qUESTION 2: HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION OF YOUR MAIN PRODUCT AND ANCILLARY TEXTS?
When creating promotional material for a film the most important thing to create is a sense of branding within all texts. A successfully branded film can insure success and a long lasting legacy after the films release. We tried to have consistency in the house style and themes in our Trailer. Poster and Magazine Cover. A well branded film can be remembered for its iconic imagery and themes.
Iconic ImaGeRY:
iconic Font: |
One of the most iconic images in horror is the use of the mask in Scream (1996). This mask is instantly recognisable as the killer in the Scream series. After the its iconic use in the first Scream film it was used in nearly all promotional material of the sequels. This iconic branding has made the Scream series one of the most recognisable franchises in the horror genre. We decided that creating iconic images in the film will be the best way to make a memorable film. We created some imagery that has the potential to become iconic with the hope that the imagery in our film can be very memorable.
One of the most iconic fonts ever is the Star Wars opening title font (1977). When Star Wars came out it took the world by storm and the effects and story had fans hooked instantly and Star Wars merchandise is practically everywhere meaning the brand is constantly in viewing of the public. The font has become so iconic that nearly everybody recognises it and although it isn't horror it shows how simplicity can work. We aimed for simplicity when making our font as we believe it works better than a complicated and possibly messy design. We wanted to recreate these elements for our font to hopefully gain the recognition that Star Wars did. |
Our Main Product:
In our two print media texts we have some consistency in the way in which our film is branded. The first way in which the two texts are related is the way in which the killers are represented, unlike lots of horror texts we haven't masked the identity of our killers as the main idea of our trailer is that the killers and their complex character and motives are the focal point of this film. The way in which the texts are constructed are similar as the characters are positioned centrally with name of the film in white with a dark shadow with a dark background. There is a consistent theme throughout our texts which help create a brand for our film.
|
Our trailer relates to our other texts by having the primary focus on the killers and their actions and they're clearly the focal point of the trailer as well. In terms of construction the text in our trailer is similar as its minimalist with a black background which is keeping with the theme and the brand established in our promotional material.
|
|
Poster Analysis
Original Photograph Shot
The original photo that we took was just taken in a basic room with a green screen on a wall, we set up the camera to take a mid shot of us three, we went with a black theme and used all black clothing so we knew we had to edit Jake's hoodie as it had white text on the hood. When we used the green screen we knew it would be perfect to edit on afterwards as we could just change the background much easier. |
Final Poster
In the final poster we have added in a cracked black background and this worked perfectly with our theme. We also added in the text and used the colour of white for our text as it went well again with our theme of using basic colours of black and white. This image is now a massive part of our branding as our trailer is known for showing us three in black hoodies. |
Other Famous Posters
Insidious
The Font and Title
Again the font is very simple, which seems to be a trend with the horror genre. Seeing simple fonts on the majority of paranormal posters allows us to understand that it is the image that is more important. The Title 'insidious' is written in a white font with two red letters. If you break up the word based on how it has been coloured, you can read 'inside us'. This completely relates to the film as it is all about the possession of a boy and his father, stage things happening to other people and in the home. When you think of the paranormal gene especially possession, it is clear it involves someone not behaving normally due to an unknown spirit controlling them from inside.
The Image and Slogan
The image shows a clearly possessed boy with an unusual looking house in the background. 'Its not the house that's haunted'. This slogan is hugely effective and relative to the image. If the picture didn't give enough away to the audience, the slogan gives us the extra knowledge of the film, that anything happening in the house isn't due to the house itself but the possession held over the family. The use of low key lighting and dull colours also reflects the darkness of the film and its storyline.
Insidious
The Font and Title
Again the font is very simple, which seems to be a trend with the horror genre. Seeing simple fonts on the majority of paranormal posters allows us to understand that it is the image that is more important. The Title 'insidious' is written in a white font with two red letters. If you break up the word based on how it has been coloured, you can read 'inside us'. This completely relates to the film as it is all about the possession of a boy and his father, stage things happening to other people and in the home. When you think of the paranormal gene especially possession, it is clear it involves someone not behaving normally due to an unknown spirit controlling them from inside.
The Image and Slogan
The image shows a clearly possessed boy with an unusual looking house in the background. 'Its not the house that's haunted'. This slogan is hugely effective and relative to the image. If the picture didn't give enough away to the audience, the slogan gives us the extra knowledge of the film, that anything happening in the house isn't due to the house itself but the possession held over the family. The use of low key lighting and dull colours also reflects the darkness of the film and its storyline.
Mirrors
The Font and Title
The title remains at the bottom of the page, which I find centralizes the image significantly. This is something we used in our overall poster, as these posters where brought to our attention and contotated positive purposes, therefore we took homage from having the title remain at the bottom of the poster. The 'R' reflects each other to create a literal sense of the capacity of a mirror, reflecting one another.
The Image and Slogan
The photograph emerges from the darkness with a blurred overlay, giving it an authentic touch which may foreshadow events in the film, allowing the audience to question the poster. The centralised girl almost looks like a victim with her eyes wide open, and her mouth, dark as if she was screaming. By having the girl as the main brand, draws in their audience demographic of the spectators who are drawn to the genre of paranormal, as it is seemingly 'ghost' like. A close up, I find has a more artistic approach, and portrays fear almost immediately from a young looking- vulnerable teenager.
The Font and Title
The title remains at the bottom of the page, which I find centralizes the image significantly. This is something we used in our overall poster, as these posters where brought to our attention and contotated positive purposes, therefore we took homage from having the title remain at the bottom of the poster. The 'R' reflects each other to create a literal sense of the capacity of a mirror, reflecting one another.
The Image and Slogan
The photograph emerges from the darkness with a blurred overlay, giving it an authentic touch which may foreshadow events in the film, allowing the audience to question the poster. The centralised girl almost looks like a victim with her eyes wide open, and her mouth, dark as if she was screaming. By having the girl as the main brand, draws in their audience demographic of the spectators who are drawn to the genre of paranormal, as it is seemingly 'ghost' like. A close up, I find has a more artistic approach, and portrays fear almost immediately from a young looking- vulnerable teenager.