QUESTION 3: HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE

COMBINATION OF YOUR MAIN PRODUCT AND

ANCILLARY TEXTS?

Introduction

I think there are several ways in which the main product of my short film ‘The Intruder’ links in and supports the ancillary texts of my film poster and review page. There are elements about all products that I have ensured link to a strong house style for the film to create a very effective combination of media products.

Typography has been a key part of my work that I have considered when creating all of my products. I think typography style can affect how the audience perceives texts..

In my main product the typography style is set instantly with the opening sequence of my film as the title appears. It is shown in a bold, black font with the style of a typewriter. This typography is used again in the final credits of the film which clearly indicates to the audience the set style of text to associate with the film.

In the creation of my film poster I knew it was necessary to keep the typography of a similar style to ensure synergy between my products. However I wanted the film title to have more of an impact on the audience and look bolder. I used the base style of typewriter font but found a more decorative, interesting font on a font website I used called Font Space.

As the film title strayed slightly away form the original font style appearing in my short film I wanted to link back to that with the rest of the text on the page and so used the same font. To make it more interesting I varied boldness and size which shows a clear link in a creative way.

When it came to the making of my review page I did not use any of this house style font in my work which may be seen as a weakness as it is one area in which my products don’t link together. However I chose not to use it because I think it looks more professional to use a certain typography style that is associated with the magazine rather than the film. I found, looking through magazines on the market, that the majority used their own font style when reviewing a film. I also did this because it is not a media text released by the film and company but it is a separate company who would have a different font style and I think I kept synergy in other ways which creates a good combination of products.

In both film and still image lighting plays a key role in creating the mood and atmosphere of a shot. It can change how to audience see the image/film and can be used to have many different effects. I think low key lighting in particular can have a big impact on audiences.

Low key and dark lighting is something I incorporated strongly into my short film. I think it works well with my genre and with the actual content of the film aiding the characterisation of the ‘villain’.

Darker lighting is used sporadically in my film which I think makes the audience become more familiar with the use of it. I did this to ensure that it would be remembered in the film to show a clear link to my other media texts.

In my film poster the lighting in the shot I have used is clearly, extremely dark/low key lighting. This is something the audience will associate with the short film because of it’s frequent use. So they are able to make the strong link easily here showing how these products work together.

The actual shot that I have used in my poster is from a scene in the end of the short film. I used this because I knew the shot was near to the end of the film so the audience would remember it. I also think it is a good shot to use to create a sense of mystery. There is a slight difference as the character is not in shot on the poster and the image is out of focus, but I think these minor differences show my creativity in keeping the link whilst making it different, which can be hard to do.

The lighting I used in my shot for my film review was one of the key ways I chose to link my three products together. The shot I used contains a lot of shadowing and dark lighting around the edges so that you can really only see the girls face which isn’t brightly lit. I did this to coincide with the lighting I used in my other products and I think it works well.

I also think the shot style and type shows similarity to those used in my film as I used a variety of close shots from medium close ups to close ups. So the idea of an intimate shot with this specific character is carried from my film into my review page.

Overall I found some challenges when linking my short film with my film poster and review page because the short film only uses moving image and sound, with little room for text and other elements like colour scheme. However I still feel that my main product links clearly with the house style of my two ancillary texts also hence creating a combination of products that is effective with strong synergy.