Planning - Synopsis

The main character, Mark Lewis, is an undercover government agent (mi6). He is just living out his “cover” job when he gets a text which tells him a time and a place to meet.Here he gets the information required to take out the target. However he finds out that his target is a defected agent working for other freedom fighters and terrorist groups around the world, earning money. It is when he finds out the target, Iqbal Saleem, when the main realises that they are old friends. It is here where Mark carries out his duties as an mi6 Agent and tries to take him out. However both are cautious and hold back.
Iqbal tries to convert Mark to become a paid rouge agent too.
This turns into a story of twist and turns where Mark joins Iqbal, but this is only to infiltrate deeper into terrorist organisations. Mark is forever feeding information back to Mi6 in secret.
Finally towards the end of the story line, Mark takes out Iqbal.

Weekly Update 3

In this third week of my coursework task I have carried out my questionnaire, which I have given to my target audience to help identify what I should incorporate into my film and to see what my target audience is interested in.
After doing this I have carried out my treatment and research into theorists which again will help me when producing my work.

Research - Theorists

Todorov described narrative as having a specified, logical, cause and effect chain working within them.

Conventional narratives begin with an initial situation followed by some form of disruptions which is later resolved and in doing so the initial situation is restored (perhaps with some changes)

Most mainstream narratives can be fitted into this model and certainly Hollywood films rarely stray from this structure.

Propp, another theorist, analysed a group of Russian fairy-tales and found that all of them, no matter how widely they differed in situation in their surface details, shared certain important structural features.

These Characters are                                                Function

The hero/villain                                                            s/he who seeks               

The princess/object                                                    who/what is sought

The father of the Princess                                          who rewards the hero

The donor                                                                     who provides                   

The dispatcher                                                             who sends the hero

The helper                                                                     who aids the action

The villain/ oppose                                                       who blocks the action

The false hero                                                               who dissembles

Strauss stated that oppositions will be revealed by the analyses of narratives. He went on to say that we know and understand what one thing is because of our knowledge of its opposite. In narratives, we know and understand what the villain is like because we understand what the hero is like.

When writing the synopsis and filming my trailer I will take into account what all of these theorists have said so that my story will be valid within the media industry.

Planning - Treatment

Product

The product I am producing as part as my production company is a teaser film trailer, the genre of which I have yet to decide. This teaser trailer will also be accompanied with two ancillary tasks, these being a magazine poster for the film and a magazine front cover with the film being featured on it.

Target Audience

Looking at the action genre in whole, the main target audience are mainly of male background, ranging from around 15-40. This target audience is very important for me to identify as it will have a final outcome on my final product, especially throughout the planning and construction phases of this project. In this instance lifestyle isn’t a particularly important factor as I am to target men from all types of lifestyle, as I deem them to be all interested in films from this genre.

So in regards to these contexts I aim to target quite a mass audience.

From my research I can see that there are a number of things that appeal to members of this mass audience. The most influential items possibly being those which are stereotypically related to the action genre such as gadgets, guns, girls, pyrotechnics and fast cars. I think if I can incorporate as many of these as I can to the film, it can be successful in targeting this audience. However I have to take into account that this production has very low budgeting so it will be very difficult to acquire some of these effects for real, however I could attempt to duplicate these effects in post production such as pyrotechnics. So using as many of these techniques as possible, I feel that I can target this audience and that my product will appeal to them.

Context

The products I plan to produce are a teaser trailer, film poster and a magazine front cover. These three will combine to form part of an advertising package. Specifically the film trailer and film posters aim to advertise the film itself within the film and print platforms respectively. This is different from the magazine front cover as it will feature many other items along with the film I am producing, with less focus on my product.

Having the product on these platforms will affect my product in different ways. There are rules and restrictions for publishing on these platforms and I will have to conform within these. For example not including any profanities or anything inappropriate for all viewers even if they are not members of my target audience, such as young children.

Media Concepts

Media Languages

For all of the products I am producing I aim to follow the conventions that are being set within the current industry. Knowing how to do this is one of the main reasons I have carried out a vast extent of research. Taking note of all the conventions that occur within these film trailers will help me to identify and replicate a similar convention within my product. Within my trailer I hope to challenge and better some of the conventions currently set within the industry, by doing this I will have to push the boundaries and come up with something special or eye-catching.

Institutions

To make the film trailer fit and suit within other film trailers I will create a production company of my own, including a name and a logo that can instantly be identified as my production company. This will be the distributing company for my product and will help me to compete and market my production to others within the same industry.

Representations

Within the film representations will affect my characters, especially within regards of stereotyping. Being able to identify characters easily are very important for my film. For example putting my main character in a suit and having him wield a gun will immediately tell the audience that he is some kind of agent or spy with some air of mystery around this. I aim to follow stereotyping within this product as often going against these stereotypes can have a detrimental effect on the popularity of films creating confusion within the audience and causing them to lose interest even before seeing the film. 

Genre

I have already decided that the film I will produce will be part of the action genre and there are clear conventions which I can follow for this, that can be including stereotypical items related to this type of film or having a soundtrack that fits within the genre. The setting of the film will also be important with my film to be set within central London, an iconic city that everybody in the world knows of. Also the style of editing and camera work will be following conventions as shots are usually quite short in length and also with a number of varying shots included.

All of these different factors combined will give my film a clear indication on genre and will be easily identifiable to all viewers.

Research - Questionnaire Results

From the feedback I have received from these questions, I have found some interesting answers. I will now need to find a techno-rock song to go with my trailer. This song or soundtrack will also have to suit the trailer with the right pace and set the tension. It is quite clear that weapons are important in an action film, however it will be very difficult for me to obtain the use of any other effects with such a small budget. The setting for my film is either going to be in a  landmark city or a rural countryside. Seeing as  our school is in Greater London, I have chosen to set the filming here. As to how much information will be revealed in the trailer, I have decided to make it so that, it will tell the basics but leave out  an details. I am hoping that this will make viewers want to find out more and go and see the film. This is an important factor when making a successful trailer.

Research - Questionnaire

Now I have researched other film promotion packages, including film trailers and posters, I will carry out research into my potential target audience.
I will do this by producing a questionnaire and picking up on any vital information which I haven't already from researching other current and past promotion packages.
After some research I have found out that the target audience for action films comprise of mainly males aged from 14-30. I will have to hand out the questionnaire to members of this target audience to gain some feedback.
As I have gotten my influences and information from trailers in the same style of package and genre this audience research should have already been taken into account. Promotion packages in this style will have already taken into account the audience, and if I continue to follow these trends then I probably will have picked up on items that my target audience will find appealing.
The main contents of this questionnaire will be questions I need answers to help me plan and construct my film trailer.

Weekly Update 2

This week I have carried out my genre specific research of trailers and posters to note down any conventions used. Also I have looked at these for inspiration and hope to gain a few ideas for my trailer and ancillary tasks.
I have also made a brainstorm with a few of my initial ideas of which I hope to carry on further with the aid of a questionnaire to my target audience.

Research - Brainstorming

Research - The Matrix

Although the Matrix is now an older film, I thought I would research it to see if there were any major differences over the space of 10 years.
If anything, this poster looks more up to date than others I have looked at, with the green effects used.
Again all are dressed in black, the girl in very tight, clothing and have weapons viewable.
The main character here is clearly visible in the foreground being the main focus of attention suggesting to the audience that he is the main focus for the film.

The trailer however tells a different story to the poster.

I can see that some of the special effects are a bit outdated and not so realistic however, the themes and styles of shots have stayed pretty similar to modern action films

There are a number of fast cuts and also periods of only speech and black empty screens.

Again the film follows the same trend, of a calm slower beginning when the storyline is being established, once this is done, the faster adrenaline pumping actions scenes are shown.

This is done with a change in the pace of music and the firing of a pistol.

Research - The Bourne Ultimatum

This is another  film poster where the main character is holding a gun. Giving the audience a clue of what is happening.
Also because the main character is running and there is a blurred affect, without watching the film we can see that there is a sense of urgency and that he may be on the run.
The film title is quite in small text, and the only emphasis is on the colour.

From watching the film trailer there are a few things that I really like and may try to replicate for my production.

The first is the silhouette shot seen right at the beginning, this is a nice effect which could be used and can be combined as part of the establishing shot.

The next is definitely the text between edits explaining the story to the audience. When this is combined with music and is in sync this can give a good suspense effect.

Also the fast editing between action scenes adds to the tempo of the trailer and because of the quick cuts, gives the effect of the trailer going much faster.

Weekly Update 1

This has been the first week of my coursework task and I have carried out a number of tasks. These have included my production brief and my production schedule. This has given me the foundation and platform to carry out my coursework.
Also this week I have started my research into a number of different films to look out for different codes and conventions which I should incorporate into my trailer. I have also analysed the film posters for the films to again pick out the conventions. The next step is to now carry out my genre specific research to take note on any differences.

Research

From watching and researching theses various films I have decided to carry out further research and produce an Action film promotion package. I have chosen this genre as I find it the most interesting and appealing to me and I think it will produce the best outcome.

Research - Salt

From observing the film poster we can see that there is only one main character.
She is holding a gun so we can see that there must be some sort of action/ suspense involved.
From the background everything is blurry which suggests that there is a fast pace to the film and a focus on the main character.

The first part of the trailer there is an air of mystery and suspense which goes in keeping with the music. This is where the audience are trying to figure out the storyline and what the film is about.

Then when the story is revealed the tempo of music changes and the typical themes of an action thriller kick in.

There are a number of fast edits, the music and cuts are all in sync and there are voice over’s from  parts of the film.

Even for the same clip, the screen flashes black and back to the picture in time with the music for dramatic effect

The last part of the trailer shows the film title, and finally the last shot  of the main character staring at the audience through a crowd , which can make the audience want to watch the film.

Research - Toy Story 3

This film poster is surprisingly quite blank, but this is because there is already a large fan base and there is no need to have to try and grab the attention of new audiences.
The play on words “the TOYS are back in town” is also used  to grab the attention if the initial fan base who are in anticipation of this film
All of the toy characters also appear in this poster.

From this film trailer there is an old video cassette effect, with some static around the edges, this is something that I have also seen  in other trailers and seems to be quite a common effect.

The music for the beginning part of the trailer is of a classical genre with the strings and piano vividly present.

Then the screen goes black and you hear the voice of a character, this changes the sad emotion, to an adventurous up-beat theme.

This is also another film trailer that uses text between edits and shots, however for this film there are slight differences. The text shown between edits is in the yellow style used throughout the whole film.  Also there is a voice over during this period and not a sound effect giving a sense of drama.

Research - Burn After Reading

This film poster is set out in quite a traditional style with only the actors and film title clearly shown.
The main appeal of this film is the “big name” actors which is a luxury I don’t have when creating my film advertising package.
However with two of the characters shown holding weapons,  this can draw in potential viewers attention.


The film trailer follows a slightly different style than the films I have previously researched so far.
The trailer focuses on the comedy factor as the main appeal, when this happens, the only sound we can hear is the diegetic speech, and then there is a pause for the affect.
Towards the end of the trailer the scenes of comedy stop and there are a number  of action shots of chases and the characters start to hold weapons, the cuts between shots become a lot shorter and the pace of the music picks up.
A part of the trailer that appeals to me is the part where George Clooney’s character shoots a gun and at the same time the screen goes blank for an edit

Research - Star Trek

From this poster you can see that there is no clear shot of any of the characters. All of the images are merged and blended into each other.

This gives the impression of a lot going on and also the sense of action.

From the picture of a spaceship in the fore ground, the glimpses of uniform on the characters and the type of font used tells us instantly that this film is of a Sci-fi genre. 

From watching the film trailer I can tell there are a number of tracking and panning shots which are used to establish the environment and also when used at a fast speed give a sense of drama and action.
The use of editing is clearly present with a lot of special FX with laser beams, space ships and explosions all shown in vast quantities.
The music used for the trailer is used to build up the drama and tension using trumpets and stringed instruments.

"The wait is over” diegetic speech from one of the characters was a message sent out to the audience as part of the trailer and made the audience feel “involved”

Research - The Road

From looking at this film poster I can tell a few things straight away about the film. It is easy to see that there are two main characters, one a grown man and one a child.
Another thing you can tell is that the setting is a derelict city/town. The grey colours mixed with the brown portrays this message along with the font used for the title.
The title has been made to have a crumbled rocky effect which gives any member of the target audience an idea of how the film may unfold.

There are also a number of items that I could find useful to incorporate into my production from this trailer.

One being the text in-between cuts and shots, played with drums to add a tense feeling and drawing the attention of many viewers.

The trailer also makes some parts of video look like a CCTV image with some white noise effects, which is intentional picture instability and adds to the dramatic effect.

This film trailer also uses fast editing and music for dramatic effect just as the Casino Royale trailer did.

Research - Casino Royale

From this film poster you can see a man with a gun dressed in a suit and bow tie. You can see the stereotypical “agent” character here. The girl in the background also reinforces this.
Both the ‘007’ and ‘Casino Royale’ are shown in the film title which is an interesting way of showing a film title
Also the main character is quite clear whereas the background is quite bland drawing attention to the foreground and main character  

From watching the film trailer there are a number of interesting shots and mise-en scene aspects that I like and will try to incorporate these into my trailer. This includes the dress sense of the main character wearing a suit.

Another part of the trailer I liked was the cutting and editing between the shots which were in synchronisation with the music of the film trailer.

Also I liked the beginning few scenes which were in black and white and may be something to try with the editing of my film trailer.

Research - Outline

To research this production project I will take notes from varying genre’s of film trailers. Viewing these trailers I will be able to pick up on any trends and  themes so I can replicate these in my production.


Not only will I be looking at the Film trailers I will also be looking at the whole promotion and advertising package including Posters and any magazine front covers that the film has featured in.At the end of this research section I will decide what films genre I have decided on. 


After deciding I will research this genre further and then go move on to the planning section.

Production Schedule

For my GCE media advanced portfolio I have been tasked with producing a promotion package for a new film, which will contain a teaser trailer with 2 ancillary projects.
To prepare for this project I have decided to make a production schedule to stick to. This should provide me with enough time to complete the package and also allows me to keep organised.
I have given myself just over 15 weeks to complete this task.

Production Brief

Production brief

Project name:	Defected
Medium/format:	Film – Ancillary tasks within Print. Magazine + Film Poster
Length:	1-3 minutes
Deadline:	18th February 2011
Group members:	Myself however, my classmates will assist me with some tasks such as filming.
Brief overview of content approximately 50 words:	I plan to produce a film likely to be in the action genre, however after researching current productions within the market, I will finalise my decision.
Target audience (age group, gender bias (if any), socio-economic status and lifestyle profiling):	I have identified a profile that is males aged from 12-40 from socio-economic groups A to D.
What representations will be operating in your text? Are these justified?	Within my trailer I have planned to represent class and status to some extent, within my two main characters.
How will you test whether the product is successful?	After producing the task I will show the trailer to members of my target audience and take their feedback, if the responses are negative then I may have to edit or change aspects of the task.
What generic codes and conventions will be operating in your text?	From observing current products on the market I will pay attention to any codes and conventions they all display. From this is will try to incorporate them into my trailer, however as of yet I don’t know what these codes and conventions are.
What are the overt (obvious) messages incorporated into the text?	The messages I will send within my production will be the storyline and the obvious stereotype messages. This will be a simple as identifying a spy or terrorist.
Are there any (hidden) messages incorporated into the text?	none
Identify any resource constraints (time, money, equipment, human resources) that might affect your production and your hopes for your product:	As this is a production for school, there will be time constraints and deadlines, not too dissimilar from that of real life instances within the industry. Money is also an issue as there is no official budget and because of this will limit the amount of things I can fit within my production. (i.e I will not be able to have a massive explosion as part of my trailer) Equipment is also and issue as the school has amateur out dated filming equipment so the quality of the work will be in low resolution, however this is an issue out of my control and will not be marked against me.