2. THE MESSAGES
• The message conveyed in the short film 'Echoes' is that single fathers exist just as much as
single mothers do and a dangerous situation can occur any time because they're the same,
regardless of their gender.
• This message is present in the magazine review because I added a large image of Alex
Matthews sitting on the sofa while holding the baby. He has a worried look plastered on his
face to connote that he's a struggling parent.
• The message portrayed in the film poster is similar to the other two products but instead I
focused on emphasizing that Alex has to survive all on his own. Consequently, I decided to
include an image of the father with the same uneasy expression but he is alone and not
holding the baby. It presents his loneliness as a single father.
3. What are the common links between the products?
The main link between each product is the feature of the main protagonist, Alex
Matthews by presenting a picture of the actor David Keogh. The antagonist
Alice is also in all of the products but she's seen in a small frame to connote that
she's a subsidiary character. In addition, there are elements to show the
narrative such as the knife in the poster and the baby monitor in the magazine
review.
4. WHAT ARE THE UNIQUE SELLING POINTS?
• A unique selling point in the short film is that it challenges the stereotypes of having a powerful male protagonist. Instead, it has a
single father living an ordinary life to make him more relate able to the audience. Another element that can capture the viewers'
attention is the supernatural sub-genre. This will lead to a mass market because there are multiple genres and I also think that
the use of a baby monitor to hear 24 hours into the future is unique and has never been done before.
• The unique selling point in the magazine review is that it shows the basis of the narrative but doesn't spoil too much so people
would still be excited when they see it. There is also a short interview with the actress who plays the antagonist, so that it raises
awareness and to also please her current fanbase.
• The film poster's unique selling point is the silhouette of the knife because this is one of the main props in the short film. I decided
to make it red because the colour has connotations of danger which hints at the plot. I also decided to overlay an image, which
isn't as common in posters, of the antagonist on top of the red to show that they have a connection.
•
5. How effective is the review and poster in
advertising the product?
I think that my magazine review is effective in promoting the short film. This is because the actual review is short and there's a final verdict but it
doesn't give too much away, which means that potential viewers are informed but there will still be a sense of surprise. Another reason for its
effectiveness is that there are short articles that are interactive such as the 'Did You Know?' and 'Win tickets'. This makes the magazine article more
realistic, which adds credibility that it's an actual review. There is also a chance to see the behind the scenes of filming through the actress's opinion in
the interview. This is effective if the viewers are interested in the actress or the way to create a short film. Lastly, there's a small box layered on top of
the image at the corner. It includes all the facts and figures about the film such as the BBFC ratings and the name of the actor and actresses. This
informs the audience again and they will know if they are the appropriate age to watch it.
The film poster is also effective in advertising the short film because I have attempted to make all the elements relate to the narrative of the film.
Firstly, the main focus is the picture of the protagonist walking up the stairs. This is a screen grab from the short film, which allows the possible
spectators to get an idea of the character, setting, costume and more. Also, the image's edges has been erase to reflect that Alex is being engulfed by
darkness. It foreshadows that something dark and bad is going to happen within the short film. The black background of the poster also includes a
strip of red on the knife. I think this is effective because it is conventionally seen in other thriller posters and the it emphasizes the danger of the knife.
The title 'Echoes' is placed in the middle and the font used has really sharp edges to reflect the knife and the audience will figure out the weapon of
the antagonist through this. Lastly, I decided to put a tagline that reads the lullaby that Alice sings. This is effective because it connotes that there will
be a baby involved and the lyrics are repeated, which gets into the reader's heads.
6. How effective is the review and poster in
advertising the product?
I think that my magazine review is effective in promoting the short film. This is because the actual review is short and there's a final verdict but it
doesn't give too much away, which means that potential viewers are informed but there will still be a sense of surprise. Another reason for its
effectiveness is that there are short articles that are interactive such as the 'Did You Know?' and 'Win tickets'. This makes the magazine article more
realistic, which adds credibility that it's an actual review. There is also a chance to see the behind the scenes of filming through the actress's opinion in
the interview. This is effective if the viewers are interested in the actress or the way to create a short film. Lastly, there's a small box layered on top of
the image at the corner. It includes all the facts and figures about the film such as the BBFC ratings and the name of the actor and actresses. This
informs the audience again and they will know if they are the appropriate age to watch it.
The film poster is also effective in advertising the short film because I have attempted to make all the elements relate to the narrative of the film.
Firstly, the main focus is the picture of the protagonist walking up the stairs. This is a screen grab from the short film, which allows the possible
spectators to get an idea of the character, setting, costume and more. Also, the image's edges has been erase to reflect that Alex is being engulfed by
darkness. It foreshadows that something dark and bad is going to happen within the short film. The black background of the poster also includes a
strip of red on the knife. I think this is effective because it is conventionally seen in other thriller posters and the it emphasizes the danger of the knife.
The title 'Echoes' is placed in the middle and the font used has really sharp edges to reflect the knife and the audience will figure out the weapon of
the antagonist through this. Lastly, I decided to put a tagline that reads the lullaby that Alice sings. This is effective because it connotes that there will
be a baby involved and the lyrics are repeated, which gets into the reader's heads.
