Evaluation: Q1Georgina Eleftheriou

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

My cover uses the typical convention of a masthead. It is large in size and the composition of it is where most magazines would place theres (at the top going across the frame). Adding on to that, the font I have used is bold which is normal for a masthead as it needs to standout because it is the name of the magazine. More on the typography of the masthead, I have kept it fairly neutral. This is because my genre doesn’t necessarily have a certain type of font when it comes to a magazine cover. The fact that my masthead has been partially covered by the subject isn’t an issue, as many well established magazine companies do this. Thus, I have followed this convention.

Masthead

Masthead near the top of the frame and going across, in bold and subject partially covering it up.

This real life magazine cover based on a teen drama film shows how the font is pretty standard, not Inked to the genre of the film

BarcodeThe barcode is another convention that my media product uses. It is small and placed in the corner which means it isn’t in the way and doesn’t distract the audience from more important conventions such as the cover lines.

Entertainment weekly placing their barcode in bottom right hand corner to be subtle.

PriceThe typical convention of the price of the magazine has been developed as I have used a sticker that is bold and fairly large and is displayed in the right hand corner of the frame. However, other film magazines display their price in a more subtle format. For example the magazine ‘Entertainment weekly’ place their price on the barcode in the corner of the frame so it is less noticeable. As for ‘Empire’ magazine, they place their price within the masthead and it is in very small print. Therefore I have developed this convention due to the more daring placement, size and appearance of the price as it much more noticeable compared to other magazines prices.

Empire embed their price within the masthead.

Entertainment weekly pair their price with the barcode.

Cover linesCover lines are another convention I have used for my film magazine cover. Like all real life magazine covers, their cover lines are a point of attraction. Therefore, they are highly likely to be grouped together so they can be read one after the other. This is what I have done for my own cover. I have also kept them to one side like real covers so that the main image is the main point of attraction.

Cover lines grouped together and on one side of the frame.

Main imageThe typical convention of a main image has been developed in my media product due to the fact that, most magazines have the subject in the center of the shot. However, the subject within my shot is more to one side of the frame. More on the mise-en-scene of the image, I have kept the makeup of my subject clean and minimal, keeping her youthful appearance. This shows that the main character is young so reminds the audience that the film that features on my cover is for teenagers.. Another thing I have kept conventional based on my genre, is the clothing that the subject is wearing. As you can see in the image, she is wearing a beanie and a bomber style jacket which is a style that teenagers are much more likely to adopt, rather than somebody in their 30’s. As for the lighting, I would comment that I have made a development here. This is because, with a teen drama based magazine cover, high key lighting is common as most of these films end optimistically. Although the main element is drama, they are not known to be horribly deep and dark . Whilst I haven’t used a really harsh gloom to my cover, I wouldn’t say I have used high-key lighting as such. Instead, I opted for warmer tone to my cover as I feel the main image had a cold tone to it. The warn tone I feel, complimented by colour theme also.

Subjects in the center of the shot.

Main cover line / anchorage textThe main cover line within my film magazine cover is in the form of anchorage text as it relates to the main image. Therefore, this typical convention is followed as this is what most magazines do on their covers. I kept this convention close to the subjects face which further indicates to my audience that the text relates to my main image. Keeping this piece of text the largest (apart from the masthead) is typical of all magazine covers as this is the most important piece of content the magazine includes. So, I have ensured to follow this rule so that this convention on my cover will get attention fast. Another common thing is that this piece of text is most likely to be in bold so that it is more noticeable, which is what I have done.

For the word ‘Identity’ which is the name of my film trailer, I used a different text style (matching the skyline) so that it would stand out against the other pieces of text. I felt the need to do this as this is an important piece of text and I found that some magazine covers do use a different font for their main cover lines (which are likely to be the name of the film featured on the magazine). So, I would say I have developed my main cover line as it is only one word out of my main cover line that has a different font style and the rest matches my other font used for my cover lines etc. Whereas, on the real life magazine cover, the whole of the main cover line has a different text style compared to the other pieces of text on the cover.

Main cover line in the form of anchorage text because ‘The fault in our stars’ relates to the main image as the two subjects on the cover are the main characters in that film.You can also see how the pieces of text are close to the subjects face hinting that they relate.

Different font style used for main cover line (which is the title of the featured film) compared to other text on the cover

‘Identity’ is in a different font style compared to the rest of the main cover line and other pieces of text on my cover (minus the skyline).

LabelThis label that I have used within my cover is a development of the convention due to the fact that, most covers have a much simpler design for theirs (circle shapes for example whereas I have a handprint). On the other hand mine is made of a range of colours compared to more conventional labels which are most likely to consist of one colour. However, I still have got my text placed over the top of the label which is what magazine covers normally do.

Simpler labels with a round shape and less colour.

Colour ThemeEven though I have got a few extra colours on my cover I have still followed the convention of a colour theme as I have 3 main colours which are black, white and red. Magazine covers mostly use 2 to 3 colours as well. My chosen genre doesn’t necessarily have a colour linked to it however, I have ensured not to use colours that were more related to another genre. For example, I haven’t used lots of blue tones as that colour is more related to a Sci-fi genre film.

Both these covers have their main colours yet still have little bits of extra of colour.

Main colours: black and blue

Main colours: White, black and pinkMain colours: Red white and black

SkylineA skyline is a typical convention of magazine covers which I have used for my own except that I have developed it slightly. This is because, I have created a rectangular strip so that my text can go inside it. Having looked at many film magazine covers, the big brands such as ‘FILM’ and ‘Entertainment weekly’ do not place their skylines text over the top of another background. However, I did this as I thought it would make the skyline stand out more as the white text is against a bold red background rather than my main images not so bright background. I also used a different text style for my skyline so that it wouldn’t blend in with the other pieces of text on my cover. Adding on to that, I noticed that film magazine covers use 2, maybe three, different fonts to make certain pieces of text more eye catching to others. The placement of the skyline has been kept conventional as it is at the top of the frame.

This cover shows that text of the skyline is just placed in a line against the main images background

My skylines text is against another background (red rectangular strip)

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

TitleThe typical convention of a title has been developed on my film poster due to its placement. Most film posters place their titles at the bottom of the page however mine is further to the top of the page. The colours I have used for my title are conventional of a teen drama as they are fairly bright, less mature colours. As for the font, I wouldn’t say it is conventional to my genre as it is not necessarily a ‘fun’ looking kind however, I chose this as style it worked well with the overall look but mostly so I could match the font I used in my trailer. The text slide I used in my trailer was ‘lens flare’ on iMovie and you cannot change the font style on it but I wanted to stick with the lens flare effect so I had to compromise..

All these posters have their titles placed further down. For ‘Angus thongs and perfect snogging’ poster and ‘Juno’ poster they have used a ‘fun’ font as they have a younger audience.

Main imageThe main image within my film poster is a developed convention due to the fact that there is more than one character in it. Most film posters just have the main character however, some other film posters I have come across do have some other characters involved especially if they are films for a younger audience.On the other hand my main image has followed this convention due to the fact that, it relates to my narrative as my main character is in the main image. Also, the fact that my main character is in the centre of the frame is following this convention as this is a common thing to see on film posters and means that my audience can feel that they can relate as the protagonist is a teenager.The mise-en-scene within my main image is conventional with my genre due to the fact I have put my characters in mostly bright clothing and in styles that only younger people would really wear. As for the makeup, it has been kept minimalistic to not cover up the fact that my characters are of a young age. For example, with the teen drama film ‘Juno’, the main character has a very clear face so I tried to not over do the makeup (specifically for my main character) so I could keep the image conventional to its genre and not make Sarah look any older. Another thing I did was make the main image a bit brighter as teen dramas film posters usually use high key lighting. The pose of all of the characters within my image is conventional of a teen drama based film poster as they are all dramatic poses. Obviously, as my chosen genre is teen drama, it is normal to see this kind of pose of my cinematic poster.

Both teen dramas (which is the same genre of my film campaign) have 2 characters on their poster. So, I see my main image as a development as I have three characters instead.

Most film posters have one character on their posters.

The two main characters in the center

Main character in the center

Sarah (named Molly in my film)

Billing blockI have used the typical convention of a billing block within my poster. Everything about it follows what a real billing block would look like. This is because I have placed it down the bottom of the page like most posters do. Adding on to that I have made the real life names of the characters in bold as well as the picture company then the rest of the text is in smaller print.

Real billing block

TaglineI have followed the typical convention of a tagline as it relates to my narrative which is what film posters in general do because it sets the mood. As my genre is teen drama I have ensured that I have used a short memorable tagline that is slightly deep so that it matches the mood of my film. As for the placement of my tagline, it has been put together with the title so that it can be read straight after it. This is a common layout of cinematic posters so for composition I have followed the rule here.

I put ‘Do you know who you are?’ because my film is all about identity and the main character is trying to be who she wants to be (a male than a female).

Tagline placed with/near the title and it also relates to the narrative like my own tagline does.

Other imagesHaving other images within film posters isn’t very typical but some films do have them such as ‘Angus thongs and perfects snoggings’ which has a younger target audience like my film. I think that using other images within my own poster is conventional to its genre as it shows that lots of drama is going to be involved. Also, the extra images make the poster look more busy which is more common for a film aimed at younger people as having more images attracts them more. Other film posters that have an older target audience have simpler designs for their cinematic posters.

All of these film posters that are different genres from each other don’t have extra images

Other images

Other images

Cast namesHaving cast names on a film poster is typical which is a convention I have included in my own design. I have placed both of the names close to each other which is common so they can be seen together. I have also added shadows to them and made them large in size so that they can stand out against the background they are sitting on. It is important for them to be noticed as this convention is a way of attracting my audience by showing who stars in my film. As for the placement of the cast names, I would say this is a slight development of the convention as more often than not, cast names are placed at the top of the frame. However, in my case I have placed them further down the frame as a lot more is going on further to the top as I have got more images displayed up there.

These film posters both have their cast names further up the frame.

This teen drama based film has their cast names at the top of their film poster unlike my own.

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

Within my trailer I have used the typical convention of a disclaimer title shown at the very beginning. This is just to show who the film will be appropriate for and is a legal requirement.

Another convention I have used are title slides. I used these to help tell the narrative and to state the name of the film and that it is 'coming soon’. Like most trailers, I have put them in-between shots rather than putting them one after the other. Doing this makes the trailer look more realistic and makes the story easier to understand as my audience can read the title slide then watch a scene then do the same again. The fact that the typography is white against black is also conventional because it stands out.

I have followed the convention of a production title as I have placed it right after my disclaimer title which is what most film trailers do. It just shows recognition of who the picture company is.

Near the beginning of my trailer I have used a voiceover meaning I have used another typical convention of trailers. Like the title slides it helps move the narrative along except through sound instead of typography.

In my trailer we see multiple characters. This is typical of real life film trailers as it is a way of introducing the audience to the main characters as well possibly showing some other characters with less screen time. My main characters(as well as some other minor ones) are the same age as my target audience which is following this convention by genre (which is teen drama). This is because my audience can relate to the characters/feel a connection and also implies that this is a trailer for teenagers.

The first scene in my trailer is following the form of an establishing shot. This is because, in the first scene I have used the camera movement tracking in order to establish the scene. An establishing shot is from a further distance, which can have camera movement within the shot( e.g. tracking).

On the other hand, my other establishing shot has no camera movement involved. When filming for this shot I just stood still just to get a few seconds of my character bouncing her ball. This is also conventional in film trailers as not all establishing shots have movement.

In my trailer I have used a variety of locations. This is conventional to film trailers as a lot has to be shown within the short amount of time that a trailer is. Therefore, using lots of different locations help. The type of locations I have used are conventional to my teen drama genre due to the fact that, these are places teenagers would go. For example two of my locations include a school and a basketball court.

I have followed conventions of form because of the length that my trailer is. It is 1 minute and 39 seconds all together but without including the disclaimer and production titles it is 1 minute 30 seconds exactly. Real trailers are around a minute and a half sometimes two minutes.

I have used the typical convention of tracking in my trailer in an effective way. This is because I have done this camera movement from a low angle. I did this to show that in the scene where the main character is walking up the stairs, she is inferior as the bullies laugh at her from a higher angle.

One form of a trailer is to keep each shot short as a trailer is supposed to show little snippets of the film. None of my shots are longer than 5 seconds long so I have followed this rule of form.

In my trailer I have kept the clothing of my characters conventional to its genre. This is because I have used outfits that are appropriate for teenagers and are the type that younger people would wear. More on mise-en-scene, the makeup within my trailer means I have kept things conventional to my genre again. This is because I kept the makeup natural to ensure that my teenage characters keep their appearance looking young so it is clear to my audience what their age is.

Within my trailer I have used the type of shot called ‘over the shoulder’. This is a common piece of camera work to see in trailers as it shows when characters are having a conversation and shows how the other character is reacting to what is being said. So, I have followed a typical camerawork convention in my trailer as I used this shot to show an argument between two of my characters (and to show reactions).

On the other hand, I have also developed the ‘over the shoulder’ shot. This because I placed the camera over the shoulder of the character who wasn’t talking. This means the audience can see the character who is talking and you can see their expressions instead. Normally, it is the other way round.

Conventional

Unconventional

The acting style in my trailer is conventional to its genre as the main character (who is a teenager) gets shouted at by her mother in one of the scenes. This distinguishes the two characters roles, that the teenager has less power and the mother has more. In teenager films you are likely to see that it is the adult characters whether it a parent or just an adult, that have more power. The dialogue that the mother uses is also conventional to my genre due to the fact that she says demanding lines such as ‘Get out’ and ‘You’re not my son, you’re my daughter’. This reinforces her role as the mother, showing she has the power again. So, this just emphasises my point about acting style through dialogue.

The variation of shots is an example of following the form of a trailer. Within my own trailer I have used lots of shots ranging from establishing shots to over the shoulder shots to mediums and close ups. Real film trailers use lots of different types in order to keep their audience interested which is why I have done the same.

The high key lighting that I have used within my trailer is conventional to its genre. This is because teen drama based films are usually happy. So even though there is a dark scene in my trailer my narrative is optimistic so high key lighting was used and ensures that my trailer appears youthful.

Within my trailer I have used parallel mood music which is a typical convention of a trailer as it sets the mood. My music choice is following this convention by genre because at the beginning the music is sadder, then towards the end it is much more upbeat. Although not all teen drama trailers do this it is common as the start of the trailer tends to show more of the drama and then the ending is more happy/optimistic. Towards the ending of my trailer I have used

fast paced editing by using the transition cross to blur. This is common in lots of film trailers as fast paced editing is a way of fitting lots of footage in. On the other hand, this is conventional to my genre as teen dramas are usually upbeat so things are fast moving.

Another form of editing that I have used in my trailer is the ‘fade to black’ transition. This is a typical convention of film trailers as it causes the shots to flow from one to the other making the trailer look smoother. Therefore, I used this form of editing the most to keep my trailer nice and flowing.

Another convention I have followed within my trailer is the use of different angles which is seen in lots of film trailers for effect. Some of the different angles I have used include birds eye view, low and eye level. The angles that were used for effect in particular was the low angle and birds eye view.

• Trailer• Conventional – establishing shot, voice over, text to build a narrative multiple characters, mise-en-scene (teen clothes – teen

audience relates to the target audience connection with character). Varaition of shot, close up meduim long, lots of different locations, effective use of props (mise –en- scene) each shot is short length (loads of little shots). (conventional), each shot is short.

• Development

• Challenge

• Music… parallel mood music• Lighting • Props.... wig?? Photo..

• Transsutons, fast paced editing, fade to black and dissolve cross to blurClose up for expresion…