The document summarizes the key features and conventions used in the websites for the films Man of Steel and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay.
For Man of Steel, the website homepage uses the film's poster as its main visual and features links to social media pages and the film's billing block and menu. It also plays music from the film's score.
The Mockingjay website takes a more postmodern design meant to look like the antagonistic Capitol's site. It features imagery and text promoting the revolution against the Capitol. Both sites provide galleries and videos from the films to engage audiences.
1. Ancillary task:
Website research
LILY MORL
Research into websites to understand the conventions for this style of marketing so that
we could recreate our own website for our production.
2. Man of Steel Website
Main Image
Man of Steel’s website takes a simplistic, yet effective
home page using the poster design for the film too for
its basis theme. The main image is the core feature,
where the protagonist - ‘Superman’ is flying with a
chiascuro lighting around his body to demonstrate the
speed in which he is travelling while also portraying
how he is represented as a God with the white
connoting how he is something glorious, pure and
ultimately positive.
Secondary Image
Located to the left of the main image the title of the
film, ‘Man of Steel’ established the name of the film
utilising the same colour used for the other marketing
medias of metallic grey to symbolise by the links of
metal to strength and power. Also, behind the title
has a layer of the iconic ‘S’ logo for the Superhero,
therefore this informs audience that even if they had
made not made the connection of it being this film
being based on Superman they would be able to make
the link due to his iconic ‘S’ symbol.
Release Date
Underneath the title in clear and direct view is the
release date, as the primary goal here is to achieve as
many sales at the box office.
Social Feed links
Their social media icons directly link to their pages, meaning they are cross media converging from their website
to these social networks. It is a necessity to have some form of social networks when people are living in a global
village. Digital natives that would be the audience for this film will be mainly consumers of these forms of
communication so there will be a much greater awareness giving fans the opportunity to even share this website
link maximising the amount of exposure for the upcoming release of the film. Consequently, this allows niche
audiences and freedom for people to choose how they want to view the advertisement for the film – therefore no
potential consumer is isolated.
Billing Block
More than likely websites for films now
always have the billing block at the end of
the home page. It briefly gives the viewers
the glance to look over the contributors of
the film.
Menu
The main consistent convention for
websites is they must have a menu, this
allows the consumers to go to pages which
information about the film to go directly to
what they like to be informed about. As a
consequence of this, it means that greater
audience is being engaged as the niche
audiences who consume marketing
differently are being appeased and met.
Music
Each page for this website plays a score from the film, which is unique as not many institutions employ this
method. Utilising music creates this website to be more cinematic and appeases music lovers whilst also it is
noticeable to fans of Hans Zimmer the composer for this soundtrack is his works. Ultimately, we are given clues
to the tone and mood of the film as audiences know that the music matches the style / atmosphere of the film.
The atmosphere being dark, ominous, eerie and reflective of the protagonists embodiment of sheer power as this
undefeatable God. This is in fact the first time this protagonist is being introduced to the DC world in these
modern comic book adaptations so fans are eccentric over knowing they are being given a complete different take
than past superman movies.
Presentation
Initially the home page reveals a memory moment of a child
playing outside – contrasting the dark theme of the rest of the
website in which it reflects with hope of this young Clarke boy
(protagonist).
3. Man of Steel Website
This website takes the format of displaying on the navigation bar
the chances to gain insights into the upcoming film (at the time)
in the tabs ‘Gallery’ and ‘Videos’.
Gallery is a feature that gives a range of photos from the film.
Man of Steel was renown for its releases of photos as one of its
basis for marketing the film – particularly evident in its official
Man of Steel teaser poster that depicted a long shot of Superman
being arrested. This generates a positive response and much
speculation for the content of the movies story.
They display their gallery in a carousel / slideshow.
A range of movie websites often utilise a sole page devoted to
explaining the actual movie itself – providing a blurb so to speak.
This provides a brief outline of the film to viewers who may or
may not have seen the trailer.
Dependent on the editors, they can choose whether to have brief
videos of the movie to ensnare audiences by having pre-release
footage of the movie to perhaps hone in on CGI / dramatic acting
which they know is a selling point. The audience if seen previous
footage can associate the movie with being a ‘must see’ at the
cinema, therefore boosting revenue at box office.
4. Mocking Jay Website
Social Feed links
Unlike Man of Steel this website does not use icons of the logos of the social media networks to
link to the media platforms, instead it has in a faded font colour in text ‘share,’ ‘follow’ and
‘download’ which viewers can immediately identify these as the links to navigate them to Facebook
and Instagram etc. Furthermore, text “#UniteRevolution” in capitalised lettering in a scratched
font style presents it as being written in blood of the fallen for the fight. This website specifically
attempts to make the audience interact with their production in allowing them to join in with the
revolution on Twitter and consequently allows them to bridge an understanding with the rebels
and not the Capitol.
Layout
The website is extremely postmodern, produced in the narrative of the ‘Capital’ the antagonist organisation of the
franchise. Although, the glitch from the start of Snow with two victors on either side of him is edited with a glitch
effect to perceive the Captiatol website being hacked. However, a misplaced Diamond shaped black filled shape
glitches on the home page linking directly with this idea of revolution – the power shift in the movie of districts
and the capital. Also, it has a direct connection to the film and how the revolution district’s interference of TV
connection was used to publicise Katniss as a figure head as the Mocking Jay. This idea of interference is
amplified in the transition wave at the bottom of the diamond– this is evident in the text ‘The Capital must fall so
we may be free.’
Tagline
On their home page they link with their other mediums of
advertising in using the same tagline which is a famous quote
from the franchise “Panem today, Panem Tommorrow, Panem
Forever” which instills this idea of the repression of the capital
long lasting hold over minorities in this case Districts captives.
Menu
Here in the menu sees tabs that allows the consumer of the
website choose what path they want to take.
http://www.thecapitol.pn/
The Main Image
The base image of the home page compliments this theme of
resistance and an interference due to the protagonist all clothed
in red suit and mise-en-scene of props of red arrows contradict
the grey background and white throne. This colouring of red
reflects this rebellious nature of the protagonist, the disruptive
nature of how she is a catalyst for what equilibrium there was
in this fictional world – has been disrupted. The red colour
against the white throne is symbolic to highlight the violence
and bloodshed in this battle between the Capital and the
Districts. There is foreshadowing of the death of the authority
system and most importantly President Snow (which the white
symbolises his character) – there is a strong hint at his blood
running in the snow by Katniss’s hand of an arrow.
5. Menu
Here in the menu sees tabs that allows the
consumer of the website choose what path they
want to take. Each of these options;
- ‘District heroes’
- ‘One Panem’
- ‘Capitol Concerns’
- ‘Capitol TV’
Allows them to engage in information of what
the Capitol citizens actually in the fictional
world are receiving. Essentially propaganda of
the Capitol which submerges the audience into
the world of Panem.
Widget
On one of the website pages there can be found
a widget which is a slide show presentation of
all the weather forecasts in each district. It
adds a comical effect where the editors have
strategically taken this convention to be an
intriguing detail that captures the eye of these
viewers in this deliberate attempt of editors to
create verisimilitude. Having this weather
forecast concludes in making the fictional world
realistic – a trait of postmodernism, to
challenge ‘the truth.’
Side Panel Menu
In this side panel menu some additional pages lead
to allow consumers join in this hacking progress
where they can join in with participating in the
revolution on either mobile phone or computer.
Such a narrative created in their website allows
audiences to become a character themselves,
contributing to much anticipation as they learn
more about the upcoming film and such eagerness
is rewarded too in some of theses features they
provide on their website.