Teacher's feedback

Further interview questions?

What time of the year would you like the film to be released?

Nearing the time of halloween as this genre fits in nicely with this theme.

Where do you expect to see a film poster advertised?

In town centres where most people visit at some point to attract the largest audience possible.

Conclusion of my findings

I now have more of an idea what to include in my posters such as colours and images. I now have an idea what release date to include and also an idea of where it can be advertised. This has also give me a view of what a particular audience wants from this type of media text.

Regulatory body of film

They watch films all of the way through and then give it an age rating according to their classification guidelines. Particularly normally two examiners watch the film and then agree on the age, however if they do not agree they involve other members such as the board, director and presidential team. Occasionally legal advice is needed.They look at issues such as discrimination, drugs, horror, language, nudity, sex and violence when making decisions. Age ranges differ for DVD and Blu-Ray as t is more likely to be viewed by underage viewers.

Interviewing a member of the target audience.

What do you like about the horror genre?

The thrill of wanting to be shocked

What colours do you think should be used on a poster of this genre?

Black and Red

Do you prefer paranormal horror or there to be a deranged killer?

Both, they both offer different background stories.

Do you like gory films?

Yes, but not so that it makes me feel physically sick.

What do you think it would be best for the main image of a poster to consist of ?

A disturbing face or image.

Target Audience

The demographic audience for this poster would be males between the ages of 18 to 25,who are middle class and live in a rural area. The psychographic would be males who are interested or a fan of the horror genre. Although the main audience is males it can also attract females who are also in this age range and are fans of the horror genre. 

Rating and restrictions.

Movie ratings provide parents with advance information about the content of movies to help them determine what’s appropriate for their children.  This helps the parents as they  know best children’s individual sensitivities. Ratings are assigned by a board of parents who consider factors such as violence, sex, language and drug use and then assign a rating they believe the majority of  parents would give a movie.

However it is not only film that get rate restriction, for example adverts are only shown on certain channels, and posters can only be shown in certain places for example an 18 rated wont be displayed in a school.

Ownership & Production.

Main production companies of films include Walt Disney, Sony and Time Warner. However Sony and Time Warner are both conglomerate whereas Walt Disney is a stand alone company. The larger the company the more money it will be able to put into the film, such as special effects and well known actors, this will attract more viewers as it will be more fun and exciting to watch. This would effect the posters as famous actors usually have a more profound image of them on the poster. Smaller more independent films can't include these things so wont look as attractive to a potential audience. It is important for films to include conglomerates as it is very risky as they are so expensive to make and the income from them depends entirely on ticket and DVD sales. Unlike food and drink if someone likes your product you can't withdraw it. ASA include a code of practise which they enforce for all advertisements to follow. Not to show images that are deemed inappropriate or offensive. Make sure that the advertisement is displayed in the appropriate place, time or channel in order to prevent children from seeing things that they are not supposed to witness. If anyone takes offence or finds a particular advert inappropriate they can file a complaint. ASA then investigate this advert and if the complaint is legit they have to withdraw that advert.  

Final decisions

After analysing existing products to do with horror posters I have come to the conclusion of doing 3 different posters attracting different audiences. I have done this as I have found out that teaser posters do not contain enough for me to just produce two posters.

Analysis of a different genre.

Analysis of colour.

 Spider man is made up of primary colours such as red and blue which shows that he is the hero another example of this is superman. Whereas the other character is wearing more sinister colours such as deep blues and black this shows that he is the villain and will be the one spiderman has to face. The dark gloomy version of New York which we see shows to us that there is tough times to come for our hero during this film as the setting is more suited to the villain.

Image analysis.

On the poster we see our hero and villain coming face to face which shows that the main part of the film will be a show down between these two characters. The fact that the poster includes the empire state building shows us that it is set in new york and in also used to create symmetry as it is directly between the two characters.

Text

The text no more secrets might suggest to us that spiderman might not be the saint we see him to be and might have something bad to hide from us. The name of the film and release date in order to give the audience it needs for now. However it does not include a billing block to keep the audience intrigued and guessing.

Layout analysis

The main image is the main part of this poster to make it eye catching and more interesting to look at rather than a page full of text. The important information is located at the bottom of the poster so it is remembered because it will be the last thing you look at. 

Theatrical poster analysis. 

Colour analysis.

 The colours used are all dull and desaturated, this creates a eerie and gloomy feel to the poster. The blackness of the tree is in contrast to the white foggy background behind it. This suggests to us that this tree has a very sinister history which is supported by the noose attached to it and also the shadow below of who we predict is a past victim. Also the misty white colour suggests of an unknown evil inside the house in the background.

Image analysis.

The fact that the tree is lent over and contains no leaves adds to sinisterness of this scene as if it was living and vibrant it wouldn't have the same affect. The noose also has connotations of death and suffering which we associate with the horror genre. The shadow below looks to be of a child who is female, children are often used in the horror film genre. The whole scene is what we would typically associate with this genre a secluded house located in the woods where there is no where to run and no where to hide from the evil within.

Text analysis. 

At the top of the poster other popular films of this genre are included and it states this film is directed by the same people as those. This would be in order to build up the film and suggest that it will be as good as the others. A billing block is included also in order to creates a greater amount of anticipation by announcing who will star in the film. The release date is given for people to know when to go and see the movie. The name of the film is displayed in large font with a smaller heading underneath for effect in order to create a more sinister and horror effect. The name is in such large font to make it stand out and to make sure that the consumer remembers the film. 

Layout analysis.

The poster is mainly covered by the main image which is used to clearly show the film genre and to grab the consumers attention. It includes a billing block which is a feature of this kind of poster. The title of the film is clearly displayed at the top of the page in order for it to stand out and be rememberable. The release date is at the bottom of the poster so it is the last thing you read so you will remember the date.

Layout

The mask is large and is in the centre of the page. This directs our attention to it and we also recognise it as a famous image from the horror genre. Also the poster does not include a lot of information on it this is done deliberately to tantalise the audience. There is also an absence of a billing block which is a key feature of a teaser poster to create even more suspense as to who will be starring in the film.

Teaser poster research.

Colour scheme
This teaser poster follows the general colour scheme which you would expect of the horror genre. It includes red text which connotes things such as blood and death, which we associate with being apart of the film. The text is this colour in order to make the important information stand out to us as we think of these connotations of blood and death. Also the colour white is contrasted to the black background, this makes the mask stand out of the poster and creates a sinister image.
Image analysis 
The image is a well known mask probably the most well known to this specific genre, so immediately the audience can tell what the film is, and draw their attention to the poster in order to get further information. Also the chin is in the shape of a knife which adds to how sinister the image looks and links to the horror genre as it connotes murder and torture.

Text

There is a lack of text in order to tease the audience, but there is enough in order to keep them interested. There is a slogan at the top of the page that will create different ideas of what the film will include in their mind. The title of the film is in large text in order to make this stand out to the audience. The 4 is in red in order to separate it from the rest of the text this is to clearly highlight to the audience it is the next film in the series.

How I will conduct my research.
I will study existing printed media texts that are relevant to the horror genre. I will get a wide variety of texts in order to determine which I will produce myself. In the existing products I will look for current trends and what each one needs to include. I will also look at other products similar to mine but of another genre to identify differences between the two.

Narrowing the target audience.
The audience that the horror genre would  most likely target  would be people of the ages of 15-25 years old. These people are more likely to enjoy the thrill and anticipation that this genre provides. So this is the audience I will target my printed media texts towards.

Target audience
 For my media products I am thinking of doing a horror genre, the target audience would be teenagers up to any age who enjoy this type of film. Whereas if I did a game cover the target audience would generally be up to the age of 40 who once again enjoy the genre of horror.

Initial thoughts
For my media product i am thinking about doing several different printed texts on a movie that i will make up myself. For this movie i am thinking of doing a  teaser poster,theatrical  poster, a DVD cover and a game cover linked to this film. I will select three of these once i have decided which are the best to do.