1. NaimaAhmed 13 Media Miss Constandi
Evaluation 1: In what ways does your mediaproduct use,developor challenge formsand
conventionsof real media products?
The promotional package Ihave constructed fora new Horror filmconsistsof aposter featuringthe
film,amagazine frontcoverand a teasertrailerforthe promotionof my film uses,developsand
challengesmanyformsandconventionsof real mediaproductsforthe Horror genre.
The codesand conventionsIwantedmyhorrorfilmto include are asfollows:asecluded location
and obliviouscharactersthatforgetaboutthreatsthat were continuouslybeentoldtotheminthe
film. So,Ianalysedthe filmtrailersof The Witch,Trick‘r Treat, Regression,The Conjuring2,GetOut
and InsidiousChapter3 as these filmsare knownforhaving these codesandconventionsintheir
film.This traileranalysisenabledme tounderstandthe importance of a range of shotsand different
editingtechniquesusedtoreinforce theseconventions.Forexample,therewasaclose up of Lucy
takinga deepbreathwithherback on a tree.The shot thenfadestoblackand cuts to handheld
close upshot of Lucy runningwitha bloodyfoot.Thisisalsoreinforced bythe soundtrackwhen a
playinsync to thisshot of my teasertrailerintensifies dependingonhow quickandstark the shots
are.
The teasertraileralsochallengesformsandconventionsof real mediaproductsaswe didnothave
an all-whiteormajoritywhite cast.Thisisbecause we wantedtodisplaythe real life criticismsfaced
by Hollywoodof whitewashingeventhoughourfilmisnotindie butrathermainstream.For
example,Lucy,who isplayedbyVidhee Sunkur,is Indo-Mauritianaswell asKate andJane whomare
Somali andNepali whichall of the ethnicitiesof these actressesare widely notshownin Hollywood
as well asIndie films. But,itisunusual tohave all ethnicitiesasmaincharacterswhichwe wanted
the audience tobe educatedonthe growingimpactof multiculturalisminourcurrentBritishsociety.
I developedmyunderstandingof horrorformsandconventions onaprintplatform byanalysing
horror magazine frontcovers.These includedFangoria’s featureof Insidiousontheirfrontcover;
Entertainment’s feature of Paranormal Activity;ScreamHorrormagazine feature’sof Texas
ChainsawMassacre and Empire feature of Hannibal.So, these magazineanalyses’s helpedme
developHorrorformand conventionsare byusingthe conventional layoutof Horrorfilmmagazines
where the image iscentral andthe copyis wrappedaroundina U shape. Iconformed tothe Horror
code and formswith a picture of Jane,I furtherdimmed the lightusingaburntool in Photoshopso
the audience’sfocuscanbe on the brightmasthead, andmaincoverline,coverlinesandstraplines
due to the accessibilitythe darkpicture gave the brightredandwhite colouredtexts.
In myposter,I usedformsand conventionsof real mediaproductsbyanalysingfilmposters of
Insidious,Paranormal Activity,The WitchandRegression. Throughthisresearch, Ihave learnedthe
commontrendsof the mainfocusbeingonthe image and the colour,white,ispredominantlyused.
So,the developmentof conformingtothe formsandconventionsof real posterproductsisbyusing
the colour,white,predominantlyinmyposter.
Evaluation2: Howeffective isthe combinationof yourmainproductandancillarytexts?
The combinationof mymainmediaproduct,a teasertrailer,andmy ancillarytextsof amagazine
frontcover anda posterisextremelyeffective due tothe excessresearchandplanningwhichhad
helpedcontributetothe realismof myproducts.
2. NaimaAhmed 13 Media Miss Constandi
In myteasertrailer,there were range of coloursfromgreentogrey whichIwantedthe audience to
be confusedand affectedby mindgamesdue towonderingthe significance of thesecolours.But,
thiscontrastedwiththe posterandmagazine frontcoveras there wasa greatemphasisof dark
colourssuch as black as we wantedto incorporate Horror binaryoppositions suchasGood vs. Evil
and Supernatural vs. Natural.Also,in mymagazine andposter,Ihadto selectivelypickwhatpictures
to use and whattextwouldbe suitable forthe magazine frontcoverandposterbecause itscode and
conventionsshouldbe similartothe teasertrailer. The reasonwhyitscode and conventionsshould
be similartothe teasertrailerasthe audience canrelate tothe filmmore effectivelythanif I
incorporatedThrillercode andconventionsinmyposterdespitemyfilmbeingof aHorror genre.
Consistency of camerashots wasan importantfeature thatplayedabig part inthe effectivenessof
my mainmediaproductandmy ancillarytexts.Thiscouldbe shownbyusingclose upsconsistently
inmy teasertraileraswell asbeingthe maincoverimage inmy magazine image andposter.Even
thoughthere wasa greatemphasisof close upsof Lucy inmy teasertraileranda close up of Jane in
my magazine frontcover,there wasbotha close upof Lucy and Jane inmy posterwhichhelpssolve
thisissue. The purpose of the cameraclose up inmy mainproductand ancillarytexts wassothe
audience canknowthe characters were feeling.
I had a focusgroup on mymainmediaproductand a surveyof my ancillarytextswhichIhada
positive repliesfromagroup of 20 people where theyagreedthatourancillarytextstrulyrepresent
my mainmediaproduct.
EvaluationQuestion3:Whathave you learnedfromyour audience feedback?
I had learnta lotfrom ouraudience feedbackthroughhavingafocusgroup watch the teasertrailer,
a questionnaireonwhatthe audience would like tosee inourteasertrailer,asurveyonboth the
effectivenessof myancillaryproductsof magazine frontcoveranda poster.
In our editingprocess,membersof myclassand I had a professional editortohelpuswithour
teasertrailers.Thisenabledme togainfeedbackfromhimandwhatwe needtodo withourteaser
trailerstogain the attentionof the targetaudience.Asthe professional editorhasindepth
knowledge of the mediaindustry,thisallowedustoknow the differentqueriesmediaindustriesmay
go throughtheirpursuitof aimingtheirproducttotheirtarget audience.Thisdaywasexceptionally
helpful toknowwhatwe needtodoto attract our targetaudience.
The main responsesfromthe focusgroupwere froma groupof sixthformstudents.Thiswasvery
importantas membersof mygroupand I neededtogetfeedbackof ourteasertrailerbefore we can
make any furtheramendments.These responsesprobedmyteasertrailertobe effectiveasmajority
of the responseswere positive.
The questionnaire evaluationof responsestoldme that myancillarytextsandmainproductwere
effectiveasmajorityof the responseswerepositive.Thishadgivenme the opportunitytofurther
amendmywork. Similarly,Idistributedaquestionnaireinmypre-productionstage whichhadgiven
me a solidunderstandingof whatthe audience wantedtosee frommyteasertrailer,magazine front
coverand poster. These questionnaires inbothpre-productionandpost-productionstageshave
allowedme togainfeedbackfrommytargetaudience aswell asknowingwhatIneedto individually
improve tomake my promotional package effective formyself andmytargetaudience.
EvaluationQuestion4:Howdidyouuse mediatechnologies inthe constructionandresearch,
planningandevaluationstages?
3. NaimaAhmed 13 Media Miss Constandi
Technological convergence hasgivenme the abilitytouse new technologyinasimple wayandI was
able to make,edit,uploadanddistributeafilmdespitehavingnobudget. Ihave usedmanydifferent
mediatechnologiesinthe construction,research,planningandevaluationstagesof myHorror
teasertrailer.
Firstly,one of the mediatechnologiesthatIhave usedwas Blogger.Thiswasthe website that Iwas
firstintroducedtouploadall the evidencesthathave leduptothe constructionof the promotional
package of a poster,magazine frontcoverwhere the filmisfeaturedinandthe teasertrailerof my
Horror film.The reasonwhyI chose thismedia platformoverBlogSpotandWordPressbecause
Bloggeriseasiertounderstand,accessible toanyone findingmybloganditallowsmuchflexibility.
Thismediatechnologyhasbroadcastedmypromotional package whichI have usedas a use of
marketingdue tothe growingsignificance of web2.0whichallowedme toshare mycontentwith
othermediastudentsaswell asmytarget audience.
Duringmy research stage, I usedsearchenginesof Google,BingandYahooto researchanyposters
and magazine coversthatcouldhelpinspire me until the leadupof mypromotional package.Ialso
usedvideosharingwebsitessuchasYouTube andDailyMotiontoresearchanyHorror trailersthat
have similarcode andconventionsformygroup’sinitial ideas.Thesemediatechnologies have
helpedme,aswell asmembersof mygroup,to successfullyconformtocode andconventionswithin
the Horror genre aswell ashelpingusfigure outif we wantto subverttothe code and conventions
withinthe Horrorgenre.
Duringmy planningstage,I usedthe mediatechnologyof mindmeistertouploadmyfinalisedand
actual copyof the mindmap.Eventhoughthismindmap was verysimilartomygroup’soriginal
draft,we uploadedaninteractive versionof mymindmapinsteadof writingafinalisedandactual
copy of the mindmap because itiseasiertounderstandas well asavoidinganyissuesthatcould
may occur if I had wrote a finalisedcopyof mymindmap.
I alsousedSlideshare touploadmyplanningworksuchasmy storyboardandtreatmentasa use of
marketingandour USP.But, I usedonline MicrosoftPowerPointif these planningworkwere unable
to beenseenbymytarget audience.Alternatively,Ialsoused MircosoftWordonline formatforlong
writtenplanningworksuchasmy Narrative.
Duringmy editingstage,IusedIMovie andAdobe Premiere ProCC2014. I usedIMovie as thiswas
recognisable editingsoftware formembersof mygroupand I thusit seemedlogical touse it.In
addition,IusedAdobe PremierProCC2014 as this has many editingfeatureswhichwouldgive my
teasertrailera varietyof featurestouse.
Duringmy evaluationstages, IusedWindowsMovie Makertomake a range of mediatechniques
such as pictures,videos,voiceoverandposterstobe shown.The reasonwhyI chose thissoftware is
because Iwantedto make myevaluationsimpleandeasytouse comparedto the othermedia
technologiesusedinthe otherstages.
Throughoutall of the stages,Iused ScreencastifyandApowersoftScreenRecorderProtoshow the
evidencesof the differentmediatechnologiesIused.These desktoprecordingsoftwareswere most
significantwhenIhad toorganise myblogin differentheadings.