Post 19: Ancillary Task 1 - Posters

British

Les Miserables is a popular British film so I decided to use it as inspiration for our own film poster. The first thing that captures your attention is the young girl taking up two thirds of the frame, her pale skin and striking blue eyes draw the audience in especially with her blank and miserable facial expression. Film posters often include the main character so this hints to the audience who the film is about. There is a large noticeable and interesting font used for the title, this will be more memorable to audiences then font in black Times New Roman, because of the gold colour it stands out against the dark grey and black in the background making it appear powerful. The poster also included the names of the actors, this usually interests audiences as they are more likely to watch a film if their favourite actor is featured. There are also other details on the poster such as the tag line "Fight, Dream, Hope, Love" which could attract audiences due to the powerful meaning of each word, words that everyone can share an emotional link to. There is also the release date which is important as the target audience need to know when the film is in cinemas as they are often unlikely to research it themselves. "From the academy award winning director of 'The Kings Speech'" some audiences will be interested in who has directed the film especially if they are fans of  'The Kings Speech', also by putting academy award winning it makes the director sound more skilled and therefore the film is possibly more likely to be better then if it was directed by someone who hadn't. Overall it is a rather understated poster the young girl is a powerful tool and the technique of the rule of thirds has been used which makes her appear even more interesting then if she was just in the middle of the poster.



American



I decided it would also be an idea to research into American film posters to see if there was a difference. In the Hollywood poster the main image is of Tom Cruise, he is standing in the middle of the poster with the bright lights of a car and city behind him. This makes him appear powerful and his stance with a gun makes the audiences take notice of him. Tom Cruise is the only actor who's name is featured on the poster, it is often in large hollywood films that well known actors take centre stage on posters as they are more likely to attract audiences, actors such as Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Liam Neeson and Leonardo Dicaprio. This poster features more action in the background which hints at the storyline, the colour and bright yellow and gold reflecting off Tom Cruises face makes the poster seem more exciting and action packed then Les Miserables. "The law has limits he does not" a powerful tag line grabs audiences attention as it gives them an indication of what the film is about, this tag line insures action and explosions which is also signified with Tom Cruise who is known for starring in many action adventure movies.


Short films might find it hard to market their film using this strategy as their target audience may not pay attention due to the lack of celebrity or because they don't find it enticing enough. Posters are also easy to destroy and if not placed in the appropriate location then neither their target audience or anyone will know about it. Hollywood and large budget British films have the finance to produce large posters on billboards and in magazines that will attract their audience, however short film makers do not always have the luxury of a large budget and are unable to attract their audience through this way. This is why short film makers often produce postcards as they are able to hand them around during film festivals. Although many other film makers will also be doing this, and it can be tiring to receive them, it will grab the attention of some audience members. Postcards are quick and easy to produce and deliver which is why many film makers continue to use this strategy at film festivals or if they have a showing at their local independent cinema. They usually contain a website for the audience to go and check out.

QR Code - Quick Response Code, are optional machine-readable labels attached to items that record information related to the item. A QR code is read by an imaging device - most commonly an Iphone or camera, and can be used as product tracking, item identification, time tracking, document management and general marketing purposes. Due to the QR Codes increasing popularity my group and I discussed the possibility of using the QR Code as a possibly marketing technique. We agreed that if we were to use it on either our postcard or poster then it could facilitate an audience interest as it is a lot quicker for people to receive the information about our film as well as remember it due to having the information on their phone. It could also include more information then our poster which would be beneficial to our audience as they would know more about the film then a glance at a poster or postcard which can be forgotten or thrown away. More film posters and postcards are using them every day for example the photo of an Iron Man 2 poster to the side shows the code in the centre of Iron Man's chest. I also experimented creating my own QR Code as seen to the left.


Due to short films having less marketing they often use postcards due to their direct contact with their audience. We decided to analyse a few postcards to find out what information they contained and if they would be a good way to promote our short film. The things we found they had in common were;
- Large screen grab from the film including main character was on the front of the postcard.
- The title of the film on the front.
- The tagline of the film on the front also.

My group and I discovered the back of postcards however contained the information - usually a lot more then a poster. The back of the postcard included;
- Films website
- The names of the crew
- The production company
- The distribution company
- Sometimes a QR Code
- Empty place for stamp
The first postcard I decided to analyse was from a short film called "Divine" as can be see from the photo to the right. I have annotated the postcards pointing out the conventions you usually expect to see on a short film postcard. This postcard met my expectations with connotations and codes as it featured many of the things my group and I discussed in class. Divine's front shows a large screen grab which features the main character, the title and tagline is also seen. On the back of the postcard however contains the expected information such as; the cast and crew names, the production company, the website to the film, the production company logo and also a place for a stamp.

The second short film I analysed was called "On a Life's Edge." Which once again followed the codes and conventions we discovered in class. The front of the postcard contains;
- A large screen grab from the film
- The film's title
However the screen grab does not cover the entire front of the postcard and there are four other images, three of those including photos of close ups of the location. It also has not put the films tagline on the front but instead the production company and release date. The back of the postcard is similar to Divine as it includes the;
-Title of the film
- Names of cast and crew
- Production companies
- Place for stamp
However this postcard unlike Divine and others we analysed on class, is a lot more colourful with a bright yellow and orange background on the front and back of the postcard in contrast to the black and white. This postcard also included the films plot line in the hopes of grabbing the interest of the audience.

My group and I had a discussion and decided it would be beneficial to us if we came up with posters to market our short film. We all had individual ideas however in the end put them all together to produce our finished poster.

Poster design 1.
For my first poster design I chose to have a large blue eye taking up the majority of the room due to our short film being called Behind Blue Eyes. Blue eyes are also known for innocence and mystery which is why I thought it might interest our audience as the poster doesn't give away any of the storyline. It follows the conventions of a film poster as it includes the; film title, tagline, QR Code, a large photo as the main focus and also credits. It does however break a short film poster convention as this hasn't included any ratings from critics. It also has not featured the main characters which leaves mystery to the audience, however it could also make them uninterested by not knowing the cast.


Poster design 2.
The second design for my poster was to have our main character Sophie looking at straight at the audience with a tear streaming down her face. This is conventional for a film as the main subject matter is the main character, it also features the title and tagline. Unlike my first poster design I have included ratings from critics as that is conventional to see on the poster of a short film. I decided to have Sophie as the main interest of this poster as like Le Miserables it causes interest in the audience to find out who the sad girl with the innocent blue eyes is. The disadvantage however is it could seem off putting to audiences if they know its a sad film. I have also made sure to feature a QR Code as I believe they are a crucial new media to use when marketing.

 Poster design 3.

For my third and final poster design I decided to incorporate two of the main characters by creating a close up of a face using half of Sophie and Alan's faces together. I also made sure to incorporate the main conventions of a film poster such as; film titles, tagline, QR Code, credits and a "coming soon." I have however broken the usual convention of a short film poster as like my first poster design I have left out ratings from critics. My reasoning for this is I would prefer to have a simple design featuring a bold and intriguing image to grab the audience's attention then cover it is text. This design is ultimately my favourite however it could also be the most technically challenging due to the difficulty of creating the face. Whilst filming my group and I shall decide what ideas we like best and move forward with that design for the poster to market our short film.

Post 18: Pre-production Documentation

To make my pre-production easier to read as well as try a new media, I decided to create this post using the website Prezi. The Prezi file is below;

Post 17: Job Roles Research

I decided it would be a good idea to research into certain jobs in the film industry in order to learn the necessary roles that myself or members of my group would be preforming. By learning the job and there description my group and I are able to work together in harmony when creating our short film as we will know who's role is who's and what responsibility they will have. 

Here are two links to different websites I found which useful when researching various roles within the media industry.
Job roles within the media industry.
Film Jobs


Director
The director has one of the main roles as they have to work with the different departments and they also help to translate the script to a film on screen. The typical activities of a director contain elements such as; interpreting the script; developing storyboards; directing actors; managing technical details; making decisions about location and design. Directors also have to take into consideration budgets and schedules.

Editor
The editor is responsible for assembling raw material into a finished product suitable for the target audience, this is one of the most crucial elements of film making. The material they work with may consist of unedited camera footage, dialogue, sound effects, graphics and special effects. During editing they make sure that the story is put together correctly which is then assembled to become the finished film. The editor may be part of a team and they usually work closely with the director to achieve the desired end result.

Lighting
The lighting department is an important role as part of a film set and production. There is natural lightening such as the sun but artificial lighting is often required to create a specific genre or atmosphere within the film. To carry out a role in the lighting department all workers are required to work safely with electricity and all the other obvious potential dangers. Jobs within the sound department include; moving light operator, director of photography and lighting technician.


Boom Operator/ Sound Department
Recording all sound on set or on location is the work of the Production Sound Crew which includes Production Sound Mixers, Boom Operators, and Sound Assistants; on bigger films, Sound Trainees may also be employed. Although film is considered a primarily visual medium, much of the storytelling and emotional resonance of a script is conveyed through dialogue. Ensuring that the dialogue recorded during film shoots is suitably clear is a complex job; most film sets are challenging for the Sound Department as there are often unwanted noises to deal with, or the desired camera shots hamper the placing of microphones. Boom Operators are responsible for placing the microphone in the correct position were ever the best sound for the shot is. They need to do this without interrupting the camera operators or distracting the actors from their performance. The microphones are placed near the actors whilst they are saying their lines as clear dialogue is needed for film, making this a very important job. Boom Operators also assist the production sound mixer as these jobs work along side one another.


Camera

Good cinematography involves the creation of beautiful and/or arresting images on screen; it can also tell us more about a character or a location than any amount of dialogue or music. Shot composition, camera movement and the way a Director of Photography chooses to manipulate light and shade, all combine to create each film's unique photographic signature. A great deal of thought, preparation and hard work is involved in moving and operating cameras in ways that enhance, and do not detract from, what is happening on screen. Camera crews work with extremely delicate, expensive equipment and are amongst the most highly skilled practitioners on any film crew. They work closely together to create seemingly invisible camera moves.

Location Manager
The location managers' main role is to find suitable locations for the directors vision. They do a lot of research including calculating the costs of hiring and shooting on the chosen set/location, this role starts once the filming has begun therefore it is busy for them as they have to be on the set to make sure the location is fine for the director. They also begin negotiations over contracts and fees for the location working within the budget the director gave them. They also have to look after the shoot once the filming has finished because they need to ensure that the location is securely locked as well as clean before they return it to the owners.

Producer
Producers are a main part of the production office, producers have overall control on every aspect of a film's production, bringing together the screenwriter, director, cast, finances and production team, as responsible for these different elements it means that producers are ultimately accountable for a successful film.

Art Department
Films can be located anywhere; creating the visual world or setting for a film is the role of the Art Department. The look of sets or locations transports audiences into the world of the story, and is an essential element in making films convincing and evocative. These settings are rarely left to chance by film makers; a great deal of work and imagination goes into constructing appropriate backdrops to any story. The Art Department usually employs the largest number of people on any film crew. On big budget fantasy, period drama or sci-fi films, the Art Department Offices, and Drawing and Construction Studios can occupy a vast area and employ hundreds of talented people.

Every department is important when creating a film - of any size, and departments have to be able to work together well to create a successful film. The director and his team of assistants will work with every department so they are able to know about how certain aspects of the film are coming along, for example talking to the actors and making sure they are happy or talking to the location manager and making sure a location is available to use on the needed date. The camera department will work with the sound department as they will need to organise with the boom operator where the boom will go when filming so that it is not in shot and also so that the sound department can get the best quality dialogue for the scene they are shooting. The camera department will also work with the lighting department to make sure the correct atmosphere is being portrayed onto the screen, this is important as the lighting is crucial whilst creating a certain genre. Camera and lighting come under the same department and because film is predominantly a visual medium, the camera department works with all the majority of departments in order to have the best possible results achieved, these departments include costume, make-up and props.

My group and I will be taking on some of the above job titles whilst filming, such as director, boom operator, editor, location manager, as well as a camera operator. The director of our short film will make sure every department is working well together and that the camera operator captures the necessary shots without allowing any continuity errors to happen. An editor will be needed to go through whatever footage the director shoots and edit it and put it together to create a powerful story. Someone will need to be the boom operator so we are able to make sure we have clear and good quality dialogue for our film. The location manager will make sure we have the correct place to film, they will also be responsible for keeping the filming to schedules and leaving the location the way we found it. There of course are more job roles that my group and I will need to take on such as creating our own art department and making sure the right costumes and props are used and remembered in the frames.

Due to there only being four of us every member of my group will need to make sure they are able to take on large tasks on their own as there are a lot of jobs to do for just four people. By dividing up the jobs equally and working together we should hopefully avoid any delegation or low signs of progress from any member of our group. Good team work will be needed to create a successful short film and by playing on peoples strengths and by helping one another with improving our skill base we should hopefully create a really good short film.

Post 16: Why make a short film? Who is the target audience?

Task A: Why make a short film?

I thought it would be beneficial to find out why people make short films, I came across various articles that helped me understand their reasoning. 

Here is a link to the first article I researched:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/filmmaking/guide/introduction/why-make-a-short

The article starts by explaining why you could be making a short film; experience, a show-reel, partnerships, Kudos, Testing an idea out, Money. It then proceeded to explain the places the film could be seen; your front room, a show-reel, the internet, television, the cinema (though this is incredibly hard), festivals. It explains that when making a short film and where you want it to go will determine what you shoot on, the equipment you use, budgets, crew numbers and potential markets. Clear objectives are necessary. I think this article has been useful as it has provided me with an insight to the main reasoning behind making a short film as well as where short films are likely to go. I believe this could help my group and I as this informs us where the short film is usually seen and what factors you need to consider to create an interesting and attention grabbing short film for certain audiences.

Here is a link to the second article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-life/7593291/The-long-history-of-short-films.html

The article above starts by giving the history of short film, it explains how in the early 1900's it was normal for them to be short. It went on to explain how much the technology of today has developed since then and because of this so have the films, it was commented on that watching a short film was less favourable then a longer film and the audience seemed to enjoy it more. The article then proceeds to explain how music videos provided short film makers with the opportunity to make music videos. With technology constantly changing it allows easier access to short films and for more people to produce their own for the world to see through the internet. I believe this article was helpful as it provided me with the history of short films and how they have developed since 1900's. I believe this article is beneficial to my group and I as we are now aware that short films are popular with certain audiences and they can be accessed easier and faster then before.

Task B: Who is the audience for a short film?

To receive a greater understanding of the audiences who watch and enjoy short film I have decided to research into them with more depth to hopefully gain a better understanding. 

Here is the link to the slide show I found helpful: http://www.slideshare.net/gracew41/target-audience-3310758

The slideshow provided useful information beginning by explaining that the short film industry's audience is quite specific compared to that of mainstream audiences of full length films.It explained that the demographics of people who watch short films will do so in order to find a possible actor or crew member that they can invest in for years to come. People in this category could also be amateur film makers looking for inspiration and guidance from short films that already exist. The slideshow proceeded to explain how the psycho-graphics could be divided into three various audiences categories, these are; Succeeder's - people who like to think they're powerful and in control, Aspirer's - people who work for bigger and better things, and individualists - people who are different from the crowd. I believe this article to be beneficial to my group and I as we are now aware that short films are popular with certain audiences and what type of category they fall into, whilst deciding the audience for our short film.

I then proceeded to research into watch distribution methods were available for short films and how this effects the potential target audience film makers are aiming for. I discovered that one of the main ways to get short films seen is through the internet, websites such as shortoftheweek and youtube were popular choices. Yet some film makers are still following the tradition route and rely on film festivals for ways of distribution, with the hopes of someone with a powerful influence or budget will see and like it and wish to make it more accessible for a larger audience. 

Distribution can determine the size and diversification of the audience who have access to short films and whatever route a film maker decides to take in order to get their film out there effects their audience.The internet gives access for virtually the entire world to view a certain short film, however if it only features on websites such as shortoftheweek only people with a particular interest in short films will see it as people who don't enjoy short films would never visit the website. Youtube on the other hand has a wider audience which could effect the demographic of the audience, yet all together because the internet is global the short film without the right information or advertising could go completely unnoticed. Film festivals would also attract an audience of people who enjoyed and appreciated short films, they also give film makers more of a chance to make connections with people from the industry and could potentially create a following of fans. Therefore film festivals are important to film makers as they can help the advertisement of short films and help them grow in popularity. 

Short film festivals are a popular source of distribution, the top short film festivals in the UK include; Raindance Film Festival (Oscar qualifying), London Short Film festival, Edinburgh International Film Festival, London Short Film Festival, Manchester International Film Festival, Encounters International Short Film Festival (Oscar qualifying) and Leeds International film festival. Their are various categories films can be entered for that suit all genres of short film. The BFI London Film Festival categories are; The Sutherland Trophy - most original, Best film, Best British Newcomer Award and BFI fellowships. With short film festivals providing film makers the chance to win awards and be recognised for their talent it means their is a greater chance of them building the right connection with the media industry and possibly being recognised by audiences making the distribution of their short films greater and easier. 

Shorts International
http://www.shortsinternational.com/
One major film festival is Shorts International known for being the world's leading short film company with the biggest short film catalogue as it shows all the short films which have recently been released. The films are shown across America, Asia, Europe and anywhere else that has a cinema. They hold an Annual Shorts Award every year to recognise the contributions of film makers to the short film industry. 


London Short Film Festival
http://shortfilms.org.uk/
Another major film festival is the 10 year old London Short Film Festival which allows it's countries short film makers to showcase their short films to a wide audience. The amount of people attending the festival has increased greatly in the last decade all going to watch some of over 220 films that the countries amateur film makers have to offer.

The film festivals mentioned above are only two out of the many that take place every year showcasing the most recent short films for audiences who enjoy and appreciate the art of short films. I believe that a potential target audience would be successor's who are interested in finding fresh young talented film makers and people who enjoy short films.

Task C: How are short films distributed? 

There are many genres of short films; Romance, Comedy, Drama, Horror, Animation and many more, however according to this website http://www.imdb.com/search/title?title_type=short the most popular genre of film would be Animation as that genre appears the largest amount of times on the top 50 most popular short films. The most popular animations are; Tangled Ever After (2012) , Ice Age a Mammoth Christmas (2011) , and The lorax (1972).

                                       

Unfortunately my group and I do not have the access to the equipment needed to create an animated short film, this effects us as our short film may lose out on audience's due to our short film not being an animation. However through more research I discovered the second most popular genre of short films was drama. This was great news as my group's short film will be classed as a drama due to the realistic story line of sexual grooming. This effects my thoughts on the script as I need to make sure we have a strong script that fits in with the genre of drama, making sure not to fall into the genres of comedy or romance instead. It also influences my thoughts on the script as I will need to make sure that there is a strong plot line that is powerful enough to grab the audiences attention and have empathy for the situation the characters have gotten themselves into. 

Through the research I have carried out and from the short films I have watched I have noticed that the length of a short film can be anything from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. But it depends upon the purpose of the film as well as who is producing it. Many film festivals will put a time limit on the length of short films, I have noticed the more successful short films are anything from 15-20 minutes, probably due to it being long enough for a plot line to have depth however short enough to maintain the audience's interest. After conducting my research I estimate that my group and I will produce a film around 5-10 minutes longs, I believe this is long enough to produce a clear storyline to the audience however include questions to keep them interested. Due to us producing a short film we must be careful not to prolong it or add unnecessary information as this could lead to our film being dull for audiences

I also questioned how a short film is usually structured, through the information from this website ; http://www.cgdirector.com/learn-how-successful-short-films-structure-their-story/ I was able to find out information on the three act structure. Almost all films are based on a storytelling technique that was first introduced by Aristotles (The Three Act Structure). A plot must have, Aristotle says, a beginning, a middle, and an end, and the events of the plot must causally relate to one another as being either necessary or probable. This effects the audience as by having a short film structure inspired by the three act structure they automatically have a clear understanding of what to expect in the sense of; beginning - rough idea of location, main characters and basic plot, middle - a problem has surfaced and the characters try to solve it, end - a conclusion on the problem. However with a short film the intention is to produce an ending that is left in the audience's minds for them to think about and question the film or sometimes their own lives. Hopefully my group and I have the ability to produce a clear structure that our audience will be able to understand so that they find our short film more interesting and gripping, I also hope we are able to have an effect on them with our final cliff hanger leaving them questioning those around them.

Post 15: Media Language: The Five C's of Cinematography

I decided to read an article by Joseph V. Mascelli and look at his thoughts on the: 5 C's of cinematography .

1. Camera Angles
“Camera placement is determined by narrative significance.”
This is helpful when it comes to filming for our short film as it reminds my group and I that we need to make the shot not only because it will be powerful and look good but because of the importance it holds in moving the storyline along.

2. Continuity

“Good continuity encourages the viewer to become absorbed in the story-telling, without bothersome distractions. The prime purpose of a motion picture, whether theatrical fiction feature or documentary fact film, is to capture and hold audience attention – from opening shot to final fade-out.” 

If the continuity is not constant throughout it will not only reduce the quality of our film but it can also distract the audience from our storyline.

3. Cutting
“Always move players into and out of close-ups to allow cutting on action.”
This is helpful as my group and I will spend a great deal of time and effort editing specific shots together and we must keep in mind what we are trying to put across to the audience so will be careful when putting various clips together. Techniques to remember whilst cutting includes match on action a simple but essential technique where the perspective of the camera changes during a scene however the scene continues to flow. Shot reverse shot is also a technique to remember whilst cutting, where one character is shown looking at another character (often off-screen), and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other, this will be useful during dialogue between characters to build interest and tension for our audience. Another thing to keep in mind is the pace of the film, it is also one of the directors major concerns as they need to make sure the action swells, subsides and swells again. The director does this to keep the scene from losing its energy and intensity. 

4. Close-Ups
"Close-ups should be made to count. The stronger the motive for using a close-up, the more the close-up can help make the story-telling truly effective!"

The point of close ups in our short film is to get across a certain emotion the character is feeling that we wish to put across to the audience. My group and I will remember to not only use close ups to make our film more effective but to make sure the storyline is constantly flowing, after all it's important to be selective as too many close ups would lessen the impact of a dramatic scene.

5. Composition
“Good composition is arrangement of pictorial elements to form a unified harmonious whole.”
When we edit our film my group and I will take extra care in making sure it looks good and will be effective for the audience.It is also important for my group and I to take into consideration the rule of thirds when filming as it is known for creating more tension, energy and interest in the composition then centering the subject matter instead. Symmetry and patterns are also worth remembering as they can make for very eye catching compositions, particularly in situations where they are not expected. Another great way to use them is to break the symmetry or patten in some way, introducing tension and a focal point to the scene. Negative space is also to be taken into consideration as it helps; control the colour palette, simplifies the shot, adds depth to the shot, isolates the audience attention to a particular frame. It gives actors the ability to move and to also show the space between people during dialogue which can sometimes increase the emotion of the shot. We want to make our film as powerful as possible and the 5C's can only help us strengthen the quality of our film.