Masthead Graph

Above the results for my possible masthead choices. From questionning 15 people, aged bewteen 13-45, I have attained results showing their responces of the three mastheads.

Evaluating the graph, eight individuals selected Movie Mania as a possible masthead. Five chose Epic Film and a minimum of two people liked Film Nation.This clearly shows Movie Mania as favourite, which I personally admired as opposed to the rest. Overall, I think this is the best possible masthead, as it consists of clear and direct meaning, making it easier for the audience to acknowledge attracting a vast target audince. As a result, I will use this masthead for my magzine because of the positive feedback I received.

Ideas for Mastheads

The mastheads for my magazine should attain a conventional meaning relating to the film industry, thus making sure I use words and phrases that are easily understood by the audience.

• Epic Film
• Movie Mania
• Film Nation

'Epic Film’ plays on key aspects in standing out to the audience. I wanted to create a huge deal of film, targeting film fanatics who can relate to the masthead. Furthermore, the ‘epic’ wordplay is vital for the success of portraying the magazine to be highly considered in purchasing. The two words also include one syllable attaining an easy and quick appeal towards the audience.

‘Movie Mania’ is a highly strong contender to becoming my film magazine name. It is straight to the point, direct and provides the audience with an easy relationship with the film magazine. This is because of the deliberate media word play, ‘Movie Mania’ harping on the technical device, alliteration. The two ‘M’s at the beginning of both words cause a sub-conscious appeal towards the audience and therefore attaining a more attractive element compared to other magazines. In further detail, the word ‘Movie’ is a simple meaning, telling exactly what the magazine is about, which is emphasised from ‘Mania’. The reason for this, ‘Mania’ connotes a large and ‘grandest stage’ perspective, thus suggesting the magazine is shouting to the target audience and becoming noticed. As a result this masthead will be considered for the name of my magazine.

The third masthead, ‘Film Nation’ is a basic meaning representing all aspects of film. This will present the audience with a greater understanding of what the magazine is all about. However, this specific masthead appears to have an older audience. This is clearly evident as most people in society are adults, exploring that key word in the masthead, ‘Nation’, which applies to a general audience.

Magazine Frot Cover Analysis

Magazine Front Cover Analysis on Prezi

This is a prezi containing my research about film magazines that i have analysed to help me create a profesional film magzine and to develop my understanding of their conventions.

Introduction: Magazine Task

The third part of my task is to design a front cover for a film magazine featuring our film. To create my individual magazine front cover I will be using the photographs used in my film shoot. However, if I come up with other ideas that require different types of shots I will have to take new photographs that can be applied to my magazine. In order to complete this task, similarly I will have to research and analyse different magazines. I also need to design flat plans for my magazine to bring out the best construction for my magazine task, which will be developed and annotated to produce my final magazine cover attaining further elements of professionalism.

Final Piece:Poster

The final design for my poster includes other components, such as the production logo, AROA and other logos, like 'Dolby Digital' and 'Vertigo'. Also, the red cross is included in the centre of the poster, causing structure in the word of the tagline. This can connote a religious concept that is also a conventional element of the horror genre. Additionally, there is an icon on the villain's forehead. This icon gives the villain a sense of character and purpose. It also provides the killer with a mysterious and different background to other characters and the audience. This will have an effect of causing the audience too see that the villain has his own aura, thus showing he is a distinctive individual.

4 Poster Printscreen

The film poster credits at the bottom of the poster are in a white ariel typeface. The credits are also a conventional aspect of a poster that include the producer, director and other significant jobs made for the film. My production logo and other logos will also be located around the credits to create a more professional feel towards the audience.

3 Poster Printscreen

The title, 'The Vanishing' consists of 'Face your fears' typeface is in red and obtains a drop shadow to create an effect of depth and jumping out of the page, sub-consciously 'shouting out at the audience to become noticed. 'Running is futile' is the fixed tagline used for the purpose of the media language. This is upon the killer's nose, subtly covering the villain's face, thus empahasising the enigmatic tone towards the audience. The three actors are also used, also coming from the 'rule of three', are there to attract the target audience and to make the poster appealing to the eye.

2 Poster Printscreen

In this printscreen I have alternated the eyes by using another photograph that I took, which involves a more sinister pair of eyes that hold a more piercing attitude. This will have an effect of luring the target audience to view the poster in more detail due to the connection between the villain and the viewer. This was a huge part of the poster, as the eyes provide the poster with life.

1Poster Printscreen

This printscreen consists of only the 1st draft of the central image. Around the chin area of the villain also includes a white mist which grazes along the poster. In this image the eyes are lazy and rigid which need to be more lively.

3 Poster Mock Up

The third poster mock up is not completed to full but provided me with a good and respectable idea of what my poster will look like. Focusing on the mock up above, consists of the title, central image, an example of a tagline and three actors names.

I have decided that the title is going to be positioned in the bottom third of this media text. The mock up contains a thick, bold ariel black typeface but for my final poster I have also explored other typefaces, such as 'Acid label' but a stronger font will be 'Face your fears'. This mock up contains an unconventional red background. This is because in photoshop the preview of the central image was in red. However, on looking back at the poster a stronger perception of a conventional horror will contain a black background with a red title. These colours will compliment each other and will produce my aim of constructing a conventional poster.

Similarly, the tagline reads 'there's no escape', expressing elements of fear relating to the horror theme. However, the second mock up contains a tagline 'Running is futile', which on the whole feels more attractive. This evident from the media language becoming more 'adult' in contrast to a simple direct meaning. 'Running is futile' will be highly considered due to its higher level of attracting the older generation, aged between 30-45 opposed to 20 year olds. The tagline is also in a sharp and thin font which was purposely designed to connote and relate to a sinister and 'knife' like structure, linking to the horror concept.

Above all, the central image is the most potent element on the poster. The idea behind the central image is a deliberate motive of hiding the villain's facial features. Simply because it creates an enigma, thus enhancing the involvement between the poster and the audience. In further detail, the central image only consists of his eyes, a part of his nose and his beard. The nose and beard are partly there to give the poster and figure some depth and volume. However, the eyes and eye brows are the main source of facial expressions, as the eyes can show how a person feels and motives. On closer inspection, the eyes appear to be still and lifeless. Due to this issue, I will use my experimental eyes of the killers to provide the poster with, yet agin more depth and emotion. Ultimately, this will involve the target audience far more since the villain will appear to be looking at the reader in an intense manner.

At the top of the poster are the three actors, 'Steve Hawk', 'Frank Jones' and 'Andy Maynard', which will engage and attract fans of these actors to watch the film. Three names are also laid on the poster to fill the poster with components relating to the film and to give a sense of direction towards the audience to have a starting place to read from.

2 Poster Mock Up

The 2nd mock involves two film actors situated at the bottom third of the poster in thick bold typeface. This white typeface will also stand out, as they covered above the image, that includes the black cloak and the brown skin tone.

The tagline is another significant component which empahasises the conventional feel of the poster. 'Running is futile' is in thin black typeface laid upon the villain's forehead. This gives the audience a direct relationship between the tagline and the killer. In further detail, the tagline shapes meaning as the media language consists of sophistication and a sense of professionalism, focusing on the word 'futile'.

'The vanishing' is located at the top of the poster, shown in a degraded font, 'acid label'. This connotes a serious, tense and death like tone, which creates a horrific theme of pain and agony that reflects the horror concept.

Overall, the main colours used are black, white and red. These three conventional colours of a horror poster compliment each other and will add to creating the poster to become appealing towards the target audience.

1 Poster Mock Up

The above image is one of my initial mock ups for my poster. Although, this mock up is fairly basic, it consist of the title, 'THE VANISHING', which is positioned roughly three quarters down the page. The reasoning is because I wanted to make the title the base of the poster, as if the title was holding up all the significant elements above it on the poster. I further evaluated this reasoning by applying red as the colour of the title. This conventional red is a relatively bold and strong shade, that connotes a series of horror aspects, such as aggression and blood. This further suggests key characteristics of the villain, suggesting he obtains the cause of death and suffering, since he is a superior figure on the poster.

The two film star names are also positioned at the top of the poster. This conventional positioning helps the layout of the poster to become more appealing to the eye. This information given to the audience can lure in them to see the film, as individuals who have seen films that they have liked with these actors will be more willing to come and see 'The vanishing'.

Poster Flat Plans

The flat plan above shows a greater look into my final design for my magazine. Here I have introduced a photograph of the villain, deliberately using only part of his profile. This adds to the enigmatic effect created by the close up mid shot which is emphasised from the black hod connoting a dark and sinister film and reflects the horror genre.
Along side the central image are the title, two taglines and the text at the bottom of the poster. This divides the poster in two halves and presents the poster in a clear way to invite audiences to acknowledge it.



This is a simpler flat plan but more effective as opposed to the first one. The reason for this is because it consists of having a clearer layout, thus creating a reader friendly appeal and therefore attracting more people to watch he film. The main feature on the poster, the central image, tagline, title and text are positioned down the middle of this media platform. This provides the poster with an act of professionalism and portrays a theme of continuity.




Here is a basic flat plan for my poster. I have deliberately placed the title of the poster at the top of the poster because my intention is to make the title on of the first elements to be identified by the audience. Below is the central image that I positioned in the middle of the poster. From my research, I have encountered many posters that attain images in the center of the layout, therefore I too positioned my central image in the middle. This has an effect of attracting the target audience, as the majority of people look at the large image first, as from my research I have found that audiences look two thirds up the page from their first glance at the poster, specifically the image.

Further Photoshop experiments

This photograph was used for experimenting on, since I labeled it as an image that can be considered for my magazine and poster. In further analysis, I chose this image because it has a superior feel of horror, mainly arising from the black hood and blank expression. However, to enhance this image I will have to apply some effects and alternate it in Photoshop.

Below is a developed image of my initial photograph. Here I used red as it reflects off the white background. However, on closer inspection I will probably not use this effect or image as it shows a weak connotation of horror, which will result in further experimenting.

I then tried only focus on the figure's face by highlighting his face in white, standing out from the alternated red cloak.

The filter of liquidised is used to create a different perspective of the image. This is water like effect was just to see what the image would look like. Although, this effect does not have strong sense of horror, by experimenting with this effect can be used for a different element in the poster or magazine, as it provide a unique touch.

Another red effect is used but on a closer look this is very similar to previous developments. This is because I am slowly inching towards an idea of the individual posing as the killer where he is only shown in a distinctive manner from hiding the villain's features from the audience. Above all, this can contribute towards an enigma being formed, having an effect of engaging the audience and adding an element of mystery linking to the horror and supernatural genre.

Below is the experiment of my initial image but consists of a very different approach compared to the other developments above. On greater accuracy on the image , I slowly began to consider other colours to create a unique and unconventional effect.

A further development of using different sources of 'light' can convey a different meaning. However, focusing on the photoshop image below, I will use all of the image as it does not contain a strong focus on a horror genre. On the other hand, I will strongly consider using some of the image, such as the villain's eyes that are a unique and abstract colour of yellow, connoting an aspect of something obtaining a predator like instincts. This tone of death will be further enforced from the hot red and oranges in the image, thus creating a tense feel.

These two images consist of the filter of Neon lighting that is used to create a different style of photograph. This is emphasised from the black background adding to the glow effect of the villain, which suggests a supernatural but mysterious feel, thus contributing to the element of uncertainty and above all fear.

Above is a developed experiment of the initial photo. Here I have kept the red preview colour as it compliments with the white, balancing the connotations of rage and anger with tranquility and purity. In further detail, I have also deliberately hidden the features of the villain to create an enigmatic tone. This will create questions through the target audience, also mirroring the horror genre from expressing signs of hidden and undiscovered elements. Ultimately, this style and idea will be strongly researched into as I do admire the effect it emits.

Photoshop experiments

Photoshop is a very useful and powerful program, where I can experiment with different photographs with alternative effects by using selective filters. However, when I decided what effects to experiment towards my two media texts, I made sure I did not choose a random filter. I carefully looked through all of the designs and selected the ones where I can relate them to the horror genre. Although, a careful selection is needed I too did experiment with a variety of effects which conveyed different impacts, expressing and improving my creativity.

Here are some experiments I produced on photoshop.

From my research I identified that posters and magazines consist of images having a significant impact, resulting from several reasons but mainly focusing of the facial expressions of a figure. This follows one of my initial photographs of a pair of eyes, showing a great deal of character and emotion. This is clearly shown from the shape of the eye brows expressing a mean, uneasy and aggressive connotation, which all reflect the horror theme.

I then opened this image on photoshop to enhance the creative flare of the photograph. In this picture below, I used a common 'adjustment', involving changing the lighting and above all, the contrast of the image. To be more exact, when applying this effect, it produced the initial black colours to become more enhanced and darker. This personified the eye brows to become a greater element in the image, especially when they began to cover the eyes of the individual. This will create a further suspicion between the audience and the photo because the eyes are slightly hidden, which makes the audience want to look further into the image, having a purpose of looking deeper into the pair of eyes.

A further experiment was then formed by using a stamp filter to create a different and unconventional theme facial expressions. Although, this is an experiment I realised that this technique is not clear enough to be situated on a front cover on a magazine or on a poster. However, red was the colour applied as it was used in the preview, which I thought worked and portrayed a convention aspect of blood, hostility and shows signs of arising from a horror background.

Photographs

I have put my photographs in a video format to add to my creativity. I created this video in Final Cut Pro, which highlighted my skill of assembling my video with a tense soundtrack of music to reflect to a horror genre. These shots are explained in the shooting schedule table.

In this video, there are six particular photos that contain some shots that may not be necessarily going to be used but have inspired an idea in me in my thought towards creating my poster and magazine. However, some shots are favoured and will be highly considered, if not for my poster or magazine, they will ass to my research and will come in use when playing with programs, such as Photoshop and Final Cut Pro to enhance my creative attributes.

Photography Planning

The photographs for my poster and magazine were initially going to be used from the filming. However, these photos were too dark and did not meet to the standard of a central image of the poster, which should be sharp,in focus and sustained at a high quality shot. Therefore, I will have to use my digital camera to take new photographs that I can use on my magazine but for now on my poster. I will also make use of the flash on my camera or flash lights, along with a torch if a shot requires it to give a different effect.