StoryBoard

Poster for 'Labels'

This is the poster we created for our short film 'Labels'. It was created in Photoshop and is based on the idea that characters from the film are shown as pictures pinned onto a notice board. The title is spelled out on post-it notes, with the tag-line "Tag, you're it!" on a crinkled piece of notepad paper. The billing block contains all cast and crew with their respective roles.

Script - 'Labels' redraft

Title on black. Labels.

Score enters

Int. School. Day.
Protagonist walks down corridor placing 'Post-it' notes on walls containing credits and stereotypical slogans on objects.

Ext. Road. Day.
Walking down a road towards school, protagonist passes a girl and labels her a "UP FOR IT"

Ext. School. Day.
Exiting school, protagonist side steps a young male, maintaining distance suggesting he is undesirable but quickly braves his perimeter to label him "PIKEY".

Int. School. Day.
Protagonist continues along corridor, a young male walks past at the same time on the phone and upon walking past, the protagonist tags his back with the label "TOFF".

A young Indian male walking up stairs passes the protagonist and is labeled "FOREIGNER".

Ext. Road. Day.
Protagonist walks down road, passes young black male and draws up label reading "THUG".

The protagonist proceeds to walk away and as he does, the camera reveals several labels on his back. "RACIST" "XENOPHOBE" "CLASSIST" "SEXIST" "PREJUDICE" "BRITISH".




Reasons for Changes

Several things changed between the initial script for 'Labels' and the final product. We decided to remove the "FAT" scene due to filming/set difficulties, also we changed "BLONDE" to "UP FOR IT" as we felt the idea of a 'easy' girl is more British than the stereotype of blondes which we saw as more American. Removing the 'POOF' scene was done as we saw homosexuality as having a less impact on British society compared to other countries in the world and the other stereotypes we used had a greater reflection on British identity.

The film magazine we have invented and why.

Our magazine resembles that of “Empire” film magazine. We have created the film magazine called “tomorrow’s cinema” and our section title will be called “scene it”. The target audience for our film magazine are young cinema goers but not fanatics they just skim read through the article in order to get a brighter view of the film they most want to watch next. This will be targeted at 15-30 year olds. They don’t necessarily want to know what the film is about before hand but still want an expert analysis and overview of the film they would like to see. It is important that we get all the movie genres so that we can appeal to the target audience of every one from the age of 15-30.
The film magazine will be very casual as it tries to interact with its audience as if the magazine were best friends with the target audience. It is important that the target audience of our film magazine is comfortable reading our magazine, further to this they need to feel that they can refer back to the magazine, as a place of reference. This is further enhanced with the chatty nature of the author of the article. He can relate to the target audience and will try and make conversation with them without actually doing so because he's obviously writing an article. This will attract the reader further and want to read more film reviews because they can then relate to the article writer. It will try to be humorous, our target audience are people that dont take films to seriously. They enjoy a wide variety of comedy and our humour will be quite sarcastic and witty, we identify these genres of comedy as some typical british humour. We must allow the audience to feel comfortable reading this but all in the knowledge that the film review will be the serious opinion of the author with a bit .
The magazine will display one big picture above the main headline and will have an introduction aswell as a subheading underneath the headline. The introduction will introduce the film we are discussing. This will be further discussed in three columns. Thus making the audience read what they paid for. There will be a breakout box to attract the reader to some facts and statistics about the film it is important that we accommodate for all members of our target audience we know that our that not all our readers will actually read every article however they will still buy the magazine because of their interest in the figures. There will also be a breakout paragraph of the choice sentence selected by the editor. This sentence is the one the editor feels most comfortable to bring about more readers to the article thus possibly making the author quite popular in the youth circle.

Shooting Schedule.

Date: Friday 25th of February 2011
Where: this scene will be filmed in the hall outside James’s flat.
Time: the shots will be filmed between the hours of 1-4 pm in the afternoon.
Scene: we will film shots 34 to 45 which is the end of the film.
Cast: James Shaw
Crew: Sean Mcgowan (camera man) and Ross Dalton-Short (director)
Props: we are going to use paper in disguise as labels and keys to the house.
Concerns: Katy Szkuta is away for this which we put into consideration, we don’t specifically need her for this scene so we are getting the scene out of the way whilst we can.

Date: Tuesday 1st of March 2011
Where: these scenes will be shot in school
Time: the shots will be filmed between the hours of 9 am till 1 pm
Scene: we will film shots 4 to 20 on this day they will consist of the main character labelling some of the other characters.
Cast: James Shaw, Neehar Ravi, Chris Mccann and Joseph Davidson.
Crew: Sean Mcgowan (camera man), Ross Dalton-Short (director) and Katy Szkuta (technical director)
Props: labels (paper)

Date: Thursday 03rd of March 2011
Where: just outside of school on Murray Road.
Time: the shots will be filmed between the hours of 3-5 pm
Scene: we will film shots 28 to 33 this is when the main character labels the girl.
Cast: James Shaw, Katy Szkuta.
Crew: Sean Mcgowan (camera man) and Ross Dalton-Short (Director)
Props: labels (paper) and Handbag.
Concerns: We were going to cast Rosie Sinfield ahead of Katy however we realised that this was not practical as rosie may not have been available which would have delayed our film.

Date: Thursday 03rd of March 2011
Where: Just outside school on Murray Road
Time: between the hours of 3-5 pm
Scene: we will film shots 21 to 27 this is where the main character labels the “thug”.
Cast: James Shaw, Bashiru Shardow.
Crew: Sean Mcgowan, Ross Dalton-Short, Katy Szkuta.
Props: Labels and hoodie.
Concerns: These shots should have been filmed on a Friday however bashiru couldn’t make it so we moved it forward by a day.

Storyboard

(INSERT STORYBOARD)

Our storyboard comprises of a variety of shots that we intend to use in order to create our short film. In our short film, the protagonist labels five different people to express what he thinks of them therefore we had to think up different ways of showing how the protaganist would label the people. If we kept doing the same scenarios then the audience would start to realise what was happening in the film and would have an idea of how the rest of the film would plan out. Furthermore, if we did do the same scenarios then the audience may become bored of seeing the same things over and over again. In order to stop this, a variety of shots have been included in our staryboard such as close-ups, medium shots and long shots as well as different camera angles. Also, we have added transitions between shots such as a wipe to show an elipses in time in our storyboard.

Casting

Main character - James Shaw. James has to be able to show an embodiment of society's ability to abruptly judge people at first glance. He is a typical school boy of seventeen years and wears a school uniform to show his equality with all the other students - ironic for the character which he will be playing. He has a middle build, blue eyes and it is visible that there is something more that he is feeling. Unfortunately, he cannot keep his thoughts to himself and has to let them out into the open.




'Foreigner' - Neehar Ravi. This character will be played by an Indian. At first glance, he looks like a foreigner however one may get confused when they hear his unbroken and perfect English accent. He is also wearing a school uniform.




'Toff' - Chris McCann. This character glides through the school corridors full of confidence and charisma; nothing will stop him not fitting in where he feels most comfortable. Through this he exudes an air of superiority. He is a bright English young male who wants to have the best possible future for him. His school uniform is neatly worn and his crisp white shirt portrays depicts the pride that he feels whilst wearing something of the school's. He could also be carrying some books and folders in his hand showing that he is eager for his next lesson and he is not ashamed to show this. He speaks in the most formal English accent and this shows that he is somewhat posh.




'Up for it' - Katy Szkuta. A young eighteen year old girl is walking down the corridor in jeans and a shirt, there is nothing to show that she is easy or that she is interested in the boys. However, males at this age experience various sexual awakenings and therefore believe that any girl who looks at them is 'up for grabs'. This character only needs to either look or smile at one of the boys for them to think that she wants more. This is a very stereotypical portrayal of teenage girls and should be easily understood by the audience.




'Thug' - Bashiru Shardow. A definition of a thug is; a common criminal, who treats others violently and roughly. This character will not be shown in school uniform but will be filmed lurking around in the side streets. He will be wearing a hooded jumper covering up his face to not be identified and some black trousers. The audience will immediately link this with violence and being afraid; and this is exactly the effect we want to create. What is hiding beneath this character's eyes - his hard life and his past experiences - no one will ever know. Whilst a chase ensues between the protagonist and the thug, he could shout 'you have it so easy, but look at me!’

'Pikey' - Joseph Davidson. A Pikey is a pejorative slang term used to refer to Irish Travellers, gypsies or people of low social class. In this case, Joseph is a young male who comes from an Irish background. 'Pikey' is not a racial group, the term is used to describe anyone who lives in a caravan or shares the same values and "culture" of "the travelling community", and whose main sources of income are crimes. Joseph is very stereotyped because of his family roots are but this not stop him having a lot of friends who accept him in every way.

Our First Idea

A 17 year old Indian boy presents to his audience how he balances his traditional Indian heritage with his English heritage, on a typical school day. This would be a voice-over monologue of the boy talking about his life. During his voice-over the protagonist shares his feelings: “At school friends see me as different – I don’t come from the same background as them, their family is so much different” etc. “At home, family don’t see me as Indian enough – everything I do is TOO English, I can’t cook right, I don’t pray long enough, and my parents think I won’t do well in school and will bring shame to the family.”

In the morning he wakes up, goes downstairs and sees a note on the fridge from his mother; be back at six - make dinner!

At the end of school friends ask the protagonist whether he wants to go out, but N. refuses as he has to go home and cook dinner.

The ending: a reverse shot of N. looking out the window at his friends playing football (one character can shout ‘ENGLAAAND!’ to show patriotism and the division between cultures). The camera then comes back to medium shot of N. looking out of his kitchen window, signifying his separation from his friends. This represents the culture clash and N.’s dual identity.

Script - 'Labels'

Title on black. Labels.
School bell rings.

Score enters

Int. School. Day.
Protagonist walks down corridor placing 'Post-it' notes on walls containing credits.

A young Indian male walks towards the protagonist and they converse in idle conversation until the protagonist labels the man "FOREIGNER".

Protagonist continues along corridor, a young male walks through the door at the same time and upon walking past protagonist tags his back with label "TOFF".

Continuing down the corridor, protagonist looks into a room and sees a girl applying make-up. Walks into room, labels her a "BLONDE"

Ext. School. Day.
Exiting school, protagonist side steps a young male, maintaining distance suggesting he is undesirable but quickly braves his perimeter to label him "PIKEY".

Ext. Fast food restuarant. Evening.
Young male eating in a fastfood resturant, protagonist enters and labels him "FAT"

Ext. Road. Evening.
Walking down the road, very 'camp' gay stereotypical male walks past and protagonist labels him "POOF".

Protagonist walks down road, passes young black male and heavily places label upon him reading "THUG". A slight chase ensues.

Having successfully fled, the protagonist proceeds to walk away and as he does, the camera reveals several labels on his back. "RACIST" "XENOPHOBE" "ARCHAIC" "SEXIST" "HOMOPHOBE" "BRITISH".

Synopsis - 'Labels'

A young male is an embodiment of society's ability to abruptly judge people at first glance. He roams his school and streets placing signs on those he meets which conform them to a social cliché. The people are not at all appreciative of this pretentious labelling and show they're discontent once labelled. The protagonist labels an Indian boy "FOREIGNER", a young white English male "TOFF", then a teen girl "BLONDE" and another young white male a "PIKEY". Also labels a boy in a fast food restaurant "FAT" as well as another young male "POOF" and finally a black youth a "THUG". After labelling the initally non-threathening boy "THUG", the black male pursues to chase the protagonist. Once fled and after all this blunt labelling of members of society, the camera reveals that in turn, the protaonist has been labeled "RACIST" "XENOPHOBE" "ARCHAIC" "SEXIST" "HOMOPHOBE" "BRITISH". The film analyses British society's judging of stereotypes from within and outside of our traditional communities.

What are the conventions of magazine page layout?

Whilst flipping through a magazine such as Empire, Total Film, and Sight and Sound one can’t help but notice an eye-catching film review. These magazine’ purpose is to attract various audiences, with its glossy pages packed with colorful images which allow the reader; be it a young adolescent or an adult to have a much more visual experience. The written codes in a magazine article are communicated through the language used. The key area one must think about is the publication’s mode of address: the way it ‘speaks’ to its audience. It its most simple form, this could be very formal or very casual. It may be humorous or serious, chatty or professional. The types of words selected and style and complexity of sentences used are how the mode of address is identified. The review keeps a balance between informing the audience of the films, keep a positive outlook on it (no matter how rubbish they think the film is) and focus on not giving too much of the film away.










Different types of fonts and typography are also incorporated in the review. A font is the style of character selected to create the words. The selection of fonts can give a magazine its character and identity. Fonts can also suggest if a publication is serious or fun. Typography refers to the way text is laid out on the page: size (pt. 14, upper/lower case), spacing, line length etc. an article in a publication will normally use more than one font and typography, but these will follow a formula set out by the ‘house style’, e.g. all the headlines will be in the same font and size in articles. The headline style is technically part of typography. However, choices made about headlines can affect the way an article is read. Headlines in block capitals add urgency. One is not advised to use block capitals all throughout the text; it ends up making the text more difficult to read than if it were written in standard title case. However, this urgency can be reduced by writing in lower case, with only the first letter of each word capitalized. Some publications use ‘strap lines’ either above or below the main headline. This is a smaller headline that adds more detail.
A subheading is a means of visually breaking up a longer article to make it more digestible. They can also be used to pick out a particular feature of the story in the main body of the article – i.e. ‘breakout paragraphs’. This is done to draw the audience’s attention to whatever they are interested and its purpose also is for esthetic reasons; to fill up space on the page.
In most of the magazines the pages are spilt into columns. The number of columns on a page will vary according to magazine. The main text will be contained within single columns, where as introduction sentences or ‘extra’ information (often contained in ‘breakout boxes’) may spread across two or more columns. This varies according to whom it is written for, i.e. Sight and Sound has smaller text and more columns, as it focuses more on the written context, rather than to entertain, whereas the ‘Sound’ magazine layout usually only consists of two columns, which makes it easier to read; making it more manageable. The difference in the amount of writing will also affect the type of audience who read the review.
The magazine review should also consist of a photo. It is usually a screenshot of the film or the promotional image. The amount, type and layout of photographs have a significant effect on the way an article is read. In the west, our normal visual reading pattern is to scan the page from top left to bottom right. However, when flicking through a magazine our eye is more readily drawn to the right-hand page – this is why adverts set on the right hand cost more than those set on the left. Therefore an eye catching image placed on the right hand page can catch our initial attention, and start us scanning the text from the left hand page down.

Audiences of magazine film reviews

The audience of a magazine film review can be different to the audience of the film it is reviewing. This is because the review is serving the target audience of the magazine, and not the film. For instance, a review for The Princess and the Frog (2008), a Disney animation would appear in Empire magazine however the review is for readers of Empire magazine and obviously not the target audience of the film as it is highly unlikely the young, child audience of the film would not read a review of the film.

Magazine film review audiences also vary due to the different interests in audiences. The magazine Sight & Sound is produced by the British Film Institute and can be seen as The Times of film magazines. The mode of address of the magazine is targeted at those with real knowledge and academic interest in film not only as a pass-time, but a key cultural tool and art form. The audience of Sight & Sound are much more informed and expect a higher standard of sophisticated English. The writing is also very serious and formal with most humour being very dry. Sight & Sound provides a full synopsis of the film with discussion of the narrative structure and style, balanced opinion and contextual information to feed its middle-class, well educated audience. The use of a full synopsis gives the interested, academic audience an in-depth overview of the film as well as discussion and view points of the themes and events.



Whereas a magazine such as Total Film provides a less extensive synopsis of the film to target an audience that are obviously interested in films as they buy the magazine, but use film for more entertainment than cultural research like the readers of Sight & Sound. The reviews in the magazine use a lower standard of English compared to Sight & Sound and also uses more and larger pictures, as well as break out paragraphs and break out boxes such as graphs. A Total Film review also uses word play and more obvious wit than Sight & Sound such as "No Country for a middle-aged man (and his boy)...". The magazine uses wider columns which gives the appearance of a shorter and easier read, this appeals to the target audience of the magazine.

These magazines although having the same subject matter, their mode of addresses are vastly different as they have alternating target audiences. Sight & Sound uses a sophisticated level of English and expects its audience to know what the words mean, in contrast, Total Film uses a lower quality of language as it is not targeted at a sophisticated, highly educated audience that is reading the magazine for a detailed, high quality review. Sight & Sound uses more, slimmer columns with more focus on text than on pictures and other break-out boxes, whereas Total Film is very much focused on images, e.g. The Road in the example.



There are also magazines such as Prevue which is an in-house magazine published by Vue cinemas. Magazines like these are useful for simple synopses of films, but do not give clear positive or negative reviews as they goal is ultimately to get the reader to see any film in the cinema. These types of magazines give very simple outlines of the film without further depth or analysis, the articles are surrounded by breakout boxes which give information of the actor's other work and facts.

The Purpose of a Magazine Film Review

Magazine film reviews are to provide opinions about films and offer guidance to audiences about what films to see. They include objective opinions and third party recommendations. Magazine film reviews provide more information to audeinces than can be obtained via a poster therefore, producers aim to have their film reviewed in magazines in a positive manner in order to help gain viewers and therefore boost sales. For example, 'The Kings Speech' (2010), starring Colin Firth became a huge success due to reviews. In the UK and Ireland, the film became box office number one, and took in £3,510,000 in its opening weekend from 395 cinemas.In the United States 'The King's Speech' opened with $355,450 in four theatres, averaging $88,863 per theatre. It holds the record for the highest per theatre gross of 2010. On the other hand, 'Catwomen' (2004) world wide box office reached $82,102,379.

This is the film trailer for 'Catwomen' (2004)



This is the film trailer for 'The King's Speech' (2010)

'Fim Review' is an example of a film review magazine. 'Film Review' magazine first appeared in 1950, initially for a 3-issue trial run. At the time it had the title "ABC Film Review" due to it working with ABC cinemas. At the time it was just 20 pages ans it was published in association with Pathé and produced by Axtell Publications Ltd. of London. After the trial's success it became a full monthly magazine from January 1951. In 1972, its name changed to just 'Film Review' and the ABC was dropped from then on. It continued to appear as a monthly magazine until 2008. The last edition, a double-issue, number 699/700, for August/ September 2008, edited by Nikki Baughan, had 220 pages and was priced at £4.99.

Having started out as a promotional magazine for the ABC circuit, 'Film Review' became a very good popular film monthly, packed with news and information, literate reviews and an emphasis on the pictures as well as the written text. For nearly sixty years it never lost its initial and essential aim of appealing to film fanatics. Sadly, its position was taken over by other more successful film publications which forced it off the shelves.

Famous Film Magazines.

There are three main film magazines in the country at this moment in time. The most read is Total Film followed by Empire and then by Sight and Sound a specialist film review magazine for the more sophisticated and cultured reader and a cinema fanatic. They also have to compete with newspapers who do regular film reviews in a special section of their newspaper.
The layout of the film review pages all differ from one magazine article to another. There are only three columns in “Total Film” whereas in “Empire” they have three columns and in “Sight and Sound” they have 6 columns. This has different connotations, for instance someone who is just looking for a short article to read and on a film that he wants to see will read something light hearted and less challenging such as a “Total Film” film reviews. This is also shown in the typography: it has big type and the word spacing is long aswell as the line spacing that is quite large. The third column is finished with page filler. A device used by magazines in order to make the reader comfortable with the article and read it. This is different in “empire” that has three columns with small word spacing and small line spacing. They get even smaller in Sight and Sound due to the seriousness of the magazine. The font is all the same for every single one however they are different for the headline than the article itself. They just differ in size with the more serious film reviews becoming smaller in order to attract a more cultured clientele. The Headlines differ from some magazines Total Film and Empire are similar in the way that the title of the film is the headline whereas in Sight and Sound it goes along the lines of a serious newspaper with a pun for the headline. The strap lines style is also different In “Total Film” they have their pun there unlike “Empire” who pose a question to the audience or even Sight and Sound who give an overview of the filmThe layout of the film review pages all differ from one magazine article to another. There are only three columns in “Total Film” whereas in “Empire” they have three columns and in “Sight and Sound” they have 6 columns. This has different connotations, for instance someone who is just looking for a short article to read and on a film that he wants to see will read something light hearted and less challenging such as a “Total Film” film reviews. This is also shown in the typography: it has big type and the word spacing is long aswell as the line spacing that is quite large. The third column is finished with page filler. A device used by magazines in order to make the reader comfortable with the article and read it. This is different in “empire” that has three columns with small word spacing and small line spacing. They get even smaller in Sight and Sound due to the seriousness of the magazine. The font is all the same for every single one however they are different for the headline than the article itself. They just differ in size with the more serious film reviews becoming smaller in order to attract a more cultured clientele. The Headlines differ from some magazines Total Film and Empire are similar in the way that the title of the film is the headline whereas in Sight and Sound it goes along the lines of a serious newspaper with a pun for the headline. The strap lines style is also different In “Total Film” they have their pun there unlike “Empire” who pose a question to the audience or even Sight and Sound who give an overview of the film.The layout of the film review pages all differ from one magazine article to another. There are only three columns in “Total Film” whereas in “Empire” they have three columns and in “Sight and Sound” they have 6 columns. This has different connotations, for instance someone who is just looking for a short article to read and on a film that he wants to see will read something light hearted and less challenging such as a “Total Film” film reviews. This is also shown in the typography: it has big type and the word spacing is long aswell as the line spacing that is quite large. The third column is finished with page filler. A device used by magazines in order to make the reader comfortable with the article and read it. This is different in “empire” that has three columns with small word spacing and small line spacing. They get even smaller in Sight and Sound due to the seriousness of the magazine. The font is all the same for every single one however they are different for the headline than the article itself. They just differ in size with the more serious film reviews becoming smaller in order to attract a more cultured clientele. The Headlines differ from some magazines Total Film and Empire are similar in the way that the title of the film is the headline whereas in Sight and Sound it goes along the lines of a serious newspaper with a pun for the headline. The strap lines style is also different In “Total Film” they have their pun there unlike “Empire” who pose a question to the audience or even Sight and Sound who give an overview of the film they are reviewing.


In Total Film (the latest issue, issue 176) there are main news articles about the film industry to begin with unlike Empire who are doing an ultimate guide to Tron Legacy one of the latest movies to come out in cinema’s. In a similar fashion Sight and Sound focused there main article on the Black Swan. Empire and Sight and Sound stick strictly to major film issues and unlike Total Film they have long articles on films or film genres that have raised an eyebrow recently. Total film on the other hand will have the readers views section where the readers letters are posted in the magazine so that they can interact with public opinion making the magazine more appealing. Empire and Sight and Sound will then have all the films being released in the country right now or in the next month. This is reciprocated in some sorts in Total Film especially as they have a section for the more sophisticated and cultured film fan talking about some of the films that wont appear in mainstream cinema company’s.



The mode of address of the film magazine depends on the film magazine at hand. Total Film for instance will have language more accommodated for the younger generation. They are aimed at readers that look at films for a good time with their friends rather than for a cultural or educational experience. On the other hand Empire is written for the more experienced film watcher and is aimed at everyone really considering it also attracts some of the more casual cinema goers as well as the educated cinema fanatics. Its style of writing makes it the film reference magazine in Great Britain. The less well known magazine Sight and Sound is really the specialist magazine and is aimed at connoisseurs of cinema and is written with flamboyant language in order to appeal to its specialist audience. It also writes the synopsis of the film mainly because the film fan will want to read the about the films it wont be able to otherwise watch because they are released in independent cinema’s in other parts of the country. They write about every film with in depth reviews that would bore the ordinary cinema fan.

What are the conventions of film posters? What elements do all film posters contain? What are the different options available?

The purpose of a film poster is used to advertise a film and it is a marketing product of a film. There may be several versions for one film, with variations in regards to size and content, also some posters are designed specifically for particular countries.
A film poster traditionally contains an image with text, however with the development of technology and software many film posters today have much more to them. The text usually contains the film title in large lettering and often the names of the main actors; it may also include a tag line, the name of the director, names of characters, the release date and the credit block.

It is apparent that certain forms and conventions are applied to all film posters. The major forms and conventions of film posters could include: a large title which attracts the eye, bold colours which stand out from the background, intriguing picture which would attract viewers to the film, persuasive language which might persuade the viewers to go and see the film, using the main character's name for promotion, and the certification will either to ensure that the right type of people are watching the film. An example of how different types of film (e.g. comedy, horror) poster use these forms and conventions to attract a certain type of person (e.g. teenagers, horror fans) would be a really scary horror film, which will use eerie images in order to appeal to horror fans. A successful film poster will accomplish attracting the target audience and persuade them to come and watch the film.

analysis of famous film's posters

poster annotations

Goodfellas was a very popular film. The poster helped in that sense the three main characters were very popular because of the power of three. The layout distinctively puts them in the dark forcing an air of mystery on the situation such as who are they and did they kill the person under the bridge. Under the bridge is also code for saying it is underground activities for these gangsters. We also understand that they are underground kingpins because they are above the bridge but still in the dark. They have then a quote that could be acting as a tagline saying that they are in the mafia. The official tagline also demonstrates this. Even though he’s not the main character Robert De Niro is the middle man mainly because he is the most famous actor of the three shown and his character is the boss of the three characters. . None of the characters are smiling there just staring at you suspiciously giving the audience a sense of wonder as to what they might have done not only the characters but also themselves.The old school posters always used to have the directors name underneath because they were attributed there works Martin Scorcese reciprocates this in the modern era of film poster making.

The porky’s poster demonstrates how to effectively get the public to watch a film, it portrays the sort of behaviour usually attributed with teenagers. This film poster also had a line that played on the word came. It literally means that youll be glad to have seen the movie however those with a dirty mind will laugh because it can also mean youll be glad to have ejaculated. This gives sense that it will be the teen comedy subgenre. That is further enhanced with the eye of a teenager peeking at the naked women in the shower. This gives a sense of ridiculousness yet at the same time of humour making the audience want to go and watch the film.



The good the bad and the ugly is one of the most iconic films ever made.The poster shows what it was like when technology wasn’t at its peak. Once again the three characters are on top and you see them in cowboy style outfits with weapons clearly demonstrating that the main plot of this film is the western rivalry between the three characters. They then have the subplot or the background of the film underneath them to show that its significant in the film yet not the most important or the bit to focus on during the film. Sergio Leone is also one the people that demonstrate the old fashioned posters. The drawing of the subplot and the adding of his name in big letters underneath the title infers how old this film really is.


Pulp fiction is another modern great movie such as Goodfellas. It uses seduction rather than plot to get the audience to watch the film this in some way is very Tarantinoesc considering he does not do films in a normal fashion. He also utilises the technique of the name underneath the title in order to advertise that its his film. He does not utilize the main characters and instead of giving just there names he gives a long list of names once again a Tarantino trait. The use of seduction is to get a lot of men to come but just in case they don’t get mislead they included a gun on the set with the girl just to show that this has moments of crime in it.

The Purpose of Film Posters

Originally, film posters were produced for the exclusive use by the theatres showing the film the poster was created for. The purpose of film posters is promotion and advertisement and the idea is to attract a target audience. A single film poster can target a more specific audience to that of the film.

Studios often print several posters that vary in size and content for various domestic and international markets. They normally contain an image with text. Today's posters often feature photographs of the main actors or actresses who are normally well known to the audience. Using well known cast members helps create a high profile for the film and helps increase wider distribution therefore helping the film gain more profit. Prior to the 1990s, illustrations instead of photos were far more common. The text on film posters usually contains the film title in large lettering and often the names of the main actors. It may also include a tag line, the name of the director, names of characters, the release date, etc.

The film posters for 'Elizabeth' show two very differnent views of the film. Firstly the US poster, shows the one main character while the UK poster shows a range of main characters. Furthermore, the US poster is mainly coloured in red which implies the film could be about love and passion whereas the UK poster is quite sinister looking which implies it has an element of thriller. Both these posters advertise the same film but have completely different definition of the film.

Film posters are displayed inside and on the outside of movie theaters, and elsewhere on the street or in shops. Nowadays, many posters are displayed throughout the London Transport system. This is due to the fact that many people nowadays commute and so during periods such as rush hour, it gives the advantage of a wider audience as the poster will be viewed by many commuters both young and old. The same images that appear on film posters may also be used on websites, DVD packaging, flyers, advertisements in newspapers and magazines.

Film posters have been used since the earliest public exhibitions of film. They began as outside placards listing the programme of short films to be shown inside the hall or movie theatre. By the early 1900s, they began to feature illustrations of a scene from each individual film or a variety of overlaid images from several scenes. Other movie posters have used artistic interpretations of a scene or even the theme of the film, represented in a wide variety of artistic styles.

An example of this is the film poster for 'Bridget Jones' Diary'. From the poster, we can see that Renee Zellweger, who plays Bridget Jones, is the main character as she appears in the centre of the poster and her two co-stars, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant (who are two well known actors) appear either side of her. Bridget Jones is holding a diary which gives off the impression that the film is about the diary and having the two male co-stars either side of her connotes that it could be a RomCom about the two men fighting for her.

Moreover, its not only Directors and Producers that use film posters. Audiences also use film posters to gain certain information about the film such as:

• Genre - this tells the audience what type of film it is for example, whether its a thriller or a Romantic Comedy. This therefore gives them an indication as to whether its the sort of film that ppeals to them.


• Cast - some people like to watch films that include a certain actor or actress in the cast.


• Possible Narratives - a film poster may also give an idea to the audience of the types of themes in the film


• Release Date and Distribution - if an audience is interested in seeing a film that is yet to be released, then the release date can tell them when the film is available to be viewed and also the places of where it will be screened.

This is a teaser poster for 'Harry Potter 7'. This poster includes the title and release dates. However, as this a teaser poster, the Producer limits the information about the film on the poster to try and get audiences talking about the fil and then it trying to gain audience interest. Also, the title of the film is abbreviated 'HP7'. This is because from previous films in the series, audiences have gained and understanding of the film and so can easily recognise the title and film.

Classic film posters and the development of film posters

It is very important that posters for films are made to be recognisable, and are informative and attractive. They must be able to keep and maintain a persons attention through just an image that may just be seen for a minute. There have been many posters for films in the past that have achieved this and that we can remember today, even posters from before a persons time.
'Casablanca' (1942) and 'Alien' (1979)
'E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial' (1982) (and 'Jaws' (1975)

These are great examples of the aforementioned characteristics and have all become 'classic' film posters. Older film posters such as 'Casablanca' and 'Gone With The Wind' (1939) were hand drawn and then mass produced. This then changed to the use of photo stills from the films being used in the posters and today we see posters using photo-manipulation technology to create vivid images with special effects, such as 'The Matrix' (1999).This also shows how audiences have changed as 'Gone With The Wind' is a classic love film, whereas 'The Matrix' is a true film of the new millenium as, as shown in the poster it is very much so focused on technology with use of special effects including the matrix code shown as a background image of the poster. Another feature is the font changes as the older poster is very standard, block lettering whereas 'The Matrix' is much more complex and contemporary. Another great example showing how film posters have developed over time is 'Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope' (1977) compared to the latest film in the saga, 'Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith'.

Here we can also see the differences, as the older film poster uses drawn images whereas the newer uses photographs and more layers aswell as editing with special effects for objects such as the lightsaber.

When film posters were first made as popularity in cinema grew, posters would contain images and only the directors and other development team names. It was later realised that cinema-goers often went for the actors and actresses rather than the creators and so the stars names then took central focus. In the times we live in now, we are bombarded with advertisements everywhere we go. Film posters are on billboards, buses, bus stops, in train stations and many other places. Technology now means that holographic effects can make film posters appear to move and on London buses LED lights are also used to make a film poster more noticeable and vivid. Also, in London Underground stations moving posters and videos are used instead of traditional film posters. Also, the internet has meant that posters are now interactive with flash meaning the posters can move and can require audience interaction on-line.


This poster for 'Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs show how posters have changed as this poster is three dimensional to support the recent rise of 3D cinema

Conventions of Short Films

We have analysed a handful of short films including but not limited to:

• ‘Sold’ by Nadua Attia
• ‘Double Take’ by Toa Stappard
• ‘For The Love Of’ by Chris Sheriff
• ‘Gravity’ by Colin Hutton
• ‘Ataque de Panico’ by Fede Alvarez
• ‘Alive in Jo’burg’ by Neil Blomkaup
• ‘BEFORE AFTER I & II’ by Victor Quinaz

Short films generally have just one or two characters, which we do not learn much about as there simply isn’t the time. Circular narratives are a popular technique use in short films with shots being repeated at the beginning and end or with situations reoccurring. Narratives are also a mixture of linear and non-linear, when linear the use of ellipses is often apparent however they are also often filmed in real-time, with a 10 minute short film depicting 10 minutes of a character’s life. Short films which are non-linear are often experimental works of the director. Another narrative technique often used is twists which change much of what the audience has learnt in the brief duration of the film.

In terms of cinematography, shorts films are often used to depict realism and techniques used are often experimental and unconventional as the director uses the film as an outlet for creativity. Shots such as, extreme tilt shots, birds-eye shots and POV shots are used. High key lighting is used in many to give a realistic look to the film, which is also achieved by filming on DV tape, which many short films do. Generally, the low budget of short films means that they are often filmed on location, and with open sets. In the vast majority of short films, there will be minimal editing involving no special effects. Titles in short films are very different to most TV shows and films as the title of the film will be shown prior to any content and then all credits are at the end.

There are some very key differences between short films and feature films. Firstly and most obviously, short films are shorter in length, short films are generally defined as films up to 40 minutes long whereas feature films usually last around 2 hours. Also feature films are made to be the main attraction of places they are shown, rather than any short films and they receive greater distribution in cinemas and then when released for home distribution via DVD, Blu-ray and download. Feature films such as I,Robot (2004) use and often depend on well known Hollywood actors to star in the films such as Will Smith whereas short films mostly use unknown, sometimes emerging actors due to low budget and profile. Short films are also usually filmed on location, with open sets with a lot less post-production editing used, usually with no special effects, unlike feature films.

‘Sign Language’ (2010) is a short film directed by Oscar Sharp and winner of the Grand Prize at the Virgin Media Shorts as well as other awards and nominations. The film focuses on Ben, who holds an advertising sign for a living in London’s Oxford Street during his last day of work before promotion. The film is on a linear narrative with ellipses of time, showing Ben’s finally shift. It is also a circular narrative as the girl referred to and shown in the film in the end of the film takes Ben’s old job. It is also filmed as a monologue, breaking the fourth wall by interacting with the audience in realistic, documentary style filming. The film is also made realistic by the use of handheld kinetic camera work on DV tape and due to the low budget, is filmed on location in Oxford Street with an open set. The film’s title ‘Sign Language’ is shown at the beginning with the credits at the end.


Opening Title 'Sign Language'Ending Credits'The film is shot as a monologue.

‘Gravity’ (2004), by Colin Hutton is a short film that deals with gun violence. It tells the story of 3 boys who find a gun and end up shooting a young boy. It is a circular narrative as the film opens and ends with a shot of the young boy on a swing, the ending shot being a twist as we are led to believe the shot missed the girl and everything was okay, however it killed her brother. It is this that gives the film its gritty and social realist element; this is also shown by the use of untrained, amateur actors who use semi-improvised performances. The short film uses experimental camera angles and movements such as extreme tilt shots and extreme crane shots. The film also uses the aural motif of the sound of the swing.

Gravity from Colin Hutton on Vimeo.

Opening title 'Gravity'Ending creditsExtreme crane/birds-eye shot is an example of the experimental features of short films.