Targets for film trailer posts

Wednesday, 17 September 2014

Target: try and use key terminology such as, technical, verbal, symoblic and engima codes.

Are there puzzles and questions left unanswered in the trailer that create an enimga for the audience?

Are there symoblic codes that create certain connotations and impact the audience?

Could you comment on the narrative structure of the trailer according to Todorov's theory of narrative?

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The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Trailer Analysis


 As The Hobbit:TBOTFA is the final part of a prequel trilogy it has to feel like its going to be a massive cinematic event, as a result this trailer has a grandiose feel with many links back to the original trilogy and featuring almost every character. One of the most poignant references to the original trilogy is the song in the background of the trailer which is sung by Pippin in The Return of the King over the top of Faramir's doomed charge against the Orc forces. By including it int this trailer they not only promote the link between the two trilogies but also for those who have seen the Lord of the Rings it hints at impending tragedy. Another link back to the original trilogy are the characters that feature in both of them, for example Galadriel, Gandalf and Saruman played by Kate Blanchett, Ian Mckellan and Christopher Lee respectively. By having these big named characters and actors featured in this trailer it will bring in a wider audience of cinema goers who will see these names as a symbol of quality.
There is very little speech in this trailer which makes what speech there is especially important. At the beginning Bilbo has a short voice over which basically serves to build the mystery around the film, with the suggestion of key character death. However as this is very vague the ambiguous nature of it will serve to entice in a cinema audience by making them want to find out more. The next speech is over halfway through the trailer with the exchange between Bard and Thorin, "Will you have peace or war?" with Thorin replying " I will have war". This shows a shift in the dynamics of Thorin's character, while previously he was very much a "good" character this hints that maybe in this film that could change.
 There are lots of slow paced establishing shots and fast paced mid or two shots which introduce all of the characters while maintaining the epic tone of the trailer. The low angle shot of the dragon Smaug is intimidating for the audience and firmly shows that this film will be darker than its predecessors.

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Course start checklist

Monday, 8 September 2014


Done?
Comment?
RESEARCH


Uploaded YouTube videos of 15 trailers – analysed
Key Terms: genre conventions, mise-en-scene, camera shots, sound, editing, unique selling points (USP), target audience, verbal codes, technical codes, symbolic codes, enigma codes.
3 done
Technical codes, enigma codes and verbal codes. Also look more into composition.
Posters analysed – 5
Picture, costumes, font, captions, text, colours, target audience, symbolic codes, enigma codes.
Done
Add analysis of enigma codes.
Magazine Covers – analysed - 5
Key Terms:  font, layout, picture, target audience, verbal codes, technical codes, symbolic codes, enigma codes.
Typography • What font styles are used? • What are the connotations of the font (what do they suggest)?
Layout • What effect does this have? Why is the page laid out like this?
Colour •What do the colours connote?
Images • What shot types and angles were used? • What is the effect of the shot type and/or angle? • What effect does the mise-en-scene have? • Why were the props, costumes, locations, etc. used? • What do they signify?
Mode of Address • How does the magazine ‘speak’ to its audience? • What language is used? • What impression do the fonts, colours, etc. have?

 4 done
Add analysis of enigma codes.
Shot types, locations or lack thereof?
Mode of address
Reflection of Year 12

More detail in evaluation, download programs tomake seem more sophisticated and record sound separately.
Exemplars read and reviewed
Yes.

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Kickass 2 Magazine Cover Analysis

Saturday, 30 August 2014

In this TimeOut cover for the Kickass sequel it has very bright colouring of yellow and purple which demonstrates the boisterous nature of this franchise, however that they are complementary colours it is portraying the film in a positive light. The purple is also important because it is the signature colour of the feature character on this cover; Hit-girl. This establishes the brand and will help to create a hype around the upcoming release. She is positioned centrally, taking up most of the cover which shows how big a part she will be playing in the film and also would help to encourage fans of the first film to both buy the magazine and watch the sequel as Hit-girl is a popular character.
 While none of her signature weapons are visible you can see a good deal of her costume, including the now almost iconic mask and wig combo again reinforcing the branding. The lettering is big, bold and exclamatory, channelling the vibe of the film it is promoting, even including a humorous crossed out expletive in the style of Hit-girl. This alerts anyone who isn't aware of the first film to the mood of the films and may encourage them to look into them. 

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The Hobbit Magazine Cover Analysis

Before The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey came out Empire magazine did a series of 5 collectable covers to promote it, this is one of them. It features one of the main characters from the previous Lord of The Rings films which would help to establish the branding of the franchise and assure old fans of what they would be getting out of the new film. As Galadriel is played by the actress Cate Blanchett, a well established and popular actor, it is important that she is positioned centrally, taking up pretty much the entirety of the page.

 As the image itself is overwhelmingly white the text of both the magazine title and the film title stand out very clearly as an example of the synergy of this venture. In her hand is an important item from the previous trilogy, again establishing the link between the films for those who were fans of them. However for those who weren't fans of the previous films it serves to anchor the magical, fantasy element of the action/adventure genre to this film.

Because the film is being featured in such a prominent film magazine like Empire it establishes it as an important release, especially as it has a whole issue devoted to it. This kind of publicity is important as it spreads the word that a film is worth seeing to both the casual film-going community and critics.

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Kill Bill Poster

Sunday, 24 August 2014

The yellow and black colouring of this poster screams danger which hints toward the graphic violence of the film. A second hint to the film's violence is the large katana sword which is very clearly placed on the poster alongside the occasional burst of blood red lettering.The bright yellow also suggests that this is an unusual film thus giving it a USP in its own quirkiness. 
It is stated very clearly that this is a Quentin Tarantino film just bellow the title which  is important because Tarantino films are effectively a brand in their own right and the fact that he directed it would on its own draw in an audience. The title is relatively ambiguous in the sense that it doesn't give away much of the film aside from the fact that a man named Bill has it coming. 
Uma Thurman's "The Bride" is positioned centrally showing that she is the main protagonist of the film, this is a drawing point for the film as you don't get that many female protagonists within the action genre. It also shows off that Uma Thurman, a well known actress, is in the film and would attract her fans.

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The Bourne Identity Poster

In this poster for The Bourne Identity Jason Bourne is very large and central showing him to be the main character and implying that his is the identity in question which hint to the plot of the film. The only other images in the poster portray both action and a romantic plot line which suggests that the film will adhere to those conventional elements of the action genre.
In terms of colours there are two key ones that dominate the poster: orange and blue. The blue suggests a logical and collected theme hinting towards the technological aspect of the film while the orange portrays the danger and passion of the film.
All the text is in a bold, simplistic, white font which is often used in the action genre to show the brash nature of these films while still lending an air of sophistication the will appeal to the target age group of 14+. At the bottom of the poster yet still clear is a positive review from a prominent american publication which would help to sway those on the fence about watching the film.

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