First draft of my poster:

I added a black background due to it being a stereotypical colour for a thriller poster - as seen in my research. After my background was sorted, I then added billing information at the bottom of the poster. This is small font due to it being the least important information on the poster. I then added the release date but used a red font to make it noticeable under the billing information. I then added the title of the film which was easy, I wanted it just under half way of the page and big and bold. I then added a tag line and I thought of 'Only One Way Out' this is because it relates perfectly to the film but does not give to much information away about the film.

Placing images were the hardest thing to do. I wanted the images to be big to fill the page but this resulted in me moving the title and tag line in different locations such as at the top of the page.

I placed different images around the page, but couldn't seem to get the outcome I was hoping for. I uploaded an image of the character Glen and placed his left side of his face next to the character Ryans. Unfortunately, this did not work due to the facial proportions being completely different.

First draft of my magazine front cover

I had initial ideas of what layout I wanted for my magazine. Once I had decided on a magazine title I opened Photoshop and started designing my title after placing a plain background.

I originally wanted a grey background which faded but I then quickly changed my mind. I didn't like these colours at all so I changed the background colour to black- to make it more stereotypical. I also did not like the colour or font I chose. I wanted the word 'Films' to be apart of the title, similar to the 'Total Film' title.

After looking at different fonts I then came up with this:

I preferred this font because it looks more professional and the colours are more stereotypical for a thriller magazine. I then added a film strip near the bottom to promote other films - like an ordinary film magazine would do. I added the barcode at the bottom with extra information such as the price and a hashtag. A hashtag is very popular in todays society and makes it easy for the audience to trend and research.

This was the outcome of my first draft. I then received feedback on what people liked about the magazine, what they didn't like, and what to change.

UNHINGED. Final trailer

This is the final trailer with many changes. After the feedback we received as a group, we made changes such as the intertitles. We thought the intertitles would flow better if they zoomed in which is similar to the zoom effect we then decided to put on a shot reverse shot. We positioned the shots better by making them look straighter which makes the trailer look more professional. We added fast paced editing to fit into the stereotypical trailer category as well as low key lighting for a stereotypical convention.

PLAN: Magazine

Here is a plan for my magazine front cover:

I decided on many names for my masthead such as:

 Absolute Films

TopLiner Films

Dominant Films

However, I chose topliner films due it meaning power and a star quality. I want this to be in a white font at the top in a bold font. I also want the word 'Film' to fit inside one of the letters. This is similar to the Jupiter Ascending magazine I re-created.

The main image I would like to use an image of Ryan (played by Alex). This should be a mid-shot with him looking into the camera looking serious. This is similar to other magazines such as:

It is a stereotypical convention for the main image to be high key lighting to emphasis they are the main 'star' in the film.

Colours I will use will be a mix between white and red for the font- this will be easy to read on the dark background but they are also stereotypical font colours for a thriller/horror. The red will show a clear identification of genre to the audience as the colour connotes blood, danger, violence.

There will be additional information such as the barcode, date, issue number and website. This will be in small font due to it being the least important information.

I will use a different variety of fonts and sizes to make it look more appealing which is also a modern and stereotypical technique.

I will use a 'Puff' - such as a free poster inside for fans.

I will also use 'Buzz' words such as Exclusive and Plus.

A slogan will be used above the masthead this will explain the content and make it stand out against other magazines.

PLAN: Poster

This is a plan I created in order to help and guide me for when I create my own poster for my trailer. I have previously researched on Google 'Thriller posters' to find any stereotypical conventions. These can be viewed on my Instagram page which is posted on my blog.

IMAGES: A poster needs to be eye catching for the audience in order for them to be intrigued and pay attention to the information the poster gives. I decided I wanted to use two main images, one of Ryan who is the main character and one on Dr. Phillips- the audience are unaware if he is viewed as a protagonist or an antagonist. Due to these images being the focal image, I wanted them to be mid-shots. I want Ryan looking worried- preferably an action shot, and Dr.Phillips appearing in the background to give off an unpleasant feeling about him. These images will also define the genre of the film due to the facial expressions.

I would also like to include a still extreme clos-up of Ryan's eyes which fades into the background- the audience will just be able to notice it. This helps build suspense.

TITLE: The title of the film will be large and eye-catchy. This will be located around the centre/ lower centre of the poster, this can be seen on many posters such as 'AWAKE'.

The title I would like to use is the title we created on Photoshop which is included in our trailer. This is the official title.

BILLING BLOCK: This will be located at the bottom of the page in small font. This is a stereotypical feature of a film poster, whether it is a thriller or a comedy. This information will include the production company 'An EA production' and the director, actors, costume designer, editor etc. Underneath this, there will also be the release date of the film. This text will be in a bigger font than the billing block. This is because the release date is more important to the audience.

TAGLINE: The tagline will be located under the title. I thought the tagline could be 'Only One Way Out' This is because it connotes the thriller genre, it helps intrigue the audience and builds excitement in watching the film.

BACKGROUNDS: I looked on Google for an idea of how to create my own background. These are options I chose:

I liked these backgrounds due to them being dark- especially around the edges- a dark blue is a stereotypical background colour for thriller films. The blue connotes police which suggests an investigation is a possibility of being involved in the film. It also connotes a supernatural theme.

In the first image, I like the scratches used which can connote struggle. The texture would also make the poster in general look more appealing. I like the high key spotlight used on the second image. This is where I would locate the main image due to it being the main feature. However, I would like to create a background like this but due to timing, creating this will be difficult in the time limit I have been given due to not having a wide experience on Photoshop. Instead, I will stick to a plain black background.

CHANGES:
I have decided to use two images, one of Ryan and one of Glen. I would like the images to be half and half. For example, similar to this film poster but with the use of two images.

I believe this will be more effective for my poster as it adds a mysterious touch. This will also make the poster look more professional.

First draft of Unhinged and Feedback.

Feedback:

We received feedback from the class, we had some criticism however, I believe this is a good thing due to being able to improve the trailer. Having other peoples opinions makes it easier to know whether it is a successful piece of work.

Good

·     Black and white flashback scene. The audience enjoyed this because it clearly identifies the use of a memory. This is effective because it gives some background knowledge of the characters.            

     

      Sound track:  It was stated that the non-diegetic music we used fitted the trailer well. It helped the footage flow and suited the genre. The audience liked the gradual slow pace leading to a more fast speed. This is a stereotypical convention of a thriller/horror genre for trailers.

     

      Closing screens: The audience like these due to it looking "professional" with the suitable information such as the film title and release date. This is also a stereotypical convention we have used.

k    Good structure: Our trailer is structured correctly with all the information making sense in time order. It shows we have thought about where each scene and shot should be located. It helped the narrative make more sense.

·     Range of shots and settings: Our settings were good due to a range of settings being a convention of a film trailer. It makes it more interesting instead of it being based in one setting. The shots were also good such as the shot reverse shot and the close up of the knife.

Improvements

·     Inter-titles look too clip arty- The audience did not enjoy the intertitles. The intertitles slide across the screen. There is also the use of a red shadow behind the titles. These were viewed as 'clip art' which suggests it does not look professional.

·     Increase pace after 47 seconds: This is because the end shots does not flow with the non-diegetic music. The cuts need to be faster to be at the same pace as the music. This will make it more like a trailer and more interesting and 'thrilling'.

·     Leave close-up on eyes on for longer: The close up on the eyes are not on the screen for long enough. Leaving it on for a second or two longer will imply he is shocked and the audience will be able to see the shot clearly.

·     Lower music volumes in therapy room: The non-diegetic music is too loud in the therapy room and the audience struggled to hear what was being said in the shot reverse shot.

·     Make the narrative clearer e.g. child abuse: The intertitles such as 'Three stages' did not make sense to the audience. Also it was suggested to include an intertitle about the flashback such as 'A corrupt childhood' or ' An alcoholic father'. This will make the narrative and the low angle shot more clear.

·     Lower brightness of therapy room: The therapy room is too bright when it should be low key to make the audience feel weary about the Dr and going to therapy is not a happy thing.