EVALUATION : combination of tasks

HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION OF YOUR MAIN PRODUCT AND ANCILLARY TASKS?

 Mood/atmosphere created/theme:

In all 3 of my media products, I have tried to create a very dark and negative atmosphere. This is because it fits in well with the psychological horror genre and the theme of my film being death. My media products all have a very dark and mysterious atmosphere created in them, which is shown through the heavy contrasts/shadows and the dark colours used. This can be seen in the 3 images below. I therefore feel that the mood created is definitely the same for all 3 products, making them look like a package.

Colour scheme:

Linked in with above, I have used the same colour scheme for all 3 products. For the poster and magazine cover especially, I have used mainly blacks, reds and whites. This is so that they look like a package, and so the genre and theme of the film is portrayed through colour. Colours also generally have connotations, such as the reds have connotations of bloods and the white/black contrasts and shadows have connotations of mystery and horror. I think that the magazine and poster definitely link together more in terms of colour scheme, because although the trailer does to a certain extent, the trailer has many clips in it which are shot in many different locations, so therefore there is a wider range of colours used. The saturations and contrasts used in all 3 products are similar though, again making them look like more of a package.

Fonts:
Personally I think that using the same fonts in all 3 products is very important. In the trailer and on my poster, the fonts used are the same. I feel that this is both important and effective because it means that the viewers can start to recognise the fonts and associate it with the film advertised. Viewers therefore can start to build up a sort of 'brand image' for the film, and it is likely to stick in their minds better if they can associate one advert (such as the poster) with another advert (such as the trailer). Although, my poster does not have the font on it, but magazines never normally have the film name/font associated with the film on the front cover anyway. In the images below you can see that I have used the same font in both my trailer and poster, however the font on my poster (the top image) has a 3D effect on it. Although, I don't think that this is an issue as you can still clearly see that there is a link between the two and the 3D effect on the poster just helps the font stand out more. 

Characters:
One of the key elements that links my ancillary tasks to my trailer is the actors/characters used. My poster links well with the trailer because the model used on the poster is Slender from my trailer. This is effective because there is a very clear link between the poster and trailer, and viewers will be able to easily recognise him and associate the 2 advertising campaigns when they seem them. This again is important in the early stages of the marketing campaign for the film, because the first few adverts are to make the audiences aware that the film is coming. My magazine and trailer also both link well for similar reasons. The cover model of the magazine is Stu Wilson, who is one of the main characters in my trailer. Again, viewers will be able to link the two together.
However, the poster and magazine characters/actors/models used are not the same, so this combination is not as effective as the combination of them with the trailer. Although, there are other links between the magazine and poster, such as the film title and Stu's name being on the poster and a picture of him on the magazine. Links therefore can still be made between the two.

In these 2 images we can see the clear link between the poster and the trailer, where Slender is in both

In these 2 images we can see the clear link between the magazine and trailer in the sense that the actor/character Stu Wilson is in both 

EVALUATION : ancillary tasks (part 2)

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM AUDIENCE FEEDBACK?

POSTER

After creating a draft of my poster, I decided to get some feedback. This was so that I could change the poster so that it looks more professional and is more effective at persuading people to want to watch the film and is more effective at portraying the horror and film themes. These are some of the key pieces of feedback I received from asking people in my media class what the thought about my poster:
-GOOD POINTS - Nice effects (brick wall etc.), looks scary, colours scheme works well for a horror film, and is linked well to the film
I am happy with this feedback as I wasn't sure that the poster looked scary enough. I also wasn't sure that the colour scheme would work because I only used 3 colours, although feedback has shown me that it has worked.
- IMPROVEMENT POINTS - Add text at the top of the poster such as 'staring..', the title should be placed higher up, and the title font/effects should be changed to look more 3D
This feedback was great because I after reading it all, I totally agreed with what people had said. I made the changes that were suggested and my poster final product looks very professional and effective as a horror film poster in my opinion.

MAGAZINE

I also decided to get feedback for my magazine draft, again so that I can then make changes to it so that it is more appealing and professional looking. This is some of the key feedback I got back from my magazine draft:
- GOOD POINTS - conventions such as masthead and cover lines look professional, main image is good and can tell it's a horror film, and the layout and colour scheme links well to the horror genre.
I was very pleased with this positive feedback as it shows that my magazine conforms to the conventions of real media products, and links well to my chosen  genre.
- IMPROVEMENT POINTS - change the colour of the text at the top, remove the white line near the bottom of the page, and to add an edition number/date
I am also happy with this feedback as the improvements weren't massive changes to make. I changed all of the things stated above so that my magazine looks more professional and effective as a front cover for a magazine featuring a horror film.

Overall, getting feedback for both of these products was very useful. This is because after I made changes to the issues raised in the feedback, my products look more professional and conform to more conventions of real media products. This again proves that audience feedback is very useful and vital when creating products that have a purpose of attracting a persuading people to watch a film. 

HOW DID YOU USE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND RESEARCH, PLANNING AND EVALUATION STAGES?
RESEARCH:
Google - Before I could analyse different magazines and posters, I had to find images of them first. I used the search engine Google for this. I specifically used Google Images because it is the world's largest search engine, and on Google Images you can choose the size of the image you are looking for. I found this very useful because I needed to find large images of the posters and magazines, because otherwise the quality would have been poor when I enlarged them to analyse them.
Microsoft Word - This programme is the most commonly used word processor programme on Windows computers. I decided to use this technology to analyse the posters and magazines because I could easily change the page orientation, insert and image, and then insert text boxes around the image to analyse them. Microsoft Word also has a 'drawing' tool, so I drew arrows on the document to match up the features on the poster and magazines with the relevant text around the image. Doing analysis on the computer also meant that I could save where I got up to and carry on at different times, and I could also easily edit things  I had written, which is not possible if I had done with on pen and paper.

PLANNING:
Pens and paper - Like with my film trailer, I just used pen and paper for planning. This was so that I could be creative and jot down ideas when I thought of them, and could do it in a structured and visually appealing way (such as brain storms).

CONSTRUCTION:
Adobe Photoshop CS6 - When it came to actually making my poster and magazine, I used Adobe's brand new version of Photoshop called CS6. This is a graphics editing programme used by professionals to edit images and create projects such as posters. I therefore felt that using this programme would help me to create a professional looking product because of the capabilities and availability/range of tools available on the programme. However, the programme costs many hundreds of pounds, so I downloaded a 30 day free trial of it. This advancement of technology though (the fact that you can download trials of programmes from the internet) meant that I was able to use top of the range software at no cost.
Using this programme was extremely beneficial and effective as I was able to edit images, add layers to images and add text etc. to create my poster and magazine. I was also able to import new fonts that I downloaded, so that they were the same as the ones used in my trailer. 

Here is a print screen of the programme to show you what it looks like

EVALUATION : ancillary tasks

IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?

POSTER

Title - In my format research I found that the poster always has the title of the film on it, and it is always the biggest and boldest font on the page. I therefore made sure that I conformed to this convention in my poster, because I feel that it is very important. This is because when someone looks at the poster, they need to easily be able to see what it is that's being advertised, because if they only see the poster quick, they may not see what it is if the title is small and doesn't stand out. I also used the same font for the title as I did in my trailer, which again conforms to conventions of other film posters. I also decided to conform to this convention because using the same font means that viewers can start to build an identify for the film, so it is more likely to stick in their minds and is more easily recognisable when they see the same font or title elsewhere. 

Colour scheme - For the horror genre, I found that the colour schemes on posters are critical in portraying the genre and what the film is about. I therefore decided to use blacks, whites and reds on my poster. I chose these colours because it means that they all contrast to each other, meaning that strong shadows/contrasts are created, showing the dark and horror theme of the film. However, I have developed the conventions of real media products because most posters have more than just 3 colours on. I think that only have 3 colours works well on my poster though because it keeps the focus on the main image and text. 

Text - In my research I found that horror posters have text on them, that are the key selling points for the film.  I included this on my poster, for example, the text at the top of the poster saying 'Staring Stu Wilson' and 'Directed by Lucy Nevill'. I included this because although it is fictitious, they are some key selling points about the film, because viewers can build a preconception of what my film will be like if they think that  the previous work of the people stated have produced good work in the past. Although, I have challenged this convention , because if posters do include text such as this on them, they are all normally related. For example, the text would all be about the actors who star in the film , or all the text would be about specific key producers of the film. By including a 'staring' and 'directed by', I have challenged this, although I think it adds selling power to the film because if people don't recognise who the actor staring is, then they may recognise the director, and vice versa. 

These images (click to enlarge them) show a real film poster (on the top) and my film poster (on the bottom)

Credits - My research also highlighted that horror posters will always have credits on them. These credits are always placed at the bottom of the poster and are in small, narrow font. I therefore conformed to this convention and added credits very similar to real media products on my poster. To achieve this I downloaded a free font from www.dafont.com that looked like a similar font to those on real horror posters. 

These images show my credits (on the top) and a horror posters credits (on the bottom)

Main image - The main image on horror posters is usually a character or something key from the film. I therefore used Slender on my poster (the character/non-human thing that the film is based around). This therefore conforms to conventions, and I think it works well because it is advertising what the film is based on, which hopefully is appealing to viewers. The main image also helps viewers to understand who and what the relevance of the character/subject shown on the poster is. I have therefore used a slightly low angle shot of Slender on my poster to show that he/it has power. This again conforms to conventions that camera angles help the viewer understand what's being advertised, and the dark and heavily shadowed and contrasted image also helps portray the horror genre and dark/mysterious theme of the film.

MAGAZINE

Masthead - In my format research of magazines I found that they all have a masthead. My magazine conforms to real media magazines because I too have a masthead on my magazine, and it is the largest and most bold font on the page, like it is in real magazines. Another way in which my masthead conforms to real magazines is that the font is simple, because if it was fancy font it would not be reflective of my horror genre/film and would be harder to read when glancing at the magazine cover. I also found that the masthead is positioned behind the cover model in the main image, so that the image is not distorted. I also did this on my magazine so that it looks more professional and so that the image stand out more than the masthead does.

Cover lines - My research highlighted that cover lines are used on all magazines. This is the text that is used on the magazine front cover to advertise other features in the magazine. They are generally positioned either side of the cover model, so I too did this on my magazine. However, I developed this because I used a big cover line to advertise the main feature of the magazine (my film 'Slender'). I positioned this cover line over the top of the main image, and it is 3/4 of the way down the magazine cover. This is a development of real media magazines conventions that all cover lines are to either side of the page, but I think it works well, especially as it does not distort the main image in any way. By placing the big cover line (with more text underneath) here, it stands out more and is therefore easier for the viewer to see what the key feature is in this edition of the magazine, therefore giving it selling power.

Main image - The main image of horror magazines is normally a main character of the film featured. I therefore chose to use Stu Wilson to be the cover model of my magazine, because he is the key 'staring' actor in the film who is also a main character in my trailer. This conforms to conventions of real horror magazines, and again, gives the magazine selling power because viewers will be able to recognise the actor and therefore could build a positive preconception to the film and magazine feature because of the actors good previous work/acting. 

Barcode/price - These features of the magazine are always positioned in a place on the magazine that is not distracting to the viewer. This is to that it will be the last place that viewers look, because it is the least important thing on the magazine over. I positioned the barcode and price in the very bottom right hand corner of my front cover, so that nothing on the cover is distorted and so that the price is hard to see (because viewers may be put straight off the magazine if they see that it is an expensive magazine). 

EVALUATION : teaser trailer (part 2)

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM AUDIENCE FEEDBACK?

Gathering audience feedback has been vital in the process of making my trailer. To begin with , I established my audience was and I then researched them. Once I have gathered the information, I tired to incorporate as many of the elements as possible to ensure that my trailer is most effective at looking professional,  good at portraying the horror genre ,and suitable for my target audience. This is some of the information I learnt from carrying out surveys:

• The Key elements of a trailer - I learnt that not much is revealed, because it is only a teaser trailer. I also learnt that cliff-hangers are popular, because it intrigues the audience because they want to know what happens next. An introduction to the story and characters is also another key element.
• Trailer length - From my survey I found that 18 out of 30 people questioned said that the length of a trailer should be between 31 seconds and 1 minute 30. I therefore tried to create my trailer to a time within this length range (although my final product was slightly over this).
• What people enjoy most about horror - POV shots, jumps and scares, fear factor
• Ideal  release date - October/Halloween, Friday 13th
• Types of horror - psychological, slasher

Once I have created my trailer I also gathered feedback. Again this was so that my trailer could be the most effective it could be. After gathering the feedback , I created a final trailer with the alterations stated below:

• more explanation needed (different to questionnaire answers though)
• more clips in montage
•  some clips too long
•  release date - not 'coming soon'

In conclusion, gathering audience feedback has been very important and useful to understand audiences preferences. By understanding them, I was able to create a trailer that was to my target audiences tastes, and could create a professional trailer that was most effective and that conformed to other trailer and horror genre conventions. It also helped me to understand what worked and what didn't. Although I thought that some things worked in my trailer, my target audience didn't agree with me on some things, so understanding their point of view and changing it to suit their tastes was therefore important.

Along this process of gathering feedback I have learnt that feedback won't always follow the trend of the preferred factors highlighted in the questionnaire (for example, the questionnaire results showed that people didn't want a lot to be shown, however my trailer draft feedback highlighted that people thought more clips were needed in the montage, even though there were already quite a few).  I have learnt that you have to be able to adapt your product so that it can be most effective in informing audiences about your film and to be most effective at persuading them to watch the film. 

HOW DID YOU USE MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND RESEARCH, PLANNING AND EVALUATION STAGES?

RESEARCH:
Survey Monkey - Before I could carry out any tasks I needed to gather information about my target audience and about horror trailer/film conventions. I decided to use a questionnaire to collect this data, and to create the questionnaire I used the website www.SurveyMonkey.com. This is a website that allows you to create your own online questionnaire, with many different question types you can ask. This website allowed me to ask both open and closed questions, with comment boxes for open questions and poll type answering options for the closed questions. Once I had created the questionnaire I was able to link people the URL it so that they could answer the questionnaire. Using this technology was also extremely beneficial because the website collects all of the data and displays it neatly in either small graphs or lists of the answers to the open ended questions.  This saved me time as I therefore didn't have to count all of the answers myself and type out all of the answers to the open ended questions.
Email - Once my questionnaire was created I decided to email people the URL to it, and I kindly asked them in the email if they would fill out the questionnaire. Using email technology was beneficial because I could easily control who I was sending my questionnaire to, and it also meant that I could easily and quickly communicate with the people who I sent the email to (which was a good idea because a couple of people had a few questions to ask me about it).
YouTube and IMDB -  To carry out research of horror teaser trailers, I first had to find the trailers to analyse them. To do this I used both YouTube (the world's biggest internet video sharing website), and IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base, which has information, reviews, clips and trailers of films). Using these websites allowed me to watch the trailers online very easily, and I was able to pause the videos at certain points to take notes/analyse what happened in the trailer.

PLANNING:
Google images -  For the planning of my media I didn't really use any media technology, but I did use Google images. I used this image search engine to find a template for my storyboard. Using this search engine meant that many results were found and I eventually found one like I liked and used. Although, using a template annoyed me after a while because I couldn't add in shots/ideas once I had drawn in the boxes. I therefore used post it notes instead to do my storyboard so I could re-arrange the shots once I had drawn them all.
Post It notes - This is the least technologically advanced thing to use for planning, yet I found them so useful!! I used them when creating my storyboard and used them all the time when I needed to jot down memo's/ideas and to do lists. I also used a lot of pens and paper when drawing brain storms and jotting down different ideas for my media products.

CONSTRUCTION:
iPhone 4s - To film my footage I used an iPhone 4s. This is because this phone has a DSLR chip in the camera, meaning that the quality is very high quality. This worked very well and I was able to manually focus the camera, shoot the clips and edit them well because the quality of them was very good. The cameras has auto brightness, contrast and exposure, meaning also that the image quality is brilliant.
 iMovie - Once I had filmed, I used a programme called iMovie to construct my trailer. This software is installed on Apple Mac computers and is for video editing. Using this programme had many benefits for me. It let me easily import my media files, and let me cut them and let me place them in any order I wanted. I then could add transitions between each clip (although a limitation was that there were not many transitions available to use on this software, and I would have had to use another programme to create more if I needed them). iMovie also let me add in titles in my trailer, so I created some (such as the title saying 'THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE ALONE'), which was very easy to do. iMovie was also useful for adding in audio, as I could easily drag in some preset sound effects into my trailer, and could also import other audio to the programme too. Adding some basic colour effects and audio effects was also possible on this programme, and I feel that they worked well for my trailer.
Although, there were some problems/limitations of using iMovie. This software comes free with all Apple Mac computers, so I did not expect it to be amazing anyway. After saving my project a few times and coming back to it, iMovie had craeted a few changes, such as changing audio volumes and title lengths. I therefore had to go through all of these issues and correct them again, which took some time. iMovie was also not a professional enough programme for me to create my film title sequence on (although it is only a free programme), because it does not have the technology to let me do this.




This is a print screen to show what iMovie looks like






After Effects - Because iMovie wasn't professional enough for me to create my title sequence on, I used After Effects instead. After Effects is another piece of editing software for videos, but allows you to edit videos at a more advanced level than iMovie does. After Effects lets you add custom effects on top of videos, and lets you create your own title sequences etc. I therefore used this programme to create my title sequence. But, I was new to After Effects, so I used a tutorial on YouTube to help me create my title (a video to show how to create a static video effect on After Effects). I am very very happy with the end result of title sequence (the one that reveals the film name 'Slender' at the end of the trailer). I then used After Effects again after constructing my trailer on iMovie. This was so that I could add a vignette filter to my whole trailer. This is a filter that was not available on iMovie, which in my opinion makes the trailer look more professional and more suited to the horror genre because it makes the trailer darker on the outside edges. Using After Effects was therefore very important and useful in the construction of my trailer.

This is a print screen to show what After Effects looks like

Downloading fonts - I already had an idea of what I wanted my font to look like, and the programs I was using did not have a font similar (to look like someone had handwritten the writing and gone over it many times). So, I used Google and found a website that you can download fonts for free from. Www.dafont.com is the website where I found my font from, and I followed the easy steps on the website and downloaded the font for free. This advancement in technology meant that I was able to get the font I wanted (and that was suitable) for my film trailer, and for free. 

EVALUATION:
YouTube - I used YouTube again for my evaluation. I used YouTube because it is the world's largest internet video sharing website, which allows individuals to comment, like/dislike and share videos on. I therefore posted my trailer drafts on it, which then meant that I could link people my trailer and could collect feedback from people across the world. This is an example of Web 2.0 because people can interact with my media, and it helped me with the evaluation of my trailer because I could gain other peoples opinions and incorporate them into my final trailer. YouTube today is a big advertising platform that film company's use to advertise their films (in the form of trailers), so using this website means that my trailer is more professional and public (because anyone online can see it).  YouTube was also very useful because it links to other social networking sites. From posting my video on YouTube, I was able to link it to my Twitter and Facebook page, so that more people are likely to see my trailer and therefore I had more chance of receiving feedback on my trailer. Although, a drawback of using YouTube for evaluation is that individuals are required to have a Google or YouTube account in order to be able to comment on or like/dislike my video. This is a drawback because not everyone will have one of these accounts, so the chances of getting feedback are limited in this way.
Showing class mates - As well as using YouTube to show people my trailer to get feedback, I also just showed my classmates. Because my phone is able to play videos on, I therefore used this to show my fellow class mates my trailer. This was beneficial because it meant that they could watch the trailer where they were, as it didn't require them to have internet access or have to log onto a computer to view my trailer. Showing my classmates was useful because they are also making similar media products, so can leave me constructive feedback on how to improve my trailer. Although, a drawback of using this method of evaluation is that the screen of my phone (an iPhone 4s) is not very big, so showing them my trailer on this was not as good as showing them on a computer, because they can't pay as much attention to detail because screen is so small. 

EVALUATION : teaser trailer

IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?

Actors	REAL MEDIA	- Main characters are introduced in most film trailers, regardless of whether they are for  the horror genre or not - Only a few characters introduced so that not too much is given away
	MY TRAILER	One of the actors played Slender, and it is important I introduced him in the trailer as this is who/what the filmed is based on. I also introduced 3 other characters, who are the main characters in the film, so that a brief storyline could be set and so that the target audience is shown (wide age range but focused on ages 15-25). My trailer therefore uses the convention of film trailers, and works effectively so that the audience is informed but not too much is given away (because not all characters are introduced).
Sounds	REAL MEDIA	- Non-diagetic sound used in horror trailers so that an atmosphere is created - Sounds that are harsh toned and slow paced are used a lot in horror trailers to build tension and create a sense of negativity
	MY TRAILER	In my trailer I used a range of different sounds. Some of the sound is diagetic, such as the dialogue at the beginning of the trailer. This is effective because it helps set the scene and inform the audience what the trailer/film is about / what happens in the film. This conforms to conventions because there is normally some type of dialogue in trailers. I also used a lot of non-diagetic sound in my trailer. I used a lot of sound from iMovie (such as noises of bombs), and edited them all together so that the desired effect of creating a negative atmosphere and building/developing the horror theme was achieved. This therefore conforms to conventions of real media products, and sounds such as the crescendos (to create a sense that the trailer is building up to something) and loud bombs/bangs (like when Slender jumps out at the end) were very effective because they make the audience feel scared and anxious, which is one of the key characteristics/conventions of horror films/trailers.
Narra-tion	REAL MEDIA	- Narration is often used over the top of trailer footage - In my research I found that the narration is generally not by any of the characters - Narrations can ask the audiences rhetorical questions to get them thinking, whilst also informing them about the storyline - Usually narrated by a man, and his voice is usually deep
	MY TRAILER	I used narration in my trailer, however I developed the convention of horror trailers because the narration of my trailer was created to sound like one of the main characters. This develops conventions because it is not usually narrated by a character. I think it is very effective though because it meant that I was able to inform the audience about what the film/trailer is about through this narration. The narrator is the same person who is on the phone to Stu at the beginning, so that there is continuity and so the storyline makes sense. The narrator says things such as "Just find the notes, and run", making it sound like he is talking to the other characters in the film. This narration is key to the storyline because it tells people what the characters have to do in the film, therefore conforming to the convention that narration is used to help audience understanding of the film, but develops it (because of who is narrating).
Release date	REAL MEDIA	- The release date is usually the last thing to be shown in the trailer - No specific date given in teaser trailer
	MY TRAILER	The release date of my film is the last title in my trailer, and it shown right at the end, therefore conforming to the convention that most release dates are not shown until the end. This is effective because it makes my trailer look more professional, and means that viewers have to watch the whole trailer before they find out when the film is released. Because this trailer is a teaser trailer, it is an advertisement for the film in the early stages of its advertising campaign. I therefore haven't used a specific date for the release date, and I have just stated the month and year that it will be released. This  again, conforms to conventions of film trailers.
Camer- awork	REAL MEDIA	- Range of shot angles - POV shots common for horror trailers/films - Close-ups of characters faces and key elements of the trailer/film to introduce key parts of the storyline or key characters
	MY TRAILER	In my trailer I have included many different clips, which includes a wide variety shot types, angles and lengths. As highlighted in my questionnaire results, POV shots are key convention of horror films because they make the audience feel like they are in their shoes, and therefore the audience empathise with the character and fear is created. I used this type of camera work in a few clips in my trailer, but the most effective is the shots at the end where the POV is of Slender standing in the room with the character and then he jumps out. This is pictured below and fully conforms to horror film conventions because fear is created and the effect given is that it makes the audience jump, which is another key convention of horror trailers/films. The length of these clips challenges conventions though because they are  quite long clips compared to the short length of clips in horror trailers. I still think it is effected though because tension is created and it makes the jump scare more effective because it is so unexpected. Here is a print screen of the POV shot I used at the end of the trailer (click to enlarge) I have also used other types of shots (all pictured below), such as an establishing shot to introduce the setting, close-ups to introduce characters, panning shots to show setting, high angle shots to show vulnerability of characters (like Slender is watching down on them), and long shots to show action (when Anna runs through the woods). This range of shots therefore conforms to conventions of horror films/trailers, and they make the trailer more interesting and attractive. I therefore thought that conforming to camera work conventions was important because it helps introduce certain aspects of the film/storyline, and gives the audience an idea of what the film will be like(therefore making it more appealing and professional looking). Close up shot Establishing shot High angle shot Long shot
Editing	REAL MEDIA	- Many clips from the film are used - Title of film not shown until the end
	MY TRAILER	I have used many clips in my trailer. I conformed to this convention because it was necessary for me to so that I could explain the storyline to the audience. I have used clips that show the characters explaining parts of the storyline, so that the audience can work out what briefly happens/what the film is about. Although, my  feedback highlighted that I did not have enough clips in the montage section, so I added more for my final product. I have also conformed to the convention that the film title is not shown until the end. Again I feel that this is effective because it means that the viewer has to watch all of the trailer before they find out what the film is called. This is a great advertising technique and I think it works well. With regards to the actual visuals in my trailer, I have slightly developed the conventions of horror trailers/films. The colours of the clips in most horror films and trailers are generally less saturated than other film genres, and generally have lower exposures and brightness's. I have conformed to this, however I have slightly developed it/challenged it as I have decreased the saturation, decreased the brightness, increased the contrasts and added a vignette over the top of my clips. I feel that this has turned out well for my trailer because it helps to create the mood and atmosphere, and is reflective of the dark and eerie theme of a non-human follower that kills people in my trailer. This is pictured below.
Ratings card/logos	REAL MEDIA	- All professional films will have a green ratings card at the beginning - Company logos are shown, normally at the beginning of the trailer
	MY TRAILER	To make my trailer look professional, I included a green ratings card at the beginning. This conforms to conventions of any of trailer, and I feel that it is important in making the trailer look more professional. I have also included a company logo/name, and have done this by created a sort of title sequence for the production company. I have called the production company 'Nevill Studios', which is obviously fictitious because I don't have my own film company and can't copy another film company's name and logo. I have inserted a picture below of how it looks in my trailer.

Magazine FINAL

After gathering the feedback and evaluating what I should change, I have now finished my final magazine.
My magazine has turned out well I feel. After gathering the feedback I made the decision to change the font colour at the top of the page, to add an edition month/date, and to erase the white line that was near the bottom of the page. I feel that my magazine therefore now looks more professional, and conforms well to the film magazine conventions and suits the horror genre well.

This is my draft:



















This is my final magazine cover:

Magazine draft : feedback

As I did when I finished my poster, I got some feedback. This is so that I could ask people what is good about my magazine and what isn't/what could be changed, so that I could alter the magazine to look the most professional and most like a horror film magazine.

For my poster I decided to ask the people in my Media class what they thought, so I used the same method for my magazine. I chose this because they also have been carrying out the same tasks as I have, and they therefore may have different ideas to me about what does/doesn't work for a film magazine cover, and what all of the conventions for different film genres are. 

I showed them my poster draft and here are a few of the feedback comments I got:

Good - The conventions like the cover-lines and masthead look very professional
Improve - There is a little too much white writing on the page, maybe change the colour of the text at the top?

Good - The main image is good and you can definitely tell that it's a horror film advertised
Improve - The white line near the bottom of the page...is it meant to be there?

Good - Great layout and colour scheme links to horror genre
Improve - I noticed that there isn't an edition no. or month anywhere

After gathering this feedback I will try to incorporate the new ideas/improvements such as more text colour, and will keep things such as the main image and layout as the feedback shows that this is working well already. 

Magazine draft

To create my magazine I used Adobe Photoshop CS6, which is the latest edition of Adobe's photo editing software. I have used this programme (well, the older editions of it) before, so I knew my way around the programme. It is also the programme I used to make my poster.

This is the image I started with, which I then edited and used for the magazine cover:

This is my draft for my magazine cover:

Photo-shoot for magazine : How did it go?

What went well

• The composition of my photos worked really well. The conventions of magazine front covers is that the main image is usually a mid shot of the model. I therefore did this for all of the photos I took.
• The lighting also worked well. I used a big soft box white light when taking the pictures. When I first started taking pictures, I noticed that the photos were turning out over exposed and very white, so I changed the direction of the light away from Stu so that there wasn't too much light on him. This then worked well and there was a lot of light in the photo so that I have more versatility when it comes to editing.
• The Quality of the photos is great. This is because the setting was well lit and the camera I used was good. Again this is useful for editing and making the magazine look more professional.

What didn't go too well

• For this shoot I didn't take a massive range of shots (differant angles and composition etc), which could be a big disadvantage as there is less chance of finding an image that will work for my magazine cover. However, luckily I have an image that will work great for my magazine.
• The torch that Stu was holding didn't really seem very bright in the photos, and I think this is because there was such bright lighting (from the white box light). I therefore may have to put a lens flare or something on the image when I edit it.

Here is my most unsuccessful (on the left) and most successful image (on the right):