The Pitch

Group members:

Daniel, Iuri, Lizzie, Victor

Chosen genre:

Police/Crime, Thriller

Title of film:

Playing Judas

Outline of Ideas:

Tagline of film:

Think outside the law.

Basic plot synopsis:

Detective Alex Hudson has a new Chief Superintendent. When his niece, Katy, is kidnapped and he is not allowed to investigate the case, he has no choice but to go outside the law to ensure it is handled properly. Hudson finds credible evidence that incriminates a fellow colleague, Harry Shaw, but Chief Superintendent Adams is dismissive as she thinks it’s simply a personal vendetta between the two detectives.

What type of characterisation will you have?

Detective Alex Hudson: Good cop, nice guy. Loves to do his job and do his job properly.

Detective Harry Shaw: Stereotypical ‘bad cop’. Not afraid to hurt others to get to where he needs to be, and very good at his job. Everyone knows it.

Chief Superintendent Adams: Alpha female. New head of department, obviously knows what she’s doing and strict about her rules and regulations, but is untrusted by some others.

Katy: Little girl of 11-14, Detective Hudson’s niece. Looks sweet, unassuming, and gullible. Kidnapped for ransom, kicking the whole plot off.

Describe Mise En Scene to be used or any visual motifs?

We’ll need to have lots of police-related props and costumes, meaning police badges, guns and holsters, and suits. Luckily our police officers are detectives and so usually wear plainclothes, meaning we won’t have to rent or buy full police outfits, but the actors will have to wear suits. We will also need a car and a girl’s backpack to set the scene for the kidnapping.

What are your ideas about cinematography/photography?

Due to the nature of the genre, we’ll need to have lots of fast panning and tracking shots for the inevitable chase clips. We’ll have lots of close-ups to establish the main characters and emphasise the significance of things that would, in a long shot, go unnoticed. We’ll have a low-angle establishing shot of Scotland Yard near the beginning of the trailer, too, to let the audience know where they are and what the main setting is. This will also introduce the genre.

Conventions of trailers/posters/film magazines you plan to reinforce or reinvent?

Our film trailer will hold the most conventions of a police/crime, thriller film. We’ll have our story being told by voiceovers from various characters throughout the trailer, and music to accompany it that increases in volume and pace to build the trailer to a climax. We’ll also have lots of close-ups of the main characters and significant objects to draw attention to who the viewers should be paying attention to. There’ll be lots of past-paced editing, as usually seen in action-based trailers, and, at the end, we’ll try and make the title transition from the climax, as in other trailers such as Inception.

What resources will you need?

(include actors, props, costumes and settings)

We’ll need many props for our trailer in order to make the police theme feel realistic. We will have to acquire fake guns, holsters, and police badges, as well as a girl’s backpack (to mark the scene of the crime). We will need two actors to play the protagonist and antagonist, and one actress to play the Chief Superintendent. We’ll also need a Katy, a small girl, to get kidnapped. All of the police officers will have to wear suits, as, luckily, Detectives aren’t supposed to wear police uniforms, and the girl will have to wear some sort of uniform to make her age clear. We will need settings such as Scotland Yard and an office/police station interior to film the majority of the scenes at.

Justification of ideas in relation to genre and recognisable film influences, also what is your Unique Selling Point?

Our USP is our female Chief Superintendent. Little to no police/crime thriller films have female main characters and, although our main protagonist is not female, the most powerful protagonist by status is. She is the commander of the situation and she controls who goes where, much to the male protagonist’s contempt. Our case-oriented plot, however, is very typical of police/crime films, as is the police department setting.

Second Choice: Heist

Third Choice: Urban Drama

Trailer Analysis

In order to fully understand what makes a trailer a trailer, I've analysed this trailer of Sci-Fi film Ender's Game. I'm hoping it'll give me lots of clues as to what will make my trailer look more realistic. The trailer opens with a green screen from an American film rating website so viewers know immediately who the trailer (and, by extension, the film) is suitable for. The trailer opens with jolty, fast-paced action shots of fighter jets and gunshots accompanied by sounds of engines and machinery. This introduces the first theme of the film: war. Once this drops into black the voiceover begins, making it more obvious that the film is about war by the use of the words “strategies” and “weaknesses” and the interspersion between that and the engine noises. The next shot of the Earth brings forward the setting and begins to introduce the genre of the film, Sci-Fi. As the commanding voiceover continues, we see the first full face of the trailer, implying that it’s his voice. This puts him in the place of the commander and makes it clear that he will be a very important character. The short break and the Summit Entertainment film company logo create a moment of eerie quiet before the action happens. After this, the fast-paced editing continues with action shots and lots of fades to black between them. There are panning shots across skies and of the Earth, adding to the speed of the trailer even without the quick switches. The next shot lasts only a second, and the two metallic drum beats in the accompanying soundtrack are in time with the soldier’s steps on the stairs. It is strongly implied that these are the “new kind of soldier” in the voiceover.
As the trailer continues, the note that the strings in the soundtrack are playing rises in pitch, increasing the tension in the atmosphere. The voiceover continues describing the situation they are in, it ties in with the visuals again. As he says ,“One who doesn’t think the way we think,” we see a woman studying a holographic image of a brain. There is more correspondence between audio and visual in the next line, “Fear as we fear,” as the trailer shows a “new soldier” flying forwards on just a rope and spinning in mid air, displaying bravery as he supposedly completes a mission. This continues with the lines, “One the enemy,” where we see a different ship with less metal and more red – the implied enemy – and “would never expect.” After this there is a fast-forwarded zoom into the main protagonist’s face for the first time. This makes is clear to the audience who the most important person is.
Next comes the first subtitle: “Based on the worldwide best-seller,” informing the audience that it is inspired by a book and therefore widening their audience further. It is written in a silver metallic font, reinforcing the themes of war and spaceships, with a small flash of light behind it. The next few voices we hear aren’t designed to sound so much like voiceover, but rather the scenes cut into the trailer. The protagonist is told he “will be the last,” telling the viewers why he’s special and drawing attention to him. The next shot is of a rocket going up and the main character looking down on Earth from a ship. His grave face makes the audience question his loyalty to the cause at hand and whether or not he’s ready for his mission, thickening the plot further. This questioning is short-lived, however, as the next line we hear is the protagonist saying, “I’ll do everything I can to win this war,” highlighting his obedience. The subtitles return with the accreditations for the actors, because if an audience sees a good actor, they’ll know they’ll be seeing a good film.
Then more characters are introduced as we reach the climax of the trailer. The boy and the girl make eye contact and walk together, showing their friendship and unity. There is more relation between what we hear and what we see when the commander says he will be “remembered as a hero,” alongside showing a clip of the protagonist moving things and working with his hands and, possibly, his mind. This gives the illusion of superpowers and adds to his “hero” view. There is another increase in tempo and volume of the music along with an increase in the pace of the shots, speeding up as the film will. Various action scenes and space shots are cut together to add to the plot and reinforce the Sci-Fi and wartime themes. The tone of the music rises as the protagonist zooms in on a planet, piling the tension for his imminent “Now,” and the planet explodes into the title of the film, Ender’s Game, in the same font with the same beam of light behind it, this one a reminder of the light from the explosion.
Finally, there are more accreditations along with the director and actor names, along with a final release date and information on social networking links to keep viewers involved and informed. The trailer ends with the film’s website to give viewers a way of finding out more and keeping active with the film.

Website Analysis

One of the most effective forms of advertising to the masses is through the internet, and official film websites are incredibly good at reaching huge audiences. Featured is the official website of the recent Monsters University, the long-awaited sequel to Monsters Inc..

 The design style of this website is incredibly unique and entirely consuming. This film is a sequel (or, in this case, a prequel) and so recognition is very important for drawing in audiences. The gap between the first film and this second film was a shocking twelve years, and, because of the legend that is Monsters Inc., designers will have had to work to ensure that the second reaches the bar that the first set. The Monsters University website has kept the logo established in the first film – a blue “M” with eye in it – meaning the audience know exactly where they are. This website also corresponds to the themes present in the posters and trailers for the film, with lots of similar colours and images of the distinctive scenery and characters. These images, in that particular style, work with the logo to bring the viewer to the understanding of what the film is. The presentation of the film in this website is also very different to other film websites as instead of introducing viewers to the characters and plot from an external viewpoint, the Monsters University website makes the viewer feel like they are part of that world, or, perhaps, gives the exciting illusion that the fiction they’ve been watching might be a little bit real. This is especially effective when considering a main plot twist in the film where the characters have a clash with the human world. They do this by having the layout and writing style of a real university website with information about alumni, applying, clubs, and events. This makes the target audience of the website very clear: students.

The website entices its readers by creating the possibility that we are in this fantastical world as much as they are, and offers all of its student viewers a potential place in the world it’s set in. Despite this clear student audience, however, there are no links available to share it through social networking sites. This may be to keep up its appearance of being real, as having a Facebook or Pinterest logo may ruin the illusion of reality that has been so carefully set up. The balance between fact and fiction has been struck very cleverly with this website, because not only is the setting and background of the film all available in the form of a handy ‘university’ guide, but all of their university merchandise is available for purchase to further wrap the reader in their world. They even offer four-sleeved hoodies and fake options of having two collars or even up to six sleeves so buyers can even bring a little bit of monster back with them.

Case Study 1: World War Z

Over the last few days I've been analysing three very different posters used in the marketing campaign for the film World War Z. Here are the posters, and each analysis is below the corresponding poster.

This poster is clearly meant for a billboard, as is evident by the size and simplicity of the image. Those driving past wouldn’t have the time to stop and read and so the image is expressing the general plot with one clear image depicting the nature of the film. This is also why there are no credits to read. It’s also likely that the poster would be situated in Rio, as that’s the city shown – obvious by the Christ the Redeemer statue on the left side. Having the poster in the city shown not only speaks of wide marketing of a worldwide audience, but also makes the citizens feel much more included and gives a more personal feel to the issues presented, making them more likely to watch the film. The iconic Christ the Redeemer statue also introduces a sad irony to the situation; the irony of having an immortal saviour watch over a dying city. This suggests that it is beyond saving even by the most powerful. There is also symbolism in the bright yellow of the sky, as it’s shown being clouded over by smoke and the ashes of the destruction below. The lack of human focus the image has  emphasises this destruction by showing, however subtly, that the antagonist of this film has the power to overthrow major cities just like Rio.

Despite this lack of human connection, the name of the star, Brad Pitt, is still written in text almost as large as  - and even slightly clearer than – the title itself because he’s a major unique selling point (USP) for the film. The font for the “WORLD WAR” part of the title is the largest text on the poster so it can be clearly read from passers by. There is no release date on the poster, only a simple “COMING SOON”, which implies it is from early in the stages of release. This also keeps the viewers on their toes and interested as they’ll (hopefully) want to know when it will come out. All the text on the poster (barring the “Z”) is white, completely contrasting from the dark background image. The words “WORLD WAR” are white so the audience can see them clearly, but they are marred and far from implying purity. The “Z” is in a smeared red font, reminiscent of blood. Although it is unclear, it stands for the antagonist of the film: “Zombie”. It’s also the last letter in the alphabet, possibly reminding those who look more closely of the end of times, too.

 Considering the shape, orientation, and subject focus of this poster, it’s likely a poster for cinema advertising. The eye is instantly drawn to the family in the middle of the picture, and this focus of people will appeal to audiences – especially the family aspect. There is also a lot more detail on this poster than on the previous one (designed for billboards) because people standing in queues will have a lot more time to read than those driving past. The film credits and exact date of release are also included in the poster, meaning it’s likely a much more recent one.

The location of the family in this poster is easy to recognise as New York because of the high-rise buildings and the iconic (if burning) yellow taxis in the foreground. These, however, are easy to differentiate from the important part of the picture: the family. There are plenty of other people around to add to the mass chaos and destruction of the scene, including those blurred with movement in the immediate background and the stacks of people climbing over each other on the right hand side. These people are all  blurred and their colours are faded, singling out the only in-focus and fully coloured family and bringing the to the centre of attention. The personal direction of family, made more personal by their closeness and the parents’ protectiveness , brings the audience much closer to the advertisement with something they can relate to. The male lead, Brad Pitt, stands as the tallest by far, and is the only person face-on to the camera. This brings him out as the most important character and the dominant male of the story – as is reflected by his name at the top of the poster.

Similarly to the billboard poster, the sky in this picture also seems to reflect the situation: smoke from a burning building spilling out in a dark streak across an otherwise dreamy blue sky, indicating the sudden devastation that their unshakeable world is facing. The perfect blue fades to a much darker blue towards the top of the picture anyway, meaning the name “BRAD PITT” in white is still visible even without being on the dark smoke background. Again, the name is almost as large as the title of the film itself, and the letters are very far apart to emphasise his key role. The font for the title is much more solid this time, looking less scruffy and scarred and more metallic, leaving the audience to think of the connotations this holds to hard steel, cold guns, and warfare. Using the same dark background for the text means their film title can always stay relatively similar and recognisable  - especially the iconic red “Z” that looks like smeared blood, always reminding the viewer of the one prevailing theme of zombies, destruction, and massacre.

This minimalistic poster highlights the key themes of the film with one quick glance, and has no hidden details to dwindle on. It’s simplicity and lack of detail suggests a poster that people would glance at in a hurry, however the shape suggests a poster that would perhaps be found in a cinema or at a public transport station. This means the designer was likely trying to invoke curiosity amongst his audience and take a different angle to the other posters they may have seen. The monochrome theme is bland, hopeless, and immediately introduces the bleak, dystopian themes. It also means that viewers’ eyes are very quickly drawn to the biggest and most important parts of the poster: the picture and the bright red “Z” that stands out in contrast to the colourless background. This, through means of other, more common posters, has become part of the film’s iconography, and it is coming into play even when placed on a simple poster like the one featured. Audiences that are familiar with the themes would already know about the fire and destruction and familial side of the story, and this poster takes the opportunity to show the plot in a different light – quite literally. The only other colour given is shading to let the audience see that it’s a pile of cars being climbed, and this reinforces the abandonment and carelessness in the picture. It allows us to see that the people in the picture are climbing atop each other and grabbing onto a helicopter, making it clear that any thoughts they had for their own wellbeing have been disregarded, once again bringing the chaos back to the foreground.

The shape in the silhouette perhaps even reflects the way the story progresses, slowly becoming a problem and then gradually building up and becoming messier and messier until it reaches a point of no return. The helicopter at the top reflects the themes of warfare told in the title of the film and also in the style of the font, as “WORLD WAR” is written, again, in metallic silver on the black background.

The name of the male lead, though not even pictured on the poster himself, is still written along the top of the poster to attract more viewers. His name is very clear, though this time it is reversed. Often his name is in white on a black background, but in this image, monochrome and the complete opposite of the bright and fire-like colours of the last posters, his name is in black on a white background. The white space around the main image suggests isolation, and that there is nothing except the mess in the middle. It gets the audience to think that maybe there really is nothing there, maybe past the chaos really is just that: white space.

Hello!

Hi, all. My name's Lizzie, I'm a Leo, and this is my A2 Media Studies portfolio. My group and I will be working on a promotional package for a film which we haven't quite thought up yet, but luckily there's lots to do before we even start thinking about the genre, let alone camera angles, so let's get started and have a look at the first task on my list: taking a beautiful picture of myself to say a real hello.

Perfect.

I'm Lizzie and this is me. It's lovely to meet you. Now let's get cracking.