2. Improvements
● Include images alongside discussion of products ✅
● Mark each slide at the top stating it is a Primary source
● Ensure Bibliography is correctly formatted for each product referenced/discussed
● Alphabetise Bibliography
● Develop existing products research with more analysis ensuring you have discussed the creation of meaning
● Research/analyse/annotate additional products
● Develop your research analysis with further discussion of what you have researched, how it’s been beneficial and how it will
impact upon your future work.
● Include an audience profile for each product researched- search for reader profiles for researched magazines, average art
gallery patrons, usehttps://yougov.co.uk/profileslite#/
3. Existing Product
Use of lighting/ composition/ mise en scene/ costume/ props/ location/ colours/ fonts etc.
– Appeal to audience
The Hitman’s Bodyguard
Props- There are lots of weapons in this film
How does it make the audience want to watch/buy it?
I think that one way the movie makes the audience want to watch it is through star billing. The movie includes two popular
actors (Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L Jackson)as the main characters. This will suggest to anyone watching that it is going to
be a good film as this would require a big budget.
I think that the trailer appeals to more than one audience. It appeals to fans of action movies as it features lots of action
and violence through things like explosions and guns being fired etc but it also appeals to comedy fans as it includes scenes
that are funny, such as a scene where Samuel L Jackson is singing along to a song on a bus full of nuns.
4. The first product I have chosen to look at is the trailer for the movie Leon the Professional. I chose this movie trailer in
particular because the movie is about a hitman and I want to do a movie trailer where the main character is a hitman as
well. I also chose this trailer because I have watched Leon the Professional before and I enjoyed it.
Location: From the trailer we can assume that the setting for this movie is a big city as in two of the shots you can see
skyscrapers.
One of the main locations shown in the trailer is inside a block of flats. I think that these flats are meant to look a bit sleazy
and run down as in a few of the shots you can see that wallpaper is peeling off the walls and some of the walls look as if
they have lost colour over time. This may suggest that the main characters are living in a poor area.
Existing Product
5. Effects: There are not too many special effects used in this trailer but there are some used. For example one effect used is muzzle flares to
show when guns are firing and there are also special effects for explosions used in the trailer. Perhaps by not including too many special effects
this could be showing that the movie is not just based around action.
Post production: The trailer uses the voiceover of a narrator to narrate the plot of the film. This helps the audience know what the movie is
about.
Sound effects: There are the sound effects of gunshots when guns are fired. These sounds could have been made using foley methods.
Soundtrack: There is music played during the trailer. Late on in the trailer the music changes to fast paced and dramatic opera music. This music
stays in time with the constant cuts in action packed footage so this helps keep the viewers attention.
At this point in the trailer there is no dialogue so the music is there to really create tension in
As the trailer reaches the music gets more dramatic. This helps create tension and excitement in the viewer so that they will want to go and see
the film.
Costume: Leon is often seen wearing dark clothing, such as a black coat, a black hat and sunglasses. This would suggest he is trying not to stand
6. Costume: In the trailer the main character, Leon, is always wearing dark clothing and often wears a hat and some sunglasses. Considering his
profession is a hitman this is probably to keep his identity sealed and to make sure that he doesn’t stand out.
7. Appeal to audience: I think this movie has two main
target audiences: fans of action movies and fans of
drama movies. This movie obviously has an action
element through the violence and shooting etc but
from the trailer we can tell that this movie will have a
lot to do with the characters
8. Appeal to action fans Appeal to drama fans
From the trailer we can tell that Leon is going to be an
exciting film to watch. We can immediately tell that
there is an action element to the film as the first scene
in the trailer a man is telling Leon about a man coming
into the city. He asks him “Are you free Tuesday?” and
the video quickly cuts to a bag full of guns. This makes
sure that the audience know right away that the reason
he needs to be free on Tuesday is to
Something I think will appeal to drama fans is the
relationship between Leon, a hitman and a young girl
called Matilda. These two characters are almost exact
opposites of each other so fans of drama will want to
watch this film
One of the reasons that people watch drama films is
that they want an interesting storyline with lots of
emphasis on the plot and I think that this trailer appeals
to them since it is quite a unique story of two characters
that are very different.
Something that will appeal to fans of action movies is
that the trailer features a lot of the violence in the film
The main character of Leon will definitely appeal to fans
of action movies.
Action movies typically appeal more to men that women
so having a very masculine character such as Leon a
pro hitman
However I think that the fact he is training a kid up
9. Posters
I think from the tagline alone you can tell that this movie is probably an action film. The fact that it doesn’t say what job he is a professional in makes us
assume that he is a professional at a job that wouldn’t usually be considered ordinary; Perhaps something illegal.
The poster is entirely coloured in red and black. These are colours that often symbolise danger and violence so without it directly saying we can assume that
the main character is a professional in an illegal violent job.
Since the name on the poster says Leon and there is only one person on the poster, we assume that the main character is called Leon.
10. Existing ProductKill Bill
Costume: Many of the costumes used in the movie are influenced by martial arts movies. For example, the yellow tracksuit that the bride wears
is inspired by one worn by Bruce Lee in a martial arts movie called Game of Death. (according to http://whatculture.com/film/quentin-tarantino-
definitive-guide-to-homages-influences-and-reference) The tracksuit is seen to be covered in blood suggesting that the bride has brutally killed
people.
Also in the trailer in one scene the bride is wearing robes worn in combat sports such as judo and karate.
Effects: There is some use of animation during the trailer
Props: There are many weapons shown in the trailer such as samurai swords, knives and guns.
Use of lighting:
Locations: Although it doesn't directly say in the trailer, one of the main locations shown by the trailer is Japan. We know this as the bride asks
an Asian man for “Japanese Steel” meaning a Japanese samurai sword and also because
some of the buildings seen are in the style of traditional Japanese architecture, featuring things such as sliding doors.
Also you can see that the location is in Japan as all of the people she is fighting are of Asian ethnicity.
11. Post production: (Sound design, sound effects, music,)
There is a voiceover of the main character, The Bride, narrating the trailer explaining who she is and why she wants to kill a man called Bill. This
provides the audience with information of what the film is about.
Sound effects: The sound effect of an aeroplane is used when the bride is sat on the aeroplane.
There is music playing during the trailer. The music changes as
Appeal to audience: I think the two main target audiences for this film is fans of action movies
This trailer will also appeal to people who are already fans of films directed by Quentin Tarantino. His movies are known for their strong, over
the top often bloody violence and this trailer shows that there are a lot of fight scenes. One of the weapons was a
Another way that it will make fans of his movies want to watch is that the movie features actors from some of his previous movies such as Uma
Thurman from Pulp Fiction and Michael Madsen who was in Reservoir Dogs. This may make them want to watch as they will recognize these
actors and will also like them as they have proven themselves in previous films.
I think that Kill Bill appeals to fans of pop culture since it takes a lot of inspiration from old martial arts movies.
12.
13. How the product was advertised
Posters
This is the main poster for Kill Bill. It is very simple and doesn’t feature too much
detail.
Colour scheme: The colours used in the poster are black, yellow and red. These are the
colours featured on the costume that the bride is wearing.
Red is also a colour often associated with
She is holding a bloody sword in the image so the viewers of the poster can tell that it
may be an action movie.
14. Guerilla advertising
Guerilla marketing is a kind of advertising that often uses popular public places
such as shopping centres and
I found that Kill Bill used this form of advertising. In this case the locations used
were in a lift and in some toilets.
This form of advertising is good as it is very attention grabbing, leading people
to talk about it and therefore raising public interest in the film.
This form of advertising isn’t seen to often and is very unique so
This kind of advertising is seen nowhere near as often as tv ads or posters so it
will make people a lot more curious to see the film.
16. Audience profile
Gender: Kill Bill appeals to a more male audience as it contains a lot of strong violence and this is something that usually is liked more
by men than by women.
Common interests for people that liked Kill Bill: the most common interests for people that like Kill Bill was movies and music.
For entertainment, the two products liked most by fans of Kill Bill were Family Guy and Pulp Fiction.
Other films liked by fans of Kill Bill:Pulp Fiction and Fight Club
S
19. Once upon a time in Hollywood
I analysed the teaser trailer of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as the full length trailer had not been released at the time.
Props: There are some props used in the trailer that are often seen on the sets of movies such as video lights and directors chairs.
Costume: The
Music: The song used for most of the trailer is called ‘Bring a Little Lovin’ and is a song from the 1960s. I think this song in particular was used in
the trailer as it was released in the 1960s and has a very 1960s style so when you hear it you can instantly tell when the film was set.
Setting: Right from the start of the trailer, we can tell that the movie is set in the past. The first shot shown is in black and white and you can
hear the sound of the film projector playing.
The cars seen in the trailer are all vintage cars
Many of the locations shown are in an old fashioned style.
20. Fonts: The font used for the logo of the film is the
same style as the font used in the Hollywood sign.
21. Why have you chosen to look at this?
I chose to look at this as this is an upcoming movie that I want to see
when it comes out. I am a fan of the director of this movie (Quentin
Tarantino) as well
Another reason I chose to look at this is because it hasn’t been released
yet I can see what techniques they use to get people excited for this film
at the moment.
22. Social media
There are official social media accounts for the film
used on instagram, twitter and facebook. On each
account there have been posts of images of
characters in the film and the actors who are in it. The
posts don’t give away too much information about
the film and I think that this makes people want to
see it as they want to know more.
23. On these accounts there have been posts of
posters created for fictional films starring
characters from the film.
25. This is another teaser poster that was used for the film.
We can tell from the poster the time period in which the film is
set due to the costume being worn. She is wearing clothing that
was fashionable around the 1960s such as knee high boots and a
short skirt. These are clothes not often worn now.
In the background of the image you can see the Fox Theatre in
Westwood Village, LA. This location is well known for being one of
the leading film premiere locations so it could suggest to viewers
that the woman on the poster is meant to be an actress.
The colour scheme used is
26. Location: If you look into the background you can
see the famous Hollywood sign.
Costume: Leonardo Dicaprio is dressed smartly so
this may suggest that he is an important person in
the film, maybe he is rich. Also his hair is smart and
neat so perhaps he is
Brad Pitt is wearing more casual clothes so this could
suggest that his character is less important or less
rich than Leonardo Dicaprio’s character.
28. Research Analysis
• What common features do the researched products have?
• One of the key things I have found when analysing these trailers is that they often have a catchy song playing during
the trailer. I think they do this so you get the song stuck in your head and therefore will automatically associate it with
the movie you have just seen the trailer of.
• Another feature I have found from watching these movie trailers is that the trailers often have scenes showing the
character and the name of the actor in the film.
• Something that these trailers have in common is that there is often a monologue in the trailer where the main
character in the film or a narrator is talking. This narration goes alongside the video to display to the viewer the plot of
the film.
• Often the trailers either end on a cliffhanger ending making you want to see more or sometimes they end on a
lighthearted ending to bring down the tension after exciting clips.
• What aspects of the research will you include within your own production work?
• I think that I will include a narration in my trailer. To do this I may need a good microphone so the speech is clear.
29. A thing that I have found from a lot of movie
trailers is that the speed gets faster and faster
and right at the end of the trailer it slows right
down.
31. ● Complete
● You reference secondary research but don’t state where the info came from
● Mark each slide at the top stating if it is a Primary or Secondary source
● Ensure Bibliography is correctly formatted for each task completed/ each person interviewed/ each source used
● Alphabetise Bibliography
● Conduct additional surveys/interviews/focus groups- research what other ways you could conduct audience research and do
it.
● Analyse and discuss audience research that has been published- look at audience/reader profiles, media packs, research on
specific age ranges/genders etc.
● Analyse the results of your audience research in more detail- what does it tell you about your product/project? How will it help
you? How will your project change based on the results?
32. Secondary audience research
Gender: Crime movies are typically enjoyed more by a male audience. This is mainly because
the type of action and the majority of the characters are all designed for a more masculine
audience so women will find it hard to relate to. Also in crime films the main protagonists of the
film are usually male and are often usually powerful so men will like watching this as they like
being represented in such a way.
Age: Whilst I couldn’t find a specific age, the target age is people that are old enough to handle
the violence and swearing so are usually over the age of 18 years old. However crime movies
can be interesting for a wide audience.
Uses and gratifications: One of the recurring reasons I found as to why people watch crime
movies is that they use it as a form of escapism. By watching crime movies it is as if they can go
into the dangerous yet somewhat attractive world of crime without actually doing it
themselves.
33. Lifestyle/Psychographics: From my secondary research I have found that
the viewers of gangster movies generally tend to be achievers and
succeeders.
Sexuality: I think that crime movies appeal more to straight men than
gay men as in crime movies criminals often have an attractive wife and
the main characters are usually straight men.
Questions the audience may ask themselves when watching:
How will they kill them?
What happens when they meet?
What are the police going to do?
34. Secondary Audience research
• Observation:
• What this says about my audience:
• How will your product appeal to this audience:
35. Secondary Audience research
• Observation:
• What this says about my audience:
• How will your product appeal to this audience:
36. Secondary Audience research
• Observation:
• What this says about my audience:
• How will your product appeal to this audience:
37. Primary Audience research
• Observation:
• What this says about my audience:
• How will your product appeal to this audience:
38.
39. Questions
1) How old are you?
1) What is your gender?
1) Are you a fan of movies in the crime genre.
1) What things would you want to see in a movie to do with crime?
1) What things during a trailer attract you to go and see a movie e.g lots of action, the movie being funny, good camera shots etc
1) What sort of characters would you want to see in a crime film?
1) Do you prefer seeing short teaser trailers that only tease elements of films without giving too much away or longer trailers that reveal a
lot more detail of the plot, characters etc.
1) Can you give any examples of movie trailers for films that you like?
1) What things do you think make a movie trailer memorable?
1) Where do you see movies advertised the most Through TV At the cinema Through social media
40. Advertising questions
How do you usually find out about new movies being released (other than through
trailers at the cinema)
Through teaser trailers on TV Through the radio (such as interviews) through print
adverts in magazines and newspapers through social media
41.
42. Primary Audience research
• Observation:
• What this says about my audience:
• How will your product appeal to this audience:
43. 1)
2) If you were watching a movie, would you
want the time setting to be modern day or in
the past?
44. Primary Audience research
• Observation:
• What this says about my audience:
• How will your product appeal to this audience:
45. Primary Audience research
• Observation:
• What this says about my audience:
• How will your product appeal to this audience:
46. Primary Audience research
• Observation:
• What this says about my audience:
• How will your product appeal to this audience:
52. Practical Research
After effects-Friday 5th April
Today I used after effects for the first time to create the effect of a
gunshot. I watched a tutorial on youtube explaining how to do this.
Learning after effects will be important to me as I plan on using it in
my trailer.
I didn’t have a prop gun with me so I just used my hand in the shape of
a gun. I filmed this with a camera from College. I then took the video
from the sd card and begun to edit using After Effects.
For the effect of the gun firing, I got an image of a muzzle flare (this is
the blast that comes from a gun) from google images and I added it to
my video.
53. At first the image came out with a black background
so you couldn’t see the video behind.
I got rid of this by going to blending options and
pressing screen.
54. After I had done this, I added the sound effect of a
gunshot. I downloaded this sound from youtube.
Strengths:
Weaknesses: The main weakness from this video is
that you only see one gunshot even though I made
three. I’m not sure why this is because on after
effects it worked out fine.
55. This experiment will help me in my final production as
it means that I have gained experience in using after
effects which is important as I need to use some
special effects in my video related work. Crime
movies usually heavily feature weapons such as guns
so learning to edit a gunshot is good as it could
feature in my work.
56. Practical Research
Adobe After Effects-Alpha video matte
The next experiment I tried with After Effects was
making an alpha matte. This is a way to overlay
video behind text. I think it is important that I learn
techniques with text using after effects as I will be
guaranteed to use some of them in my trailer for
things such as the name of the movie, actors etc.
57. The clips I used in this experiment are not related to
my trailer but I got a video of a footballer called
Steven Gerrard scoring a goal and overlayed a video
of the stadium into the text saying his name.
58.
59. Practical Research
Creating a poster on photoshop
I made a basic layout for a movie poster using
photos I got from the internet. I got an image of a
person from google and an image of James Bond in
the movie Quantum of Solace. I then made it so I
made a shadow of the James Bond.
