Film Poster - Process - First Draft

When it came to designing the poster and magazine front cover, we took lots of different pictures that we thought could have been appropriate. Luckily we found one for the magazine that we really liked so that meant for the poster we had a lot to choose from. We decided to make different variations of the poster to help us to then decide what one looked the best. To create the posters we used Serif DrawPlus X6 because we all felt confident using it since we have used it for other aspects of my coursework.

From doing our research we realised that the main feature of our poster had to be the main protagonist but we also wanted to include the other suspects. This would allow for the target audience to have some knowledge of who is in the film before they watch it. We decided to fade the images of the suspects so that Leanne is the main focus.

The screenshot below shows the four images of the suspects we want to use on our poster.

As you can see from the image below, we have explained the process of how we faded the images. We wanted the images to look like mug shots to help the target audience to know that the genre is crime drama. We took these images from the trailer but just resized and edited them so that they were all the same size.

We tested the different levels of opacity on one of the images first so that we could see what looked the best. Once we found the appropriate level to use we then grouped all of the images together so that it makes moving them easier.

We put the first main image we wanted to use onto the document and then had to add the conventions of a film poster, the credit block, actors name, title etc. We decided to use the same title on the poster as the one that is in the trailer, we did this to add a sense of continuity and it will also make it more memorable.

We then put all of the text onto the image and finished everything so that the first draft was complete. Below is the first draft.

When we were making our poster we followed the codes and conventions of a film poster because we wanted to make sure it was the best that it could be. Examples of the conventions we followed are having the title being displayed large and central. We have also put the credit block on the poster but decided to have it at the top even though it is more likely to be found at the bottom of the poster. We have included the names of two of the actors in the film, this represents the two most well known actors in the film. These two names act as our unique selling point because they could be the reason our target audience watch our film. The release date on our poster provides the target audience with some indication of when the film comes out. We have also included our BBFC certificate rating to inform the viewers that no one under the age of 12 can go see our film unless they are accompanied by an adult. We have also mentioned the director and other works that have been involved with the director, this allows fans of their other works to be encourages to go watch our film, another unique selling point. We have included a review rating from a well established magazine provider to show that our film is worth watching and can encourage our target audience to watch it.

This just shows one of main images we are using, we will ask our target audience what one they think works the best and go from there.

Magazine Cover - Process - First Draft

Our next stage was to create the magazine front cover; I have had some experience doing this before because I had to make one for my GCSE media coursework. In order for us to follow the codes and conventions of a magazine front cover, we all analysed examples of a front cover, this helped us when it came to deciding what to include on our front cover. As a group we worked well together to create our first draft, we all made creative decisions in order to make the most effective front cover. The software we chose to make this on was Serif DrawPlus X6 because I am very familiar with it and feel confident using it.

We took several pictures to use for the poster and the magazine front cover, ultimately we decided to use the picture below. We liked how the main actress, Leanne, was looking directly at the camera because it will make it feel more personal for the reader. The direct eye contact will also attract the target audience to buy the magazine.

When it came to making the magazine we wanted the masthead, the magazine name, to go behind the main image because this is a convention of most magazines. It shows that the actress is more famous than the magazine, encouraging the target audience to buy the magazine. We tried two different methods in order to get the desired effect. The first method was to cut Leanne out of the picture, put the magazine name on the main image and then place Leanne back to where she was cut out. We found that trying to get the two pictures to match up again was probing to be difficult so we tried another method. Our second method was to again cut Leanne out of the picture but instead we placed the cut out of Leanne on top of Leanne on the original image. This allowed for the magazine title to be behind Leanne but also the main image did not look distorted because everything matched up.

To get the image of Leanne’s body on its own we used a tool called ‘cut out tool’.  See the yellow box for a brief explanation.

In this image you can see a breakdown of what it looks like when the cut out tool is opened.  We have annotated the three main sections used and explained briefly how they were used and what they were used for.

From this you can see that it was a rather tricky and fiddly process.  However, as we had some previous knowledge of the programme it was easy to navigate around so our product looked detailed.  This was reasonably time consuming but still less than we previously anticipated.

Our next step was to add the other conventions of a magazine front cover. We have already done some researching and planning into the codes and conventions of a magazine front cover. We added things like anchorage text, the title of our film (which would be the feature in the magazine), we added other names of films and actors relevant at this time of year, cover lines, straplines etc.  Here is an image (below) of what the text and other conventions we wanted to put on our magazine looked like before we put the two images together.  We carefully planned out where we wanted it to go on the page.

In this image you can see what our first draft looked like once we had pieced it all together.

This is just our first draft so we expect that changes will have to be made. We will give out a questionnaire to members of our target audience to see what they think about our magazine front cover and from there we will make our amendments.

For our feature article cover line we chose a quote from an interview which we would include inside the magazine.  This quote is from Leanne; she is also featured on the front of the magazine and also is the protagonist in our trailer. This will grab the audience’s attention so that they will want to read more about it and therefore buy the magazine. We aimed to use one enigma code in the quote so that the audiences are more compelled to read it.  By doing this we aim to spark interest in the reader so that they also want to watch the film.  

For our magazine front cover we wanted to use the same colour scheme throughout.  We wanted it to be exciting and eye-catching but also not too ‘busy’ in case it drives readers away.  We chose to use yellow, black and white.

We used a sticker image on the left side to promote free posters, we did this to encourage our target audience to buy the magazine. It is a selling technique but it will also catch the eye of our target audience because it is saying the magazine contains free stuff.

We wanted to have a variety of fonts to keep the target audience interested in the cover but still wanted it to look professional. We kept the fonts spaced out so that it would not be confusing. However, we used the same font for the same topics, for example, anything to do with "Guilty Suspects" was in the same font. This was done to keep a sense of continuity within the magazine. 

The main image on our front cover is of the main protagonist in our trailer. We decided to do this so that the target audience will know what the main article will be about. The main image indicates that the main article will be about "Guilty Suspects" and particularly about the main actress, Leanne.

At the top of the magazine we have used a strapline that includes aspects from other articles in the magazine. This is a convention of magazines because if people are not interested in our main image or main article then they might find something they like in the strapline. It also allows people who may not know about "Guilty Suspects" so it is bringing in a secondary audience.

We hope to receive feedback from our target audience on how to improve our first draft. 

Magazine Cover First Draft

Final Magazine Title

This is the title we have chosen for our magazine front cover. The font is sophisticated and the title is interesting so it will grab the target audience’s attention. We decided on this title by using a questionnaire. As a group we decided on the font, we experimented with many different fonts but we thought this one was the most appropriate. We used Serif DrawPlus X6 to make the title because it is a program that I am very familiar with so felt confident using it and I could help other members of the group if they required it.

Magazine Front Cover Plan/Mark-up

As a group we have started planning what we want our magazine front cover to look like.  We decided that we wanted the majority of the page to be taken up with a photo of the main actress in our trailer.  We want to do this as this is a key convention of film magazine front covers and many well established providers use this convention.  We want our master head to be in a bold, recognisable, large font but not taking away too much attention from the title of the featured film, so we will attempt to have this behind the image of Leanne, this also happens to be seen a lot in film magazines.  The master head is also a crucial convention for a magazine front cover so we want to make ours as professional as we can.  The title of the feature film must be displayed in large font on the magazine front cover in order to grab the audience’s attention and bring it to the feature film.  We decided to have this in a large black font going across the image and in the middle.  This allows the image still to be seen yet the name of the film to be very prominent.  We have added in a barcode and price as this is key for when the consumers purchase the product.

There are various other strap lines and 'add-ons' on the magazine front cover.  The main aim of these is to draw in audiences who may not necessarily be solely interested in the feature film but to show that there are other exciting features in the magazine.  This will hopefully be an incentive for them to buy the magazine and therefore 'stumble' across "Guilty Suspects" accidentally and hopefully become interested, bringing in a wider audience.

We understand that as the process of creating this goes on things may change however this is a template we aim to stick to as we believe it to be atheistically pleasing and interesting for audiences as well as following the key codes and conventions of a film poster. 

Re-filming and Editing Process

Here are pictures of Georgia during the editing process for our second draft.  We listened to the feedback we were given and followed this to produce an improved product. The main changes that we had to make were to re-shoot and add in blank screens with the names of the actors and different quotes about the film in order to add enigma codes.  We needed to make the story line less fluid so the audience couldn’t guess the whole plot too easily.  We also needed to change some sounds/music in order to make it more dynamic.

This process didn’t take as long as long as we first thought.  The filming process only took a couple of hours on one day and the next day we edited it, which also took a couple of hours.

The first thing that we did in this editing process was to look over the footage we just shot and cut out the parts that we didn’t need.  We then placed it into the original trailer. From then we decided to edit and make the other neccessary improvements.  We then decided to put the text in at different moments, this proved more difficult than we originally thought as we wanted the text to make sense to show what is happening but also to not give too much away.  We decided whilst doing this that we needed to move around the flash backs of the suspects so they followed after their ‘mugshot’, we felt like this breaks up the story a bit.  This caused some issues with the music as it didn’t fit at some points, so we had to edit this later in the process. Once all the text and footage was put in the right place, we decided to re-edit the music, whilst doing this we found another track that we added in order to change the music in attempt to make it more dynamic.

We came across different challenges whilst doing this, one of which was deciding on a font to use for the text on the screen.  We decided to have a different font for the actors’ names and the quotes/other text. We thought this would make the actors’ names stand out, making them more memborable. Another thing we had to decide on was how the text was displayed on the screen, we tried different transitions but eventually found one that we liked and thought worked well with the genre of the trailer.

Changing the order of the footage was a bit difficult as we didn’t want to effect any of the editing we had done to the previously clips, we took our time when doing this so that we didn’t miss any small details or make any mistakes. Re-matching the timing of the music proved more difficult than anticipated but we put good detail into this so that we made sure it works.

Overall this editing process was quite enjoyable because we knew what we had to do and we already had previous experience with the software so we knew how to do it.  From this and the feedback we will receive after showing our target audience we will begin working on our third draft.

Film Poster Plan/Mark Up

As a group, we have now reached a stage where we have drawn up our ideas for the Film Poster and have pictured how we ideally want it to look. We figured that we wanted the image of the main character to be the main focus of the poster as this follows the conventions we have researched. We also wanted the film title to be in a bold, captivating font towards the bottom of the page so that it stands out but also doesn't distract the attention away from the main image. We have also added space at the bottom where we would like head-shots of the four other characters to show they are included in the film. However, with these images, we have an idea that we would like them to be faded into the background so they don't take the focus away from the main image.

Within our poster, we included various other features that are features of a stereotypical film poster. For example, we have entered the BBFC rating in the bottom corner, a review and other works the director has produced.

We are well aware of the fact many things are likely to change in the process of putting the film poster together electronically.