Media A-Level Ancillary Form Ressearch

1. Ancillary Form Research
BY GEORGE MCCAGUE

2. Poster Research #1 (Layout of a Poster)
 Title is the largest font in the poster – stands out, can be worked into the poster or
could be standalone.
 Smaller text depicts the main actors names – generally more visible dependent on
the actor or actress fame
 Production company / actors and other info in small narrow writing in the bottom
of the poster.
 Also could contain a tagline somewhere on the poster
 Actor and Director names shown in a clear font on the bottom or top of the poster
if they are a A-list actor or a well known director they are easily viewable.

3. Purpose and Conventions of a Poster
 General same colour schemes and types for different genre this is shown as
stereotypically horror films are full of darker tones whilst comedies are full of lively
colours and text as well sometimes alongside a humorous image.
 Can be several versions of the film posters
 Used to advertise a film
 Posters are produced in various sizes and copies to meet advertising needs
 Contrasts in the posters to make certain aspects stand out like titles or a specific
person

4. Poster Advertisement
• There are various different ways to publicise a film poster, with the aim being to get as many people
to see the poster as possible.
• Billboards are a mass market way of publicising posters however thye can be too expensive for
independent productions with a cost of between £200 - £1000 per week dependent on size and
location.
• Other ways of advertising the poster would be on busses and other means of public transport – a
desirable location is in underground stations as they generate a large footfall.

5. Radio Research
THEY FOCUS MORE ON THE
ATMOSPHERE OF THE PRODUCTION
AND ADVERT RATHER THAN WHAT
YOU CAN PHYSICALLY SEE ON A
POSTER OR TV ADVERTISEMENT
PARTICULARLY EFFECTIVE IN THE
HORROR GENRE AS THAT HAS A
LARGER INFLUENCE IN THE
ATMOSPHERE OF THE PRODUCTION
– IT CREATES THE TENSION AND
FEAR ASPECT
ALLOWS THE LISTENERS TO FILL IN
THE REST OF THE PRODUCTION IN
THEIR HEAD AS THEY ARE FORCED
TO IMAGINE WHAT IS GOING ON AS
IT IS NOT VISUALLY SHOWN LIKE ON
TV ADVERTS AND POSTERS
(PHYSICAL ADVERTS)

6. Type of Radio Adverts / Reasons
There are different types of radio catering for specific groups and target audiences. So
for example an indie produced movie would not be marketed on mainstream radio
channels like BBC Radio
In the UK the BBC Radio stations monopolise the radio audience as they have the most
listeners so our production which is not mainstream would be inefficient if it were
advertised on BBC Radio stations as although lots of people would be exposed to the
advert, they would be less inclined to see the movie as it is not mainstream enough, it is
more specified to target a particular niche market.

7. Radio Usefulness
 Radio adverts can also create a larger emphasis on a particular motif or musical scale
an example of this being the “Jaws” theme or the James Bond iconic music. This would
be beneficial to us as horror music is known to use an orchestral score in creating
tension and fear which can be used to great effect in a radio advert where the listener
fills in the gaps using their imagination,
 Sound effects are also used in the radio adverts as the audience is forced to rely on
what they can hear to create a picture of the events that are unfolding.
 The radio advert is obviously centered on the sounds produced as there is no
corresponding visual aid. This reinforces the importance of genre in the radio adverts
as the horror genre, which is our productions genre, is the stereotypical genre for
successful radio adverts.

8. Example of a successful Horror Radio Advert
An example of this would be “The Amityville Horror” radio
advert through its uses of various repeating sounds to convey
a tense and unnerving feel. Its tense atmosphere which is
created is a crucial part of a horror movie radio advert as it is
the only way to convey emotions and feelings. The advert also
reiterates its tag line “The film that will make you believe in the
unbelievable”, this shows the imporantce of the synergies
between the different marketing campaigns as both the poster
and the radio advert support each other through the mutual
tagline. The radio advert also, at the end, tells the audience
that it is a true story and the release dates for the production,
where it will be available and its certification.