience prefers.

Photoshoot for the main image

For my photo-shoot, I wanted my character in a natural outdoor environment, the use of natural would add an ethereal glow to the image without the need for artificial lighting. From my research into the main images used in regular film magazine, I have gathered that mid shots are used. This is to allow the reader to see all of the character, it also allows for room for text to be edited around the image. In most film magazines, a specialist photo-shoot is used of the actor in character (in full costume), however, I have decided to subvert these stereotypes by including the main image of the actor not in full costume. This makes the main image more realistic and personal, emphasising the genre of my film magazine, an independent magazine, as images tend to feature just the actor.  

 

For these three images, I chose to use a mid shot at a vertical angle. The actor is making direct address at the camera, therefore establishing a coherent bond with the audience. Their is an element of eye line matching as the camera is placed at eye level, this is a convention I found with most film magazines who have the actor looking straight at the camera.

 

 

 

For these images, I decided to use a landscape mid-shot, this allows more of the background to be seen. Like the first three images, the actor is looking directly at the camera.

 

 

 

I realised that using a landscape image would require more editing to resize it and crop it, therefore the image resolution wont be as perfected, therefore I shot these images from the same distance to allow more of the background to be seen, but as a portrait image.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 These final two images saw a location change, the use of the green background provides colour contrast with the actors red hair, the image therefore stands out and 'jumps' from the page.

 

Here is a link to a presentation I made giving more fine tuned detail about the different aspects of the image:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1TJYPi3DlPi11hLHNJhjDuHIZMLTydJ5SSKxrEfzZ5vQ/edit?usp=sharing


I have narrowed it down to these three images, I will ask my peers in my magazine questionnaire which image they prefer:

 

 

 

Magazine Computer mockups

On fireworks, I have created mock-ups for my film magazine. I wanted to do this to see how they looked on the computer and If their are any changes that could be made. I have made three designs based upon my analysis and research of existing magazine layouts. I will put each image in my survey to see which layout my peers prefer.

 

IDEA ONE:

 

 

IDEA TWO:

IDEA THREE:

 



Comparison between EMPIRE and TOTAL FILM front cover

Total Film and Empire Comparison

Magazine Name ideas

I have come up with a few magazine name ideas, hopefully they are original and effective as I hope my magazine will attract people who watch independent films.

My Ideas are:

ReelFilm: this idea is effective because the use of two simple terms makes the title stand out. The word film obviously connotes to the genre of the magazine, therefore their will not be any brand confusion between other genres of magazine. The term 'reel' will attract my target audience, the use of 'reel' refers to the old fashioned film reel, film buffs will understand this is a cinematic reference. 'reel' is obviously pronounced as 'real' meaning the films portrayed in my magazine are real, independent films who depend more n narrative than the visuals, this attracts my target audience of those who are interested in independent films.
Film Plus/+films: film plus or plus films both evoke the same sense of meaning, that this magazine has more to offer in terms of content. It is concise and easy to understand, however it may not attract my chosen target audience as the term 'plus' or '+' suggests a blockbuster film that has had a big budget and an enormous amount of visuals. The term 'plus' also sounds like something you would get with a broadband package, again, I want to avoid brand confusion to prevent readers from being mislead.
Final Cut: final cut is clear, concise and effective. It really drives home the point of a magazine that is fast paced and relating to film. However it could be seen as plagiarism as it sounds too much lie the editing software final cut pro, again, this could create brand confusion.
Take Two: Take two instantly evokes the film magazine genre as it is an example of film jargon. Film buffs will understand the connotations. However it does sound like a dating agency or that Strictly programme on BBC 2, this could again be seen as plagiarism.
Action Match: action match again is an example of film jargon, it is short and succinct, but it will not attract my chosen target audience as the term 'action' suggests the magazine solely focusses on films of the action genre. It also sounds like a football magazine, therefore brand confusion might occur (a bit of a theme with my ideas!)
Indiefilm : Indiefilm provides obvious connotations of an independent film magazine, the term 'indie' is obviously a contraction for 'independent'. This title is short and clear, providing immediate connotations to the reader about the genres of the films discussed.

To help me decide on my film magazine title, I will ask members of the public for their opinion in a magazine questionnaire, which I am currently constructing.

Conventions of a film magazine

Here is a list of codes and conventions of a film magazine, I will use these conventions to aid me in the production of my film magazine.

Conventions of a film magazine

Revisited schedule

Project Plan2

After filling in most of the schedule, I have realised I need to finish my magazine research and my poster research, also I need to finish editing my trailer. I am behind schedule but I have plenty of time in the next few weeks to finalise my research. I pretty much already know what my magazine will look like, I just need to do the research to back up my ideas.

Film magazine research Case studies: Total Film and EMPIRE

Editing of the poster main image

Taking inspiration from the posters of the films 'Rabbit hole' and 'Before I go to sleep', I have edited my main image for my poster by dividing it up into sections. The whole point of this distorted image is to create an almost optical illusion effect, thus creating a disorientated feel. My plan is to replace certain sections of the image with sections of the character as a z-ombie, this relates to the title as it shows an almost 'transformation' feel.

First attempt:

At first, I decided to section the image lengthways. I used fireworks to achieve this. I decided to section the image in reasonably small sections at first, this gives an optical illusion effect. I used the marquee tool to select the areas I need; then dragged them either a bit up or down using the pointer tool.  

 

After, I used the marquee tool to select and delete the top edges to neaten the edge.

 

Here is the final image:

 

 

Second attempt:

 

After receiving feedback from one of my classmates, it was suggested that I section off the image horizontally and to section off larger sections. This is because when I add the z-ombie sections, the audience can see more of the z-ombie sections, thus the poster will conform to the desired shocking effect. I used the same process as above; but I sectioned off the image horizontally and in larger sections.

 

Here is the final image:

 

Comparison of poster genres

Here I have analysed posters that are genre specific to gain a background into the conventions of each genre. I have chosen to analyse stereotypical elements of certain genres.

Results of Poster questionnaire

Here are the results to my FILM POSTER questionnaire, I decided to use survey monkey to ask the questions and converted the responses into tables using word. Click on the link to see the results. 

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1541bv1gu0gv0vn4ze5Q0LN4V62DA8l_7BhFnIpCb4iU/edit?usp=sharing

Poster ideas moodboard

I have used pinterest, a visual discovery tool, to map out some basic ideas for my poster, this could be font, camera angles and iconography. 
Follow Erin's board Film poster moodboard on Pinterest.

Types of film magazine

In the world of magazine publishing, their are roughly two types of film magazines. regular and Subscriber edition covers. I want to research these types of magazines to investigate which type of magazine my cover will be. They often differ in terms of cover design.

Original:

 

Regular magazines are the most common type. Magazines such as SFX, TOTAL FILM and EMPIRE are all around the 2.99-3.99 price bracket. Regular magazines feature all of the headlines, pugs, by-lines, taglines and secondary leads on the cove for extra information.

Subscriber:

 

 

Subscriber edition covers have no extra features or leads other than the image, headline and the masthead. As subscribers are exclusive members, the image often features exclusive cover art specially designed for the subscribers. Regular magazines often feature long shots/mid shots whilst subscriber editions tend to feature close-ups. These covers could feature a different character, a different location, a different costume, or, If the actors on the regular cover are heroes, the subscriber cover may feature a villain.

From my research, I can gather that I will do a version of a original paid magazine, and I might do a special edition subscriber version with a different image (maybe one of my character as a z-ombie to show the transformation.

Colour research of various posters

 Here I have decided to research the various colour schemes of posters of different genres, this will allow me to easily establish set conventions for the colour schemes of different genres.

Thriller: PRISONERS

 

The poster for the thriller film 'Prisoners' uses a muted colour pallet to establish various conventions about the film. Using light greys and dark greys creates a sombre tone, yet it adds mysterious connotations. White is used as an accent colour for the text as it stands out from the grey of the rest of the poster. Generally, thriller film posters deploy the use of monochromatic colours such as black, white and grey as various iconographic imagery needs to take pride of place to convey the films message. However, red is often used as an accent colours on important persuasive devices such as the release date, title or tagline.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Sci-Fi: AVATAR

 

For the sci-fi film poster of AVATAR, the colour blue makes a frequent appearance, it is mainly used on the main image as it is the colour of the skin of the alien. The colour blue is also used in the title, however it is glowing to distinguish it from the predominantly blue background.  The colour blue is often used in sci-fi film posters as it evokes 'alien themes' or 'creatures form another world', film posters such as TRON:legacy and Star Trek use blue to emphasise the obvious 'space' themes involved with the films plotline.



 

Romantic Comedy: Bridget Jones The Edge Of Reason

 

 In this poster, the feminine colours of pink and purple are used, this is used to reassert the fact that the film is from the point of view of a female character and deals with romantic issues. The colour pink features regularly in romantic comedy posters to emphasise the 'romance' element of the film. Posters such as '27 dresses' and '13 going on 30' use pink to attract a female target audience. Often in romantic comedy posters, the background is white, this is deployed to cement the characters framing on the poster while making the colour scheme more noticeable.

 

 

Horror: CARRIE

Horror posters use a pretty obvious colour pallet, red, black and grey most always feature, red obviously evokes violence and bloodshed, whilst the black creates an aura of mystery. This may seen a similar colour scheme to thriller poster, however the colour red is used much more provocatively in horror posters, often depicting crude representations of blood and gore. In the CARRIE poster, red is used on the actors costume, this is a key iconographic image for the film as the use of blood plays a vital role in the films plotline. 



Comedy: Grown Ups

 

Comedy films tend to take a more playful approach to colour, red, yellow and blue regularly feature as they are stereotypically happy colours. I have noticed that the colour pallets on comedy films are most likely strong primary colours that put a fun spin on the poster. For the 'Grown Ups' poster all three primary colours are used, this gives a sense of colour blocking, therefore giving the poster more structure.