4x Detailed Research Into Film Magazine Front Covers

1. Total Film -

The main image on this magazine front cover is the star of the movie, this works as a USP to entice customers into buying the magazine which then promotes the movie. The colours used in the front cover match the colours used in the image; the use of the plain white background is more effective for the bright colours of the actress’s costume and also the blood dripping from her hand. This image is done photographically which therefore makes the image detailed and clear. The front cover tells the potential buyers a lot about what the contents are. The promises made by offering the ‘biggest’ and the ‘exclusives’ make the magazine even more desirable by movie fans.  

2. Empire-

The colours used for this front cover are matching to the costume of the actor, this makes the magazine stand out more as bright green and pinks are eye catching to consumers. The magazine still keeps it brand identity by keeping its masthead the original bright red. The main image is one of the main characters from the batman film ‘the dark knight’, this is used as a USP for the magazine as consumers will buy the magazine just for the exclusive of the movie and that character. The magazine also offers ‘sneak peaks’ into other new films which makes the consumer want the magazine further.

3. Empire –

 

The main image for this magazine front cover has been illustrated and done using Photoshop or other photo manipulation programmes. This magazine front cover stands out to consumers as it appears to be more like a comic book as the images are not done photographically like the usually are and the font has been broken and played around with. This makes this issue of the magazine more of a collectable to certain consumers as this issue is more exclusive and unique than other normal issues. The main colour that’s used to stand out is green and this is because consumers will automatically link it to the green of the hulk. The magazine doesn’t promote what is inside the magazine but that makes it a mystery to the consumer.

4. Total Film –

 

The main image of this front cover is the main character and his co-star, this image has been done photographically but has been edited in a photo manipulation programme such as Photoshop. The main colours are red blue and white, these colours make the magazine stand out as they are quite vibrant, the main actor stands out more as he is wearing black compared to the colourful surroundings. The magazine claims to be the world exclusive which is a big selling point for the magazine as people will need to buy this magazine to be able to access the world exclusive inside details.

4x Detailed Research Into Film Posters

4x detailed research into film posters


1. Kick-ass

The main colours of the poster are black, yellow and green. The green and yellow are suited to match the main characters costume. The black background brings the audience attention to the bright yellow title of the movie.
The main object of the poster is the main character placed in the centre of the poster and the other co-stars placed around him is eye catching. These images are done photographically.

The messages of the image are primarily visual as there is not much text to attract the audience verbally.

I think that the intended audience for this poster would be 15 and above as the images show blood on the characters face and this could be because there is violence in the movie that is not acceptable for viewers under the age of 15.

This poster contains one main persuasive technique that will be used to get the audiences to go see the movie and this is that it is bright and eye-catching; this poster will stick in people’s minds as it is vibrant and colourful.

The genre of this movie is an action comedy, the genre conventions in the poster are the action movie star type poses of the actors. Their poses simply show the action genre within this movie. The comedy side of the movie is shown by the actors that are present on the poster such as Christopher Mintz-Plasse who is a comedy actor.
All the stars shown on the poster are used as a USP as they are all famous; this then attracts different audiences to come see the movie.
Attention is gained by using humour in this poster. It is humorous that the actors staring in the movie are posed as action heroes as they are stereotypically not action movie actors.

The tagline works humorously as the phrase “shut up. Kick-ass” is comical to the audience.

The poster tells the audience the institutions that were involved in the production of this movie.
The importance in the poster is to get the audience to see it, that is why the main image is eye-catching and noticeable and the information about the institutions etc. is put in small writing at the bottom of the poster.
The poster would be placed in the cinema itself, on billboards; in bus stops etc. this is important to the whole marketing campaign as it is promoting the movie.


I would say that this poster is effective because it is eye-catching and will definitely capture the audience’s attention. This is because of the bright colours and bold text that is used.
I think that it does communicate effectively with the audience as it tells them the title, the date it is released and the main characters which star in the movie.
The poster would not be seen to be offensive in any way as it is comical and fun, and is not offending anybody.




2. Black Swan

The main colours of this poster are white are bright red. These are attention grabbing colours as the white is so vibrant that it brings more attention to the red of the actress’s eyes. The white brings an innocence and beauty of the ballet dancer that the actress is playing but the red of the eyes completely contradict this innocence and gives the actress an evil look.

The main figure of this poster is the actress herself. As the image is so eye-catching it works well on just a plain white background. This image is done photographically and is very detailed on the actress’s face as it is in full focus whereas the actress’s shoulders and headdress is out of focus making this image have a narrow depth of field.The message sent by this poster is entirely visual. The image used tells a lot about the story of this movie, the red of the actress’s eyes shows there’s an evil side to this innocent ballet dancer and that intrigues audiences into watching the movie.

The movie is rated r which means the movie is only suitable for viewers over the age of 17 unless supervised by an adult. I think this movie is aimed at a 15+ audience due to contents of the movie being sexual or too mature for younger viewers.
I think the persuasive technique used to get viewers to view this movie is the interest the image brings to the audience, the attention grabbing image leaves people thinking about the poster which therefore makes them think about seeing the movie.
This poster shows thriller genre conventions through the actress’s blank expression and red eyes.
Natalie Portman is used as the USP of this poster as her career was at a peak when this movie was released.
There are nominations for major awards shown on this poster; this is appealing to audiences as they will want to pay to see a movie that is worth paying for.
Attention is gained in this poster by shock; the eyes of the actress are so different to what you would expect to see that it shocks the consumer and then stays visual in their mind.
The movie poster is an important part of telling the audience key information about the movie itself, such as the release date, the stars and the genre.
The poster is vital to the whole marketing campaign of the movie as the poster is what draws a good percentage of the audience to watch the movie as it is placed in places such as shopping centres and bus stops.
I would say that it is an effective poster as it is attention grabbing for the audience and leaves the audience intrigued about the movie.
I think it communicates well with the audience as it has such a powerful image that shows the genre of the movie and an insight into what the movie might be about.
I don’t think the poster would be seen as offensive in anyway.



3. Burlesque

The main colours used in this movie poster are black, white and bright pink. The black and white images create a classic feel to the poster and the bright pink brings it more up to date and girly.

The main objects in this poster are the two main actresses, these images are done photographically and this makes them clear and detailed.
The messages in the poster are both visual and verbal; the visual message sent by the picture is supported by the text on the poster itself.
I think the intended audience for this movie would be 12+ as the image on the right is slightly seductive and the burlesque dance itself it a seductive dance so it isn’t appropriate for younger viewers.
The persuasive techniques used in this poster is the two main actresses being the poster USP which means some viewers will be persuaded to view the movie as they are fans of the actress/singer. The other technique used is the choice of a black and white image contrasted with the bright pink.
There are obvious musical genre conventions shown in this poster as the whole set up makes it seem to be a show.
Attention is gained through the unusual use of a black and white image with the bright colours font.
The tagline “it takes a legend… to make a star” works as a two part tagline showing the present and the future.
The movie poster is important as it shows the audience important features of the movie such as the star, this is important to this poster as the main actresses are two very famous singers already.
The poster is very important to the movies marketing campaign as it appeals to different audiences who are unable to view the TV adverts etc. as movie posters are easy to be seen by everyone.
This poster is effective as the pink against the black and white are very eye catching to the audience. This then makes the poster stick in the person’s mind which will make them think about seeing the movie.
The poster communicates effectively with the audience as it gives them all the information they need to be able to see the movie if they wish to do so.
I don’t think this poster would be seen as offensive in anyway as it doesn’t contain any inappropriate content.


4.Let Me In

The main colours used in this poster are black red and white. The black background brings more attention to the centre of the image. The red represents blood. The white of the girls dress and pale white skin tone bring innocence to her character which contradicts the pool of blood she is lying in.
This poster symbolises the genre and the main idea of the movie. The pool of blood shows the audience that it is a vampire, horror themed movie. This is symbolised in the red pool of blood surrounding the girl.
The main figure in this poster is the girl, this image is done photographically however, the image has been highly edited on a photo manipulating programme such as Photoshop, and this is how the blood around her has been created.
The messages in this poster are mainly sent visually as the image is shocking and attention grabbing to the audience. This then keeps the image in their mind and makes them want to view the movie.

I think as this movie already shows quite shocking horror genre conventions then it must be targeted at a 15+ audience as some contents of the movie may not be appropriate for viewers younger than 15.
Persuasive techniques used by this poster is the shocking image, this image is different and really stands out to the audience.
Horror genre conventions are referred to in the poster through the blood used in the image and the blood red colour used for the font on the poster itself.
Attention is gained using shock in this poster; the image of a young girl surrounded by a pool of blood is something that would shock most people.
The poster is important for telling the audience about the release date, rating and also the movie itself.
The poster is important as a part of the whole marketing campaign as it attracts other audiences as well as the ones that are intrigued by TV adverts.
I think it is an effective poster as it is eye catching and appeals to the audience it is aimed at.
It communicates information that is needed for audience to view the movie effectively.

4x Detailed Research Into Teaser Trailers - Trailer Four

The Adjustment Bureau – Teaser Trailer – 30 Seconds.

The trailer opens with two logos, one being the ‘Universal’ logo which is a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios. The other logo is for ‘MRC’ which is a diversified media business with operations in filmed entertainment, television programming and original digital content. These are important to the teaser trailer as it advertises the companies and what types of films they produce.

The camera then cuts to a over the shoulder close up shot of the main character which the audience will recognise to be Matt Damon.

The camera then does multiple fade ins and outs of varied shots from the movie. The fades are slow but the shots are moving quite quickly creating a continuous flow. Each shot varies in size; most of the shots are long shots which help the audience to establish the characters whereabouts and what’s going on.

The camera then cuts to a medium close up of the main character showing the audience his shocked facial expression.

The camera then pans around the room showing what the character can see and why he is shocked.

There is then a series of faced paced shots showing the action to come in the movie, these shots vary in size from medium long shots, two shots, close ups and long shots.

The first sound heard in this trailer is a non diagetic sound of a soft burst of music, shortly after the narration starts. As the trailer commences the narration continues but with some diagetic sound of some of the characters talking. There are sound effects added to what the audience are viewing to boost suspension and make what they are viewing seem more real and interesting. The trailer then continues with a continuous under lying fast beat which continues through the narration and also the diagetic sounds of the characters talking. The music is in pace to the action that is being viewed by the audience. The music then stops at the end of the trailer but the narration continues to then tell the audience about the movie’s title, release date and rating.

The editing of this trailer starts slow with the different shots fading from one to the next, with the music quiet and soft to match the happy mise en scene it is portraying. The shots then speed up slightly before the first main event happens; this builds the tension to the audience. The shot then flashes black and back to the same shot which then switches to the next shot which pans around the room. The use of sound effects is important as it enhance the fantasy element which is a key part of the film. The shots then speed up and the music becomes louder. The music matches the pace of the action.

There is only one main title of the movie which appears at the end of the trailer to tell the audience the title of the movie is, it is capital, big, bold and blue writing against a white background with the shadowing of the letters underneath the title, this makes the title stand out and catches the eye of the audience. The other title, showing information such as; the release date, the rating, the production companies and the official website, is small white writing placed onto the last final moving clip of the trailer.

The character representations shown are typical to the genre of this movie and the actors that are playing the characters. Matt Damon is the typical actor to star in a action genre movie, this can affect the audiences decision on whether they want to view the movie of not. There is a typical action movie character shown in this trailer, for example, the main character being a hero, his girlfriend being the damsel in distress and the evil villain who is causing all the drama.

The genre of this movie is shown by the speed of the editing and what the shots them self consist of. The speed of the editing is important as it helps to show the action within the movie in a 30 second clip.

4x Detailed Research Into Teaser Trailers - Trailer Three

Scream 4 – Teaser Trailer – 30 Seconds.

The trailer opens with the logo of ‘Dimension Film’. Dimension Film is a company that produces and releases genre films, in particular, ‘scary movies’.

The camera then cuts to a medium close two shot of two girls.

There is then a flash of green light as shot changes to a long shot of a house in the dark giving a scary feel to the film to spook the audience.

There are then a series of shots showing scenes from the film. These shots vary in size; some are medium shots showing a character and the space around them this is showing the audience what the character can’t see and foreshadowing events that will take place within the film. A lot of the shots are close ups showing the characters facial expressions and reactions to the situation that they are in. Most of the characters are shown in medium close ups showing clearly that they are on the phone which is of vital importance to the continuing theme of these sequels of films. There is also a shot which reads ‘what’s your favourite scary movie?’ this is a classic and important line to these movies.

The shots then slow down and black gaps appear between each shot to build the tension within the audience.

The first sound heard in the trailer is a thud this is a non-diagetic sound which then leads the one of the female characters talking. The music comes in as she is just finishing her sentence and the music is eerie and high pitched squeaks which help to build tension which is then broken  from the fast pace of the following scenes. There is then the non diagetic sound of the voice of the phone, this is a classic part of the Scream movies and is essential to the sales of the movie, and it frightens the viewers and makes them want to view the movie. There are sound effects of breaking glass and enhanced screams as the action in the scene unravels. The eerie sounds of the spooky music continue throughout the fast paced scenes as some characters talk. The narration is continuous from the beginning of the fast pace section of scenes. As the trailer finishes the narrator ends with the title of the movie and its release date.

The editing in this trailer is slow in the beginning creating an eeriness of something being wrong, but when the music drops, the series of shots from the movie are put into a fast sequence which gives the audience a glimpse into what’s to come within the film. The fast pace of the shots is matched with the fast pace of the music which is important from the editing.

The titles of the movie only appear at the end and simply tell the audience the name of the movie and the release date. This could be seen as that as the film is already an established brand they do not need to show too much to entice viewers as they already have a fan base.  So keeping it simple with just minimal information could work for them. The titles stand out the audience as the bright bold white letters with the number four being highlighted red. Red is associated with horror films because of its relation to blood, therefore, setting the genre. The second title which is informing the audience of the release date also tells them information about the rating of the movie.

Character representations shown in this trailer are typical to this genre and the series of movies themselves, each of these movies contains similar, young characters, usually set in school. This appeals to teenage audiences as they more want to see a teenage type horror more than an older person. The actors shown also tell a lot about the genre of the movie, the main character, Sidney Prescott, played by Neve Campbell, is known as the main character for these films and also for the ‘damsel in distress’ type character. The cast is full of young actresses which are typical to a teenage horror film as they attract younger audiences.

The genre of this movie is shown by the typical conventions used throughout the trailer itself, things such as the eerie music and dark shots plus the fast paced editing through the multiple shots gives the audience a scare as some of the scary events from the film are put in front of them. It is clearly stated to the audience that this film is a horror.

4x Detailed Research Into Teaser Trailers - Trailer Two

Limitless – Teaser Trailer – 32 Seconds.

This trailer opens with a logo of the company ‘Relativity’ which is the media institution that creates, finances and distributes the movie.

The logo then fades into a medium close up shot of the main character, which the audience will recognise to be Bradley Cooper, rising from his bed.

The camera then cuts to a bird’s eye view shot of the main character on a laptop.

The camera then shows a series of big close ups which are showing the pill which is a vital part of the movie. Showing it close up shows the relevance to movie and that attention should be brought to it.

The screen then goes black and there is a moment of nothing then there is another series of multiple scenes from the film moving at a fast pace. Theses shots open with a close up of the main character taking the pill and then the following shots show the consequences of him taking the pill. These shots a varied in size, some are long shots helping the audience to establish where the character is and what he is doing, others are extreme close ups to show the characters facial expressions. The shots vary to show different elements of the film. Some shots show how this character is making more money and has increased intelligence and other show how the character is living a much more sophisticated and upper class lifestyle. This is good for the audience as they can have an insight into the film and what is going to happen.

The shots then slow down to show the main character and another character conversing in close ups and over the shoulder shots.

There is then one final shot of the main character on a roof top in an extreme long shot showing his surroundings to the audience. This shot is covered with details and logos which relate to the movie.

The first sound heard in this trailer is like a quiet blast shortly followed by the narration, these are both non-diagetic sounds as you cannot see where they are coming from.  The narration from the beginning is telling the audience about the plot of the movie. The narration informs the audience about what the pill can do as the mixed close ups of the pill appear to the audience. There is a continuous beat still playing underneath the narration. As the screen turns black the music stops and there is a moment of silence until the narrator says “what would you do?” this then leads to the fast pace showing of multiple scenes from the movie. The music to these shots matches the fast pace of the music, this then turns into another song as the shots slow down slightly. There is then more narration. The music is still continuing under the narration. For the last shots of the two men conversing the music continues quietly under the diagetic sound of the men talking. The last shot of the man on the building is matched with the voice of the main narrator telling the details of the film.

The editing in this trailer is really important as it shows a lot about the genre of the movie. As the movie is an action movie, the shots need to be fast paced to show the flow of exciting scenes to appeal to the audiences. This helps the audiences to see what’s in store for them when they view the movie. The fast pace shots keep to pace with the music supporting it.

The titles for this movie start right from the beginning as from the first shot the movies distribution company’s logo is shown before fading into the first shot of the trailer. The titles are shown throughout the fast pace shots of the trailer showing different elements that he has endured due to taking the pill.

All of the titles are bright, bold writing against the black background. This stands out to the audience as it is eye-catching and hard to miss.

The main title of the name of the movie is completely different to the other titles which makes the audience remember the name of the movie as it doesn’t just blend in into the trailer like the other titles throughout.

The character representations from the actors shown in the trailer are very important to the film and who will view it. The main character Bradley Cooper is seen to be a sophisticated, ladies man of a character. This is appealing to some audiences, particularly female as they will find his charismatic and sexy. But with him starring in an action packed fast paced movie such as this one this is appealing to more of a male audience. Bradley Cooper’s characteristics shown in his acting fit the role seen in this movie perfectly. Some audiences may wish the view this movie simply because they are fans of Bradley Cooper; other people may choose not to view it also because of him. The other well known character shown in the trailer is Robert De Niro, he is seen as a type of ‘gangster’ in the way he acts, this shows the character that he will be playing within the film which may be important as to who comes to view the movie.

The genre of this movie is shown mainly by the editing of the trailer, the fast pace of the shots mixed with the continuous fast beat of the music makes the trailer appear to be action packed. The movie also has an element of mystery and fantasy as it is based on a fictional object. The characters shown are relevant to the genre of the movie which helps the audience to establish the genre.

4x Detailed Research Into Teaser Trailers - Trailer One

Just Go With It – Teaser Trailer – 35 Seconds.

The trailers establishing shot is a long shot which helps to set the scene to the audience, the woman then emerges from the water, she is then shown in a medium long shot.

The camera then cuts to a man covering a child’s eyes in a medium long shot.

Then for comical effect, the scene of the woman emerging from the water is then reversed and replayed showing a time line below reversing the clip.

The camera then cuts to a different setting showing two recognisable characters in a medium shot, this helps the audience to establish who is in the movie.

The camera then cuts through various shots of different characters in close ups, medium close ups and two shots in a fast pace which helps the audience to establish further who in starring in the movie.

Keeping pacing from the series of shots before, the camera then shows various scenes from the film, these scenes show comical happenings helping the audience to establish the genre.

The camera then cuts back to the original shot of the woman emerging from the water in a medium long shot.

In the establishing shot of the woman emerging from the water there is a non diagetic sound of a classical melody as to show something amazing. The voice over then is introduced and says “Columbia Pictures presents” this is the institution that controls the production and distribution of the movie. When the camera then cuts to the man and the child the music and narration stops and the audience can hear the man’s reaction to the woman emerging from the water. As the camera cuts back to the woman the music and voice over then starts again and explains as to why the reply is used. As the replay happens there is a sound effect of a tape rewinding backwards. The classical music then starts again as the woman remerges from the water. As the camera cuts to the next shot of the two main characters the music and narration stops again for the female character, recognisable to the audience as Jennifer Aniston, to show her reaction which is a diagetic sound  as the audience can see the character saying it. The narration then comes back as the titles appear. And diagetic sound is used through the various shots of multiple characters to make up a sentence. Then the same diagetic sound is used for the second sequence of shots after more titles. More titles are then used until the main movie title appears and is spoken by the voice over. The non diagetic music is still playing throughout. The clip then ends with the woman from the beginning as the narrator says comically “tell your girlfriend it’s a romantic comedy” and then as the shot closes says the rating.

The editing throughout the trailer is varied, the main part of the trailer is made up of various shots from the movie put together at a fast pace to either make up sentences or to show the audience what is in store for them if they see the movie. The editing is fast paced which keeps up the sound track used throughout. The order of the shots is used in a comical way this helps the audience to establish the genre of the movie.

Titles are used from the middle of this trailer onwards. The first title shows ‘GET READY’ the title is supported by the narration, as the titles appear the narration says what is shown on screen.

Each title has capital, bold, blue writing against the white background. This is good for attracting the attention of the audience as it stands out. The titles give the audience information about the title of the film itself and also when it is released. The last title shows the day of release from the time it was shown. It also shows the website where the audience can find out more about the movie. It also shows the rating the movie and also the institution logo that produces and distributes the movie.

The character representations in this trailer are very important to the movie as just by the audience recognising the characters can impact their decision on if they want to see it or not. The main characters Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston are typical actors to star in comedies and romantic comedies; this can help audiences to decide if they want to see this film as just from the character they represent the audience may like the genre they play. Also audiences may want to either see a film or not see a film depending on the actors who star in that film. By showing close up shots of the two main characters faces this shows the genre of the movie.

The genre of the movie is obvious from the actors who are starring in the movie and also from the trailer itself, the trailer is built on comical value which is appealing to audiences who enjoy comedy movies. From the trailer being comical, the voice over being comical and showing generally comical actors in the trailer, this genre is shown straight away.