Finished Products

Evaluation

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

My media product uses various forms and conventions of well known media products in todays society. Firstly, our film trailer uses captions which are widely used in many popular film trailer today. These have been used in order to help explain what is going on and indeed add individuality to the narrative used. Along with this, it helps to appeal to the target audience and add a fairy tale twist to this modern adaption. Whilst researching various trailers we made a mental note of what exactly was included in individual trailers we then incorporated various aspects into our trailer thus using and developing conventions of real media products. An example of this is the opening sequence of Ella Enchanted, In this, a fairy tale book is used to help explain the beginning of the story along with a voice over who reads out the story line included in the book. This was useful to include in our trailer for the reasons above, mainly the fact that, it helped to explain the story. Also, we developed the conventions used in various trailers such as, using the example of Ella Enchanted again, the fairy tale book. Instead of using classic fairy tale images we used our own pictures and developed them in order to blend them in with the fairy tale book and add a modern edge. Thus, adding a modern feel to our fairy tale trailer which was our goal from the start. The ways in which we perhaps challenged various media products is by filming most of our trailer in one location, although a couple of shots were filmed in other locations the majority of our trailer was indeed filmed in school. I feel by ding this we have challenged many forms of trailer simply by not using an a ray of locations. It can be argued that this has actually caused us a disadvantage but i feel by just including specific locations helped to keep the story simple to understand and also made it appeal to our target audience who can relate to a school environment.

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

Before answering this question, it must be said what is actually meant by the term Ancillary. This terms means the way in which the products are all linked. Our products are all linked in a number of ways, each one contains the title of our product and also includes various images of the characters involved. In order to express a theme across all three products we first of all worked on the trailer so we could decide which images would best represent our trailer. We came to the conclusion that all four main characters should be added in order to be able to link our products together skillfully meaning we included the same picture on both the magazine cover and poster. The font used in our trailer and two other products remained the same throughout. We wanted to show consistency between the trailer and the two product which go along with the trailer. Overall, the theme has indeed been carried through on all of our individual products which all link up nicely together. I feel this is an important aspect for media products to have because the consumer has to be able to link which poster goes with each trailer and indeed which magazine cover. Relevant for the public interest and indeed the overall look of the finished products.

What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

From our audience feedback we have learnt, that although some of the narrative didn't make sense, our overall product was finished to a high standard, It was easy to understand, mostly due to the captions and the narrative seemed to attract the consumers to want to go and see this movie if it was shown in the cinemas. Perhaps the most successful and commented feature about this trailer was the quick change of shots and the popular theme of a fairy tale which attracted our target audiences attention the most.We have, however, learnt that a trailer isn't necessarily there to tell the story it is only there to give the audience a taster of what is to be expected if they go and view this film. We incorporated a number of shots in this trailer and it paid off as it added a interest to this piece and also, due to the short duration of many shots, allowed us to cram more footage into the trailer thus adding in a few more interesting shots to the overall products which was commented on by the audience feedback. Although helpful, there was a number of opinions expressed in our audience feedback-mostly positive but sometimes negative-mainly constructive criticism though it must be noted.

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

We used a number of media technologies in order to research various aspects for our trailer. For example, various Youtube videos which i then analysed in order to try and undersand the conventions used.I knew that whilst we didn’t want to mimic any trailers we’d seen, it would be a good idea to take certain aspects and make them our own. We used the example of trailers to construct our ideas and it also helped in the research stages when trying to decide on the genre of film we wanted to focus on and also the way in which we wanted to present our trailer, the various style of trailers there is for the different genres is astounding. The research that we did into various trailers and popular film genres of today helped us, not only construct our ideas, but also helped us to plan how to film various bits, what locations to use and indeed who to use in our trailer. Using the Mac computers made everything a lot easier as there is a number of programmes on there that allowed us to try out various things such as experimenting with bits of footage when trying to paste clips together and add effects. The blogs also came in useful during the evaluation stages as it was easy to put up a number of clips and also ask people what they thought through social networking sites like Facebook. I did post a poll on my blog in order to ask people what is more likely to attract there attention to a trailer, so I knew what people were attracted too before even starting the filming. Throughout this assignment, various media technology has helped to contribute to research and planning (through watching trailers and finding out more about them), planning (using the trailer to construct ideas around and help work out what elements are needed in our trailer), and evaluation stages (posting various things on social networking sites and also on my blog). I feel without media technology getting ideas out there would be a lot harder.

The Editing Process

After collecting all our footage, it was time to edit. First we spend time looking at the storyboard and deciding what we needed to change and which shots would look good together. The captions were pretty easy to make as we basically used photoshop, all of us already had experience in using photoshop due to our as-level project. The captions were easy to start with as they helped us get the story and order straight in our heads. Next, the biggest task of all the editing process, cutting down the footage that we got. This was pretty hard to do as we wanted the correct mis-en-scene and also the correct camera shots including close up shots, medium close-ups and long shots along with a wider variety of camera angles. It was quite hard to get used to using Premier-Pro. to start with as it was quite hard to use and the amount of things that could be done got quite confusing. Eventually, after getting used to it, it became obvious that there was only two tools really that needed to be use, that was the grab tool which selects various sections of the footage and also the cutter tool which cut bits of footage up so the whole clip didn't need to be used. Pasting the various pieces of footage proved hard as we wanted to get the timing correct and also wanted to use the best shot of the sequence we had filmed. Each of the shots, looked pretty similar because we decided that taking a longer sequence of film would give us a better choice of footage to choose from. In order to load the footage up we had to use a cable connected to the back of the Mac computers. Next we used Premier Pro. to load up the film we had recorded which we then had to watch through. The editing process did take a lot of time, especially as we didn't have all the footage that we needed before we begun. After editing and pasting the shots together we added various effects, such as dissolving and a white flash. I think we were too ambitious to begin with as we did want to include various cartoon bits such as hearts as we felt this would edge a fun edge to our trailer. Overall, i feel our trailer has turned out well and although the editing process was hard to begin with it definitely got easier as we got used t using the equipment.

Captions
In order to create the captions we found various images of fairy tale books we then copied these into photoshop and added in each of the captions plus photos of each of the characters. in order to add authenticity to the book we added effects to the photos, such as posterisation and also different brush strokes that were avaliable on photoshop. We cut ad pasted the books into photoshop then added in the captions then finally the pictures. In order to add it to the trailer we had to save the individual captions then paste them into premier pro. Overall, the process was quite simple. However, finding the right pictures to match the captions and indeed taking them proved harder. Mianly because we had to gather all the characters together and also had to find the right location which would represent what we wanted to show in the narrative.

Transitions
To add some individuality to the trailer, we decided to add in a few transitions between a few of the clips. For example, the firtst effect, added between the 'fairytale book' and the first page. I think, by adding this, it has made a smooth change between each of the captions so is not so jumpy and overall easier on the viewer and effect of the trailer. Another effect that we added was the transition between the first page of the book and the school corridor. I feel the effect links nicely with the scene and adds individuality to our trailer. Overall, i like the effect added by transitions in trailers, through research i have found that alot of film trailers use and have used transitions. A good exmaple would be, at the beginning of Ella Enchanted. This is where two of the opening shots seem to blend into one another and adds a nice effect to the overall finish.

Film Magazine Analysis

Total Film

The layout of this front cover compliments each aspect of each detail involved. There hs only been a small number of colours involved. For example, the white title fits in well with the name of the articles and also what the female actress is wearing in the picture. The yellow writing that has been used in a bold font also compliments well with the background and the white lettering, since these are the only colours that have been used, the black background has more of an impact as does the main image of the two characters. There is nothing to distract attention away from the main focuses on the magazine front cover. The way the picture as been positioned adds to the feel of the front cover, the dramatic pose and the expressions used makes the viewer want to pick up the magazine to see wht its about, it captivates interest straight away. The number of different sized fonts, although all in the same sort of font, adds a different sort of appeal to this front cover. It brings the whole front cover together but still allows it to grab the viewers attention. Overall, a successful front cover, one I hope to produce during the process of making one for my trailer.



Empire

This film magazine is totally different to ‘total film’ front cover. Firstly, this magazine cover doesn’t really have a background, instead it has an image which takes up the whole background. Of course, this image is very well known so will immediately draw attention to this magazine. The red border adds impact to the picture as this is where the eye is immediately drawn too. It almost makes this picture appear clean-cut, this compliments the title of the magazine which has been included in large red lettering, which, again, contrasts well with the image and is extremely attention grabbing. The next thing that grabs my attention is the white title at the bottom of the page, only three words long, it grabs the attention of the viewer straight away and makes them want to read on-which is of course the aim of a front cover. The bit of writing at the top of the page compliments the rest of the cover and adds a bit more character to the overall look of the cover. However, a sticker has been added which doesn’t really fit with the rest of the cover, its hard to understand why exactly it has been placed there. It doesn’t fit with the colour scheme, it doesn’t particularly bring anything to the cover but it ca be argued that it stands out and makes the viewer want to no more aobut what exactly its trying to advertise. I feel overall, although quite a mysterious cover which makes the viwer want to read on, I think that it doesn’t let anyone else no about what else is actually in this magazine. If they aren’t into star wars they aren’t very likely to want to read this magazine thus, this cover, only appeals to a specific target audience.

Overall

After looking at both of these covers I have discovered the way that I want to portray our film trailer. I think that the ‘total film’ magazine cover was the more successful one in grabbing my attention overall. I like the way they have included one image as I feel this is a great way to present the film and it doesn’t confuse the viewer too much either. I find if there is too much going on it gets confusing. The titles were also kept simplistic, an easy to read font and indeed a clear colour scheme all added to the successful appeal of this cover. Although I did like the ‘empire’ front cover, I don’t feel it succeeded in grabbing all audiences attention. It may very well have articles inside to suit everyone’s taste but this wasn’t portrays on the front cover which is, after all, the main thing that grabs the viewers attention. I feel where ‘empire’ was lacking, ‘total film’ made up for it, which has made me come to the conclusion that ‘total film’ is indeed the better and more successful magazine cover.

Initial Ideas ( Film Poster)

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Idea 1

The first idea for our film poster came to us very quickly. We knew we wanted to portray the fact that the main male character (matt) was sought after by the three female characters (Charlotte, Pip and Ashley). After researching other film posters we came to the conclusion that we wanted the title to be at the top then some sort of slogan at the bottom with a picture in between. We decided we wanted the main image to be of all the main characters. Matt at the front then Charlotte, Pip and Ashley in the background looking at each other in a nasty way which implies that they are all after the same guy, hence the title of this film, ‘He’s Mine’. We felt this idea would be perfect for this film as it basically gives the viewer a taste of what’s to be expected just from the poster. We feel it will attract he target audience, but also appeals to other audiences as what its about isn’t quite given away in this poster this creating a aura of mystery. The font we would use would be something like, comic sans MS, this is because it would appeal to our target audience, our colour scheme would also be quite upbeat and bright in order to attract attention. An example of this would be the poster for another romantic comedy called Failure to Launch. This one includes various colours which attracts the attention of a teenage audience and adds a fresh appeal to the film poster.

Overall, I like this poster idea as I feel not only is it simplistic, but it also conveys the narrative of this story well.

Idea 2

In the centre of this poster, there will be a picture of Matt. Then, around the outside of his picture, there will be various images of the three female characters all doing different things. For example, charlotte is painting her nails, Pip is on the phone and Ashley is applying her make-up. We have done this because teenage girls, our target audience, can relate to this. They can all relate to wanting a boy they can’t have as well hence the title, ‘He’s Mine’. I feel by dividing up this poster into sections, it adds individuality to this poster idea. The title and slogan would be included in the same section at the bottom of the poster, thus keeping the information together and not distracting from what is going on in the images-making this poster, overall, easier for the viewer to digest. This poster idea is similar to that of the poster for Atonement. That one was also divided into three sections. The first section contained a picture of the female character, the third one contained a picture of the male character and the middle one contained the title and a smaller picture.
Overall, I feel this poster idea is great for attracting attention and relating to our target audience however I don’t think it portrays the narrative well enough.

Idea 3

Our third and final idea, is perhaps my personal favourite. The three female characters are placed in the box at the top of the page, they are facing the camera but each show their own form of attitude, for example one would have their arms crossed. The main male character, Matt, is included in the box at the bottom of the poster, he’s simply looking into the camera, almost posing. The middle section is reserved for the title and the slogan for the film. The title would be in a different font to that of the title in order to create a bit of individuality. Personally, I like the simplicity of this idea and that way in which I haven’t seen another film poster like it, its original. The colour scheme would be kept to only a few colours each one tying in with something else as I feel this is the best way to bring a poster together and allow it to look like one picture not a number of smaller ones, which create a messy overall look. I feel, once completed, this poster would look unique and eye-catching. My favourite idea overall.

The Magazine Front Cover

We plan to use the poster picture for the image on the magazine front cover. This is in order to create consistency between all the products, which conventionally, will be most effective. We want to title of the magazine to take up the first part of the page and the title of our film, “He‘s Mine” to be the second biggest feature, a world exclusive. We want to do this in order to attract the viewers attention to it. We don’t want any other film titles on there in such big lettering as to not attract attention away from our film. We want to keep to a basic colour scheme, the title in red with most of the sub titles in black. The main image is going to stand out, to attract the most attention. We were influenced by the magazine covers we researched, Empire being the most effective in our opinion.

We produced a number of ideas for this, but decided this idea was the best one:

Analysis Of Film Posters

I've started off by analysisng the Love Actually film poster, the first thing that is obvious through just looking at it is the fact that this film is obviously a festive film, made clear by the fact snow has been included and the fact the pictures are layed out in a gift wrap style. Also the colors used in this poster are very similar to the traditional colors used at christmas. These colors, however, are kept very simplistic this is so that the viewers attention isn't distracted from the image itself. Each of the pictures included of the cast, are very interesting. Each one has its own individual style to it, each has its own individual expression. By including each of their names under their pictures, a sense of personality is added, immediately we know who each of the actors/actresses are if the pictures didn't make it clear enough. The font used, along with the coors of them, adds a simplistic sense but still contrasts well with the rest of the poster. A simplistic color scheme and a simple font helps to make this poster effective in presenting this film and what it is about. However, i don't think it is clear what genre this film is, although it has a festive feel and mainly the color red is used (which represent love) i don't think it is obvious to the viewer what genre this film actually is, not from the film poster anyway. The title; 'Love Actually' is the only thing that makes it clear this film is indeed a romantic comedy. An effective film poster, but in my opinion, it would benefit from being a little less busy and a bit more clear.


Perhaps one of the most popular modern day book adaptions, Twilight has captured young peoples imaginations all over the world especially the girls. This poster represents exactly what Twilight i about without giving too much away. Its dark coloring adds a sinister edge to the story and it fits well with the font style used for the title. Each of the characters are wearing dark clothing and the misty dark clouds used in the background add to its gothic romantic appeal. The characters in the for ground, played by Rob Pattison and Kristen Stewart, have been made to convey a meaning. Kristen, who's plays Bella, is shown to look wary and, judging by the fact she's looking over her shoulder, perhaps panicing about a certain issue. Rob, who plays Edward, is staring straight at the camera. The way he is looking promotes a serious appeal like he is protecting Bella from something/someone. Behind him, to show that he is protecting Bella, there are three other characters. Each of them, especially the male in the centre all look very menacing and like the are about the attack Edward and Bella. It is interesting how the poster has been designed to be landscape, the ones i have chosen t analysis are both portrait. When using a poster this way, it is easier to fit more on but perhaps harder to use if wanting to feature the whole length of the body close-up. An effective film poster, perfectly clear hat this film is about but still leaves just the right amount of of mystery to make the viewer want to go and see it.



Since the trailer i have planned to do fits with the romantic comedy genre, i decided to look at this poster because it fits with the modern fairy tale and also the genre it follows itself. Firstly, the background used on this poster. It is plain white in order to represent simplicity it also contrasts nicely with Hilary duffs, who plays Sam, dress. The fact that she is wearing white represent innocent, added too by her expression, and also contrasts well with her bold pink converse that she is wearing. This immediately shows the reader this isn't like any other fairy tale where the princess always wears a big dress and pretty shoes-adding a modern edge. Chad Micheal Murray, or Austin who he plays in the film, is shown to wear a simple t-shirt and jeans with black plimpsol's, not only does he contrast well with Sam, he also shows that he isn't the classic style of prince, he himself is a modern day guy not a traditional prince. The title has been colored blue in order to allow it to stand out against the rest of the poster, also it doesn't fit with the conventions of a classic fairy tale as usually the title is featured in a posh font, with curls and a thin line of ink. The release date in colored the same as the title as it compliments each other nicely and pulls the whole piece together. A back bold font has been used for the actor and actresses names this has been done so that the viewers eye isn't drawn to this first, instead the viewer takes in the image and the title itself first. The quote is then included in a clear font that isn't to eye catching this has been done in order to not draw too much attention away from the rest of the poster. It has been included in order to grab the viewers attention and make them want to go see the film. This piece represents exactly what i want to convey in the poster that is needed for our trailer, i think its simplistic but effective in presenting the film.

Target Audience

Target Audience

After studying the genres of many movies and their target audiences. I have come to the conclusion that the demographic for my product are 14-18 females, western based in both Britain and America. This would be best suited to the tye of film we are going to produce. The trailer targets the main points in the film and each of them link to teenage life and the teenage problems that many people experience, especially girls. For example the meeting and fancying a boy who usually has a lot of other admirers. It is a common problem that teenage girls can relate to. Also, the level of comedy included in this movie, quite upbeat and girly, would appeal to the audience we have chosen to target.

In order to get a better feel for what attracts people to a particular trailer, and in turn, the film itself I have decided to ask for feedback on what indeed grabs the viewers attention and what attracts them most to the actual film.
The results are as follows;

My first question, "When viewing a trailer, what grabs your attention the most?"
The answers for this poll were:
A variety of shots and camera angles
The dialouge used
The soundtrack
Orginaility and how the movie featured is presented.

Overall, there was a total of 13 votes on my blog and a total of 20 votes outside of my blog which involved me asking people various questions. The element that attract most of the people I asked to a trailer was the originality and how the movie featured is presented, this has proven that in order to attract attention our trailer will have to feature lots of different shots to keep them interest and also add an original edge something that hasn’t been done before. This was closely followed by the variety of shots and camera angles. Many people commented on the fact they wanted to see a large variety which, in turn, would make the feature more interesting to watch. The dialogue and soundtrack used were in joint third place out of all the people I asked. Many commented on how the soundtrack adds to the feel of the scene and helps to explain the narrative, for example a horror genre of film would have a creepy style of music were as a romantic comedy would have a more upbeat style of music. The dialogue used in a trailer adds a bit more interest for the viewer, adds to the story and sometimes helps to tell it.

My second question, “What attracts you most to a film?”
The answers for this poll were:
The film trailer
The actors/actresses involved in the film
The rating received from critics
The company who made the film, for example Disney

Overall, there was a total of 11 votes online and a total of 20 votes outside of my blog which I did separately in order to find out different ways of interacting with the audience not just through one method of research, using a computer. The top answer, was exactly what I expected, the film trailer. Over half of the people I asked said they would judge a film on its film trailer rather than something else, like what the critics say. This result wasn’t very surprising at all. The second most popular answer was the people who actually are actually involved in the film, the actors and actresses, this again wasn’t too surprising. It has shown us that the people we choose to play the role will have to fit them perfectly in order to create the right image and although we can’t afford celebrity endorsement we feel by choosing the people who fit the roles will be just as effective. The least popular answers were, the rating received from critics and the company who made the film. Neither of these answers proved to be that popular in my poll and many people commented that they would rather judge a film for themselves rather than judging it by someone else’s opinion, like a film critics for example. The company involved in the production of the film, I personally thought would influence many people decisions, but they all said it was the trailer which clinched the deal the most for them as some companies who are not that well known still manage to produce excellent films.

Character + Location Analysis

Character Analysis

When choosing the characters we wanted to star in our trailer, we took various things into consideration. Firstly, the availability of the individuals. From our previous experience, like the AS level project which was to create a magazine front cover, we knew that people who couldn’t be relied on created more problems then they were worth. So, we wanted to cast people who could guarantee they’d always be around to help us with our trailer. Secondly, we wanted people who would fit the physical and indeed the personal portrayal of the character that would conventionally be in a fairytale. After researching various characters used in other trailers, we set our minds to actually casting the characters. We did encounter a few problems throughout this process. For example, one of the people we wanted to play a lead characters was never around to film so we had to quickly choose someone else who would fir the stereotype we were looking for. It didn’t prove to hard, overall, to find someone to play each of our characters. Most of the characters involved I this trailer, are indeed part of the group. This means that, not only are the always around, they’re also able to input their ideas in a physically.

Our cast list

To play the princesses: Ashley Finch
Charlotte Piper
Charlotte Meek
To play the prince:Matt Kaal

Each of the characters we picked to star in the trailer fitted the look we wanted for our trailer. The princesses all have individual looks and all have an individual acting style. They all contrast well with one another and all fit the conventions of princesses. The character we decided to use as the prince also fitted the conventions of a prince. Like many, he is tall and dark however some of the modern princesses like the one cast in Ella Enchanted appear to have longer hair than then one used in ours. I feel this is a good thing as its adds originality to our trailer.

The locations used in our trailer went through the same process as our character casting. We decided what we wanted each scene to portray then linked in the location. Since our trailer is a modern day fairytale it made sense to film most of it in school. This is because, not only is this where our main target audience spends most of their teenage years, it also adds a modern feel to a fairytale, we are avoiding filming in an old village./fairytale castle like many fairytales and adding individuality to our trailer.

Our location list

School Corridor
Outside of School Area
Common Room
Picnic Benches
Class Room


Most of our trailer was shot in school, this is because we want our target audience which is teenage girls to be able to relate to the narrative and we also wanted to give this trailer a modern edge. We feel that by using an original location which hasn’t been used in traditional fairytales adds a modernistic feel to this fairytale story. We used various locations in school including a Class room, the school corridors, the sixth form common room and indeed the picnic benches in the schoolyard. All these locations, not only represent the school environment but also add a modern edge to this trailer and like I’ve said make it easier for our target audience to link with the narrative. Finally, in order, to add a bit of variety to our trailer we decided to film a couple of scenes outside of school. We felt this added a different appeal to the trailer and originality.

Storyboard

In order to make filming easier we decided to get our ideas down on paper in the form of a storyboard. This, in the long run, will make it easier to film as we no exactly what we want. It also helps us to plan out the camera shots we want and, although not detailed, will also help us decide on the narrative on this trailer in order to make it easier to follow.












The opening sequence consists of a caption and various shots or the school. The caption will be of a fairytale book open, one side will have some sort of relevant picture (just like a fairytale book) and the other will have part of the story so this one will say: Once upon a time’. We got this idea from various fairytale films like Shrek for example which includes a fairytale book opening sequence. The next shot is an establishing shot of the corridor which will be empty, then there is a quick cut to the fire bell and then back to the corridor to show it full of students. The bell signifies the end of class, which then ties in nicely withv the full corridor. There is then a medium close up of three of the main female characters (Ashley, charlotte and Pip) walking down the corridor with the students parting. This is to signify how these girls are different to the other students that go to the school, just like any other conventional teenage movie, they are what is known as ‘Teen Royalty’ everyone wants to be them. A number of close ups of the individual girls is then included in order to add variety and show emotion.

The next caption;’ They’re the girls everyone want to be..’ comes in after the three close up shots. This, again, helps to tell the story and adds a classic feel to our modern version. We then plan to include either a fight scene between two princesses when they see one princess with the prince which we haven’t yet documented because we are not too sure if we want all of it in our trailer. The next caption will then pop up with; ’Until.. ’in it, followed by a close up shot of the prince most likely in slow motion in order to show that he is the ’target’ for the princesses and the centre of all the drama. We then want to include various shots of the narrative, like a three way phone call which starts with a close-up of all three girls on the phone then zooms in to a close up shot of their lips. Adding variety and indeed individuality to this trailer. Another caption then appears; ’This summer..’ which implies the trailer is near an end but also keeps the audience hanging on for the release date (hopefully). We’ve then included a couple of shots of various practical jokes that the princesses play on one another, the example used in the storyboard is the one where one falls over in front of the other and the prince. Then there is a point of view shot of the princess looking up to see the prince stood over her. Then one from his point of view looking down at her which adds variety to the shots used. We want another caption to come up at this point but we’re not to sure what to put on it perhaps something like ’They’re in it to win it’ or ’there fairytales turned to nightmares’. The next sequence of shots revolves around a sequence in which one princess cuts the hair of the other in class. We wanted to use a mixture of shots here, such as a close up to show emotion once the hairs been cut and also a long shot of the class room to show the layout of the table and the princess going to attack the other after cutting it.

To round off our trailer, we plan to include on caption containing the title; ’He’s Mine’ and then we want it to cut to the final ending shot which we want to make enough of an impact for the viewer to want to go and see the film. A close-up of the prince walking away from the three princesses who are in the background, we then want him to whisper something like ’Let the games begin’ but perhaps not that exact phrase as that has already been used in a film called Saw which is actually a horror film which we don’t want to be associated with our modern fairytale. He close up as been included to show emotion but we also want the three princesses in shot. The last caption incorporates; ’In 2010’ then underneath; ’Who will get their happy ever after’. We thought by including a catchy phrase it would entice the viewer to come and see it.

Initial Ideas

In order to come up with ideas for the tailer, i researched various trailers. Using these conventions and indeed the theories of many experts, the group and i have come up with a few rough ideas for the trailer sequence, the shots used and the locations.

This trailer opens with a caption featuring a typical opening of a fairy tale "Once Upon A Time" this is conventional of many fairy tales and adds a classic appeal. The soundtrack will feature an enchanted tune which will cut to a more up beat tune when the next shot appears which shows the viewer immediately that this isn't a classic fairy tale that they have come to expect, it in fact has a modern twist to it. The next shot is a medium long shot of an empty school corridor, still with an upbeat tune in the background. This is an establishing shot and shows the viewer that this trailer is indeed set in a modern day school. A close up shot of a school bell ringing to singal the end of second lesson then appears on screen. This again, empahasises the fact that this trailer has got a modern edge to it. A medium long shot of the school corridor then appears again featuring groups of students and a busy corridor appears. This shows the bussling feel of any school. The camera zooms in to three girls, the modern princesses, who appear on screen (played by Zoe, Charlotte and Ashley).The camera films as the walk through the corridor, then cuts to various close-ups of the individuals. This is done in order to allow the audience to connect with the characters featured. Another caption then flashes up on screen; "They're The Girls Everyone Wats To Be.." again this is presetned on a plain background with a fairytale tune, after this another caption, "Until.." , again with conventional music and a plain background. A close-up of the male lead character (played by Alex) appaears on screen. He proceeds to walk in slow motion up to the camera past Zoe, Charlotte and Ashley. The next shot in split into a 3 way shot in order to show each character in different locations on the phone in the same camera shot. This is put in, in order to allow the viewer to see the three girls are friends but are all after one boy. Following this, a close up three way shot of each of their lips is included in order to add variety. Yet another caption apears, "This Summer", followed by a tracking shot of Charlotte walking along the corridor towards the prince only to fall over and land on the floor in front of him. Then a close-up shot of the Alex, from Charlottes point of view, appears with the added effect of being blurry to show that Charlotte fell over and hit the flor hard enough to knock herself out. The camera then changes to Alex's point of view looking down at Charlotte, she then looks up realizing its Alex and shows herself to be very embarrassed. Another caption appears,"They're In It To Win Him..", Now, to a different location, outside of school. Medium long shot of car with Alex and Zoe in pulling up outside of school. Charlotte and Ashley look on-obvious they are not happy about it, shown with a close up of each of them. Camera shoots to a classroom environment with a close up of a hand with scissors featured. Then flashes to Zoe cutting off Ashley's hair, over shoulder shot of Zoe holding the piece of hair. Zoe then launches herself over the desk, shown in a medium close-up Ashley as she goes to attack Zoe. The title then flashes up on screen then a final medium close-up of Alex walking in front of the girls, all three looking t him as he walks away, Alex then says, "Let The Games Begin". Final caption pops up containing information such as the release date; "In 2010" then "Whose Gonna Get Their Happy Ever After?".

Applying Theory

The 31 Functions of a Fairytale

1. Absentation: One of the members of the family leaves home

2. Interdiction. The hero is told not to do something, for example told not to do something.

3. Violation: The her does the interdiction anyway.

4. Reconnaissance: The villain makes an attempt to try and find something, for example the jewels.

5. Delivery: the villain find out information about the hero.

6. Trickery: The villain tries to trick the hero.

7. Complicity: The victim gives in, at this point the story looks as if it may end in tragedy.

8. Villainy: Villain causes harm to the hero/ family.

9. Mediation: defining moment in the story, hero finds out about the deceit.

10. Beginning counteraction: Hero now decite to act in a way to help the lack. Usually helped by the seeker.

11. Departure: The hero begins their journey.

12. First function of donor: hero is finally tested/interrogated/attacked.

13. The hero’s reaction: The hero reacts to actions of the future donor.

14. Provision or receipt of a magical agent: The hero then gets hold of the magical agent that will help the hero on their journey.


15. Spatial transference, guidance: hero is guided on their journey.

16. Struggle: The hero struggles to beat the villain.

17. Branding, marking: Hero is ’branded’, for example receives a scar/cut etc.

18. Victory: Hero beats the villain

19. Restoration/ Lack liquidated: Initial misfortune is resolved, for example a spell is broken/ curse lifted etc.

20. Return: Hero returns back a legend.

21. Pursuit, chase: Hero is followed by the pursuer, tries to eat/kill/undermine the hero.

22. Rescue: Hero is rescued from pursuer.

23. Unrecognized arrival: Hero is unrecognized and returns home/to a different country

24. Unfounded claims: False hero then presents untrue claims.

25. Difficult task: Hero is given a difficult task.

26. Solution: The task is resolved.

27. Recognition: Hero is finally recognized.

28. Exposure: The false hero/villain is exposed.

29. Transfiguration: New appearance is given to the hero

30. Punishment: Villain is finally punished.

31. Wedding: Hero is usually married/descends the throne/rewarded or promoted.

Propp's Theory

Propp’s Theory

Vladimir Propp, born in 1895 and died in 1970 came up with the morphology of the fairytale in 1928.
He examined hundreds of fairytales in its generic form, he identified 8 characters and 31 functions which move the story along, for example the punishment of the villain. Another example is the ban of action for example in snow white she is not allowed to eat the apple or she will fall into a deep sleep.

The 8 Characters
The Villain
The Hero
The Donor
The Helper
The Princess
Her Father
The Dispatcher
The false Hero

The 31 Functions
Absentation
Interdiction
Violation Of Interdiction
Reconnaissance
Delivery
Trickery
Complicity
Villainy And Lack
Mediation
Beginning Counter-Action
Departure
First Function Of The Donor
Heroes Reaction
Receipt Of A Magical Agent
Guidance
Struggle
Branding
Victory
Liquidation
Return
Pursuit
Rescue
Unrecognized Arrival
Unfounded Claims
Difficult Task
Solution
Recognition
Exposure
Transfiguration
Punishment
Wedding

Levi-Strauss's Theory

Claude Levi-Stauss was a french structuralist and lived during the 1970's. He is famous for putting together his film theory known as the 'binary oppositions'.

In order to find he oppsitions, Struss was less interested in..
1) Syntagmatic relations
-How events line up in the narrative structure, which then develop the plot.

He was most interested in..
2) Paradigtic Relations
-Those events and features that belong to the theme of the piece, especially within genre based texts.

He used the 'western' film genre to develop his theory of binary oppsitions:

Homesteaders Native
Christian Pagen
Domestic Savage
Weak Strong
Garden Wilderness
Inside Society Outisde society

All of these are opposites t one another.

The horror gere of film is also a good example f opposites in films; good + Evil. Another example of this is evident in the crime genre.

law criminals
mean strong
safe streets means streets
sane mad
poor rich
detective villian

Barthe's Theory

Rolan Bathe was a french theorist who came up with his own theory which can be applied to film.

Five action codes that enable an audience to make sense of a narrative:

1) Hermeneuic (narrative turning points)
-We no where abouts the story is going, what is going to happen.

2) Proacien (basic narrative actions)
- For example; detective interviews a suspect, femme fatale seduces hero etc.
(Propps 31 functions)

3) Cultural (prior scial knowledge)
- Our attitudes to gender/racial stereotypes

4) Semic (medium-related codes)
For example; intertextuality

5) Symbolic (themes)
For example; icongraphy or a theme such as "Image versus reality"
(Curtis Hanson)

Todorov's Theory

Todorov’s Theory

“Disrupted Equilibrium”

Equilibrium
Disequilibrium
Equilibrium

Equilibrium: ‘Status Quo’ where things are as they should be
Disequilibrium: ‘Status Quo’ is disrupted by an event
Equilibrium: is restored at the end of the story by the actions of the hero.

An example of this is a movie called Independence Day.

Equilibrium: People are living their daily lives normally, day to day activity the same as it always was, always has been.

Disequilibrium: The people are disrupted by the arrival of an alien space ship.

Equilibrium: The alien space ship is exterminated and the people go back to living their lives again.

Later, Todorov developed his theory into a 5 stage pattern:
1. A state of equilibrium at the outset
2. A disruption of the equilibrium by some action
3. Recognition that there has been a disruption
4. Attempt to repair the disruption
5. Reinstatement of the equilibrium.

This shows a development from three stages too five.

Focused Analysis 3: Locations

Again, I'm focusing on the cinderella story trailer in order to keep consistency in my research.

Since this film is based on a modern fairy tale. The first opening shot is of an enchanted castle which only appears in the opening shot. This sets the theme of the story. The frosty looking landscape contrasts well with that of Los Angeles, a desert like place. The landscape f Los Angeles has been included with a beautiful blue sky. This allows the viewer to establish where this film is set. The wooden fence also adds to this scene, because it is so small, the viewer feels as if LA is the best place to escape too.

The house in which Cinderella lives in with her stepmother and step sisters is quite inviting itself. The LA style architecture adds an appeal to this shot and also emphasizes the authenticity of the house. The colour scheme used adds to the sunny landscape and the browns and whites compliment each other well. The characters clothing and style contrasts well with that of the house. Overall, this house shows that although the family is well off, the size and look of Cinderella's room shows that she herself is quite underprivileged. The outside area of this house includes a pool and a sun bed. This shows the viewer that this family is indeed very privileged and very well off. Also, adding in the garden scenes adds variety to this trailer.

The cafe in which Cinderella is works is also included, this is too show that although she comes from a well-off background she still has to work. The cafe decor is similar to that of an 80's cafe with the checked floor tiles and the bold wall paint. The round tables add a friendly atmosphere and the fact the counter runs the whole way through the cafe adds a stylish look to the whole place.

Another main location used is the school. This environment is perfect for a romantic comedy as it is a common believe that teenagers are the ones to have the most fantasy romances and school is the conventional location to show this. By including a school, ost of the target audience can relate to this story. Inside the school, there is shots of the library where cinderella spends her time talking to her 'Prince' through the computer, this adds mystery. Cinderella is also shown here when doing her work, proving she is smart and wants to do well. he location used adds to the narrative and the viewers understanding of it.

Also featured is the batting cage where Cinderella works on her baseball skills. This location is used as her personal space as earlier on in the story we are told that she used to play there with her dad before he was killed. The cage she is in perhaps represents the fact she feels trapped and this is the only place she feels she can let off steam.

Like every fairy tale, the Princess has to get her Prince. The location used for this scene is that of a ball. The lighting used adds to the romantic feel and the location seems to be well style and fits the narrative well. The colour scheme used in this location adds to the enchanted feel of the ball and also adds a formal appeal to this scene. When the camera moves outside, into the garden, an arch comes into shot decorated with white flowers and beautiful lighting which sets the scene off nicely. The white fencing ties in with the white flowers which compliments the whole scene well. The fairy lights composition seem to get more compact as the camera drops down to reveal a the bottom of the arch. Overall creating a fairy tale like location.

Focused Analysis 2:Sound/Music

In order to carry on with a focused analysis i have chosen to look again at the Cinderella Story trailer as i feel being consistent will help me to dissect exactly what i need in my video.

This trailer starts off with fairy tale music to go along with the establishing shot. This has been done in order to introduce this film as a fairy tale, when the twist in this story becomes obvious it is more of a surprise to the audience. To go long with the ambient soundtrack there is a voice over the top. This voice tells the story in a traditional way thus adding to the fairy tale theme.

When the camera changes to a shot of Los Angeles, the music changes and its no longer the traditional type instead it changes to a more upbeat sound. this has been done in order to show the change of narrative, to show the viewer that this story line isn't traditional in the sense that this one is based in a modern day setting. Also, just before the music changes, a musical effect has been added in in order to show that the soundtrack is going to change to a different type of sound.

As the film continues, conversations between the characters start to play over the top of the ambient sound. This, in turn, creates an interesting trailer and also hints at the viewer what the narrative is without giving too much away. However, the voice over still continues which adds to the variety of this trailer.

Each shot, generally, seems to include a voice over and the characters speaking. When the shot changes from one to another a sound effect has been added which sounds as if a page is being turned. This has been done to, again add variety to the shot, and also give the impression that this story is being read out of a fairy tale book.

When various objects are added to the trailer, like a mobile for example, different sound effects are placed in to go along with it in order to add variety to this soundtrack. When a text message flashes up on the mobile, a beeping sound is added which cuts in to the ambient soundtrack this has been done to make sure tat the viewer focuses n the phone and the fact a message has gone through thus making the story line easy to understand. Also, the fact that sound effects have been added when the buttons are being pressed adds to the reality factor and again keeps the viewer interested in the story line.

Whilst playing baseball, the main female character whose representing a 'princess', hits the ball really hard sending it over to where the modern 'prince is. The ambient soundtrack goes from gentle quiet background music to a loud dramatic soundtrack to express her triumphant hit. This adds variety to the soundtrack and also expresses the fact that she is skilled at baseball. Overall, expressing the personality of this character.

A the ball, when the 'Princess' appears in the shot, the music changes a enchanted soundtrack to express the fact she has developed into a beautiful woman. This is carried on after the voice overs from the characters when the camera shoots to the dancing outside, the fact that for the first time a soundtrack is used which includes lyics. This has been done because there is no voiceovers from this point onwards. The lyrics of this song also link to what is going on in this scene and what is going on overall in the story line.

Focused Analysis 1: Characters

For my focused analysis on characters i decided to look at the characters used in popular trailers. I have chosen to look at the cinderella story as i feel this links in well with my chosen genre. Since this film is based on a modern version of a fairy tale, Cinderella, each of the characters have a similar appeal that the original characters have.

Firstly the female character who plays the step-mother. She has been made to look like a modern American mother with a selfish side which links nicely to the original story. She has been made to seem jealous of the main character, Cinderella, which again fits in with the original fairy tale. Throughout the story she is made to seem as if she is in control and also made to seem as if she is the boss. As well as this, throughout the film, she is made to seem vein which is shown by the fact she gets botox in the film, Thus, following the conventions of a step-mother in many films and fairy tales. Also, the clothes she wears throughout this film, seem to be modern versions of the clothes worn in the fairy tale. This has been done to add a modern feel to this film.

The character modeled to be like cinderella, is obvious from the start of this film trailer. She first comes into shot wearing ordinary clothes, nothing that stands out which is how Cinderella starts off in the original fairy tale. Also, the modern cinderella is shown working in a cafe, scrubbing the floor and acting as a waitress which again fits in nicely with the original story where she is a slave to hr step-mother, technically she is too in the modern version as the step-mother is the one who owns the cafe. This character also has appearance similarities to that of the original cinderella, for example the blonde hair tied up and out of her face, also her striking blue eyes which conventionally fits in with many fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty. Eventually, Cinderella's happy ending starts to come together when she attends the school prom wearing a prom dress which fits in with the character nicely, and also the conventional characters in fairy tales who always get their happy ending. Also her personality in this film is similar to how Cinderella in the original fairy tales is. She is kinda and caring which is conventional of many fairy tale princesses.

Also, a main feature in the original fairy tale is the two step-sisters. These have also been featured in this film, and made just as selfish and nasty as they are in the fairy tale. The two characters contrast well with each other when focusing on their appearance. One is tall and skinny were as one is short and plump. One comes across as being bossy were as the other seems to be less intelligent. These two personalities are conventional of twosome in a story like this for example the two burglars in another movie called Home Alone. Each of their outfits seem to fit with what's going on in the story. For example when they are relaxing they wear matching tracksuits in different colors. When they attend the fancy dress ball they dress up as twin cats. The fact they wore these could signify the fact that they are sly and scheming.

Finally, the Prince. He has been portrayed as the 'popular' character with a lot of friends who hang around with the ' right ' people, they guy who has the pick of the girls. His exterior character is portrayed as having everything but as the story goes on the viewer discovers that he is looking for his princess and his happy ending as well. Perhaps unconventional of a fairy tale, is the fact his character has short blonde hair as opposed to long blonde hair which many princes are portrayed to have. This has obviously been done to give this story a modern edge. The clothing he wears in this film is quite simplistic, he has been styled in average dress with a slight edge, i.e rolled up sleeves or jeans with original sneakers. Also, whilst at the fancy dress ball, the 'prince' actually turns up dressed as a prince were as his two friends turn up looking like his henchmen-obviously been done to portray the fact he has turned up to save the princess from her life of misery.

The Proposal Trailer

Shot 1: (0:06) This trailer kicks off with an establishing shot of New York city. This is made obvious by the fact there are yellow taxis in this shot. This scene has been speeded up in order to show how fast paced the city actually is and the tall buildings in the background imply that this is a place for how powered jobs and people who are successful. The background seems to be faded into the rest of the scene which gives the impression that it goes on forever.

Shot 2: (0:07) Although simplistic, i decided to analyse this bit of the trailer as i feel it is an interesting way of introducing the main characters. The black writing on a white background adds a modernistic feel to it, a clean-cut approach. Also, from simply the font size and the colour scheme, it is implied that this is an office based romantic comedy. These shots, explaining what is going on, keep flashing up at various stages in this trailer. Not only to they add an original edge to this trailer, they also help to explain the story.

Shot 3:(1:02) This medium close-up reveals the contrast between the two characters facial expressions. The male character looks confused were as the female character looks quite impressed. The light brown background compliments what the characters are wearing. The male character is wearing a red tie, in this context i think it signifies romance. The black suit in which the female character is wearing implies she is a serous business woman, very smart looking.

Shot 4: (1:41)This shot could either be described as an over the shoulder shot or a medium close up. The camera is positioned over the shoulder of the main female leed, but not in such a way that it is obviously an over the shoulder shot. By filming this scene in a moving vehicle it adds variety to the trailer and keeps the viewer interested. The expression on the male characters face is a reaction to what has gone on in the previous scene.

Shot 5: (1:50) This close-up shot focuses in on the characters comical kiss. It is obvious from this shot that the characters are forcing themselves to show affection. Thus, adding a comedy edge to the film. It is interesting how the camera has focused purely onto the male character as opposed to the female character who's main facial features are faced away from the camera. Also, what the male character is wearing adds to the relaxed nature of this scene and makes him look like any other regular guy who has got himself into an awkward situation.

Shot 6: (2:21) This medium close up features three characters, each placed differently in the shot. The character at the back is facing forward but her head is tilted a little bit. The main female character is shown to look a little awkward, shown by the fact that her eyes are focused elsewhere than what is going on. The final character is facing with her back to the camera showing that she is fixing the dress. The camera work in this scene proves that this scene is meant to show emotion and ad an edge to this scene.

Overall, I feel this is an effective trailer for a romantic comedy. It grabs the viewers attention and, more importantly, keeps it. The camera work used is conventional of a trailer for this genre as it includes various bits of speech, a typical plot and also an upbeat ambient soundtrack. I feel that by taking various ideas from this and adding them to my own trailer, i could produce something which is not only effective, but fits perfectly with the genre.