3. My group members and I chose the fairy-tale little red riding hood this was because
we could be able to develop it in our own ways.
All throughout the production of red riding hood, codes and conventions had to be
followed in many ways as it helps to identify the trailer as a trailer rather than a
“media project” for instance the use of codes and conventions such as inter titles,
tag lines, tension building techniques and the codes and conventions of our chosen
genre.
I have to say however, that for the reason of product identification much
conventions were abided by.
However, as mentioned earlier we, in some ways tried to develop some of these
conventions; this is exercised through the narration and structure of our trailer.
4. Before my group members and I concluded on the structure of our trailer, we all
agreed to study some thriller trailers, which would give us an insight on the
professional techniques used to engage with the audience as well as how the genre is
viewed to the audience.
I particularly studied thriller trailers such as:
Don’t be afraid of the dark Insidious
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMm8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1Y
WpTTzHY bOMDI59k
The roommate
http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=8mUDIohiK2I
Some similarities in codes and conventions followed by the trailers above:
• Dark lightning
• Escalating tension and music tempo
• The use of inter trailers and tag lines
• Use of sound effects to increase tension
• The use of scary voices used as voice overs creating “scare” appropriate for the
genre
• The use of slow and creepy music to heighten anticipation
• The use of slow motion to again, heighten anitcipation
5. Chosen codes and conventions:
Dark lightning:
Due to the fact that we were unable to film I n the dark as the camera was unable to pick
anything up due to the lightning. We a;; as a group decided to add some special effects during
editing. While editing I came across cross hatch. This special effects allowed me to protray the
genre of the trailer to the audience, just like the trailers shown in the previous side did. The use
of this code and convention immediately allowed the trailer to be much more professional as
allowing to some extent some proffered reading and this is a reason why we chose to follow this
convention.
Intensify: 0.23
Sepia amount: 0.32
Effect of adding cross
hatch
6. Don’t be Red ridding hood
afraid of the
dark
As seen above, cross hatch allowed me to produce a certain kind of “scare” or thrill produced
in professional thriller trailer. By using this effects, I abided to the codes and conventions of
thrillers concerning lighting . However, I had to be very clear cut as this could move from being
a thriller to being a horror. So for this reason I had to be very careful with the amount of cross
hatch I added to my rushes.
7. However, I found that thrillers such as the roommate starts off with high key
lightening and ends with low key lightning as it helps to show the disrupt in the
equilibrium. (this in some ways follows Todorov ‘s theory despite the fact that it a
trailer ) I also found that thrillers whereby there has been a disrupt to the
equilibrium tend to start off in such ways. However, this is where through the editing
of lighting I show some sort of disconnect with the usage of thriller codes and
conventions. I wanted to maintain a certain feel or atmosphere all throughout the
sequence of the trailer. This was because it would help to create some sort of
preferred reading by the audience as they begin to think that there has always been
a disrupt in the equilibrium in red riding hood fairy-tale. This allows us (the
production team) to almost have power over the original fairy-tale.
Maintaining the same amount of
lightning all throughout the trailer.
8. Escalating tension
Through research I found that trailers either ascending or descending. That is, start off slowly end
fast, or start fast end slowly. We found that most thrillers started off ascending. For this reason we
chose to start of ascending as it would help to build up the tension rather than just “giving” the
tempo immediately as this would subsequently result to the audience watching the full movie as it
may have left a “mark” on them.
The use of “retime” allowed me to escalate tension
as well as anticipation just as professional thriller
trailers do. However, I had to use this appropriately
for this is have or make an impact on the target
audience.
This was accompanied
with the use of straight
cuts which allowed to fast
pace of the trailer (at
certain points) to flow
9. Escalating tension through editing:
the roommate
Escalating tension through editing: As viewed on the right hand
red riding hood side, the shots start off much longer
than it ends showing the use of
straight cut and shorter clips (just
as the roommate does ) I have
chosen to follow this convention (of
trailers in general) as it is an
advertising technique used to
almost leer audiences in due to the
“desirable” tension which they may
10. Narrative
Red riding hood trailer does not follow theories such as Todorov’s. this may be due to the fact that
this is in fact a trailer and the some parts of the film are kept secret from the audience. However, I
would say that due to the structure of the trailer it does follow some stages of Todorov’s theory;
stages after the equilibrium. This trailer starts off at the disrupt of the equilibrium. Immediately
captivating the audience. The trailer was structure as so because this is a very familiar fairy-tale
and we assume our target audience (15- 25 year old) would still be familiar with the original
storyline.
As mentioned earlier in this presentation, this media product in some ways develop some
conventions such as narration. I say this because the fairy-tale itself is developed. For
instance, changing the wolf to a witch. Although this may not seem as a big development. We almost
threatened the structure of a “fairy-tale” which is stereotypically much more subtle when using
characters much as this. however because this product is targeted at older individuals we created
more tension and spook to this character.
Having said this, although we abided by the
codes and conventions of thriller trailers (in
some ways) we did not completely abide by
the codes and conventions of fairy tales.
A much more darker and
intensified representation of
the antagonist compared to the
original representation of
antagonists in fairy tales
11. Fonts
Through thorough research I found that CREEPY FONTS or STANDARD FONTS
were used when used to advertise thrillers or even horrors. This helps with genre
identification for the audience subsequently leading (to some extent) to fear and
anticipation.
For this reason CHILLER was used during taglines and inter titles.
For instance insidious is a great example for this point as it uses these two types of fonts
which I have mentioned. However, unlike insidious which used both types of fonts to help
the audience distinguish between the tag lines and the inter titles, I decided to only use
one type of fonts rather than both. This is because again, I wanted the trailer to be
systematic in this way. I did not want to use more than one font. As it could at times create
a sense of disorganisations
Creepy font STANDARD FONT
12. Fonts
available to
me, however
, I decided to
only choose
chiller
By also using the colour red I a gain excising some usage of the codes and conventions of
my chosen genre. This use of such a dark and connotative colour as well as the font used
simultaneously combined helps to create a mood and tension which is found in the rest
of the trailer
14. While planning my magazine front cover I was very adamant as to not overload my front cover
with challenging codes and conventions as this would subsequently make my magazine front
cover to not look like a front cover. For this reason, I decided to ensure that the basic codes and
conventions such as the barcode, mast head, cover lines and issue numbers are all intact, then, if
there is room for challenging the codes and conventions then they would be included.
Model which I used in
constructing my magazine
front cover.
Selling line
Mast head
(Conventional)
Coverlines Barcode
This magazine fails to
abide by the
conventional structure
of magazine cover lines
15. Issue number
Cover lines:
Unlike my style
model (on the
previous page) I
wanted to stick to the
conventional cover
line structure of most
magazine, I decided
not to challenge this
conventional because
it would in some
ways make my
magazine look less Barcode
like a magazine and
more like a poster.
16. Challenging conventions
Throughout the production of my magazine front cover I wanted a mast
head which can stand out; one with deeper meaning than just “a word” for
this reason I decided to make my magazine name “STRIP EDIT ”
STRIP
EDIT
I challenged the norms and conventions of magazine front covers by
using the rotate tool and rotating “EDIT” 90oC clockwise . Rather than
having STRIP EDIT as one word it is made to appear as two words
conveying a sense of moving images as well as cinema. Below are a
series of film magzines, this helps to show the convention of the
structure of a mast head. however, I have challenged this convention
17. In both my ancillary tasks I ensured that the company name is constantly viewed to
the audience for future inventors and partnerships. For instance. On my magazine
cover I ensure the company name (KEM Production)is viewed to the audience. This
helps to advertise the company name as well as their marvellous work (Red Riding
Hood)
I classify this as unconventional because although out my AS and A2 magazine
constructions I have not come across despite my researches into magazine front coves.
as not many magazines do this.
18. ABIDING BY CODES AND CONVETIONS
Rather than just using a selling line like most magazines do, I decided follow the format
or structure of my style model. However, I had to merge this with my product
appropriately. For instance, the use of black and white in Empire is due to the main
colours of the main cover line. For this reason which made the page look much more
presentable and organised.
EMPIRE :
For the reason mentioned above my media product
follows the same format:
19. Just as Empire highlights exactly what the particular issue is; my magazine however is a new an
upcoming magazine, so for this reason I decided to highlight exactly what my magazine “FILM
MAGAZINE” This allows the magazine to continuously make its stand on the magazine market.
However, having said this, this is not unconventional as most upcoming magazines tend to do this
because it is one of the ways to ensure the magazine industry knows what you are. For instance
Empire Is able to state “the crime issue” as it is already a well known film magazine which covers
all areas of film; crime, thriller etc. STRIP EDIT however, is a new magazine which is not exactly
popular, so having a selling line such as the one used by Empire would only make my magazine look
or appears as a Crime magazine rather than a film magazine which covers all areas of film.
On the left, is an already
known magazine which yet
publicises itself to its target
audience “the worlds first
global movie magazine”
informs audience who may
not already be aware of it
that it is a global film
magazine.
20. I also notice that my style model included two images of two characters of the film American
Gangster. These two characters are very strong character, the use of these strong characters helps
to convey a message of the film itself to the audience. For this reason I decided to choose one
strong character (the huntsman) and one “Venerable” character (Little red riding hood ) rather
than two strong characters such as the huntsman and the witch. I did not want to follow this
aspect of my style model because I wanted to follow the codes and conventions of a fairy-tale
whereby the male saves the female. However, this is not the storyline we intended. I did (just like
Empire) to create a preferred reading. However, my real product (the trailer ) does not in fact
follow this convention.
Vunerable Strong
character charcter
Both strong
characters
22. Through research I found that the most important characters in the film are advertised on the
homepage of the website.
Well, in my case (red riding hood)the main characters are red riding hood, the huntsman and the
wolf(in this case; the witch) However, I did not want to include the witch on the front cover. I only
wanted the huntsman and red riding hood on the homepage; this helped to create some sort of
preferred reading and even optional reading as the audience begin to think the “battle” is between
the huntsman and red riding hood.
I also wanted to create a sense of the “protagonist always prevails” this would help to relate to the
fact that this is still a fairy-tale; where good is always better than evil. However, I found that most
fairytale remakes always include the antagonist on the front cover, to create an even view of the
characters.
All major characters of the fairytale
are included. However this gives a lot
of the storyline away. So for this
reason the use of colours and
costume is used to confuse the
audience. For instance red and black
connot evil however, that wuld mean
that red riding hood and the
character in red are the antagonists
which creates a sense of confusion
subsequently, the sudience would
want to watch the full film to find out
the real storyline rather than using
their optional reading method from
the website
23. Just like red riding hood on the previous page, I have also decided to use colours and costume to
create a sense of confusion. The use of dark colours (red and dark blue) allows the audience to
think that in fact these character may be the antagonist (in some ways) this companied with the
fact that the witch has not been included on the page heightens this confusion as it then looks as
though the battle is between the huntsman and red riding hood.
Use of dark coloured costumes to create a preferred reading
method as well as an optional reading method. This also relates to
the fact that this is in fact a thriller.
24. When creating my index page for my trailer, I had to be very carful with the amount of challenges
of codes and coventions I wanted to include on the page. This is because the page may begin to
devaiate from its purpose. For instance Enter Page sites always have an Enter Page link which
ensure that the audience want to know about the film/trailer. So for this reason it needed some
common adverts and promotions such as credit quotes, star ratings and futher promotions such as
the use of socal networking sites as these act as reviews on good the film is.
Enter site link Main
image-
main
character
Credit
quotes
Awards and
nominations
Social networking site links
25. I decided to follow this model when constructing my website index page. And I believer that the
page looks like so because of my compliance to codes and conventions. However, I still wanted to
challenge a convention that that is the use of credits on the enter site page. I did to for further
advertisement for the production team. This (in some ways) made my enter site look much more
professional. This also paves way for audience choice. I say this because it allows the audience to
know the production crew without having to go into the homepage.
Main image- Social
main network
character ing sites
Credit quotes from
an already known
film magazine:
Empire and a new
film maagzine;
STRIP EDIT. And
Star ratings
Enter Site
Link
Credits: unconventional
26. During my research on website structures and conventions, I found that “policies” “term use” and
“legal” links were provided at the bottom of the page. I decided to again, follow this convention as
it is a systematic convention followed by most film websites. I also found that these links are
provided throughout the website; that is, on the enter site page, the homepage, video
page, gallery etc. however, this is where I challenge this convention. I decided to avoid placing
these links on my home page. This was for two reasons
• I had no space for it
• My homepage included much social networking sites which would show these exact links and
information. For this reason I decided to divided to challenge this convention.
Below are some real film websites which follow this same convention.
Red riding hood: Snow white and the huntsman:
SkyFall: Salt:
My trailer; Red Riding Hood.
27.
28. Use of standard website
dimensions
When creating my website pages I also had to ensure that the page dimension were of standard
usage. For this reason I did some research on standard website dimensions and found that most
standard websites were 800x600.
This was the measurements for my website page.
I followed this convention to again ensure my product is identified as I intended rather than
another media product all together . For instance using the dimensions of a poster for my
website, would only make my product to be identified as another product; a poster. So by sticking
to the conventions I am directly avoiding this problem
