Little White Lies: front cover analysis (T.i.E)

• The photograph chosen for the front cover of this Little White Lies issue is a portrait of Shaun who is one of the main protagonists of This is England. This portrait however, has taken the form of an illustration and this was accomplished through an added photoshop technique. The rough style of this illustration fits nicely with the themes of the film, especially as it keeps This is England's edgy and raw themes and style. In addition, the aggressive facial expression of the main character further links and highlights the themes of anger within the film and the word "hate" in the background which takes the form of graffiti further supports Shaun's crude hand gesture which further adds an element of drama to the film.  

• The retro and edgy "The This is England Issue" print is presented in a subtle and effective way, further complimenting the simplistic yet artistic cover. This is because it keeps with the '80s theme that is portrayed throughout the film. 

• The cover lines are replaced with the names of the main actors in This is England and the films director. This text is placed right underneath the heading "UK Talent Special", this links nicely as the magazine and film are both British Independent ones and this is especially an opportunity to give recognition and credit to the actors who may not be massively known. 

• The strapline "Truth & Movies" connotes to the reader that Little White Lies looks at films from an unbiased view as it most likely doesn't have any influence, especially a financial one from conglomerates because it is an Indie English film magazine that targets a niche audience, giving them a more honest and realistic perspective. 

• The masthead is placed in a white circle in the centre. This shows the audience the name of the magazine, it is written in a serifed font which is placed in black in order to stand out against the white. The masthead covers a little bit of the main photograph used for the front cover of this issue.  This layouts tends to remain the same even with the release of their other issues as this has now taken on the role of their brands identity. As mentioned before, the name of the magazine (Little White Lies) isn't in a large set of text they do this because they usually like prioritising the film which is being featured on the cover as the magazine itself already has a well established audience because of the content and style. 

• The barcode on the magazine is quiet unique as it is tied in with the masthead and further adds to the individual style of the magazine as it tends to abandon traditional layouts of the other magazines. For example, when compared to Empire it has a completely different style and attracts a more artistic and intelligent audience.  

• Both the price and date reflect on the frequency of the magazines publication as well as the magazines content. The date tells us that it is released monthly and the price (£3.75) suggests that a high quality of articles, interviews and visual aids such as a graphic piece or even a photographic portrait. 

• The style of this magazine extremely unique and stands out from traditional front covers as it goes against a lot of conventions including the layout etc. I really like this style as I think it is great for Independent films so I would like to consider Little White Lies as the magazine front cover for my film. 

Social Realism Moodboard

Through this mood board, I wanted to show the most common themes that come up in films within the Social Realism genre. I think I would most likely want to cover either social issues commonly seen through pregnancy and domestic issues or even racism as I think these are issues that touch base in our society right now as they occur to thousands of people. I think that this will make my film and trailer more authentic and easier to identify with. 

easel.ly

Diary post 3: narrative ideas brainstorm

• I created this brainstorm/spider diagram to see which themes within the social realism genre I would be most interested in to chose as a main idea for my films trailer.Whilst doing this, I also tried to see which of the themes I was able to branch out most widely to try and get a variety of narrative ideas. 

• Throughout the process of creating this diagram I have realised that most of the issues within this genre tend to interlink. The theme that seems to have come up and link with my ideas is abundance money. As seen on my spider diagram, an idea listed is the idea of showing the contrast between wealthy and poor. I feel like this is an issue which a lot of people can identify with as it is something a lot of people deal with, whether it is abundance or the lack of it. This is therefore, something I would like to explore further as i think it would be very interesting to convey. 

• I really like the narrative idea of a newly wed couple / family having problems having children and I could therefore, try and portray this and make it link in with money. For example, a couple that wants to have children more than anything and the only solution for them is to go through the IVF process but they can't afford it. Through this I could try and bring out or enhance the contrast between wealthy and less fortunate.

The Notebook: Poster Analysis

In todays lesson, as a class we looked at The Notebook's poster. We did this to look at what components help make a trailer effective and what we need to have on our posters to make them as professional looking as possible. These components include, a main image that can give the audience a sense of what the nature of the film is, a review, a release date and the credits of cast and director. I am going to analyse another 2-4 posters possibly some within different genres to see how they are made differently in order to appeal to their specific targeted audience.  

This is England: Poster Analysis

• The main photograph used for this poster is one which includes what we can only guess are the main protagonists. This appears to be the most important element of the poster, so the text included is carefully placed through the use of an established image to text ratio in order for it to not distract the audience. All of the characters are dressed in a very similar way most likely connoting that they are part of the same group or even that there may be a theme of gang culture portrayed within this film. Most of these characters appear to be in their youth (older teens - young adults). The dress sense further conforms to the time they are trying to set the film in which is the '90s. Most of the characters are white and there is only one black person which appears to be the only one looking away. This, and his costume ( he seem to be dressed in a slightly smarter way) could show that there is also an element of discrimination portrayed in the film from that time period. All the characters are closely placed together, as previously mentioned this could suggest that they are within the same group of friends. The white males in this group all appear to have a low hair cut suggesting that they are all part of the skinhead group. We are therefore lead to think that the black male also has the same type of hair cut although this isn't visible to us as he is wearing a hat. This and the fact that all of the males are wearing Dr Martens supports the idea that they are part of the same of a skinhead group and this is because Dr Martens was the footwear associated with skinhead subculture. Most of the protagonists' mode of address is straight forward, acknowledging the audience possibly making them an active one, feeling like they are part of the narrative. This especially appeals to the older audience members who possibly remember or were a part of that time.   

• The films title is placed above the main characters of the film and starts and ends where the characters are standing (the length is the same), this could again connote to the viewers that this film is about these particular characters as they are in line with the title. The main protagonist, despite being the smallest one in the group of people in the photograph and that it looks like he's being squeezed between the taller characters he still stands out. This is because he is placed in the middle and the body language of some of the characters that are towards the ends are facing inwards. This again suggests that he has a very important role within the film and could possibly have a lot of power despite his age and physical appearance (size, height etc). 

• Through the use of the colours of the British flag in the title of the film, this immediately lets the viewers get an idea of what the film is about and suggest (along with the directors name) that it is a British film. To further enhance this, the directors name is placed in text which looks handwritten (it is placed between the title and main image) suggesting that the director may have put in a personal experience or thoughts in the film. This is also successful because it attracts an already established audience which will most likely know and like his previous pieces of work. The title is in block capitals in order to stand out and has been manipulated to look like it is graffiti written on the metal fence they are leaning against again linking to the time where people that were part of the subculture were know as being quiet rebellious. 

• The slogan 'Summer 1983, A time to stand out from the crowd' allows viewers to see which time period the film is set in while also enabling them to get an idea of the themes and features covered throughout the film. This could also suggest these characters on the poster are trying to set themselves apart from everyone else and be individual. Furthermore, reviews and awards that the film has won or has been nominated for are placed on the top part of the poster (on the sky which is a clear light blue, connoting freedom as it is a calming colour) as this doesn't distract from the main photograph and what the audience members are meant to be focusing on. For example, the characters and the location which can help further establish the narrative of the film. This helps attract an audience as they then expect it to be a film worth watching.

• The glimpse of the top of the buildings in the background are put in place to further establish the location the film is set in if the viewers of the poster may have been uncertain. This along with the fence they are leaning against could suggest that the film is set in an urban area of England which could possibly be one of the main scenes or settings of This is England. 

• The films website link, the credits of cast and crew, distribution and production companies are all laid out in smaller text of the colour white, this is visible however, not a lot as it is placed where the pavement part of the photograph is so it doesn't really stand out against the dark grey. This is allows viewers to gain more information and knowledge of the film if they choose to do so. 

• The colours use in this poster all link very nicely and complement each other. As a whole this poster is very effective and although it is simplistic it includes the most important elements giving enough information to the targeted viewers of the film poster and seems to work very well as a whole. 

Diary Post 2: Why Social Realism?

I chose to create a film trailer within the social realism genre because I think that it is something I can recreate effectively and authentically . Throughout the process of finding a narrative of my film I will try and research or think of scenarios that occur society and see how they affect people in everyday life.To further brainstorm on the topic, I think I could create a mood board to get more ideas flowing. This will therefore allow people to identify with the film to a deeper, personal level as the chosen theme within their subject may be something they have gone through themselves.
While researching and thinking of ideas I could also look at films within the social realism genre that have done quite well. Some of these films include: This is England, Kidulthood, Adulthood, Shank, Fishtank, and Catfish.

Codes and Conventions of Social Realism

• I created this Prezi presentation to show the generic conventions and codes of films within the social realism genre. These are things I should start considering while preparing and thinking of the narrative of my whole film, as this will help me when I come to film and create the trailer for my film.

• In this Prezi I have included a definition of Social Realism and have analysed what I thought were the key codes and conventions of the genre in detail and why these help establish the genre. 

• I think this genre will allow viewers to identify with my trailer and the whole film as these usually focus on societal issues today and try to raise awareness of issues that are usually overlooked. 

This Is England: Trailer Analysis

The very first thing we see as an audience in this trailer, is a zoomed in shot of a wall that has written on it "from director Shane Meadows". This helps attract an already established audience as fans of his work will want to see this because they most likely know his previous films.

We then see through a number of clips the highlighted events or important occasions which occurred during the 1980s. This is very important as it helps establish a time period and further make it clear that it is set in England of the '80s. These clips are edited to unfold smoothly along with the beat of a Jamaican (Ska) song being played on top of them. This is a effective detail as in that time period that type of music was particularly popular, especially amongst subcultures.

After those 9 clips, it smoothly transitions to a medium long shot of a young boy riding his bike. The background helps establish the area that this film is set in, while the costume conforms to the theme of the '80s. The boy looks somewhat fed up in this shot. And we later on find out why when it again smoothly transitions to a scene from the film of the boy (Shaun) with some skinheads who are bullying him.  From this shot, we can only assume that this boy is one of the main characters of this film.

As previously mentioned, the young boy is in fact one of the protagonists and the storyline is about how he was a victim of bullying by a group of skinhead boys. Through their accents we can tell that the film is set somewhere in Northern England. This, along with the previous shot of the boy riding his bike suggests that this is probably an urban and possibly run down at the time area. In order to present Shaun in a vulnerable way the bully is presented with more power as it is shot from a slightly lower angle and there are another two boys in the shot, having Shaun being outnumbered. Whereas, the shot of Shaun is one of eye level and he has his back turned away, showing that he is the less dominant one in this particular situation as he is walking away and appears distressed. The bully also says "Woodstock's that way pal" which is a reminder to the audience what time period This is England is set in. The language used by Shaun is put in place to further show the type of area, most likely a rough one as previously mentioned.

Despite his use of language, as an audience we are made to empathise with the young boy, especially when he is again portrayed in a vulnerable way. This is when he is the only one in the shot under the bypass and he seems very upset. Once another skinhead asks him who is bullying him, he says "Harvey" in a very frightened manner and although there is a distance between the skinhead and Shaun we are lead to believe that this will be a new friendship. This is further on supported when the skinhead tries to cheer him up by making fun of the bully and is in fact clear when Shaun is portrayed smiling for the first time so far in this trailer.

Shaun's social and physical transformation is filmed in black and white freeze frame motion through a variety of shots. These shots take the form of photographs/ videos and are put in place to document this change and the happiness this has brought to the young boy. This shots clearly show the transformation, firstly through the shot of numerous pairs of Dr Martens lined up and then a shot of Shaun holding a pair of boots. This is a hint to the skinhead subculture as Dr Martens were considered to be footwear associated with it and the girls cutting his hair very short is also a great supporting point to the transformation.

A variety of shots, in colour continue to show the young boys transformation. In these shots, mainly through medium long shots, the boy is shown with the group of skinheads and appears to be happy. Through these shots a sense of protection, happiness and family is projected. These shots in particular show the huge range of individuality in both age and ethnicity with a possible desire to "stand out from the crows" (as quoted on the films poster).

After showing a couple of the shots which are included of the boy, showing a new, happy and relaxed side of him it then suddenly cuts to a black screen. This has been used in a clever way in order to connote the drastic change of the tone in the film as there will most likely be a side of the young boy portrayed which could possibly be a dangerous one, also connoting that although this group of people make the young boy happier, they could be a bad influence on him.

In order to make this change of tone clearer, along with shots and footage, the music goes from upbeat Ska to a punk electric guitar which has a gritty feel. The sinister smile of the characters face also conforms to this as he makes us as an audience feel nervous while also bringing an element of uncertainty and fear. After showing this, it starts setting out the gritty and dangerous side of skinhead culture (in comparison to the unity we saw it brings to people) also escalating in pace in a big way possibly connoting how much Shaun is in over his head with this group of people and how this involvement may have a negative impact on him.


It then cuts to a shot of an abandoned, run down building which continues to set the scene and remind the audience where and what time this film is set in. On top of this shot, there is a review given by a critic that works for The Observer. This further draws in the audience as it really does create a sense of suspension and curiosity as to what happens to the young boy, because as previously mentioned we are made to empathise with the young boy.

Furthermore, the low angle shots of the gang leader enhances the element of danger. As the character aggressively shouts "phoney war" this also refers to certain elements of the skinhead subculture that were not originally part of it but became part of it as the time passed. The next shot after that is one where the gang leader carves a Cross into the young boys skin after he saw himself in Shaun, showing him that he has what it takes to be part of this movement.


After that particular series of shots, which continue to show the aggressive nature of this subculture it then cuts to another shot which sets the scene. It is one of Shaun in a huge field sitting in a boat, this, similarly to the previous one has a review written in bold white text written by one of the Daily Mail's critics. "A Blistering vision of England", suggests that despite of the harsh, gritty and horrible part of this society it isn't a film which will disregard this, possibly being one of the few media texts that portrays every aspect, good and bad realistically.

The point above is supported by the next series of shots shown. (on the left). As this is a film within the social realism genre, it also includes social problems such as race. Furthermore, due to the stereotypical portrayal of a man of Indian descent working in a shop in contrast to a member of "the norm", being a typical man of British descent it continues to show the way racism can be further portrayed. The young boy walks in and is acting quiet tough talking freely, which for that generation could be a sign of disrespect, so the owner tries to kick him out. When the gang leader comes in. The last shot shows how genuinely scared the shopkeeper is, this is a feature which I believe will draw the audience in wanting them to want to watch the rest of the film to see how this pans out .

 In the next couple of shots, the violence drastically continues to increase, The high angle shot gives an illusion that the boy is in fact one of the adults in this very big world. This shot, further portrays him as one of the dominant characters which is completely different to those shots we were shown as an audience at the very beginning where this young boy was portrayed in an innocent, vulnerable and lonely way.  As mentioned above, the violence does increase drastically and along with this so does the pace of the editing which is used in order to show the chaos within the world in that particular time. In the very last shot (on the right) the gang leader is shown in the most inhumane and gritty way as he stamps on one of his victim, yet his boot lead the screen to be completely black.

After the black screen, it transitions to a screen which is also black but has four of the logos for the awards that the film has both one and has been nominated for. This along with the last review included, honestly suggest to the targeted audience members that this film is one worth watching. It then cuts to a scene where the group of skinheads are laughing together, reminding the audience that although there is a big element of violence included there is also a more sensitive side of skinhead subculture portrayed through this film. The very last shot before the credits is one of Shaun walking calmly with the title of the film written in the colours of the Union Jack. This part, appeared to go in a circle as the trailer (after the director credit) started with Shaun alone and the shot before last again ends with Shaun by himself, possibly showing that he could be reflecting on the type of company this group has brought to him. This ambiguous ending to the trailer makes the audience members want to watch the rest of the film in order to see if Shaun will survive in this big world where he appears to have been undertaken by the wrong group of people.

The very last two shots are on a black screen. The first one shows the billing blocks, which include all of the credits of all cast and crew, production and distribution companies. The second screen however, is also black but includes the soundtrack credits. This is very important for this particular film because as the film is set in the '80s the soundtrack played a huge role in helping set the time and location realistically, possibly making the audience nostalgic (mainly the older audience members who grew up in the '80s).

Practice - Order of scenes in Crush

In the lesson as part of our task, our teacher created a pretend rom-com. The film is about a man (Joey) who falls in love with his new neighbour (Rebecca), but unfortunately there's something wrong with this scenario... The neighbour is married to his boss.

We were then divided into groups and we tried a variety of orders that the scenes should take place in the trailer. The order of which we settled for is the one as follows:

1. When Joey first notices Rebecca when she is moving in, this scene will take place outside, during day time.

2. Montage of Joey at work carrying out tasks, his boss shouting at him. Most of his tasks are carried out correctly but his boss is just picking on little things and is patronising and rude towards Joey (making audience wonder if he has a personal issue with Joey).  

                                                                 

3.  A scene of Joey outside in the garden trying to impress Rebecca by working out or doing manly things.

4. A shot of Joey talking about Rebecca to his friend (Rob) in a bar and how he thinks he may have feelings for her and Joeys friend giving him advice of how he can get her. 

5. A clip going back to the first time they met, where Rebecca introduces her husband to Joey who ends up being his (Joeys) boss. 

6. A clip of Joey and Rob in a bar, Joey looking upset telling him how Rebecca's husband is his boss.

7. A clip of Joey over two separate occasions (one clip of him at night, another of him doing so during the day) knocking at their door, asking for unnecessary things using them as an excuse just so he can see/speak to her.

8. A clip of Joey's boss warning him to stay away from Rebecca. 

9. A montage of Joey and Rebecca over various occasions together; Rebecca laughing, Joey dancing funnily, them out for dinner with a song such as 'come back to you' by Saint Raymond being played over the top. Then quickly cuts to Joey getting punched by his boss. 

10. The last scene in the trailer could be of a close up of a hand where we see a ring slip off a finger and the camera gradually moves up to Rebecca's face of her crying. 

11. Black screen where a question 'How far will you go for love?' comes up

12. Cuts to the titles. 

Through this task, I have learned that it is very important when working on a narrative idea to make it as appealing as possible to the audience in order for them to want to go and see the film. As the trailers role is to give insight of the film without giving too much away to the audience members, I also learnt that it is important to give insight in a completely different narrative order to the one that takes place in the actual film.  In order to keep them captivated and interested in the storyline they need to also give them glimpses of scenes throughout the film, especially the unique selling elements. 

Diary Post 1 - Lesson on Legend trailers

• In one of our first lessons, as a class we watched and briefly analysed both the Legend teaser and theatrical trailers in note form. This was important for us to do because even if we are certain of the genre we would like our film to be, we needed to see a professionally made trailer, allowing us to see what elements we should include and which are the key concepts which make it so effective and successful as a trailer. 

• While analysing both of these trailers I have realised that both, although very different types are very effective and informative. They both manage to gain the audiences full attention and interest, making them want to further research the film and watch the film. 

• The thing I liked most in both trailers is their effective and clever placement of music and text, complimenting the scenes portrayed throughout adding tension and expanding the narrative. These are all qualities that I would like to include in my own trailer to make it interesting and gripping. 

Legend: Theatrical Trailer Analysis

• A theatrical trailer has a longer duration in comparison to a teaser trailer and this is because through the trailer the production company would like viewers and audience members to gather information from it. For example, it contains information about production personnel, the stars and the distributors.

• The very first shot in the theatrical trailer of Legend is the logo of the Production Company which is Studio Canal and then it cuts to a second shot of another production company which is Working Title. Towards the end of the film trailer they show a hash-tag which is associated with the films social networking sites. And at the end of the whole trailer against a blank background the title of the film is shown in big letters making it stand out.

• Through the Legend Theatrical trailer we are able to establish the genre of the film, which is Gangster Crime and a hint of this is when one of the Kray brothers says ' I like the money and the respect' which is part of Gangster culture.

• We are also able to gather information about the narrative and story line of the film, which we are probably able to do this with much more detail because it us a theatrical trailer rather than the little glimpses we get from the teaser trailer. We are able to understand that the main storyline of Legend is about being a gangster and getting caught, As this trailer is longer, we also see hints of humour and romance through dialogue . We also see that at one point in the film, one of the brothers will be faced with a decision to make between two relationships, with his partner or the brother dynamic.

• Both the music and pace help establish the mood of the film as they compliment each other, especially,in certain scenes the pace of the film and music gets faster and increases as well as the intensity of the action included in the film.

• Generally, in this trailer as it longer, a lot more dialogue and sound is included to help emphasise and compliment certain scenes and the mood of the film. At the beginning of the film the first thing we see is a sky line of what appears to be London (viewers having pre existing knowledge of the film will most likely assume it's London as they will associate the Kray brothers with the city) And on top of the view of the city there is a voice over of a soft (tone) spoken English woman ( possible contrast as to what will have later on in the film) saying 'London in the 60's, everyone has a story about the Kray brothers' connoting that  in fact they are well known in their city.

• Through their entire marketing campaign for the Legend film they have really managed to enhance and make the film appealing to their targeted audience (mainly 18+ year old males). However, through their unique selling point, I think they have managed to broaden their target audience and attract more viewers, this is because the two main characters are played by Tom Hardy, this can therefore attract people who are interested in digital media or films which are focused around this as they will most likely want to watch Legend to see how they have managed to put the film together so effectively. 

Legend: Teaser Trailer Analysis

• As this is a teaser trailer, it is a lot shorter than the theatrical trailer, having a duration of 30 seconds. Suggesting that in order to get the target audience appeal they have to include a lot more glimpses from scenes and make it action packed in order for them to want to go and consume the film after having watched the trailer. 

• Throughout this trailer, there a lot of things that contribute towards the idea that Legend is a film within the gangster- crime genre and we see this from the glimpses that are included in the trailer. For example, there is a Western shoot out reference, costume also suggests this and most importantly the quick shots and fast pace of the scenes of police and money adding to the tension and element of mystery this film has. This also helps new audience members who haven't done their research on the film get a rough idea of the narrative which is mainly about the Kray brothers' gangster life and their journey of it whilst trying not to raise too much attention to themselves or get caught by the police. And due to what appears to be a film which includes heavy sex, crime and language references throughout, this makes it clear and attracts a specific audience, males aged 18+.

• The trailer starts by naming the production companies, which are Studio Canal and Working Title. Straight after that, is a scene from the film that puts both key characters in one frame, introducing them to the audience and furthermore, reminding them of the films unique selling point as both protagonists are being played by the same actor; Tom Hardy. This will be one of the key discussions, both for film critics and audience members as this showcases their amazing editing skills throughout the film. 

• The music throughout the trailer is thrilling and compliments the pace of the editing, the track played on top is a contemporary one which is put in place to show contrast of such a 60's classic. This could suggest to the audience that it may have a fresher insight of the film which has not been seen in other films dedicated to the Kray twins. Further connoting that it may at times challenge the generic conventions to give it a more interesting and appealing element, although throughout it seems to heavily perpetuate the generic conventions of a crime-gangster film. 

• Similarly to this, both the shot types/ camera angles and pace compliment and emphasise the themes being portrayed though the teaser trailer. The general pace is quite fast as this enables tension to increase and to do so effectively there are numerous times where wide shots are used as this allows us, as an audience to get insight and a better idea of what exactly is going on in the scene, letting us in on the action and making us more involved as an audience. However, the pace does get slower when they want us to be able to take in key information. This also links in nicely with dialogue as it helps establish the narrative and gives the characters more screen time. 

• Special effects are included in the trailer to show that there is most likely a lot of it included in the film, letting us know that it will be a very fast paced and tense film to watch.  Such special effects include, the explosion of the building, reminding us that their life as notorious english gangsters is thrilling. 

• I thought that it was very clever where the words POWER, FEAR and FAMILY were laid out as these are some of the main themes included in the film and further link in with the gangster life because these are values they greatly admire and live by. In addition to this, I thought it was effective how they wrote the release date of the film and the hashtag (#LEGENDFILM) of which audience members can keep up with the latests news of the film and encourages the audience to be active and follow the film, production companies and actors on all social media sites they are on. 

Year 12 blog

http://ellepanayiotoug321.blogspot.co.uk/

This is a link to my Year 12 blog