3. PURPOSE
The review is designed to draw in audiences
that are interested in film and would question
watching one based on another’s opinion of it.
The review is a third party and so is different
to the poster in that the light that the film is
portrayed in is out of the director’s hands. My
review may be slightly biased in this respect,
as unusually, it was created by the same
person as the film. Therefore, the review has
the power to draw in audiences, or push them
away, depending on a single person’s view of
the film. For this review in particular,
audiences are likely to be attracted to the film
because it is rather appraising.
4. PURPOSE
The poster is different to the review in that it
is created by the same group of people as
the film itself. Therefore, they have full
control over the creative decisions, in order
to make the film look as attractive to the
target audience as it possibly can. Therefore,
I created this poster, taking into
consideration the conventions of a
traditional film poster, as well as the usual
forms of social realism. I used intermedial
references, which allows the poster to serve
its purpose in making the film look like its
worth the reader’s time.
5. PURPOSE
It’s down to the director to decide the
purpose of their film. The message of the
film usually depends on the genre it fits into.
For the social realism genre, the director
usually aims to draw attention to issues and
themes that they feel passionate about. I
chose to follow the issues of neglect and
isolation, as I feel that everyone, especially
young children, require a certain amount of
care and attention to thrive in their other
aims, and to attain happiness.
6. HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION OF
YOUR MAIN PRODUCT AND ANCILLARY
TEXTS?
The purpose of both of the ancillary task are to support the film. The
review has the possibility to draw audiences, although its main
feature includes honest opinions and the promotion of the film from
either a positive or negative point of view. Meanwhile, the poster’s
purpose is to advertise the film in the most attractive way possible.
7. THE AUDIENCE
It may be suggested that the audience of my poster are
slightly more intelligent and film literate, as the minimalist
symbolism takes more time to interpret than perhaps a
more saturated image with obvious iconography. The
large amount of space leaves room for conventions, as
well as to hint towards issues and themes. I might also be
implied that the audience is of a lower class, in the low
budget feel of the poster, in that the illustration looks
quite rough and almost child-like. This might attract a
younger audience who like to relate to themes
surrounding their age group. The intermedial references,
again, hint to a media literate audience, who perhaps
value content over the aestheticism of the poster and the
film itself. The film festivals and reviewers also hint at the
type of audience, as they are companies that the director
has chosen to associate with. For this poster, niche
festivals and film magazines are chosen, which implies
that the audience also favours niche films.
8. THE AUDIENCE
The audience for the review is suggested to be film literate
in the way that the film review fits the conventions of a Sight
& Sound review, which implies that this review’s target
audience is similar to that of the film magazine – enthused
about film, educated to a high level, and of higher class
and/or status in today’s society. Nevertheless, the language
used is fairly accessible to most readers, and graphics help
to divide the page into easy, readable segments. Therefore,
whilst the predominant audience is the film literate, other
members included might be of a younger age, and a little
less film literate. Considering that the review is placed within
a blog post online, this might attract a slightly different
audience, in that the internet is used by many, and less
educated people may be able to view this review in their
casual enthusiasm for film. The simple layout of the review
has its advantages for attracting such an audience as it is
easy to look at and read.
9. THE AUDIENCE
My main task uses social realist conventions such
as untrained actors and real locations. This
suggests that the audience for my short film are
similar to that of the typical social realism viewer –
educated, film literate and drawn to representation
of minority groups. This might imply that the
audience also identifies with some of these
representations, as the genre aims to provide social
extension, giving a more accurate idea of what
today’s society consists of. My short film includes a
young female, which is less common in main
stream shorts and films. Audience members will be
able to relate to this character, as her experiences
at her age can also be remembered by older
viewers. This also adheres to Marilyn Milgrom’s
theory of using familiar rituals as an audience
pleasure.
10. HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION
OF YOUR MAIN PRODUCT AND
ANCILLARY TEXTS?
The audience for each of the texts is very similar. It appears the
ancillary texts, as well as the main task are primarily aimed at older,
more educated and film literate audiences. The accessibility of all of
these texts may generate further, secondary audiences, that are less
educated and just have a casual interest in film, as they are easy to
view and read.
11. STYLISTIC ELEMENTS
The review is presented in a neat manner,
using pale colours for the main aspects of
the page, and lines to split the main bulk
of text into easy to read pieces of writing.
There are several areas of more saturated
colour, which all follow the same palette
to keep to the minimal page architecture.
The plain style of the page caters for a
variation of audiences, as it is easy to take
in, yet simple in order to focus more
attention to the content of the review.
12. STYLISTIC ELEMENTS
The poster is also minimalist, in the
respect that the illustration features
watercolour and thin lines. The
watercolour image adds to this because
it creates a pale, pastel like colour
scheme that makes the heavy, shaded
digital imagery stand out more,
emphasising the themes of
vulnerability. This juxtaposition between
light and dark creates a almost
monochromatic look, and guides the
reader’s eye to the areas of the page
that require the most attention.
13. STYLISTIC ELEMENTS
The camerawork uses a vast contrast in
the shots used, creating form in the
narrative. The close ups paired with the
wide shots clearly show the character in
her surroundings, making it easy for
audiences to understand. The basic,
neutral colour palette creates a
monochromatic feel, making actions more
emphasised, in that the characters are
displayed as a main focus, with no bright
colours to distracts the viewer’s attention.
14. HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION OF
YOUR MAIN PRODUCT AND ANCILLARY
TEXTS?
The minimalism displayed in the main product as well as the
ancillary texts ensures that the stylistic elements can create
synergy between the three products. The simplicity in the
graphics suggests that the audience values content over the
image itself.
15. ISSUES AND THEMES IMPLIED
( A N D H O W T H E Y C R E A T E P R E C O N C E P T I O N S )
The poster features imagery that hints
towards themes of isolation. The characters
are depicted within quite far proximity
from one another, which suggests the
formal relationship of the man and the girl.
The issue of care is presented in that an
older man is accompanying a younger girl,
which also creates the preconception that
the girl has an external issue. The text in
the windows bares resemblance to that of
a neon sign, which might carry
connotations of night time, as well as
associations with motels and cafes/bistros,
which contrasts in concept with a school,
which shuts at night time.
16. ISSUES AND THEMES IMPLIED
( A N D H O W T H E Y C R E A T E P R E C O N C E P T I O N S )
The review automatically hints towards
themes of exploration and curiosity, as well
as vulnerability in the saturated images
that depicts the girl looking at the wooden
dinosaur. The synopsis explains the
storyline to emphasise these themes, as
well as the issues of neglect and
abandonment, and isolation. The girl’s
external issue is well presented and her
internal issue of experience and
vulnerability is suggested in the ‘What You
See Is What You Get’ style of the synopsis.
This creates the preconception that the girl
goes on a physical and a metaphorical
journey, expanding her knowledge of the
outside world, yet realising she still needs
mature care and attention.
17. ISSUES AND THEMES IMPLIED
The main film provides the female character
with a personal space in which she embarks on
a literal journey, yet arrives at the end having
also travelled in terms of innocence and
curiosity, and also the acceptance that she is a
vulnerable young child that needs care from an
adult. This echoes issues covered in the wider
media regarding the amount of independence
that each child requires. Parenting is an
important responsibility, and the tension
created by low key lighting and close up
camera work hints at the themes of
vulnerability in that the audience are
questioning the girl’s safety at times in the film.
18. HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION
OF YOUR MAIN PRODUCT AND
ANCILLARY TEXTS?
The ancillary texts support the film in that they allow the readers to
make preconceptions that fit with the issues and themes featured in
the narrative. Both the poster and the magazine review hint towards
central themes of vulnerability, as the girl is described as, or depicted
in a way that makes her look small, and/or alone, which also implies
issues of isolation and neglect.
