A2 MEDIAA2 MEDIA STUDIESSTUDIES

ADVANCED PORTFOLIOADVANCED PORTFOLIO

RESEARCH & PLANNINGRESEARCH & PLANNING

CENTRE NO: 11049CENTRE NO: 11049

ST FRANCIS XAVIER COLLEGEST FRANCIS XAVIER COLLEGE

My name is: Bernard BarnorMy name is: Bernard Barnor

Candidate No: 9064Candidate No: 9064

My main portfolio project is:My main portfolio project is:

Teaser trailerTeaser trailerwith 2 ancillary projects:with 2 ancillary projects:

Film magazine cover

film poster

The genre(s) of my main project is:The genre(s) of my main project is:

• Genre: Drama

• and the title is Modelphilia

• and the target audience is people age 16 – 35, C1 - E (Students).

So I have researched as follows:So I have researched as follows:• Model 1 • Model 2

What I learned from this was…..What I learned from this was…..(develop as required)(develop as required)

• Design aspect 1- The Girl is placed in the middle between the

men because she is what they both want. She realises her sexual power over men and uses this to her advantage. This represents women as being objects used for sex.

- Negative representation of teens, they are spending their time unproductively just laying about.

• Design aspect 2- The use of strong contrasting colours such as black

and white are extreme opposites which is unusual. This perhaps sets the tone for the emotional thriller.

- Most important aspects are the Movie title and the actors names.

- Women judged on their sexual attractiveness.

For my main project….For my main project….• the target audience is……..(men and women age

16 – 35, C1 - E Students)

• and here is how I arrived at this conclusion:• It’s the kind of movie that has a moral undertone that can be targeted at young people who can

relate to it. Young people in the western world are typically conscious of their appearance and fashion sense so they may be attracted to this kind of movie. This is because they are challenged to think what if they were in the actress shoes or maybe they can relate to this and take a preferred viewing. Conversely, men and women that are against the sexualisation of women would take an oppositional viewing.

• The teaser trailer relates to real life issues that are in real life media today. The view that women are there to be looked at it addressed in this teaser trailer. The modelling industry conforms to this theory that women are sexual objects and this relates to women between the ages of 16 – 35. The image of beauty had been socially constructed to be youthful and so aiming this trailer at an older age group would be incorrect.

Target Audience• Here is an image of how I imagine

a typical member of my target audience.

• Their characteristics are:

• More likely to be female

• Young (age 16 – 35)

• Fashion conscious

• Likely to be working class

What I learned from audience feedback about What I learned from audience feedback about planning my main taskplanning my main task

• I have learned the importance of music in a movie trailer. I have learned that music forms a basis for the films identity. This lead me to research the different types of music and decide what genre would suit an emotional drama. I handed out a paper based questionnaire and the general response what I should use slow paced music. The second most popular option was pop music and the third was rock music. Therefore I will act on my feedback and use a slow song to complement my teaser trailer.

• After I showed my class our teaser trailer they explained to me that I must include text that is either more animated or more visually attractive. I learned that using a plain formal font might not be suitable for an emotional drama like mine. I feel that I have impressed my audience for the initial stages by the variety of camera shots I have used. I showed my class the storyboard and some people liked the reality of the camera shots, they looked dramatic. Whereas others stressed that I should include more actors or actresses if possible. My storyboard showed the mise en scene of each scene and that it was based in London. The inner city surrounding

• Here are some quotes from my feedback sample:• Elizabeth: I like the way that your camera shots reveal different locations in the background • Leone: The lighting on some pictures are too bright. • Joshua: There should be pictures of more than one person. This would make your movie more

eventful.• Shane: The timeline of your storyboard really tells a story. I think next time you should take

pictures at different times of the day for a more realistic story telling effect on your audience.

Here are 4 original photographs for Here are 4 original photographs for the newspaper or storyboard……the newspaper or storyboard……

I modified each photograph; here is I modified each photograph; here is the original next to the final version: the original next to the final version:

• The aim of this photo is to give the viewer the characters point of view. It shows how the character is dreaming of one day looking like that. This appeals to the viewer who is most likely female so she can relate to the character.

And the second one: And the second one:

• The aim of this picture is to make the viewer feel more involved as if they were standing behind her. This appeals to the audience as the viewer can relate to being self critical.

And the third one: And the third one:

• The aim of this picture is to show the characters emotions. The picture is darkly lit which sets a negative tone. The character is depicted as being unhappy/spoilt which is exactly how teens are represented today.

And the last one: And the last one:

• This picture depicts the character as being lonely and unsatisfied. Despite the fact that bright lights sets a positive tone she’s still unhappy with her image. The target audience can understand a women's insatiable appetite for beauty.

What I learned from audience What I learned from audience feedback about my main taskfeedback about my main task

• The audience was generally pleased with the variety of camera shots I used. This conforms to the hectic nature of real life teaser trailers and taught me that I should create my trailer to be the same. I also learnt that the females were more intrigued and more responsive than the males in the classroom. The overall view was that we had a good variety of camera shots but our trailer could have been more impactful.

• I learned that the transitions were to slow and was in in rhythm. As we didn’t have music in our draft it was difficult to time when to cut from scene to scene. Once we added a slow paced song we cut scenes in a more suitable order, After observing the trailer on Adobe premier we listened to our feedback and made all the transitions to last no longer than half a second. This made our main task flow more naturally. This taught me the effect that rhythm has in a teaser trailer. I learned that keeping the audience engaged was vital as any drop in rhythm might make the viewer disinterested.

• Here are some quotes from my sample:• Eddie: Your trailer would have been better if you used more attractive text and music.• Lola: The camera angles look nice but without music it doesn’t entertain me.• Lauren: The opening is innovative it leaves me guessing about what will happen next. However

certain scenes play for too long and I think they would be better if cut down.

Professional Model 1 for Ancillary 1The masthead is the largest text, it’s red and stands out and relates to the feature film . The image of the gun and the use of red complement each other for this special edition. This attracts its target audience which is likely to be men between the ages of 15 – 24 due to the action and violence.

Its background is taken straight from the set of the movie so the magazine is like a precursor to the movie and sets the tone for the movie. The image introduces the main character of the movie and subliminally introduces the magazine to the target audience.

The layout of the text entices the reader to buy the magazine. There is 6 images which hints at a target audience that prefers pictures rather than text (men). The use of exclamation marks and a thick bold font is suited to men. The largest cover line is about the movie on the front cover and its the most important aspect of the cover. The banners at the top and the bottom contain additional information that is useful for the reader.

Professional Model 2 for Ancillary 1• I have learned that the majority of film magazines

use an actress or actor to attract its readers as they are placed a layer in front of the masthead. The tagline is smashed like a glass which might hint at the violent nature of the film which would appeal to its target audience of action loving fans.

• The background has been graphically edited so that it looks animated. This unique design creates a dynamic, lively feel that would appeal to a man who typically more active.

• The colour scheme consists of blended futuristic colours such as Orange, metallic silver, metallic black and grey. These colours create a synthetic, unnatural tone and adds mystery and may appeal to a mature target audience.

• The layout is hectic as there is a lot going on yet it is structured well. T

This is my ancillary task 1This is my ancillary task 1• This is how it appeals to target audience• The aim of this magazine is for my audience to

make a preferred reading therefore using the main actress as the model appeals to its target audience. The cover lines relate to the feature film and contains the inside scoop which would attract all movie fanatics.

• The image addresses the target audience because she resembles them in terms of appearance and social class. She is clearly fashion conscious and judges herself on her looks. This conforms with the male gaze theory that men look women appear, women are there to be looked at. This appeals to the heterosexual man and women who are self critical. The magazine costs £3.50 which hints that its made mainly for the working class.

• The inclusion of quotes creates the impression that you are a part of the conversation which appeals to the target audience.

This is how key concepts link main This is how key concepts link main task and ancillary task 1task and ancillary task 1

• My film magazine represents the young British teenager to be superficial and vulnerable. This conforms to and contradicts real life representations of London's teens today. This is because they are portrayed as being mouthy and confrontational when in fact they are insecure and defenseless. The model in my ancillary task 1 represents an inner city girl who places money and her looks before her morals which agrees with the negative representation of teens in London.

• Drama is expressed through the use of bold colours in the main task and the film magazine. My trailer is generally dark which sets a nervy tone. This plays on the viewers emotions as does the white and red on my film magazine. Red is associated with war and danger and black symbolizes mystery and emptiness. This being on a pure white background is significant because it symbolizes the stains and imperfections . Young women are portrayed as sexual objects.

• The narrative concept regarding my teaser trailer is that as the protagonist is introduced to the audience she begins to reveal more of her feelings and emotions to the viewer. Her character takes form over time where as the concept of time is shortened or removed completely because her character in text form is much more difficult to interpret. The audience is unlikely to know if she fits the villain role or the protagonist role of Vladimir Propp’s theory.

What I learned from audience What I learned from audience feedback about ancillary task 1feedback about ancillary task 1

• I learned that my background was too plain and boring. I left it white so that the attention was directed at the image and the cover lines. I learned that I made a mistake with the design of my first draft. I used only two colours (black and red) and I used a plain white background. This might not have appealed to the younger end of my target audience. I also learned that the layout of my magazine was suitable. My colleagues told me that I correctly placed the most important cover lines on the left hand side and I was correct to place the extras and additions on the right hand side. Finally, I learned that my fonts were too plain and did not draw enough attention. The people that stressed to me were 18, 19 and 20 years of age so this was the view of the younger audience.

• Here are some quotes from my sample:• Folake: Next time you should have more than one image on the front cover, for example you could

have put screenshots of the movies being advertised.• Tia: You could have included a third colour to make the film magazine look more appealing. • Dominic: I like the font of your main cover line and its bold outline, It looks theatrical and suits the

magazine.

Professional Model 1 for Ancillary 2• I learned that the most important aspects of the poster

are the actors names, the movie title and the release date as they are in a larger text than the producers names. The website, production companies and credits are also on display however they are smaller and less important.

• This poster introduces the main characters through the title. Using famous actors and actresses is important because this is how the majority of fans are attracted. This layout is impressive and innovative which may attract viewers to the movie. The tagline and the release date are in different outstanding colours to entice the viewer without revealing to much information.

• The poster is designed to focus around the title and the image at the same time. This original design sets a positive tone and the audience should look forwards to watching the movie just as I am. The darker colour scheme adds mystique which should appeal to the audience.

• I leaned that the poster is effectively an advertisement for the movie so it must be pleasing to the eye. I will try to incorporate this into my poster.

Professional Model 2 for Ancillary 2• I learned that the poster teases viewers with small

details of the movie will be without giving too much information. This a movie concerns the life of a fashion magazine editor. The text is specific to the film and the image has been altered to stand out to the viewer. The font is smaller compared to other posters which could suggest that the actors names are less important than the image. I learned that the common code of a film poster is that the image is the focal point and must epitomise the movie. This is effective because the high heel is a powerful, controversial image that should attract the viewers like feminists to make an oppositional or negotiated viewing.

• The colour scheme of red, black and white symbolise purity, power and confidence. This subconsciously represents the main character and sets the tone for the movie. Red is a colour that can seduce the viewer just like the actress seduces in the movie.

• The layout of this is similar to mine except there is a lot more free space. It is more structured which may hint at an older target audience. Half of the shoe perhaps denotes that only half of the story is being told. I gathered inspiration from how this poster links to the movie.

This is my ancillary project 2This is my ancillary project 2• The main actors are displayed and the audience

would be familiar with these household names and more likely to watch the film. The actors names are larger than the producers names and logos because they attract and appeal to the audience.

• The colour scheme of black and gold with some red symbolises mystery, wealth and sex which relate to the modelling and fashion industry. The layout focuses around the image. The title defines the movie whilst the text accentuates the image much like clothes would accentuate a models physique.

• My picture is the ‘body’ of my poster and is aesthetically pleasing so that it to appeal to western women who typically like fashion and high heels. High heels are also used by the mainstream media as a tool for the sexualisation of young women which perfectly coincides with the model industry which is why I chose it. My poster has been designed to fit the mainstream idea of what it means to be a woman.

• The coming soon is enlarged to remind the audience of the release date.

This is how key concepts link main This is how key concepts link main task, ancillary tasks 1 and 2task, ancillary tasks 1 and 2

• My film magazine links to my film poster by using similar backgrounds. The aim of this was create a house style that my target audience would become accustomed to. The colour of the backgrounds are different shades of grey. They both represent the working class young man or woman that lives in London. The young people in my target audience can especially understand this as there is currently record high figures of unemployed young people, their prospects for the future is grey. The credits of my teaser trailer is presented on a gritty, dark wall which represents the underworld of a large city like London. The tagline on my poster “ Life is hard in the concrete jungle’ addresses this directly.

• The genre of the media products are drama which regards controversial issues such as drug abuse, alcohol abuse, anorexia, etc. The concepts link all products together as the actress is clearly slim in the film magazine yet she still pulls at her fat or lack of fat in the teaser trailer. The film posters image is all about improving the female body image. Heels make the actress look taller, slimmer and her feminine body parts are enhanced. All media products promote the same theories to highlight the shortcomings of woman's bodies. This in turn will keep the target audience buying my products and making the publishing company as much money as possible.

• The narrative aspect links both media products together as they both agree with Roland Barthes codes. The text in both the film poster and the film magazine needs to be unravelled before the audience can discover the different meanings and viewpoints. My film poster and magazine relates to the deconstructed narratives. The narrator usually positions the audience into a particular relationship with the characters or images of the media product. I believe this is how these tasks are linked.

What I learned from audience What I learned from audience feedback about ancillary task 2feedback about ancillary task 2

• I learned what to use to attract the target audience to a media product. I conducted a small questionnaire for five people to engage my audience and discover what they liked and disliked. These are some quotes from my sample:

• Jessica: I like the use of the colours, they are simple yet bold. • The text that says ‘coming soon’ at the bottom could be more visible.• Pauline: The picture itself is a powerful image and tells a story by itself.• The title is plain and doesn’t really pop out and catch the eye.• Matthew: The tagline and the zebra-printed shoe work together nicely.• There is a lot of free space that could have been used to make the poster more

outstanding and the font used for the actors names Is plain.• Amber: The merging of the colour white and grey for the background looks nice. • I think the image should be more creative and the tagline should be stretched along

the width of the poster rather than boxed in.• Casey: I like how the actors names are placed around the shoe and the poster is

simply constructed and not too hectic.• The image could have been taken without flash because I can see the light reflecting

off the shoe.

Changes made in the re-draft of main task

• We added music to coincide with the teaser trailer. Slow music is used in real media products to tug at the heartstrings of the viewer. The use of the guitar encourages the viewer to feel sympathy for the actress.

• Secondly, the text used was changed to a more forceful dramatic text:

DESPERATION• The aim of this was to conform to the conventions of real teaser trailers by making

our trailer as dramatic as possible. • We also shortened the time the text trailer so that it was more eventful. The text

informs the viewer however video and audio are more impactful on the viewer.

Desperation

Changes made in the re-draft of ancillary task 1

• I moved the model in front of the masthead so that it looked similar to real life film magazines. This showed that the actress and the movie is the main attraction not the masthead. This assimilates my magazine to real life magazines. Using famous actors to attract a fan base is what real life media distribution companies do so my changes have made my film magazine more realistic and more commercial.

• I resized the text depending on their importance. The cover lines regarding my feature film are written in a larger font size and they are written in a different, more attractive font. I also added more cover lines so that the film magazine looks more eventful and so that there is less dead space. I slightly changed the colours of the text to make the magazine more attractive.

• I added a grey background to my magazine as it was previously white. I changed it because my feedback suggested it was too plain. I wanted to keep the background plain so that the focus of the film magazine would be the cover lines and my movie in particular. I inserted a grey image and moved it to the last layer to make it the background.

Changes made in the re-draft of ancillary task 2

• I didn’t change my ancillary task 2 too much because of the positive feedback I received from my target audience. I simply changed the text at the bottom and its colour from coming May 19th to coming soon. I done this because my poster was aimed to remind the audience to be aware that my movie is coming soon . I learned that most posters do not give so much information other than websites where they can read more and follow the movie until it is released.

How my 3 products work together to appeal to target audience

• The actress in the main task is introduced as the protagonist because the audience is on her side, they feel sympathetic for her and so they support her. The antagonist is symbolic in the main task as she is seen consuming alcohol and drugs. This links to the young target audience that are stereotyped and negatively represented in the media to abuse alcohol and drugs. The model in the film magazine appears to be vain enough to wear the loud, attention seeking footwear and irresponsible enough to abuse drugs in the teaser trailer so all products link together.

• The film poster represents the fashion conscious teen. Where the high heel is the main attraction of the poster much like the high heel is the main attraction and most expensive part of a woman's outfit. I also think that young people can relate to the use of a sorrowful colour like grey. Grey represents the stressful life of a typical Londoner.

• My media products work together to appeal to its target audience which is people between the ages of 16 – 35 through representational issues. The dress code of the model on my film magazine is very youthful and glamorous and so is the image on my film poster. High heels are worn by women of all ages however glamorous shoes are more suited to younger women. Young men are represented by their location as clips in the teaser trailer shows the hustle and bustle that young people especially can relate to. The working class person is represented as a scene shows the average sized house that the model lives in.

• My teaser trailer conforms to the generic expectations of a teaser trailer as text , audio and video are all used in unison. My teaser trailer introduces the actress in a unique manner (pan up shot) which may contradict the generic codes of a teaser trailer. However, the text entices the audience with information without giving away too much information. This generic code appeals to the target audience because its what they would be used to.

Links back to evaluation and blog

• http://a2bernardbarnor9064.blogspot.co.uk/