Target audience research and findings
https://prezi.com/_p4wauomu3ac/target-audience-questionnaires/#
Monday 30 January 2017
Friday 20 January 2017
Title designs
Title Designs
Because crime is only briefly covered in the media, we decided to create a thriller opening. As inferior members of society, we are often marginalised from the gruesome and cruel stories of people who have been been a victim of serious crimes. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, the crime genre is one of the most watched categories on television, in movies and in books. This is because we are so interested to find out what goes on beyond the protected walls of our homes, television screens and more. Watching an antagonist in action is increasingly intriguing as it goes against common norms, values and morals. People usually can't fathom someone acting or thinking the way criminals often do. We decided 'The Disappearance' is quite an obvious title, however it does bring a sense of ambiguity and interest for the audience.
The first two film titles we were considered were in this grungy style. They are both similar, however, the size of their font is slightly different. I chose this font because it captured my attention straight away and I am hoping the audience would react to it in the same way. We chose the title 'The Disappearance', because it has not been used before and creates a sense of ambiguity as to what the story line would be. For instance, who or what disappeared? or were they found? My group and I liked the idea of using a black and white colour scheme as it makes it look like a news article, this form of media is often used to alert the public of missing person's, murders and more. I quite liked the effect it incorporated, which makes it look like the writing is rotting. It also looks like black and white splatters of blood. We thought this was effective as it symbolises crime (which is our chosen thriller genre) and also makes it look as if the person has been gone for a long time; meaning our thriller would be a detailed and long journey of finding the missing person. We were undecided of which one we preferred as they are very similar, however, I think that the larger font has more effect and brings a sense of drama to the title.
This effect on the title is very eye-catching. The bold letters ensures that the audience/consumer is able to recognise the title. This draws their attention to it and encourages them to watch the movie. One aspect of this title I particularly like is the images within it that make it look like a newspaper article. News paper articles, as mentioned before, are known for posting stories about missing person's, murders and more, meaning the audience would get an idea of the plot of the movie. Individuals who are particularly interested in crime thrillers would automatically be attracted to this title, and the effect, as it is a good representation of the genre. Additionally, the small white writing within the black font gives a sense of chaos, as if this is a big case in the media that would create an interesting and nail-biting storyline.
When searching for titles I came across this unusual effect. I found it was similar to the title 'Psycho' that I had analysed previsouly, this is due to the broken-up letters. One aspect of the Psycho title I liked was the fact that it represented the the mental state/situation of the antagonist. In this title, it is set out to look like a ransom note. As well as this being a typical convention of a crime thriller, it also suggests to the audience that the antagonist has a long history of crime, or has a 'signature' of how he communicates/threatens his victims. It could be interpreted that he has a long history of crime as he used already existing words to piece together his message, this could be because his hand writing is more likely to be identified. This makes the antagonist look increasingly clever, cunning and experienced, as he knows what precautions to take in order to avoid being caught. Therefore, it shows that the victims capturer, that made her 'disappear', will not be easily taken down. The audience will then be excited to watch such an intense storyline.
Thursday 19 January 2017
Top 10 Grossing films of all time
↣1. Avatar- 2009- $2,787,965,087
↣2. Titanic- 1997- $2,186,772,302
In 1996, treasure hunter Brock Lovett and his team aboard the research vessel Keldysh search the wreck of RMS Titanic for a necklace with a rare diamond, the Heart of the Ocean. Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance-disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalised account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winsletas who are members of different social classes who fall in love aboard the ship, during its ill-fated maiden voyage. Cameron's inspiration for the film came from his fascination with shipwrecks; he felt a love story interspersed with the human loss would be essential to convey the emotional impact of the disaster. Production began in 1995 when Cameron shot footage of the actual Titanic wreck. The modern scenes on the research vessel were shot on board the Akademik Mstislav Keldysh, which Cameron had used as a base when filming the wreck. Scale models, computer-generated imagery, and a reconstruction of the Titanic built at Playas de Rosarito in Baja California were used to re-create the sinking. The film was partially funded by Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox.
↣3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens-2015- $2,068,223,624
The story begins thirty years after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. The First Order has risen from the ashes of the Galactic Empire and is opposed by General Leia Organa and the Resistance, both of which seek to find the missing Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (also known as Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens) is a 2015 American epic space opera film directed, co-produced and co-written by J. J. Abrams. The direct sequel to 1983's Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens is the first installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Max von Sydow.
↣4. Jurassic World-2015- $1,670,400,637
Located off the coast of Costa Rica, the Jurassic World luxury resort provides a habitat for an array of genetically engineered dinosaurs, including the vicious and intelligent Indominus rex. When the massive creature escapes, it sets off a chain reaction that causes the other dinos to run amok. Now, it's up to a former military man and animal expert (Chris Pratt) to use his special skills to save two young brothers and the rest of the tourists from an all-out, prehistoric assault. Jurassic World is a 2015 American science-fiction adventure film and the fourth instalment of the Jurassic Park series. The film was directed and co-written by Colin Trevorrow, produced by Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley, and stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. The production companies were Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, also responsible for the rest of the Jurassic Park franchise, and Thomas Tull's Legendary Pictures. Set 22 years after the events of Jurassic Park, Jurassic World takes place on the same fictional island of Isla Nublar, off the Pacific coast of Central America, where a theme park populated with cloned dinosaurs has operated for ten years. The park plunges into chaos when a genetically created dinosaur breaks loose and goes on a rampage across the island.
↣5. The Avengers-2012- $1,518,812,9,88
The agency is a who's who of Marvel Super Heroes, with Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When global security is threatened by Loki and his cohorts, Nick Furyand his team will need all their powers to save the world from disaster. Marvel's The Avengers (classified under the name Marvel Avengers Assemble in the United Kingdom and Ireland), or simply The Avengers, is a 2012 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sixth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was written and directed by Joss Whedon and features an ensemble cast that includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgård, and Samuel L. Jackson. In the film, Nick Fury, director of the peacekeeping organization S.H.I.E.L.D., recruits Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, and Thor to form a team that must stop Thor's brother Loki from subjugating Earth.
↣6. Furious 7-2015- $1,516,045,911
Furious 7 (often stylised as Furious Seven and alternatively known as Fast 7 and Fast & Furious 7) is a 2015 American action film directed by James Wan and written by Chris Morgan. It is the seventh instalment in The Fast and the Furious franchise. The film stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Djimon Hounsou, Kurt Russell and Jason Statham. Furious 7 follows Dominic Toretto (Diesel), Brian O'Conner (Walker) and the rest of their team, who have returned to the United States to live normal lives after securing amnesty for their past crimes in Fast & Furious 6 (2013), until Deckard Shaw (Statham), a rogue special forces assassin seeking to avenge his comatose younger brother, puts the team in danger once again.
↣7. Avengers: Age of Ultron-2015- $1,405,403,694
Avengers: Age of Ultron is a 2015 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to 2012's The Avengers and the eleventh film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was written and directed by Joss Whedon and features an ensemble cast that includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgård, James Spader, and Samuel L. Jackson. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Avengers fight Ultron, an artificial intelligence obsessed with causing human extinction.
↣8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2- 2011- $1,341,511,219
The wedding is interrupted by Death Eaters, as Voldemort has taken over the Ministry of Magic and is now in charge of the wizarding world. Harry, Ron, and Hermione Disapparate (i.e., teleport) to a busy street in London, where they are soon attacked by Death Eaters. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 is a 2010 British-American fantasy film directed by David Yates and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the first of two cinematic parts based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling and features an ensemble cast.The film, which is the seventh and penultimate instalment in the Harry Potter film series, was written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman, David Barron, and Rowling.The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, with Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, respectively, reprising roles as Harry's best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. It is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and is followed by the concluding entry, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.The story follows Harry Potter on a quest to find and destroy Lord Voldemort's secret to immortality – the Horcruxes. Filming began on 19 February 2009 and was completed on 12 June 2010.Part 1 was released in 2D cinemas and IMAX formats worldwide on 19 November 2010.
↣9. Frozen-2013-$1,287,000,000
Anna, a fearless optimist, sets off on an epic journey - teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven - to find her sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Frozen is a 2013 American 3D computer-animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 53rd Disney animated feature film. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The Snow Queen", the film tells the story of a fearless princess who sets off on an epic journey alongside a rugged iceman, his loyal pet reindeer, and a naïve snowman to find her estranged sister, whose icy powers have inadvertently trapped the kingdom in eternal winter. Frozen underwent several story treatments for years before being commissioned in 2011, with a screenplay written by Jennifer Lee, and both Chris Buck and Lee serving as directors. It features the voices of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad and Santino Fontana. Christophe Beck, who had worked on Disney's award-winning short Paperman (2012), was hired to compose the film's orchestral score, while husband-and-wife songwriting team Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez wrote the songs.
↣10. Iron Man 3-2013- $1,214,811,252
Marvel's "Iron Man 3" pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. Iron Man 3 (stylised onscreen as Iron Man Three) is a 2013 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man and 2010's Iron Man 2, and the seventh film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Shane Black directed a screenplay he co-wrote with Drew Pearce, which uses concepts from the "Extremis" story arc by Warren Ellis. The film stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale, Jon Favreau, and Ben Kingsley. In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark deals with posttraumatic stress disorder caused by the events of The Avengers, while investigating the reemergence of the Ten Rings, led by the mysterious Mandarin and comes into a conflict with old enemy; Aldrich Killian.
Wednesday 18 January 2017
Film Posters
Film posters
My groups chosen genre for our film opening is a crime thriller. Recent studies show that crime is the most watched genre of all television shows, movies and documentaries. It's also very popular as books and novels. Therefore, we decided that this would be a challenging, yet interesting genre to create. When looking at codes and conventions of typical crime thriller films, we found that the main themes include ransoms, captivities, heists, revenge, murder and kidnapping. Common colour schemes used within this genre are dark, dull and red. This stands out to the audience and these colours also usually imply a negative storyline.
Taken
Taken is a 2008 English-language French action/crime thriller film directed by Pierre Morel, written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, and starring Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Leland Orser, Jon Gries, David Warshofsky, Holly Valance, Katie Cassidy, Xander Berkeley, Olivier Rabourdin, Gérard Watkins, and Famke Janssen. The plot of the movie coheres to the crime genre due to the main character's daughter getting kidnapped. It is then up to him to find and save her within 72 hours before she is lost forever. Pierre Morel adopts dull colours through the use of mise-en-scene, to suggest to the audience that this is a negative storyline. Darkness is effective as it's common for many individuals to be afraid of the dark, therefore it represents their fear. Images on the poster represent the crime thriller genre due to the use of props and facial expressions. A long-shot of the main character is effective as it shows their use of props, such as a gun, which shows there is a lot of drama, murder, action and crime, all of which cohere to the genre and attract the audience's attention. Liam Neeson's costume is also similar to the background colours and suggests to the audience that he is someone of importance and is also possibly dangerous. Other images are also used to show the story line of the movie, this is effective as it gives the audience a taster of what is going to happen, therefore intriguing them and making them want to watch it. Lastly, the font employed is large and memorable, this catches the audience's attention and is a good technique to advertise the movie.
The Call
The Call is a 2013 American crime thriller film directed by Brad Anderson and written by Richard D'Ovidio. The film stars Abigail Breslin as Casey Welson, a teenage girl kidnapped by a serial killer and Halle Berry as Jordan Turner, a 9-1-1 operator, still suffering emotionally from a prior botched 9-1-1 call, who receives Casey's call. Morris Chestnut, Michael Eklund, Michael Imperioli, and David Otunga also star. The story was originally envisioned as a television series, but D'Ovidio later rewrote it as a 94-minute feature film. Filming began in July 2012 and spanned a period of 25 days, with all scenes being shot in California, mainly Burbank and Santa Clarita. The film poster incorporates the colour red to suggest blood and crime, therefore it coheres to the thriller genre. This is effective because it intrigues the audience and catches their attention. The two images used on the film poster are the main character, Hallie Berry, and a faded out map. These images are effective as it shows the emotion of the characters face, therefore suggesting the movie is going to be dramatic and interesting. This close-up also forms a connection between the audience and the character. The image of the map is also effective as it shows how hard it is going to be to find the kidnapped girl, therefore telling the audience that it's going to be an intense movie that will keep them on the edge of their seats. In terms of the font, the producers have used black and white bold writing, it is also written in block capitals. This is effective because it stands out against the red background. As well as this, the statement 'there are 188 million 911 calls a year, this one makes it personal.' This suggests to the audience that this is going to be a crime thriller as 911 is typically used to report a crime.
The Silence Of the Lambs
The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American horror-thriller film directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, and Scott Glenn. Adapted by Ted Tally from the 1988 novel of the same name by Thomas Harris, his second to feature the character of Dr. Hannibal Lecter; a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer, the film was the second adaptation of a Harris novel featuring Lecter, preceded by the Michael Mann-directed Manhunter in 1986. In the film, Clarice Starling, a young U.S. FBI trainee, seeks the advice of the imprisoned Dr. Lecter to apprehend another serial killer, known only as "Buffalo Bill". The front of the film poster has quite an ambiguous meaning behind it, the use of a butterfly is unusual and attracts the audience's attention as they would want to find out what it means. Thep producers also use a black and white effect, however, the woman's eyes are given colour. This causes a connection between the audience and the character as it is as if she is staring at them. Similar to the other film posters, the main character is on the front cover of the film poster. This is effective because it gives the reader an idea of who is going to star in the movie. If the actress or actor has fans, this would increase their buyers. This is also an effective way of advertising. Different to the other thriller film posters, the font used is in lowercase and there are no capital letters too. This is not that effective as it doesn't catch the audience's attention, meaning it isn't a very good marketing technique. However, the producers do make the title a different colour to the background. I also noticed that the butterfly, eyes and title are of a similar colour, this shows all three has some type of significance and intrigues the audience.
Seven
Seven (sometimes stylized as SE7EN) is a 1995 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by David Fincher, and stars Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, John C. McGinley, R. Lee Ermey, and Kevin Spacey. The film was based on a screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker. It tells the story of David Mills (Pitt), a young detective who is partnered with the retiring William Somerset (Freeman) and soon tasked with tracking down a serial killer (Spacey) who uses the seven deadly sins as tropes in his murders. On the film poster of the movie Seven, it's clear to the audience, it is less clear to the audience that it is going to be a crime thriller as there is no sign of crime on the poster. However, using the seven deadly sins is effective because it suggests that perhaps they are following a murderer that kills based on the rules of the sins, which shows it will be an interesting and detailed plot. Once again, similar to the other film posters, the producer's place images of the main characters on the front. In regards to the mise-en-scene, low/dull lighting is used to suggest this is going to be a more serious storyline, as opposed to a happy one. The title is bold and does stand out to the audience, however, they could have enlarged it to make it stand out even more. One good marketing technique it putting the main actors on the front cover, this is effective as fans of the actors will then want to watch the movie due to their good acting skills.
Film opening titles
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
The opening titles of the hunger games are dark and powerful, thus reflecting the overall theme of the rest of the thriller. At the start, there are two indents of production companies, the title is of a normal size but is written in all white capital letters against a dark grey background, therefore helping it to stand out to the audience. The production company used was LionsGate, which is known for it's successful thrillers. It was clear that the movie used an appropriate company to represent them, as their reputation is what attracts the audience. My group and I are going to look at various production companies to try and find the one that best fits the genre and theme of our thriller opening. During the opening, the font, colour and size continues to stay the same for all of the people featured in the movie. This is a good technique as it shows each actress/actor plays an equally important role. As well as this, the actors/actresses are put shown in order of their importance in the movie, such as the main character, minor characters and then the producers. This ensures everyone gets credit. My group are going to do this as we want to make our opening similar to other popular thrillers, this ensures we get the audiences attention. Making ours too unique is risky as we chance losing their attention. The title font, colour and size then changes to bring attention to the name of the thriller. 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' appears in fiery gold, bold letters, which intrigues the audience and brings some excitement to the opening. Using mise-en-scene to change the lighting scheme is a good technique, as it keeps the audience's undivided attention. Overall, I would like to incorporate some main aspects of this opening, such as the change in lighting, font and colour when it comes to differentiating between the actresses/actors and the title. I would also like to use dark colours as the background, as this sets a dark and ambiguous atmosphere that gives an idea of the narrative. This also gives a sense of danger.
Film titles
Film titles
When analysing various film titles, I noticed that there is often a connection between the title and the storyline of the movie. Lost is the American television series is about a group of survivors of the oceanic flight 815, which went 1,000 miles off course and crashed on a lush, mysterious island. The title looks faded, which almost reflects the survivors faded existence to the outside world, as they drop out of contact. The faded white writing also looks ghostly, which could be a way of exemplifying to the audience that their loved ones and other people have probably pronounced them dead, meaning they are now thought of as 'ghosts'. Lastly, the title is written in large capital letters, which almost replicates an 'S.O.S' sign that most people use when they are in danger and in need of help. This is a good way to give the audience a clue of the storyline. The adoption of editing within this title works well as it suggests to the audience that this is going to be a hard and intense journey for the characters to get to safety, as they have already partially 'faded' out of existance.
Shaun Of The Dead is an action/comedy thriller, which is about a zombie apocalypse that breaks out in a small town in Winchester. The movie focuses on the survival of the un-effected. From the title, it is clear that it links to the story line. For instance, the writing has an effect on it which almost looks as if it's decaying. This reflects the decaying state of the zombies, due to them rotting from being dead. It could also be interpreted as blood splatters across the title, this is also effective as it brings an eeriness to it and intrigues the audience. The film title also incorporates a hand that looks as if it has come out from under the ground and wants to capture/kill the audience. Once again, this reflects the storyline and interests the consumer/audience. Overall, this is an effective logo as it is unique and is a clever reflection of the storyline.
The film title of 'Psycho' is quite similar to the other titles I have analysed, due to the design of the word reflecting the story line of the movie. This psychological thriller is the tale of a woman on the lam, (Janet Leigh) who checks into the mysterious Bates Motel. Norman Bates, the co-owner, starts to show psychotic behaviour and begins to kills his guests. The title is a perfect representation of Bates' irrational mind. The word 'psycho' split in half could represent how the characters corpus callosum no longer functions, meaning the two hemispheres of his brain cannot connect to make rational decisions. Therefore, he can not tell right from wrong and commits crimes as a result. This title is a simple, yet effective, way to capture the audiences attention and give a taster of the movie plot. This would also interest the audience to know that the main character is completely psychotic, as it captures their undivided attention. One aspect of this title we would like to employ is the sybliminol message of the split word 'psycho', and how it represents the mental state of the main character. This is something very different to other film titles and would impress the audience.
SAW is a popular horror movie. The story line of the movie is about two men realize they've been trapped by a sadistic serial killer nicknamed "Jigsaw" and must complete his perverse puzzle to live, flashbacks relate the fates of his previous victims. When analysing the film title, I saw similarities to the plot and the title. The writing looks similar to rotting flesh, which represents the flashbacks of the previous victims of the serial killer. There are lines that scratch across the writing, which could symbolise how the victims are trapped and are trying to escape, which is usually shown through scratches on the walls. Lastly, the colours used attract the audiences attention, especially fans of horror movies. Dark and grungy colours often represent a negative storyline, death and horror. If my group were to make our own film title, we would like to incorporate the dark colours due to it being a crime thriller, this means it represents our genre and catches the audiences attention.
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