This is the first evaluation question I am required to answer as part of my A2 Media Studies coursework. This answer looks at the ways my media products (magazine cover, film poster and film trailer) resemble real products out there

1. Evaluation: Question 1
In what ways does your media product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
The production of my magazine cover inevitably had some form of inspiration behind it in
order to have something to aspire to. The magazine that I looked to as my main source of
inspiration was Total Film, the Spectre issue. There were a number of conventions that I felt I
could utilise and adapt to my own production.
A noticeable convention that I have followed is the masthead. As part of my research, I
noticed a trend with regards to the Total Film masthead and I wanted to take this on board in
order to achieve a product that appeared as professional as possible. The Total Film masthead
is always the largest item of text on the cover and is positioned towards the top of the
magazine, with room above for a skyline. Another convention that I have followed germane
to the masthead is the fact that it is behind the actor/character’s head. With the exception of
the Spectre magazine, positioned next to mine, Total Film magazine tends to have its
masthead behind the actor/character and I wanted to replicate this with my media product as
it draws more attention to the actor/character.
The masthead on the left has been taken from the Spectre magazine and the masthead on the
left is from my magazine. It is evident that my masthead has followed a similar layout to that
of the Spectre magazine, with regards to positioning, size and alignment. Also, the colour in
this instance is similar and it is intended to capture the reader’s attention mainly. Another,
convention that has been followed is the presence of a puff on the masthead, on the ‘M’ of
‘FILM’. Total Film magazine is known for having ‘The World’s Best Movie Reviews’ and
therefore this is presented as a pug on the masthead or sometimes other locations on the
cover.
Another convention that I have followed from Total Film magazine is the skyline. This is
reflected in the content of the skyline, the colour, the font and the positioning. With regards
to the positioning, the skyline that I have used follows a similar layout to the other skylines
pictured – there’s a suitable amount of space between the top of the magazine and the

2. masthead. In addition to this, the skyline matches the length of the masthead, which is evident
in all magazines, and this is important as it conveys a professional and organised layout.
The use of mise-en-scene on my magazine cover also follows conventions from other Total
Film magazines but challenges some at the same time. The majority of Total Film magazines
that I analysed have the actor/character positioned at the centre of the page with the use of a
mid-shot. My intention was to have more of the focus on the character’s face but still show
some of the costume so a medium close-up shot was used. The costume that the actor is
wearing is a smart blazer, jumper and shirt which is seen in the trailer when he is in police
interrogation. The film involves an interrogation scene where Ross is questioned about the
kidnapping incident and for this scene he is seen in a suit. This is therefore supposed to
reflect that particular part of the film.
The magazine cover in the top left is my media product and it shares resemblance with all
three of the other Total Film magazines shown in terms of the main image. The

3. representation of the main image is very similar with the Sherlock Holmes magazine and this
is because they’re both positioned at the centre of the cover, leaving the sides available for
cover lines and other magazine cover conventions e.g. pug.
Another way in which I have followed the conventions of other Total Film magazines is
related to the use of lighting. It is evident that both magazines have utilised low-key lighting
to portray certain attitudes about the character shown e.g. Daniel Craig is shown to be
mysterious and discreet which reflects the nature of the role he is playing, James Bond. My
main image features low-key lighting in order to create a sense of suspicion about the main
character whilst not revealing much to the audience in order to maintain suspense.
Another convention that I have followed pertaining to the main image is based on non-verbal
communication (NVC). The majority of Total Film magazines that I analysed as part of my
research have the actor/character shown with a grave expression and looking directly at the
camera. The intention of this is most likely to reflect the role of the actor/character e.g.
Sherlock Holmes as a detective. Using a serious expression on the character’s face on my
magazine cover was to highlight the fact that he is directly involved in a serious matter in the
film, the kidnapping of the girl. In addition to this, it was also used to create a feeling of
obscurity in order to keep the audience on edge and increase their curiosity about the
character and the film. Leading on from this, having the actor/character looking directly at the
audience is more likely to attract their attention as it instils a sense of intimidation which
would almost force them to watch the film out of fear.
Some of the Total Film magazines that I examined attempted to implement setting on their
cover to help the audience understand more about
the film they’re promoting.
In both magazines it is apparent that the publishers have tried to incorporate some form of
setting in order to provide a hint to the audience about where the film is set which may help

4. them understand what the film entails. For example, the Sherlock Holmes 2 magazine has a
train track in the background and The Adjustment Bureau magazine features a city in the
background. I have chosen not to follow this convention as it isn’t overly common to include
setting on the cover and I also intend for there to be an element of surprise as to where the
film is set in order to create an enigma. Also, including setting in the background can divert
the attention of the reader away from the main actor at the centre of the magazine.
The costume worn by the actor/character on my media product is perfectly visible for the
audience to see but it doesn’t reveal much about the nature of the film or what sort of role the
actor shown adopts in the film. This links back to the fact that I intend to let the audience
formulate their own interpretation of what the film could possibly involve which would
potentially encourage them to watch the film more. As well as relating to the interrogation
scene that occurs in the trailer, the suit also creates an enigma as the connotations of this type
of costume are of wealth, importance and purpose and so the audience wouldn’t associate a
character who is wearing a suit to be involved in the events that occur in the film such as a
kidnapping and interrogation.
A common convention that Total Film magazine appeared to demonstrate was the specific
way in which the cover lines are displayed. As the two examples above show, both sides of
the magazine are utilised and the cover lines are laid out simply but professionally. For my
media product I have adopted a similar layout but have tried to inject my own ideas into it at
the same time. The idea of having a big name in the filming industry, particularly an actor or
actress e.g. Daniel Radcliffe, in a bolder and bigger font as well as a different colour to the
relevant news story underneath it
appealed to me and I utilised this idea for
my media product. Also, having a few of
the latest films running down the other
side in alternating colours also came
across as a conventional
Cover Lines
Cover Lines

5. theme so I followed this concept too. I have chosen to position my cover lines on either side
of the main image which follows this convention of Total Film magazine. I felt that this was
an effective way to have the cover lines laid out as it ensured that both sides of the magazine
cover were being utilised and it displays a professional appearance. I selected these particular
films as well as the news story as it matched the sombre tone of the actor’s facial expression
and the masthead. ‘Hollow Town’ provides connotations of a dark and serious film so I
wanted to keep this tone consistent throughout the magazine cover.
With regards to the cover lines at the bottom of the page, I found from my research that Total
Film magazine don’t tend to have a conventional layout for these cover lines so it was
challenging to opt for a suitable layout for my cover lines whilst still resembling a Total Film
magazine. I selected a few magazine covers with cover lines at the bottom of the page and
decided on the layout and content that I approved of the most.
These are examples of the type of cover lines that I found on some Total Film magazines and
they all appealed to me to an extent and I felt I could implement something from each
example on my own magazine cover. The bottom two examples captured my attention the
most but I was unable to follow the second one as I had already included a ‘plus’ sign in a
different place on the magazine cover so I wasn’t able to fully recreate this layout on my
media product. I felt that the bottom example was a layout that I could utilise on my
magazine cover as it would complement the rest of the page and fit in well.
This is how I featured the cover lines at the bottom page and it is clear that I have followed
the convention of that particular magazine cover but have still managed to incorporate my
own style to it. These films and the actor included were featured as it matched the mysterious
and grave tone of the rest of the magazine which is a significant part of my media product as
it ensures that the audience know what type of film ‘Hollow Town’ is as the rest of the
magazine reflects similar connotations and emotions created by the film. The Hateful Eight is
a mystery film whilst Bridge of Spies and Spotlight are intense dramas and both genres tend
to evoke enigmatic feelings. Having John Boyega featured was also to create a sense of

6. mystery and interest as he is not very well known but is starting to creating a name for
himself after taking up a role in the latest Star Wars film.
This is the film poster that I have created which is also designed to help promote the film
trailer that my group and I are producing. After looking at many different thriller/horror film
posters I attempted to take as much inspiration as I could to help produce a film poster that
would convey ideas of the thriller/horror genre.
One key concept that I managed to grasp was the use of lighting – it was evident from the
posters that I analysed that low-key lighting is a common convention amongst thriller/horror
film posters. Therefore I tried to implement this on my media product as effectively as I
could with the background image and actors available to me. The main focus was to present
the setting in a mysterious and alarming way and I enhanced the image by darkening it to
help achieve this effect. The film content suggests that it is the town that holds the mysterious
and eerie element to the film so therefore I focused on making the setting look gloomy.
With regards to props, I found that many of the thriller film posters didn’t include props
whilst some did. The posters that did include props intended to evoke certain feelings
amongst the audience with relation to the props featured e.g. violence or vulnerability. The
fact that many posters didn’t include props shows that props don’t hold much or any
significance in that particular film - this is the reason as to why props weren’t included on my
media product.
Tag lines are extremely conventional amongst film posters of all genres and very few don’t
include them. The intention of a tag line is to create an enigma in the audiences’ mind about
the film before they decide if they want to watch it – this is achieved through trigger words
included in the tag line. It is common for the tag line to be positioned either near the top or

7. the bottom of the film poster and is also usually in small print as the designers don’t want to
take the focus away from the main image. Tag lines will always include some relevance to
the film plot which helps to determine whether the audience will like the film as they’ll be
able to make out what the film is possibly about from the tag line, to an extent.
The two examples above highlight the fact that tag lines hold some relevance to the film
being promoted and they also demonstrate the conventional positioning. In the Shutter Island
poster the tag line is located near the top of the poster and is in small print but can still be
seen due to the contrast in colour between the text and the background. In the Before I Go to
Sleep example the tag line holds relevance to the film plot as ‘Who Do You Trust’ highlights
the fact that the main character has lost her memory and therefore has to choose who to trust
as one of the men shown is lying and the other isn’t.
The Before I Go to Sleep poster is where I gained my inspiration to have the trigger words in
my tag line in a strikingly different colour in order to capture the audiences’ attention and
force them to think more deeply about what the film entails.
It can be clearly seen that I have used red which is a distinct contrast from the white colour of
the rest of the tag line. This is used to emphasise the fact that the protagonist’s past as a
former convict has returned to haunt him as he attempts to start his new life.
One particular convention that I have challenged on my media product is the inclusion of the
antagonist on the film poster and for him to be so prominently shown. It was clear from my
findings that thriller film posters in particular have a tendency to not show the antagonist in
the film on the poster as it diminishes the element of mystery and reveals too much to the
audience as to who is responsible for any wrong-doings or enigmas in the film.

8. The example shown here is one of the few film posters of
my film trailer’s genre where the antagonist is shown so
evidently and in a dominating position. Cold Comes the
Night involves a blind man taking a motel owner and her
daughter hostage to help him track down his money. The
daughter is shown in a very vulnerable position behind
the antagonist who appears menacing and frightening. I
adapted this idea to my own media product but instead
included the antagonist behind the protagonist to indicate
that he is always lurking behind the protagonist in the
film, making his life a misery. Although it would seem I
have placed the protagonist in a dominant position, I have
ensured that he still appears vulnerable through the use of
low-key lighting and the expression on his face.
The film poster that I gained the most inspiration from was the Shutter Island poster. I was
influenced by the positioning of the text as well as the positioning of the main character in
particular and I attempted to mirror a similar sort of concept on my media product.
It is evident that I
have adopted a
similar layout on
my media product
as the Shutter Island
film poster shown
here. I found that
the way in which
the text was laid out
was appealing as it
was unique and it
captured my
attention so
therefore it is likely
to attract my target
audience as the
majority of them are of a similar age group to me as I gathered from my research.
I also liked the way in which setting was incorporated on the Shutter Island poster and I also
attempted to include a similar sort of idea with a clear distinction in the sense that my poster
has the setting more centred as opposed to the Shutter Island poster which has it on one half
of the poster. I feel that by including some idea of where the film is set is a key way of
drawing in an audience as it could potentially make them more familiar with the nature of the
film e.g. a city could indicate crime.

9. The use of NVC is another convention that I have followed and this helps to imply to the
audience what sort of genre the film trailer is demonstrating. It is common on horror/thriller
posters for the characters included to have grave facial expressions which reflect the nature of
the film as they are often dark and sinister. All of the examples shown above reinforce this
idea as they all present grave expressions which mirror the sort of emotions provoked in the
film.
The film trailer that my group and I are producing is of a horror/thriller genre and we
therefore had a number of films that we could analyse in order to help us achieve a trailer of a
similar standard. One of these trailers was for the film Prisoners and this was the trailer where
we gained the most inspiration from as not only is it of a similar nature and follows a similar
plot but it also consists of many elements that we felt would look effective in our trailer.
A noticeable and effective convention that the trailer follows is the use of many cuts and
fades which creates a fast-paced effect and keeps the audience on edge which is one of the
aims of a horror/thriller trailer. As a group we felt that the final scenes would be the most
suitable part of the trailer where these editing techniques would look effective as this is where
tensions start rising as there is a desperate race against time for Ross who sets out to retrieve
Frank’s kidnapped daughter as well as clearing his name and proving his innocence. By
utilising fades and cuts in the Prisoners trailer, the editors have managed to keep the audience
engaged and interested whilst not revealing too much in an attempt to make them more
curious. We hoped to achieve a similar effect with the use of sharp fades and cuts in our
trailer.
Another convention that the Prisoners trailer follows is the inclusion of a significant one-liner
that is intended to be a memorable part of the trailer that the audience often remember. In the
trailer there is a short scene of dialogue where the Detective is introducing himself to the
main family and at the end of that scene he finishes with “I’m gonna find your daughters”.
This is indicative of the enigma that has occurred in the film and as it is so abrupt and direct,
it is likely to come across as alarming and will remain in the audiences’ mind. For our trailer
we included a key-one liner towards the end of the trailer in between the fast-paced scenes
where Ross is searching for the kidnapped girl in the park. This ensures that the trailer
doesn’t lose its fast pace whilst still delivering a message to the reader that is intended for
them to remember and associate with the film. It is conventional amongst horror/thriller films

10. to have a significant one-liner towards the end of the trailer as it keeps the audience on edge
at the end and remains with them.
The trailer utilises a number of different camera shots and angles in order to provide different
connotations of what is occurring in the particular scene. One specific shot used that the
group felt was effective was an over-the-shoulder shot from behind the detective who is
interviewing the prime suspect in the investigation. This was most likely used to present the
detective in a domineering way over the suspect and this is essentially the effect we wanted to
create in the interrogation scene that takes place in our trailer. We adapted the over-the-
shoulder shot for our scene so that Ross can be seen in between the two shoulders of the
interrogators which portrays him as vulnerable and inferior.
A key moment in the Prisoners trailer is towards the end where there’s a quick burst of
different shots of the detective and the father and then it cuts to black before showing the
father of one of the kidnapped daughters pointing a gun at the prime suspect. The scene then
fades to black and then to a shot showing the suspect on the floor of a bathroom, beaten up,
gagged and tied to a radiator. In our trailer we adopted a similar idea and it is seen after the
audience has been introduced to the main character Ross and is familiar with his past and
why he was in prison. Ross is woken up in the morning by the desperate cries of Frank
having just found his daughter has been kidnapped. Ross quickly runs downstairs and opens
his front door to see what all the commotion is about and is immediately confronted by Frank
who punches him in the face. The scene then fades to black before fading to the interrogation
scene where there is a close-up of Ross' face which is shown to be badly bruised from the
brutal punch from Frank. We felt this was an effective use of editing and camerawork as it
alerts the reader and implies that there is a grave tone to the trailer.