The focus group discusses the genre and narrative elements conveyed by an unfinished film poster, trailer, and magazine created by the filmmaker. For the poster, some see a crime or melodrama genre due to the black and white imagery and hugging figures. Others think it looks like a novel cover. The trailer confuses the group with alternating bright and shadowy shots; some think it depicts crime and relationships while others see a suicide story. Feedback suggests adding more shadowy shots and genre cues to the poster and trailer. The unfinished magazine provides no genre or narrative clues beyond its title. Suggestions are made to finish the works and better convey the intended film noir genre.

2. Will: “The poster shows it could be about crime due to the name of it but the picture doesn’t represent that, the poster looks like it is aimed for older people due to the black and white colours and doesn’t look bright enough, I can’t tell the genre although I would say from watching the trailer, although unfinished, I can tell it has something to do with crime because of the guns and suits etc”

3. Niall: “The magazine is unfinished so I cannot tell what genre it is although the title clearly suggests it is a film magazine”

4. Me: “Which type of magazine does it look like to you?”

5. Sophie: “Well I think the same as the last person because it is unfinished you cannot tell although the name ‘Lights, camera, action’ clearly shows it is for film, maybe a mainstream film magazine.”

6. Andy: “From the trailer I cannot tell the genre as it is too unfinished, the shots look like they are filmed in the countryside so it doesn’t link to the guns in the previous shots and is very unclear”

7. Me: “The genre I am trying to get across is film noir; can you see the genre now?”

8. Niall: “Oh right, it’s because I don’t know about that genre, the poster looks film noir due to the black and white although still needs colour and a clearer better image.”

9. Hannah: “The trailer really needs more shots with shadows instead of all bright external shots; the genre is hard to tell. The poster looks like it could be an old fashioned melodrama film possibly. The magazine looks like a mainstream magazine, although you only have the title, maybe put an image of your actors in costume on the cover to show the genre.”

10. Can you tell anything about the narrative in the three products or can you start to see any character relationships?

11. Will: “Well obviously no narrative from the magazine is shown; although from the trailer I think the story is about a man who maybe has an affair and he does some crime and then dies.”

12. Niall: “On the poster you can kind of see a relationship because she is hugging someone, and in the trailer from drawn out shots you can see more hugging or fighting showing a relationship, the was a bit boring, it was eerie so I thought it was more suited for a horror film.”

13. Hannah: “From the poster you can tell the film is about pushing yourself to the limit because of the tagline but the picture confuses me, it shows it might be a romantic film although it is different from the colour scheme etc.”

14. Andy: “Yes I agree, the trailer shows something about crime but I don’t understand the multiple shots of hugging. I love the shot of the tear down the face though but it needs backing up by other shots.”

15. Sophie:”The magazine shows nothing, the poster shows some relationship making the girl upset, possibly the loss of someone. The trailer shows the most narrative; I think it’s about a suicide because of the gun to the head shots and I think about crime or trouble, the name of the film clearly shows he is ambitious so maybe he goes too far and kills himself.”

16. What do you think of my music choice, or any other comments on the products overall?

17. Niall: “I think that the poster looks more like a book or a novel cover because it looks too formal.”

18. Sophie: “the music was a bit boring; it was eerie so I thought it was more suited for a horror film.”

19. Andy: “The magazine needs finishing quickly. The trailer is way too confusing and the poster looks like a book. But I really like the tear shot in the trailer and the costumes you used.”

20. Hannah: “The music fits well with the themes of the trailer although I do not know a lot about the genre.”

21. Will: “The music is very mysterious and links to the shadow eerie theme that runs throughout other film noir films. The magazine needs to convey the genre as well as adjusting the poster to add colour make it more enticing.”