Magazine analysis:

Magazine analysis:

The Masthead (title of the magazine) I have chosen to analyse is ‘EMPIRE’ they are a well known film magazine and offer advertisement to film companies to advertise there campaign. The masthead is always in the same font, but the housesyle of the magazine changes to fit the needs of each film. E.g. the colours are red and grey on this cover to promote ‘inception’ so the cover relates to the overall theme.

The Main image used on this cover is most likely taken from a shot in the film, or a photograph still taken for promotion purposes. it is of a main character which is very familiar to the film world. He is known and trusted in what he does so this makes the audience want to watch the film as they know what they can expect from him. Also the iconography used in the main image is strong for the thriller genre. There is a gun in the characters right hand pointing to the floor, also the characters clothes are smart and professional looking, which could connote that he is good at what he does; a cool professional. The main image is overlapped by main cover lines and a pug. Which are all in the theme of red and grey. Red symbolises danger and death which connotes that the film will contain all this and fit the thriller genre.

The Cover lines are pulling inwards towards the character like the visual style of inception. the cover lines show basic information about what's included in the magazine, most of the cover lines on this cover have no exact relationship with the film. E.g. no interview with the main actor etc. but they are about films of the same genre so they can connect to the film in some way.

The Main cover line on the cover is the name of the film, it is in red and the font used is the one on the film posters and DVD cover. It is again in a red colour to symbolise danger and is positioned in the centre, right next to the mans chest. This could connote that he may get shot in the chest?

The Website link is printed on the cover to promote another media platform for the readers of the magazine to use, it enables them to access information which the magazine cannot show, e.g. videos, trailers, interviews etc.

There is a Tagline from another film ‘the dark night returns” this may be there to give readers a hint of what may be in the next issue, this also is a way of keeping the readers interested in the film to promote and get them excited about what's to come.

 

Using different forms of media to promote a film is good to get the information out to all types of people who use and read different types of media, e.g. if interactive from the website, or prefer to buy a magazine and read. it helps to get across the house style of the film, what to expexct and to get excited over.

Magaziene Forms and Conventions

Dead Silence Poster Analysis 

The main picture in the poster is of a puppet pulling a silence face which connects to the title of the film “dead silence” The puppet is the only image on the poster; there are no other visible characters and information given through it. The puppets eyes are green which shows jealousy and envy. Also the black background symbolises dark and death, also the unknown.

The Title on the poster is spaced and looks like it has movement through the text. Also it reminds me of vibrations when a loud noise is played fast and out of the blue. In this case it could be the screams of the victims.

The tag line ‘you scream you die’ is strong because screaming is natural and is typical of what you do when your scared, it is something everyone can relate to as well.  The poster is telling you to do something unnatural so does this mean that the puppet will be as well?

All that is said about the release date is that it is ‘coming soon’ so they are not giving much information away about the dates on the poster, they will most likely show this on the trailers or further on into the campaign. Also there is the link to the website printed on the poster, this is good because the film will be advertising on many different platforms and more information can be given to audiences through many different ways.



 

Shoot ‘Em Up Poster Analysis

The man in the main picture centre of the poster could be seen as the main character as he is the is shown as the biggest in the  photo and is holding the guns in the position of opening fire. The picture connotes that he could be about to shoot or has shot someone in the film.

The tag line “no name, no past, nothing to loose. Is very strong and is hilighting that the man has no fear of dyeing or he has lost something e.g. his family and he is killing for them to get some payback.  The other characters in the poster are a woman standing in a seductive pose in the background. She is wearing a pink jacket and has a well polished appearance. Which could show that she is the mans partner and acting like the ‘femme fatale’ women which is typical for the thriller genre

The background image looks like an urban setting, which is typical of the ‘action thriller’ sub genre, there are cars on the road but no people. This may be because of the gun shooting so they have run, or the fact that all the action happens at night so there are less witnesses etc. the colours of the setting are gray and dull also a misty/blur effect, light blue and white also black are also used. This is the typical colours of an urban setting (backstreets) at night. The other colours used in the poster are very dark, the only colour really used which stands out is the purple on the coat which the woman is wearing  which could be because the woman is meant to stand out in some way..

The other man in the poster looks like he is trying to kill the main character, he is holding a gun up as if he is looking to find him and shoot. Is he the main mans backup or enemy?

The main text (title)  is in the same angle as the man. “shoot ‘em up” connotes there is more than one person that needs to be shot. The fact that the man has two guns could show this as well. Also the other characters in the background could be the people he is going to shoot or something happen to them.  Also the way the title connects to the main also could connote that he is the main character and will be pulling the trigger.

All these things in the poster all connect to make a thriller genre, the Guns are classic thriller iconography. Also shown in an ‘action’ pose and low angle makes him appear more dramatic and the “femme fatale’ type women that are shown

Forms and Conventions of a Film Poster

Campaign Effectiveness;

Before a film is ready to be released. there are somethings which the "team" creating the film will do to promote it, and get it out to there audiences. This is called a campaign. to do this different materials will be used to promote the film such as posters, trailers, an advert in a magazine etc.

Taken is a film i enjoyed watching and i believe  have a good advertising campaign and which is very effective. 

(taken from: http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=40050)

Plot Summary: Liam Nelson stars in this action-packed international thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. When his estranged daughter is kidnapped in Paris, a former spy (Neeson) sets out to find her at any cost. Relying on his special skills, he tracks down the ruthless gang that abducted her and launches a one-man war to bring them to justice and rescue his daughter. 


Poster: 

This is one of the teaser posters which the film has produced and it is very strong and stands as one. its is very obvious that the film is going to be an action thriller because of the colour and the iconography in the poster. there is a man in a suit holding a gun which is typical of a thriller and puts me in mind of James bond which is a typical thriller hero. Being male and arround the 50+ age range, he is serious about his buisness and he has his collar open to show he is getting down to buisness. The colours are typical of the thriller environment of a dark and urban area. there is no  vibrent colour in the poster they are dull mascaline colours such as black, grey, silver which could be a feeling of the film, of no hope or happiness creating a appropirate thriller mood.

Teaser Trailer :

Like the poster, the trailer is baced arround the character of liam nelson character and established him as the centre of all the action.  This trailer shows the basic outline of the film, showing the plot and introducing the characters which we are going to see in the theatrical trailer and the main film. the clips are very fast which is typical and focus on the main points are shown. The colours are dull like in the film poster so the film has a sort of house style which it is keeping to. It uses the typical trailer forms and conventions in the teaser trailer such as fast cutting, there is a lot of this from the "high adrenaline action" effect used as this gets as much information across and shows the audience what they need to see, also it creates the atmosphere of the tense scary environment. Also the trailer uses a heavy emphasis on close ups, this is to make the audience aware of parts of it. e.g. the close up of the girl (daughter)  this gives audience members something important imagery to remember and relate to, this will also make them look out for the part in the main film awaiting an outcome.

Theatrical Trailer: 

This is the theatrical trailer which shows a lot more of the film and develops on the ideas shown in the teaser, it gives the audience the information to fill in the parts of the film they want to know about and get them more excite about viewing it. It also contains the black and grey style and the typical thriller genre with all the action and typical iconography weapons "guns" etc. the trailer is exciting and well worth watching before the actual film to get an idea and a greater understanding of it. 

The forms and conventions used in the theatrical trailer are  fast cutting is used again in the same points in the teaser trailer and the high Adrenaline and action parts of the film. Based on the idea that every shot is there for a reason, shots are held longer and more information and detail is shown to the audience. New characters are brought into the plot and we can see it develop and understand who we as the audience hould be supporting and "cheering on".

The main focus is on the dramatic high points and all the action, with a basic outline of the plot. Guns, fights and typical thriller iconography are used. Massive stunts are used and short clips are shown. No release dates are in the trailer which keeps the audience waiting and excited about the main film.

overall i would say that the campaign of the film could have been more interesting, there could have been a magazine cover like some films use such as "Empire" and the joker film, they offer more platforms which the film can be advertised on to make more awareness and spread the news about the new film. 

Trailer Analysis;

Trailers come under two headings; these are “teaser trailers” and “theatrical trailers”. The teaser trailer will be released months before a film and will be played at the cinema to audiences during the advertisements, It usually is about 30 – 60 seconds long. Where as a theatrical trailer promotes the film and shows a lot more information and shots, and shows alot more of the action which is in the film. A theatrical trailer will be much longer around 3 minutes and will give the audience an overview of what they can expect from the film. also it may contain the film release dates and other details. A theatrical trailer will most likley use the 3 act structure which consists of;

1)  the first being it lays out the premise of the story (outline of people, there background etc)
2)  part is where second the story drives further and usually ends in a dramatic climax, with explosions, death, car chase etc.
3) Finally the third part often consists of a visual montage of emotional and powerful shots and emotional moments of the film and also may contain cast details.

An example of this is Paranormal Activity 3. It has a teaser trailer and a theatrical trailer which are typical of a mainstream film and the theatrical trailer is  longer than the teaser which is the normal size for both trailers.  Below are the trailers to show the difference in length and the understanding of the film each trailer gives. 

Teaser Trailer

           Theatrical Trailer

The simualrities between these 2 are that some of the clips are used in both videos and the same information is given to the audience, but in the theatrical trailer it is more in depth and we as audience get more time to view each clip and put together what we think each the idea/plot of the film would be.

next we see the second part of the trailer which shows ranges of different clips containing "paranormal activity" and the key high dramatic points in the film.  linking the story together and dramatic endings and high points of suspence are shown to get the audience excited and follow the 3 act convention.

Another similar point is the soundtrack used, the same rustled and "interference" music is used in both clips and same effects (slow motion, hand held camera etc). but both of the trailers show the "bloody Mary" clip which must mean it is an important part of the film and one of the main parts of activity. also it could relate to the audience and play on there minds. 

captions are used in both trailers and are of a white text on a black background. which connotes the darkness of the night and what could be happening. the voice over in the trailer is of the dad who is on the other side of the video camera. this helps to create the "home movie" effect like films such as "rec" etc.

The theatrical trailer gives the details of the films release and makes sure the audience know when this is so people will go and watch. 

Thriller Trailer forms and conventions;

Characteristics of Thrillers;

Characteristics of Thrillers; 

(some of the information was taken from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(genre) alongside my own personal response)

Setting, characters and story; A creepy atmosphere where there is sudden violence and murder, most of the films are fast paced and there is a lot of adrenaline, thrillers usually set the scene of being dark, corrupt, and dangerous. Thrillers include people such as stalkers, assassins and criminals but there are many other thrillers which do not include these types of people. Some use the government etc. some of the characters found in thrillers are innocent victims (often running away) menaced women, characters with dark pasts and troubles that follow them. Terrorists and cops also escaped prisoner and just all round nut jobs. Thrillers are most likely to be set in an urban setting/ big cities, such as Leon ert. Heroes are traditionally men but women leading characters have been increasingly common.
Thriller and mystery; thrillers contain exciting and mystery stories which often overlap but they are distinguished by their plots. In a thriller a hero must be a hero and save someone or kill something and end the violence. The audience know more than the people in the thriller getting the audience on the mystery and making them anxious and they get the “thrill”.

Target audience

(Some of the information was taken from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(genre) alongside my own personal response)

The target audience of thriller as a genre can vary; this is because many of the thriller films contain some sort of sub genre which can appeal to many different people and target audiences. The target audience for mainstream thrillers would be for male and female aged 15+ this is because the ratings on most films are 15 and over. The action and gangster thrillers would be more aimed at the males because of the imagery in them e.g. the guns, fighting, fast cars etc. whereas the erotic, disaster and comedy thrillers will be more aimed at the women who watch them. The thrillers rated 18 would be more aimed at the middle aged men, because it will be more graphic and more appealing to their age group and interests. also thrillers base themself on the more matrue themes to meet the age range of 18+ which are usually more complex and makes the audience think more, this is targeted for the 18+ becuase you will need some experience of life to understand the film.

Themes; 

The themes of thrillers is and are the big ideas that develop around Paranoia, Revenge, Conspiracies, Unsolved mysteries, Murder, Hostage Etc.  Each thriller can have a different theme which makes them interesting and people who watch thrillers may have a favourite theme e.g. a disaster thriller such as 2012, in my opinion, the theme of conspiracies and murder and hostage are what makes me enjoy thrillers, the suspense they create when watching. Also that awkward *cover eyes moment* which makes the film worthwhile. Paranormal activity is a good example of a thriller/horror and paranormal theme. It’s good at getting the scary atmosphere across and creating the suspense needed to thrill the audience.

Narrative; 

 the narrative is the story of the film. This will involve the plot and how the story line develops and creates suspense and the main story elements. Such as the shoots outs and maybe a car chase etc. 

the narrative is a complex twist where two stories could be going on at once, it is the key story elements such as tracking a killer, fights etc.     The Long Kiss Goodnight is a good example of narrative as the use of action in the trailer and how it develops, there is a car chase, gun shooting, explosions and an unknown identity so this trailer can 100% fit into the thriller genre. 

Setting; 

The setting of a film is the time and place in the film. E.g. where the film is set and what time. For a typical thriller it is most likely in a urban area and usually set at night. Setting includes the time, location, and everything in which a story takes place, and indicates the main backdrop and mood for a story. The characters used in thrillers are the people you would expect to see in this type of setting and time of the day.    The film "Taken" is a good example of setting, as it is very typical of the thriller genre. It is set in an urban area in dark places, most of the film is set at night which is typical for the thriller trailer and all of the action takes place at night also 

Iconography: 

Iconography is the visual elements that are used in the films. E.g. In a thriller there will be n expected amount of blood, also props such as guns knifes etc. Also fast cars, people that use a lot of money. Also drugs etc. Technical gadgets and urban clothing (usually dark colours and tough).       Enemy of the state shows iconography well as in the film there is allot of technology used. Little gadgets and guns as one of the characters turns into a spy, high tech gadgets are typical of thrillers based on the conspiracy idea of you are always being watched.  

Audio Visual Style; 

The audio visual style is the use of camera work in the film. E.g. the shots close up, mid shot. Also the use of a canted angle when something is going to happen or go wrong.  Also the use of editing and the use of sound e.g. dramatic fast passed music and special effects (SPX) e.g. Jurassic park, This film has good use of audio visual style, a range of shots are shown through different speeds, angles etc. The typical Jurassic park music is well known and used throughout each film, also the special effects used of the realistic dinosaur against the actor.

Characters; 

the characters that are in a typical thriller genre are the heroes. Villains and victims.  The victims are innocent and venerable in the films. The women in the films are usually seductive women "femme fatal".  There are assassins, hit men, detectives, special agents, also the criminals, psychotic killers and gangsters.  <!--[endif]-->

These are the characters that are usually seen in the thriller genre and this is a typical trailer of characters in a teen thriller. This means that they will be killed of one by one. Also the "sex equals death" rule comes into teen films as that is what they are based around. 

Thriller Research

   Thriller definition:

(Definition of thriller was taken and adapted and changes to what I believe the definition was from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(genre))

Thriller: is a genre, of film, video games, and TV programs that uses suspense and tension to create a dramatic, high adrenalin viewing experience.  A normal thriller will have the audience hanging on the edge of their seats watching in anticipation for what will happen to the characters in the film. Plots of the thriller genre often include conflict different groups fighting for money, drugs, etc and the setting including the urban/built up areas. Many thrillers run unto sub genres which include action thriller with films such as Leon and American gangster. 

Leon trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcsirofJrlM

American Gangster trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPn--lZlk5w

                                                                Characteristics of thrillers:

(Some of the information was taken from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(genre) alongside my own personal response.)

 Setting characters and story; a creepy atmosphere where there is sudden violence and murder, most of the films are fast paced and there is a lot of adrenaline, thrillers usually set the scene of being dark, corrupt, and dangerous. Thrillers include people such as stalkers, assassins and criminals but there are many other thrillers which do not include these types of people. Some use the government etc. some of the characters found in thrillers are innocent victims (often running away) menaced women, characters with dark pasts and troubles that follow them. Terrorists and cops also escaped prisoner and just all round nut jobs. Thrillers are most likely to be set in urban setting/big cities where all the action of the film will take place, heroes are traditionally men but women leading characters have been increasingly common in the genre.

Thriller and mystery; thrillers contain exciting and mystery stories which often overlap but they are distinguished by their plots. In a thriller a hero must be a hero and save someone or kill someone to become that hero character also end the violence. The audience often seem to know more about the plot than the characters in the thriller which gets the audience on the mystery and making them anxious and creating that “thrill” that we all expect.

Thriller films – (including sub genre’s)  I have viewed 

                                                                  Rec – horror thriller

Prom night – horror thriller

 Devil – horror thriller

 Hide and seek- horror thriller

 Snakes on a plane- horror thriller

Misery – horror thriller

House of wax – horror thriller

The exorcist – horror thriller

 A night mare on Elm Street – horror thriller

Carrie – horror thriller

Mission impossible 1 – action thriller

Mission impossible 2 – action thriller

Mission impossible 3 – action thriller

 The fast and the furious – action thriller

Too fast to furious- action thriller

Casino royal- action thriller

Taken- action thriller

 Harry brown – action thriller

Leon – action thriller

American gangster – action thriller

 Long kiss goodnight- action thriller

2000AD – action thriller

 House of the dead- action thriller

 Buried – conspiracy thriller –

 The beach- conspiracy thriller

 Enemy of the state- conspiracy thriller

Law abiding citizen – conspiracy thriller

Shutter Island- physiological thriller

What lies beneath! – Physiological thriller 

 The eye – physiological thriller

The cell - physiological thriller

Signs - physiological thriller

Dark water- physiological thriller

Hannibal rising - physiological thriller

Jurassic park – sci-fi thriller

 Alien vs. predator - sci-fi thriller

Alien – sci-fi thriller

The kindergarten cop – comedy thriller

 Teeth – comedy thriller