Ancillary Task

Ancillary task – Film poster and Film review research

The writing in pink highlights the important information.

Our ancillary tasks have now begun - so the stress carries on. More research, woo!
For our ancillary tasks we have to make a film poster for our film which includes original photography, and a gradual journey which shows the changes of our poster and how we have developed it. We also have to make a film review in a magazine article, talking about our own film - this will be very interesting. 

I am going to start off with Film Posters.


I will be referring to the connotations and denotations of film posters throughout this first section.

What is a film poster? -  A film poster is a poster used to promote and advertise a film.

I have started off by taking a look at some smaller independent Drama films, which is similar to ours, analysing what features, credits and photos they have used and how it relates to there film. This will benefit me, as I am able to recognise why they have used different techniques in order to make there poster effective and relevant. 

Damiana: 2017, 15 minutes short drama. (a girls' name is a Greek name. Damiana is an alternate form of Damia (Greek): possibly means "to tame".)

Synopsis: Deep inside the jungle, a group of teenage girls are being kept under supervision. Despite abandonment and hostility, Damiana hopes she can get in touch with her father

• The dark deep forest portrayed in the background – gives an insight to the viewer of what the film is going to be set
• The clothing on the woman is torn and dirty, inferring she is in danger or going through a disastrous situation on her journey. 
• It is set in a tropical environment as you can see the actress portrayed clearly has tanned skin, and due to the setting, she is in also supports this. Furthermore, the title of the film is also foreign. 
• The credits show the main people included – director, main actors, cinematographer, makeup, producer, editor, sound, etc.
• And also has production logos at the bottom

CHIEF: 2008, 20 minutes. A short drama, written and directed by Brett Wagner.

Synopsis: Semu Fatutoa drives a taxi in Honolulu, Hawaii, slowly forgetting his old life as a tribal Chief in Samoa. Little does he know; his old life is looking for him.

• The weather and conditions the actor is in, shows the exotic and tropical environment and culture he is in.
• The dark clouds behind him suggest something dangerous is heading his way
• The actor looks native American by his skin colour, and typical characteristics such as the long hair, naked skin with barely any clothes, and the necklace with a bone of some kind.
• Catchy tagline for the viewers/audience.
• Using effective crediting by showing the competitions they have won in different festivals. 

Now I am going to look at some bigger, mainstream film posters of dramas to see if they are much different from smaller independent ones. 

Saving Private Ryan: 1998, drama. Directed by Steven Spielberg. 

Synopsis: Following the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.

• The soldier is edited so he blends in with the floor, black connotes danger and darkness - like he is walking into the unknown.
• The faded soldiers in the back ground, and the title literally shows the film is about soldiers and saving others. 
• The colours are browns and black, shows the conditions they are in - which are mainly muddy in the war era. 
• The title is positioned in the centre, with the word 'saving' in bold, highlighting the fact that the importance of the film is literally saving a soldier. 
• Tom hanks, name and picture are both positioned in the centre of the poster - advertising who is in the film.

The Shawshank Redemption: 1994, drama. Directed by Frank Darabont. 

Synopsis: After the murder of his wife, hotshot banker Andrew Dufresne is sent to Shawshank Prison, where the usual unpleasantness occurs. Over the years, he retains hope and eventually gains the respect of his fellow inmates, especially longtime convict "Red" Redding, a black marketeer, and becomes influential within the prison. Eventually, Andrew achieves his ends on his own terms.

• The light is shining down on Tim Robbins, implying that he has now been set free. As the darkness is behind him, suggesting that all of the bad things he has down is in the past, there is no going back. 
• The tagline positioned in the centre at the top, shows that this film is purely set around escaping prison and believing in hope.
• The title is set in the centre at the bottom, with the two main actors just above in smaller writing in red - making it stand out against the black.

Titanic: 1997, drama/romance. Directed and written by James Cameron.

Synopsis: Titanic; the pride and joy of the White Star Line and, at the time, the largest moving object ever built. She was the most luxurious liner of her era -- the "ship of dreams" -- which ultimately carried over 1,500 people to their death in the ice cold waters of the North Atlantic in the early hours of April 15, 1912. 

• The picture of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, immediately show that they are in love, by the way they are positioned.
• The boat 'Titanic' relates to the title, as the film is based around the journey on the Titanic and how it killed many lives.
• The title and credits are in white and gold, which represents the colours of the Titanic boat. 
• The tagline at the top 'nothing on earth could come between these' also support the idea of romance and relationship between the couple. 
• Finally, from the image of the couple - it suggests that Leo/Jack is in heaven as he is in the white sky (connoting innocence and peace), and Kate has her back to him almost as if he isn't there.

Room: 2015, drama. Directed by Lennie Abrahamson. 

Synopsis: Held captive for years in an enclosed space, a woman (Brie Larson) and her young son (Jacob Tremblay) finally gain their freedom, allowing the boy to experience the outside world for the first time.

• The background is shaped in a box room, which have walls of the sky on. This immediately suggests they are trapped, and in deep hope of freedom.
• Also, the title 'room' support this idea of them being trapped, as a room is usually tight and isolated. 
• The title is in yellow, which represents hope and a new life. As we usually connote the colour yellow with stars, freedom and light. 
• The people in the picture are clearly mother and daughter as you can see by their facial expressions and the way that he is holding him. 

As you can see below, I have annotated two film posters - Adulthood, and Inception, below so it gives you a visual representation of what is included in a film poster, and what are crucial elements to display.

I have attempted to create my first draft of my poster which is inserted below. I found it difficult, processing and working out how to use Photoshop but got used to the tools after messing around with it to see how it works. I am very pleased with my outcome, as I think the poster briefly portrays the storyline so it doesn't give to much away - as the characters, Lucy and Gary are clearly in love, but the obverse are in the background, implying a calamity will happen. However, I didn't include an age certificate, release date or a tagline which is highly crucial to the poster and for the audience. I feel that this poster feels unrealistic, therefore need to work on it to make it come alive and more professional. 


FIRST DRAFT

I have developed my poster into a more professional and better organized structure and representation of the film, by moving the title into the centre, along with the film production - to show the significance and effectiveness of the 'brand'. I have also moved other credits at the bottom, also aligning them into the centre, with the star rating and age certificate at either side so it looks symmetrical and neat. Finally as you can see, instead of starring all of the cast, I have just inserted Mine and Leos name by each of us to show which character plays who. 

FINAL DRAFT

This is my final draft, as you can see I have re-arranged my title and credits, making the poster seem more structured and professional looking. The credits are now aligned so it looks symmetrical and neat. I have also added the production company logo in the corner, which I did not have before. I am happy with this end result as this photo portrays the narrative and what is expected in the film. 

Time for Film Reviews

so close to the end now guys.. this is my feels^

what is a film review? - A film review is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium.

The four main elements which needs to be included in a film review are; 

1. Condensed Plot Synopsis - a brief description of the film's plot that probably emphasizes the most important moments of the film without revealing the films ending
2. Background Information - information about the stars, the director, and the production staff of the film. It can also include interesting bits about the making of the film. It may incorporate information about the film's source material as well as mentioning the type of genre the film fits into.
3. Abbreviated Arguments About The Film -  the reviewer analyses and critiques the film. The focus of this segment is to point out what does and does not work in the movie and why
4. Evaluation - generally includes a recommendation to either see or avoid seeing the film. This evaluation is always based on the reviewer's arguments about the film and is frequently backed up with his/her comments regarding the film's background

I have been looking at different film reviews of many films to see how critics and reviewers write and review films. 

Due Date: 2010, Comedy Drama. Directed by Todd Philips. 

Synopsis: Peter Highman (Robert Downey Jr.) will be a dad for the first time when his wife gives birth in five days. He intends to catch a flight home from Atlanta so he can be there for the delivery, but a chance encounter with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis) throws a monkey wrench into his plans. Desperate to reach his wife before their baby is born, Peter's sanity is tested when he must take a road trip cross-country with dog-toting Ethan.

• As you can notice all key elements are circled, highlighting what should be included
• The title should be big and bold to stand out
• Key information about the film - date, director, cast, synopsis
• A picture from the film is very important
• Add a tagline, comment under the title
• Insert your own opinion and argument 

The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers: 2002, Adventure Drama Fantasy. Directed by Peter Jackson.  

Synopsis: "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," "The Two Towers" follows the continuing quest of Frodo (Elijah Wood) and the Fellowship to destroy the One Ring. Frodo and Sam (Sean Astin) discover they are being followed by the mysterious Gollum. Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), the Elf archer Legolas and Gimli the Dwarf encounter the besieged Rohan kingdom, whose once great King Theoden has fallen under Saruman's deadly spell.

• The title is big and bold, standing out from the rest
• Age certificate
• Tagline inserted underneath title
• Picture in the corner from the film
• Quotes from the film
• A clear opinion and title in included

I have wrote my own review on my film below, 'The Henderson's' as part of my ancillary task. I have used the guide above and using the other reviews as an example to follow the structure. As you can see I have included pictures to make it more indulging and attractive for the reader, and also added catchy tailgates and stars to show how good the film is - making the readers want to watch it. 

FIRST AND FINAL DRAFT

Hope you enjoyed, all the best - Maddy Ross :)