This is a slide share, answering the given question as part of my evaluation for my Advanced portfolio in media.

1. HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE
COMBINATION OF YOUR MAIN
PRODUCT AND ANCILLARY
TEXTS?
How do the three texts relate to each other

2. WHAT ROLE DOES EACH
PRODUCT HAVE IN THE
INDUSTRY?
POSTER (PRINT BASED): The poster
was created by the distribution
company, Open Road Films. The
poster acts as a marketing aid
alongside the trailer. It is a popular
choice of promotion as posters can be
displayed in numerous locations and
therefore are viewed by a varied and
large audience. Open Road Films will
create a symbiotic partnership with
cinemas in order for the poster to be
displayed in the cinema building and
on their own forms of promotion
(leaflets, tickets, food boxes, drinks).

3. WHAT ROLE DOES EACH
PRODUCT HAVE IN THE
INDUSTRY?
• TRAILER (AUDIO/VISUAL): The trailer was also
created by the distribution company. Likewise to
the poster, it is part of the promotion package that
will draw in a variety of audiences. Trailer’s have
been a convention of marketing for a long time as
they are a interesting, captivating and efficient
way of communicating to an audience exactly
what the narrative is, the theme, genre and
character type/relationships. Open Road Films
will furthermore create a symbiotic partnership
with cinemas, not only for the poster but to also
allow the trailer to be shown before films of a
similar target audience (age/genre). In return
Open Road Films will promote their cinema. We
were considering distributing the poster and
trailer to independent cinemas, such as Picture
House. As they will have audiences that are
interested in niche films. However as there are
elements of an action and thriller genre, they may
also set up a partnership with chain cinemas,
such as the Odeon to draw in a larger audience.

4. WHAT ROLE DOES EACH
PRODUCT HAVE IN THE
INDUSTRY?
• FILM MAGAZINE COVER (PRINT
BASED): The magazine cover and
article was not part of the
promotion package by the
distribution company but was
produced by the BFI. BFI chose
Sight and Sound as the magazine
to feature the film as they wish to
appeal to niche audiences that
are passionate film fans. Thus
they chose Underhand to appear
on their front cover as it is a film
that seeks a niche and particular
audience.

5. NARRATIVE
A clear connection between our
film poster and trailer is how they
both depict the crime and violence
involved in the narrative. From the
use of the gun in the poster this
links with the bottom two
screenshots from the trailer.
However one contrast is how in the
trailer we have reversed the role by
not just giving the male the gun but
also depicting the femme fetale
with the gun thus implying the act
of betrayal which is a further
convention of noir, as well as crime
and violence. Moreover crime is
suggested in the poster with the
gun and the smoke however it is
further emphasized in the trailer
(shown by the top two
screenshots) where we detail how
there is a drug group.

6. NARRATIVE
The trailer and poster are connected by how
they both depict the family relationship
between the father and son. This over the
shoulder shot portrays how the father and
son are happy being in each others company
and the closeness of their relationship. The
poster similarly depicts the father and son
relationship by having James looking at his
Father. However this is slightly different to the
trailer, where it is clear that the equilibrium
has been broken by the depiction of violence.
This gives more insight into the Neo Noir
genre, with the suggestion of personal code
and violence.

7. NARRATIVE
All three texts are linked by the
way they communicate
narrative and one key link is
how they depict the Neo Noir
genre. The poster and
magazine are clearly similar in
their use of colour. We decided
to use the contrast of black
and white in both products as
this will highlight straight away
to the audience that it is a Neo
Noir film as this is a typical
conventions. The trailer is also
connected by how we have
used low key and chiaroscuro
lighting.

8. NARRATIVE
Trailer and poster – femme fetale –
communicated more strongly in the poster
as manipulating and controlling but similarly
the smoke hiding her face communicates
how she is hiding something (deceitful
nature)
The trailer and poster are connected by how
they communicate language in terms of the
characterisation of the Femme Fetale. She
is communicated to be more manipulating
and controlling in the poster by her being
the larger more prominent image and how
she is positioned with her hand over the two
other character. However a clear link
between the two texts is how the smoke is
hiding her face, thus depicting her deceitful
nature – in the trailer the mid shot reveals
the mise-en-scene of the cigarette thus
allowing for the link of the smoke covering
her face.

9. NARRATIVE
Similar to my previous point,
another connection in terms of
narrative is how all three texts
depict the noir convention of
smoking. This conveys the
narrative of a youth, drug group.
The mise-en-scene of smoking also
aids the narrative of deception
which is further emphasized in the
tagline “Can deception be the way
to truth” which is depicted in the
poster. This is by the smoke
masking their faces thus
symbolizsg deception.

10. GENDER REPRESENTATION
• When creating a media text it is essential to encode representations so that it
makes it clear and efficient for audiences to understand and decode. The encoded
representations have to work within the story and this is the job of the director to
convey.
• This is especially key with Neo Noir, as representations are often atypical in this
particular genre.
• Generally women are presented to have lower status than men, however Noir
rejects this stereotype by presenting the women (symbolised by the Femme Fetale)
to hold the power.
• The Femme Fetale is presented to be able to manipulate men and control them to
aid their own malicious will.

11. GENDER REPRESENTATION -
TRAILERThe Femme Fetale bears remarks to
classic noir by conforming to the
convention of smoking (seen in Double
Indemnity). This also represents the
female with masculine qualities as a
cigarette is deemed with phallic
connotations.
As the director, I decided to have the smoke hide her
face to symbolise her hidden deceptive quality that she
masks through out the film in order to get what she wants
from the male protagonist, Ross. This represents the
female character as manipulating, controlling and cold.
(Thus rejecting stereotypes of women being motherly and
warm hearted.
During this shot Lilah’s line ‘No he hasn’t’ in response to Max’s interrogative to Ross
‘Have you met my sister yet’ connotes her power over Ross by disconnecting him by
using the pronoun ‘he’ rather than his name. This represents how the female
manipulates him from the outset. It also represent how the male gender is submissive
to a powerful, provocative women.
We also represented the femme fetale in a sexualised way.
Thus conforming to the idea of ‘the male gaze’. We applied
dark red lipstick to suggest passion and lust but also
symbolise danger. We also used the costume of a laced
black dress to make her appear attractive and pleasing to
the male audiences. This represents how this character use
her sexuality as her source of power.

12. GENDER REPRESENTATIONS -
POSTER
When we were taking the actual
photo of Lila(femme fetale) we used
manual focus in order to create a
shallow focus by picking up the hand
& cigarette but leaving her face fairly
blurred. This was a link between our
trailer and poster by foreshadowing
her underlying deceptive and
vengeful nature.
The idea that her true nature is
hidden behind her involvement in the
drug group is represented through the
smoke hiding half her face. This
possibly juxtaposes the previous idea
as it represents that women fall into
the background when in a dominant
male group – however the portrayal
of her malicious nature possibly
suggests that this is something she
wants.
The femme fetale is depicted
physically large and positioned
above the male protagonist and
his son. This is to represent how
she is in control of the
protagonist and his life –
symbolised by her puppeteer like
stance.
We decided to incorporate a gun into the image of the male protagonist to
represent the idea that men are violent and aggressive. However by having
him as the character that is directly under her hand this firstly represents how
she is possibly the source of his violence but also the idea that his physical
control is no match for her emotional control & manipulation.
On first glance the incorporation of a young child possibly
represents the stereotype of a female having a motherly
nature. However by positioning him to be looking directly at
the protagonist this subverts the stereotype by the male
being represented with parental responsibility. Then, with
Lila’s hand also over him, this represents that the female
manipulates and dictates the life of the son.
A link between the poster and trailer is how she is
seen to be wearing a dark lipstick in both. This is to
represent how she uses her sexuality to manipulate
and control others. It also conforms to the theory of
the male gaze and therefore the female is
presented is a provocative and objectifying light in
order to trick the male audience into trusting her.

13. GENDER REPRESENTATIONS –
MAGAZINE COVER
Half his face is cast in shadow,
implying a secretive and
mysterious aspect to the image. It
also represents how men can be
shady and that they can mask
who they truly are.
Again, we linked the three texts with the
noir convention of smoking in order to
connect the three texts to the same film.
But we also link the representation of how
both the male and female gender are
hiding their true selves by getting involved
in the drug group and taking drugs to
ignore who they really need to be.
Eyes are key to be able to determine a character. If you are
unable to see the eyes it forebodes that the character is
hiding something; therefore although this image is of the
director and not a character, it still represents how the male
character in the film is masking his true identity. Firstly, he
does this by going undercover but then it seems to deepen
when he deceives himself by getting too involved in the drug
group and forgetting that his true loyalties lie with his family.
This is a typical representation in Noir as the protagonist
usually hides from the world in order to forget what evil is
happening or what bad deed they have committed.
Through his costume, the male in this image is
represented in a juxtaposed way to the female. The
man in this image (George Falls – the director) is
depicted to be in a shirt and tie which conforms to the
ideology that men are perceived as successful, formal
business men. However by him having a loosened tie
and smoking, this represents how this director has
chosen to reject those gender stereotypes – thus this
is greater depicted by the director giving the female
the control and power whilst the male protagonist is
seen to be submissive to her manipulation.