Codes and Conventions of Posters

Codes and Conventions of Posters

 

 

There are very similar codes and conventions on a poster that a magazine would have. It is slightly different though as a poster focuses more on the photo and how it will attract attention from the audience. As you can see there are two different photos here. One is the one with all three characters on and this is done to show who the main characters are in the film. Then you have the photo at the bottom which shows a scene from the film. This helps the audience to see what they will be expecting in the film. One main feature in a poster is the size of the text and mainly the size of the film title. For this poster it is large and this is done for it to stand out and show that it is the title of the film. Then there is small text which is not so important. They have put small text because they want the film title to be the biggest. The small text has all the sponsors and companies of the film. All posters have this. It is within the codes and conventions.

 

 

 

 

 

This poster doesnt have as much on it and hasnt followed all the codes and conventions. The title of the film is at the top and is large to show that it is the title of the film. The photo of the film is large as well. It shows one character bigger than the other which could suggest that the character who is bigger is the main star in the film. They are holding guns which instantly tell you that it is an action based genre. There are two people on the poster which could suggest that they are either working together or they are fighting against each other. The date is at the bottom of the film too. They have the date to tell the audience when the film will be released. This is important because if the audience is interested then they would want to know when it is released. One thing that this magazine does not have is the small text that is normally at the bottom of the screen which has all the sponsors and companies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This has similar codes and conventions as well. The background fits well with the photo of schwarzenegger. This film is futuristic and is to do with a robot trying to kill someone. This is why the background fits well because there are lasers in it which suit the film as it is futuristic. Also they have made the text futuristic as well to match the film. Everything on this poster is related back to the film. There is small text at the bottom as well which say who directed and the people behinf the film. This text is smaller because it is not as important as the main text which is the film title. The actor who plays in this film is quite famous and popular. He has a lot of fans so they have cleverly made his name large to show others that he is the main characters. If people were to know that such a popular actor played in the film, the would want to watch it because they would know he can play the role well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 There are not many codes and conventions on this as they have focused on the photo more than anything else. The photo instantly shows that it is to do with those two characters in the film. The way they are holding each other can show that they are in love and the film title suggests that they have a time limit. The title of the film is the largest so it could show what the title of the film is. It is large so it could catch the eye of the audience. Also they have the actors names on as well to show who it is incase someone was not to know. One main code and convention on the poster is the small text at the bottom which has the sponsors and the companies on. This is included on the majority of the posters. The release date is at the bottom in the middle as well so it can tell the audience when the film will be released.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trailer Research

Research

Bourne Legacy
 

 

This trailer is well done and follows the codes and conventions of all current teaser trailers; it is a genre of film that we are seriously considering in taking forward for our project. The music in the trailer synchronises well with the frames and shots used, for instance the start is a slow motion medium shot that has a slow soundtrack in the background. The music that has been used for this is engaging and brings the audience closer to the film. It makes the audience slightly panic and worry on what is happening and what will happen next. This is an advantage to have with the music because it makes the audience want to know what it coming their way and imagine what it could be. This is how the trailer attracts attention to others. The film starts off slowly and then builds up throughout the middle and as soon as its reached the end of the film, the action begins. The build-up to everything is something that most thriller trailers seem to do.

The scenes are fast and move on quickly. They use mainly straight cut shots to keep the film trailer at a fast speed and make it look as if the chase is still happening. The music starts off slowly and then gets higher and louder. This was done to keep up with the pace of each scene and also can suggest that the action is getting closer. The text appears in between scenes and at the end as well. There is text that appears in between which say what is going on in the film. It is text that make others think. The text at the end of the film is what most trailers include which is the name of the film and when the release date for it is.

Looper

This is another trailer that has the genre thriller involved. This film is all to do with time travelling. As you can see from the film trailer they have used a few codes and conventions that a thriller trailer would normally include in there film. The music they used was engaging and slow which built up the tension for the big finale in the film. In the trailer they didn’t show a lot of action in the start as it was trying to build up to it and get the audience on the edge of their seats. They had a lot of close ups of the characters in the camera shots and this was done for the audience to see the emotion and expression in the characters face. It gets the audience to understand how they are feeling and it then brings them closer to the film. A main feature of this trailer is that they used a cliff-hanger in the end. Cliff-hangers are great to use in the film because it gets the audience thinking and wondering what is going to happen next. This then results in the audience speaking to others about it and it grabs attention of others and increases the popularity of the film. The action was in synch with the background music that was playing which creates a bigger effect. It makes a bigger impact to the film and also makes every action that is being made as if it was a big movement and had a lot of power. So overall they used a lot of codes and conventions that are expected in this genre and it has made the film stand out to the majority of people.

A code and convention that this trailer has is how the company that was involved with this film appeared in between scenes. This is a popular code and convention. Once again they have made the scenes fast one after another to show the movement to the build up. It could also suggest that there are a lot of things happening in the build up with the fast switching from one scene onto another. One of the main codes and convention is putting text inbetween scenes which is what they did for this trailer. The text explained a bit of the film and what they are trying to solve. They slow down some of the scenes as well to get a better look at what is happening. They have put the title of the film at the end which is for the audience to see what it is called if they were interested.

Batman-The Dark Night Rises

This trailer involved a lot of thriller but also action as well. These two genres put together are often common and overlap with each other. They are put together as the thriller is mainly building up and then the action is there for the end of the build-up. The music that they used was slow and the scene switching was fast. There was a new scene every few seconds in the trailer and this has been done to show the movement and thrill of the film. It is showing that nothing is stopping and the plot is rushed. It is rushed because a part of the plot is to stop a villain from taking over. Each beat in the trailer lasted for at least two to three seconds. The beat was deep so when it appeared it felt like it was going through you. This instantly shown how powerful the film is. The music was in synch with the scenes and it is important for it to be because the music can sometimes give a reaction to the action and also explain the action.

The first code and convention that they had in this film was the company logos that were involved in this. They put them at the start of the trailer. The music to this is slow at the start so it can be in synch with the scenes. It could also suggest that the build up to the action is slow and focused. What they have done in this that the other trailers have done is mix the speech with the background music. So it is explaining a bit of the film but not revealing it which leaves the audience thinking. They have out text inbetween the scenes which say when the film will be released and text at the end which is the title of the film. The music picked up at the end and got louder which could suggest that the film is coming to its conclusion.

Fugitive

This is an action-thriller based film. The plot of the film is that there is a guy who is wrongly accused of a murder and is running away from the plice who are on the chase for him. In the trailer there are plenty of close ups and extreme close ups. These were done for the audience to get a closer look at everything such as the characters face expression. There was a lot of effects as well such as the scenes fading in and out and special FX such as the police sirens and the footsteps of the fugitive. the trailer has some intense music throughout to show the tension and the build up till the big finish. It is in synch with the movement and changes of the scenes. The film is to do with chasing a fugitive so the music stays at the same pace to show that the chase is still in progress. They have the actors names appear and the title of the film too. This is important in trailers because if the film was noticed by others then they would like to know the film name and who is in it. Music is very important as it helps to understand the film and strengthen the film. Every scene did not last for a long period of time and this can suggest that everyone is rushing in the film and that there is no stop to it.

For this film they have included a wide range of text that they have placed inbetween scenes. The texts involved the main actors names snd when the name of the film. They have also included a voice over towards the end when they are trying to look for him.


Codes and Conventions Overall

Overall I have found some similar codes and conventions that most trailers have between each other. I have seen how the text, sound and the way they have done there scenes are important to the codes and conventions. Each trailer involved a wide range of text which stated the actors names and the release date.








 

Magazine Research

Magazine Research

This is the picture that relates to the main film of the magazine. It has taken over the whole magazine front page and the background of this image makes everything else stands out.

 

The yellow text is the sub heading. I quite like the idea of this and I will make a similar type of sub heading. The colour and font type would change to match my house style.

This is the name of the main film for this magazine. You can tell that it is the main film because the title is bigger and bolder than all the other text. I like the design of the title and I like it as it does its job of catching the audiences eyes.

This is the barcode that is compulsory on a magazine. It has been placed on the bottom left. I will be placing my magazine barcode in a similar position. Either on the left or right bottom of the magazine.

The small text shows what else will be included in the magazine other than just the main talking point ‘Max Payne’.

‘World Exclusive’ shows that it is known worldwide and that it is a highly recommended film.  I will put this in my film as well to show how the importance of it.

The title stands out to the audience because the background is dark whereas the title is white. There is a contrast between those two colours. I like this because it’s bold, thick and it is a strong colour and font. This is a good idea that I will use for my magazine.

 

This is the price of the magazine. With my other research it proves that the price has to be on there. It is important to the audience as they need to know how much it costs.

The character has been placed at the front of the magazine title but not so much that you cannot read the title. This is clever as it is a whole new design and I will be looking to do this to my magazine as well.

The large text is related to the picture on the magazine. It is there to show what the selling point of this magazine is. From my research I have found out that all the magazines have the text for the main film enlarged bigger than the other text.

The barcode for this magazine has been placed on the bottom right. With my other research this shows that the barcode is compulsory to a magazine. I will be including a barcode as well.

These images are what show what will be included inside the magazine. This magazine has done it slightly different by including the photos of the films as well as the text. I think this is clever as the audience can get a view of what the film exactly is.

This image is for the main film of the magazine. This is what is selling the magazine. We have a picture like this but slightly different to this one. Also the magazine has linked the background with the character. I will be doing that as well because I want the magazine to relate with the movie.

 

 

 

Thriller Genre

Thriller Genre

We did some research on the Genre that we have chosen so we can get a good idea of what should be involved in our project.This is what we have found:

Thriller is a broad genre of literature, film, and television programming that uses suspense, tension and excitement as the main elements. Thrillers heavily stimulate the viewer's moods giving them a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, surprise, anxiety and/or terror. Thriller films tend to be adrenaline-rushing, gritty, rousing and fast-paced. Literary devices such as red herrings, plot twists and cliff-hangers are used extensively. A thriller is a villain-driven plot, whereby he or she presents obstacles that the protagonist must overcome.

The aim for thrillers is to keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats. The protagonist in these films is set against a problem– an escape, a mission, or a mystery. No matter what sub-genre a thriller film falls into, it will emphasize the danger that the protagonist faces. The tension with the main problem is built on throughout the film and leads to a highly stressful climax. The cover-up of important information from the viewer, and fight and chase scenes are common methods in all of the thriller sub genres  although each sub genre has its own unique characteristics and methods. A thriller provides the sudden rush of emotions, excitement, sense of suspense and exhilaration that drive the narrative, sometimes subtly with peaks and lulls, sometimes at a constant, breakneck pace thrills. In this genre, the objective is to deliver a story with sustained tension, surprise, and a constant sense of impending doom. It keeps the audience cliff-hanging at the "edge of their seats" as the plot builds towards a climax. Thrillers tend to be fast-moving, psychological and threatening, mysterious and at times involve larger-scale villainy such as espionage, terrorism and conspiracy.

Thriller is a genre that can have a mixture with either the genres mystery or crime. Thriller often overlap with each other. Thrillers are usually fiction-based and fast in pace, while crime has a more calm pace and is dramatic and realistic. A few common methods and themes in these type of genres are mainly ransoms, captivities, heists, revenge and kidnappings. These are the methods that involve a lot more thriller to it.

When applied to the cinema, mis-en-scene refers to everything that appears before the camera and its arrangement. The “mise-en-scène”, along with the cinematography and editing of a film, influence the verisimilitude of a film in the eyes of its viewers. The various elements of design help express a film’s vision by generating a sense of time and space, as well as setting a mood, and sometimes suggesting a character’s state of mind. Mis-en-scene is important in every genre. To make a film you have to think of the destinations of where it will take place, the costumes, props and the actors. You have a storyboard which shows how the film is going to pan out. In that storyboard, you will need to pick out the actors that will match your description, the props you will use and the different destinations that you need for each scene. For example, for a thriller based film, the main destinations that you will find is alley ways and areas with a dark light to it. It is mostly based at night time as well.

The pace of the shots and scenes are important too as they can express what is happening. In thriller, the pace and speed of the shots are mostly fast and this is done to show the rush in the film and the trailer. If the spee dof the scenes were slow then that could mean that there is a lot of focus and concentration. It could also meant hat the chase or whatever the plot of the film is has slowed down. One way that the editers speed up there scenes is by having a straight cut on the end of each scene and not a fade. Doing this makes it seem faster and non-stop because the straight cut doesnt last for more than a second.

An example of an action thriller based film is The Fugitive and Bourne Legacy. These are two good examples of thriller because it shows a lot of popular mis-en-scene, sound and editing. On The Fugitive, it is to do with a fugitive who has been wrongly accused of a murder and is being chased down by the police after he escaped from a prison bus. To stand out the genre, they used alley ways and they set the day to night time. These are common in a thriller as they make it more tense to the audience. Also what they have used is dirty clothes and have made the actor in the film look rough like he has been through a lot. For Bourne Legacy, once again it is to do with a chase. This states that the majority of thriller based films are to do with a chase. In this film, they have used mis-en-scene such as alley ways, long dark roads and have set the daytime to night for most of the film. What both of these films also have in common is how the shots and scenes have been made. Each have fast scenes and cuts which shows that everything is happening in a heartbeat. They use straight cuts which helps to show that the chase is still happening. These two films represent how thriller genres are. Overall it is stating that thriller films are fast and not straight to the point. Everything happens mostly at the end of the film and the rest of the film is the build up to it.

The film trailer that we are making for our project relates to this specified genre. Our main genre is thriller but we have also included action which makes it an action thriller film. We have made sure that throughout the trailer, thriller is represented the most. In the thriller side we have included the build up to the main point of the film which is where the action lays. This film is all about three people who were wrongly accused of a crime and this is where it gets tense and where everything is questioned till the end. A point of a thriller is to get the audience to keep on thinking and questioning which is what we have aimed to do for our film. We have left cliffhangers throughout in the middle and at the end. In the film trailer it shows that there is a chase and from most of my research, this is done in most thriller based films. The police are chasing the three wrongly accused prisoners who escaped from a train. Also from most of the research I did it had shown that when it builds up to soemthing, the end product involves all the action and we have done this to our trailer too.

Codes and Conventions of magazines

Codes and Conventions of Magazine's

The title is always placed at the same place which is at the top in the center of the magazine.

At the front of the magazine they will always have the title of the film that is being advertised. It is larger than any other titles on the front cover. The large film title shows the importance of the film and also the talking point.

The barcode is placed at the bottom right of the magazine which is very common in plenty of magazines.

All the small fonts on the front cover show what else is included within the magazine.

This magazine has made everything into the theme of the main film 'Inception'.

The title is in the same place again. So you can see that this is the main part of there house style. The person at the front of the cover is set infornt of the title.

The house style is the same but they change the colour and style of the title to match the theme of the film on the front cover.

There is the website of the magazine as well which is within the house style. The webiste is a way for the audience to get the most out of the magazine and be updated regularly.

Once again they have previews of other films but this ime there are images from scenes within these films. It is showing you a lot more than just a text.

The Joker is at the front of the title. even though the character is the, the title is dtill set at the same place just like all the other Empire magazines.

The magazine has been given a theme to the main film on the front cover. This seems to be a continuous thing from all the magazines. It is a way to show the importance of the film and also it gives it a different style which attracts multiple audience.

When they are thinking about the theme for the magazine they are also looking at the background, font and the colour as well.

The barcode has been placed on the bottom left which is different from the codes and conventions that the magazine has. They have done this because as you can see there is text over where the barcode would of been.



The front cover for this is a bit different compared to the other magazines. The camera shot is different as this one is a medium close up of Hell Boy. His face gets the attention of the audience becuase of the character he is.

Hell is related to fire so they have made the title of the magazine look like it ahs been set on fire. This links in with the character.

The title is on the bottom left of the magazine as there are text and objects in the way from where it is supposed to be originally.

The smaller text shows what else is included in the magazine and that they are not as important as the main film 'Hell Boy'.

This next magazine i have chosen is very similar to my first chosen magazine. There are very similar codes and conventions. The title has been set in the same place as the 'Empire' magazine. Also with the title they have kept the same theme going with the main movie.

There are not many different codes and conventions as they also have the same layout. They both have the title of the film in the middle of the page then everything else that has been included around it.

The barcode is on the bottom right of the magazine and from the research that i have done i have acknowledged that this area is the main area for the barcode to be set at.

This is similar once again as the character is set in the middle with the title of that film right in the center but at the bottom of the character.

There are quotes used such as "World Exclusive" to show how big the film is and words like these grab the audiences attention.

The barcode has been set at the bottom right of the magazine which is a code and convention of many magazines. They are following the crowd so they wont be seen as different to others.

Also at the top of the magazine title, there are pictures of scenes that were in other films and this has been done to grab the eye of the audience. It helps the audience understand what type of film it is by the picture.

This is quite different from both the codes and conventions of 'Total Film' and 'Empire'. This is a close up of the characters face and this shot is not always used. But this has given the audience to see the full expression of the face.

The title is at the front of the character and it is in white as this colour is bold and stands out the most. Especially when the background is grey. This is yet again something that catches the attention and makes the audience want to pick up the magazine and buy it.

This is pretty different from many magazines. Normally there is one character in the front of the magazine who is the main character of the film. But for this one there are two which it looks like there is more than one main character.

They have placed the title in the background again so you can see the full look of the film. For you to know what the magazine is about, they have placed robotic heads in the image to give you a view of what it is about.

The colour red can represent evil and blood which gives the audience an idea what this genre of the film is and what would be taking place in the film.

On the left and the right side of the image, there is small font of what else would be included in the magazine.