Post Sixteen: Ancillary Task 1 - Production Company Work and Postcard

FILM POSTERS

When looking into production company work and what it consists of we first studied film posters. At first glance a film poster seems like just a eye-catching and relevant image but there are many different conventions included within film poster's to both grab the attention of the audience with the desire of making them come and watch the film as well as fitting as much important information in as possible. Within our class lessons we learnt the conventions a poster should conform to:

1) In terms of appearance the posters should involve an image that either reflects a key event or the central protagonists of the film. This image in the majority of posters will dominate the hypography of the design. This image allows the film poster to essentially be 'eye catching'.
2) The main focus of the poster should always be the title, making this clear and paired with a visible release date is vital.
3) Some posters chose to employ the films tag line within the poster, this tag line will usually define the film in a short sentence which allows the viewer to establish what the film is really about.

4) If the film has a well-known and accredited director or actor this can act as a unique selling point due to the person's status being high enough to make the film appealing to their individual fans. Therefore the involvement of their name or an image of them on a film poster can act as a selling point for the film. This can also be true with studios and distributors, as their logos are identifiable.

5) Anything that can allow the audience to have a larger involvement with the film itself acts as a promoter, an example of this that film posters use would be website dropping. An individual who has seen the film poster then has the option of whether to or not to research more into the film. The use of websites can have dramatic affects on the audience of the films as if used correctly the website can open the film up to audiences who would not usually be interested in that specific type of film.
6) Finally the important points of age certificate and copy righting have to be involved within the poster, although small the copyrights are usually placed at the bottom in very small writing.

'The Boat That Rocked' is a prime example of a poster that fills all of the conventions as well as having a basic approach. The poster if focused around one central image that entails the four central protagonists on a boat, the image links to the title of the film in a comical way hinting at the genre of the film as well as giving the film it's star qualities by promoting the known names within the film. The poster also has a bold and eye catching title followed by the release date. 'A new comedy from Richard Curtis' by stating the name Richard Curtis it brings both fan of himself and his previous comedies into the target audience.

On a more complex level smaller elements of film posters can connote certain qualities about the film, an example of this would be 'A Knights Tale'. With the use of a red background there is a sense of danger created however the bright yellow tint over the image of the central protagonist connotes the 'goodness' of them, possibly implying that he will be in danger or fighting danger. Finally due to text title as well as the costume of Heath Ledger in the image the audience become aware that the film will be a period film not set in today's era.

When compared to Hollywood blockbusters British Independent films in terms of budget differ greatly. The British film industry also make use of film posters, however due to the fact that they do not have a budget in anywhere near the same region they tend to have to do more within their posters as they have to rely on smaller sponsors.

An example of this would be a film along the lines 'Billy Elliot', within these films there are no highly rated stars, writers or directors therefore the main focus of the posters would have to be the content of the film itself and it would be relied on to attract an audience as well as containing the necessary information. British films such as 'Four Weddings And A Funeral' and 'Notting Hill' were produced a relatively well regarded production company 'Working Title Films' which is why the previous films produced by them are mentioned at the very top of the poster, this works as a strong selling point. Due to the previously mentioned fact that the poster focuses on the content of the film itself, the 'Billy Elliot' poster has chosen a comical twist by placing a boy in a ballet class, in the era the film is set in this would have been a highly uncommon sight. However, the fact that the boy is also in boxing gloves leaves the viewer confused and purposely intrigued about what the film is about. 

Film posters are both creative and a successful method of advertising however in terms of short films they are less widely used, This is due to several things;
1) Low budget: Dissimilarly to large Hollywood block busters British independent films have a low budget therefore the money spent of posters would be illogical as well as most British independent films having a specific niche and not needing to appeal to as wide an audience. 
2) Lack of media: British independent films have a lack of media to distribute widely, and again do not have the backing of a big American studio to help.
3)  Screening: British independent films are usually screened on smaller scale therefore there is not as high a need to market the film.

THE USE OF FILM POSTCARDS

The use of postcards usually occurs within the division of short films, it is an appropriate and cost effective method of promotion in which additional information is included in order to attract sponsors and with the intent of then attracting an audience at a later date. Similarly to film posters, postcards are produced with the intent of spreading relevant information to attract target audiences or niches as well as the intent of the postcard producing investor's who would help enable the distribution of the film. Finally postcards unlike posters are used as handouts, in situations such as short film festivals the quality and element of eye catching within a postcard would enable a viewer to remember the film. In terms of conventions posters and postcards are very similar; although postcards may have extra information such as a synopsis.

The image on the right is a postcard for the short film 'Divine'; the layout is identical to that of a normal postcard with slightly more text. The back of the postcard is split in two, this is done uniquely with the use of a line of text, the information on the back includes the production company logo, the title (repeated) and the key cast/crew names as well as contact information for the people involved in the making of both the film and the postcard itself - this allows audiences to get in contact, giving them a closer contact with the film. With most of the needed information located on the back of the postcard the front similarly to a film poster consists of an image, the tile and a bold tag line. The front also similarly to the previous example consists of an image using characters from the short film itself - the concept of using central character(s) from the short film itself appeals to me and I will consider the use of this when designing my own postcard designs.This idea of using an image of the characters appearing in the short film appealed to me, and is a possibility for my postcard design. With this in mind the postcard connotes that the film revolves around these four girls or that they atleast play a role within the film itself. The postcard itself as a marketing stratergy increases the possible audience for short films - the same way in which a film poster works for blockbusters - when considering my own postcard I will probably attempt to stick to the codes and conventions displayed within the postcards shown above. 

PRODUCTION COMPANY TEAM

There are film studios situated all over the world but the recognisable ones are majorly based in the US (The big five)  and similar places. Studios are usually recognised through their name and logo both of which represent their credibility within the field.

Due to this for out short film we have designed a production company team in relation to our short film. We then followed the steps to creating our production company: First of all we set about creating a company name, after researching company names we realised that the chosen name had to be memorable, we then brainstormed and narrowed our thoughts down to 'smallhouse productions'. We thought the company name was both appropriate and creative.

Then next step was to create the logo itself, after many attempts at different colour combinations, we chose to go with typical colours although not quite as eye catching we wanted our logo to sustain an element of originality without looking 'tacky'. Our next dilemma was where to place the text, yet again after several attempts we decided to place the company name vertically along 'the door'.

MY POSTCARD DESIGNS

The following images show the process I followed when planning the postcard designs for the advertising campaign for my short-film. I begun the process by creating a brainstorm of as many ideas that I could think of, I then narrowed the ideas down and began to create designs, this begun with basic drawings then progressed to more detailed drawings including of the back of the postcards and then finally finished with the actual photos being taken and the postcards being essentially made.

Post card design #1

 My first post card design is based around emotive imagery, the image is simply a face with any space in the background being a murky shade of white. I chose this image chose to use the central protagonist's face with a desperate and sad facial expression, with a tear in her eye. The image shows 'Grace's' general feelings throughout the short film, I also intend of taking the image with the use of a blue gel therefore linking it to Grace being at home during the film as the scenes within Grace's home are all taken with a blue gel.

There are both positives and negatives to using this image as the front of my postcard -The positives include the fact that the image will be striking without giving too much away about the film.This hopefully would encourage audiences to question this technique and then view the film.On the other hand the negatives include the fact that the image would not appeal to everyone due to the fact that it is emotive and not happy in the slightest. Therefore plausibly not leading the audience to want to watch or enjoy the film.

The back of my postcard design is decided and set, it will be the same whatever design I chose. It includes the title, the key cast and crew names, the postcard designer, the sponsor's logo and the production company logo.

With this in mind, I would chose to risk people's preferences and use this image due to the fact that I think regardless of the negative image the emotive undertone would enthrall the audience. Paired with the back of the postcard the design is hard hitting and affective and the message from the film would be both memorable and emotional.

Post card design #2             

My next postcard design consists of 'Grace's' eye, similarly to the first design I have chosen to use emotive imagery to appeal to the audience. The image is of a tear filled eye, possibly with or without bruises printed across it. I chose this image as yet again it shows the emotional tone of the short film and believe it would intrigue people.The photography would employ a blue gel to create a cold effect yet again similarly to the first design.

With every postcard design come positives and negatives. Within this specific design these include the what could be considered blandness of the front; due to the fact that I am not including anything other than a central image if the image is not liked individually then the postcard could be considered 'boring'. Another negative would be that people may consider the image to be irrelevant to the film, however, I would justify my image by using the well-known phrase 'the eyes are the windows to the soul'. This basically means that all emotion can be seen through the eyes, relating to Grace's life. A positive would be that yet again the image is eye-catching and memorable, although basic the image conveys a lot of emotion portrayed throughout the short film.

This design being one of my favourites means that with the positive and negatives in mind I would chose to go with the design so long as the photography and editing are done to a satisfactory standard. I personally believe that the positives of this design out weigh the negatives and therefore similarly to the first design convey the emotive tone through the image to create an enthralling and memorable postcard.

Post card design #3        

My third postcard design is slightly different to the previous designs, although still focusing on the body of the central protagonist 'Grace' the design relates more to the title of the short film itself. The central image is of a female arm covered in bruises, some of the bruises will look rubbed/smudged. The aim of this is to make the audience consider what the image is trying to convey and hopefully lead them to watch the short film. this image in itself the background would be laminate flooring as to continue continuity from the film itself to the postcard. 

A positive of this design would be the dramatic and hard-hitting nature of the central image. Not only is the image hard hitting but it also raises a lot of questions in the viewers mind due to the some of the bruises looking intentionally smudged, leading to people wanting to watch the film. A negative could be the fact that some people might find the image off-putting due the personally preferences on film genre.


Due to personal preference and that fact that I personally think that the image is enough to carry the postcard and make people want to watch the film. I also think that despite people not liking the image the element of intrigue would still be present because of the nature of the bruises as previously mentioned. Paired with the back of the postcard the design is essentially an affective, hard hitting ad intriguing design.

Post card design #4

My fourth postcard design consists of an image of padlock - the focus of the image will be the padlock itself with a blurred child's play area in the background. This design is strikingly different from my other designs; it isn't based around emotive imagery. However, the image relates highly to the themes within the short film itself. Based around the themes of entrapment and isolation shown obviously through the padlock and the bars going across the image as well as the theme of being forced to grow up too quickly shown through the blurred children's play equipment in the sub focus of the image. The photography would employ a blue gel to create a cold effect yet again similarly to the first design.

As with all of the rest of my designs there are positives and negatives to this design - A positive of the design is that it is highly metaphorical and a viewer could read into it,  as well as the fact that I personally believe the shot to be good due to the focus, the angle and the quality of the image. However, the negatives would be that if the preferred reading is not realised by the viewer then the image could be considered irrelevant and would therefore not act successfully in the marketing of 'Bruises'. Also the image could not be considered hard hitting like some of the other designs therefore it might not be memorable to a viewer.  Finally, due to the fact that there is no title on the front leaves the audience to draw their own connotations from the image itself, the title is situated on the back of the postcard, in doing this I am hoping to focus the audience on what the film could be about.

Due to personal preference and that fact that I personally think that the image is enough to carry the postcard and make people want to watch and remember the short film this design is one of my favourite. I also think that despite people not liking the image the element of intrigue would still be present because of the nature of the bruises as previously mentioned. Paired with the back of the postcard the design is essentially an affective, hard hitting and intriguing design.

Post card design #5

My final idea for my postcard design consists of the title - separate photos were taken of the letters are spelling out 'BRUISES' with the use of sparklers and have then been edited together to create the effect that it was all spelt out in one go with the use of adobe premier pro plus. Yet again this image is strikingly different from the previous designs - it is not emotive like several of the other images nor is it based around themes within the short film. The photography dissimilarly to the other photos would employ the use of a warmer effect, possibly with the use of an 85 filter or red gels.
The positive and negatives attached to using this design for my final postcard - A positive of this particular design is that I'd consider it to be highly memorable, if the image of the front of the design is memorable the viewer is likely to remember it and due to the fact that my image includes the title, the film postcard would achieve it's desired function in advertising the short film. Paired with this is the element of interest within the image, the creation of this design took a significant amount more time to create than the rest and I personally believe that this extra time makes the image marginally more interesting that other designs. On the other hand the negatives of the design include the fact that the postcard is debatably not legible enough, this is down to the fact that the letters were created with the use of real sparklers therefore getting perfect letters was nearing on the impossible. Finally, the use of sparklers within the image could be question - simialrly to design 4 the relevance of parts of the design could be questioned.
 

I  believe that questioning the relevance of the postcards could be problematic, however due to the fact that this design was my favourite before actually created and also took a large amount of effort and time to create this design is also one of my more favoured options for my final postcard. Yet again, paired with the back of the postcard the design is essentially an affective, memorable and creative design.