3. PURPOSE - REVIEW
The review is designed to draw in
audiences that are interested in film and
would question watching one based on
another’s opinion of it. The review is a
third party and so is different to the poster
in that the light that the film is portrayed
in is out of the director’s hands.
4. PURPOSE -
REVIEW
My review may be slightly biased in this
respect, as unusually, it was created by the
same person as the film. Therefore, the
review has the power to draw in audiences,
or push them away, depending on a single
person’s view of the film. For this review in
particular, audiences are likely to be
attracted to the film because it is rather
appraising.
5. PURPOSE - POSTER
The poster is different to the review in that it
is created by the same group of people as the
film itself. Therefore, they have full control
over the creative decisions, in order to make
the film look as attractive to the target
audience as it possibly can.
6. PURPOSE - POSTER
Therefore, I created this poster, taking into
consideration the conventions of a
traditional film poster, as well as the usual
forms of social realism. I used intermedial
references, which allows the poster to
serve its purpose in making the film look
like its worth the reader’s time.
7. PURPOSE - FILM
It’s down to the director to decide the
purpose of their film. The message of the
film usually depends on the genre it fits into.
For the social realism genre, the director
usually aims to draw attention to issues and
themes that they feel passionate about. I
chose to follow the issues of neglect and
isolation, as I feel that everyone, especially
young children, require a certain amount of
care and attention to thrive in their other
aims, and to attain happiness.
8. HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION OF
YOUR MAIN PRODUCT AND ANCILLARY
TEXTS?
The purpose of both of the ancillary task are to support the film.
The review has the possibility to draw audiences, although its
main feature includes honest opinions and the promotion of the
film from either a positive or negative point of view. Meanwhile,
the poster’s purpose is to advertise the film in the most attractive
way possible.
9. THE AUDIENCE - POSTER
It may be suggested that the audience of my poster are
slightly more intelligent and film literate, as the
minimalist symbolism takes more time to interpret than
perhaps a more saturated image with obvious
iconography. The film festivals and reviewers also hint at
the type of audience, as they are companies that the
director has chosen to associate with. The large amount
of space leaves room for conventions, as well as to hint
towards issues and themes. It might also be implied that
the audience is of a lower class, in the low budget feel of
the poster, in that the illustration looks quite rough and
almost child-like.
10. THE AUDIENCE -
POSTER
This might attract a younger audience who like to
relate to themes surrounding their age group. The
intermedial references, again, hint to a media
literate audience, who perhaps value content over
the aestheticism of the poster and the film itself.
For this poster, niche festivals and film magazines
are chosen, which implies that the audience also
favours niche films.
11. THE AUDIENCE - REVIEW
The audience for the review is suggested to be
film literate in the way that the film review fits the
conventions of a Sight & Sound review, which
implies that this review’s target audience is similar
to that of the film magazine – enthused about
film, educated to a high level, and of higher class
and/or status in today’s society. Nevertheless, the
language used is fairly accessible to most readers,
and graphics help to divide the page into easy,
readable segments. Therefore, whilst the
predominant audience is the film literate, other
members included might be of a younger age,
and a little less film literate.
12. THE AUDIENCE -
REVIEW
Considering that the review is
placed within a blog post
online, this might attract a
slightly different audience, in
that the internet is used by
many, and less educated
people may be able to view
this review in their casual
enthusiasm for film. The simple
layout of the review has its
advantages for attracting such
an audience as it is easy to look
at and read.
13. THE AUDIENCE
My main task uses social realist conventions
such as untrained actors and real locations.
This suggests that the audience for my short
film are similar to that of the typical social
realism viewer – educated, film literate and
drawn to representation of minority groups.
This might imply that the audience also
identifies with some of these representations,
as the genre aims to provide social extension,
giving a more accurate idea of what today’s
society consists of.
14. THE AUDIENCE
My short film includes a young female, which
is less common in main stream shorts and
films. Audience members will be able to
relate to this character, as her experiences at
her age can also be remembered by older
viewers. This also adheres to Marilyn
Milgrom’s theory of using familiar rituals as
an audience pleasure.
15. HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION
OF YOUR MAIN PRODUCT AND
ANCILLARY TEXTS?
The audience for each of the texts is very similar. It appears the
ancillary texts, as well as the main task are primarily aimed at
older, more educated and film literate audiences. The accessibility
of all of these texts may generate further, secondary audiences,
that are less educated and just have a casual interest in film, as
they are easy to view and read.
16. STYLISTIC
ELEMENTS
The review is presented in a
neat manner, using pale
colours for the main aspects of
the page, and lines to split the
main bulk of text into easy to
read pieces of writing. There
are several areas of more
saturated colour, which all
follow the same palette to keep
to the minimal page
architecture. The plain style of
the page caters for a variation
of audiences, as it is easy to
take in, yet simple in order to
focus more attention to the
content of the review.
17. STYLISTIC ELEMENTS
The poster is also minimalist, in the
respect that the illustration features
watercolour and thin lines. The
watercolour image adds to this because it
creates a pale, pastel like colour scheme
that makes the heavy, shaded digital
imagery stand out more, emphasising the
themes of vulnerability. This juxtaposition
between light and dark creates a almost
monochromatic look, and guides the
reader’s eye to the areas of the page that
require the most attention.
18. STYLISTIC ELEMENTS
The camerawork uses a vast
contrast in the shots used, creating
form in the narrative. The close
ups paired with the wide shots
clearly show the character in her
surroundings, making it easy for
audiences to understand. The
basic, neutral colour palette
creates a monochromatic feel,
making actions more emphasised,
in that the characters are displayed
as a main focus, with no bright
colours to distracts the viewer’s
attention.
19. HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION OF
YOUR MAIN PRODUCT AND ANCILLARY
TEXTS?
The minimalism displayed in the main product as well as the
ancillary texts ensures that the stylistic elements can create
synergy between the three products. The simplicity in the
graphics suggests that the audience values content over the
image itself.
20. ISSUES AND THEMES IMPLIED- POSTER
( A N D H O W T H E Y C R E A T E P R E C O N C E P T I O N S )
The poster features imagery that hints
towards themes of isolation. The
characters are depicted within quite far
proximity from one another, which
suggests the formal relationship of the
man and the girl. The issue of care is
presented in that an older man is
accompanying a younger girl, which also
creates the preconception that the girl
has an external issue.
21. ISSUES AND
THEMES IMPLIED-
POSTER
(AND HOW THEY
CREATE
PRECONCEPTIONS)
The text in the windows bares
resemblance to that of a neon
sign, which might carry
connotations of night time, as
well as associations with motels
and cafes/bistros, which
contrasts in concept with a
school, which shuts at night
time.
22. ISSUES AND THEMES IMPLIED-
REVIEW
(AND HOW THEY CREATE
PRECONCEPTIONS)
The review automatically hints towards
themes of exploration and curiosity, as
well as vulnerability in the saturated
images that depicts the girl looking at the
wooden dinosaur. The synopsis explains
the storyline to emphasise these themes,
as well as the issues of neglect and
abandonment, and isolation.
23. ISSUES AND THEMES
IMPLIED- REVIEW
( A N D H O W T H E Y C R E A T E P R E C O N C E P T I O N S )
The girl’s external issue is well presented and her
internal issue of experience and vulnerability is
suggested in the ‘What You See Is What You Get’
style of the synopsis. This creates the
preconception that the girl goes on a physical and
a metaphorical journey, expanding her knowledge
of the outside world, yet realising she still needs
mature care and attention.
24. ISSUES AND THEMES
IMPLIED
The main film provides the female character with a
personal space in which she embarks on a literal
journey, yet arrives at the end having also
travelled in terms of innocence and curiosity, and
also the acceptance that she is a vulnerable young
child that needs care from an adult. This echoes
issues covered in the wider media regarding the
amount of independence that each child requires.
Parenting is an important responsibility, and the
tension created by low key lighting and close up
camera work hints at the themes of vulnerability in
that the audience are questioning the girl’s safety
at times in the film.
25. HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION
OF YOUR MAIN PRODUCT AND
ANCILLARY TEXTS?
The ancillary texts support the film in that they allow the readers
to make preconceptions that fit with the issues and themes
featured in the narrative. Both the poster and the magazine
review hint towards central themes of vulnerability, as the girl is
described as, or depicted in a way that makes her look small,
and/or alone, which also implies issues of isolation and neglect.
