Poster Feedback

After producing our film poster, I then wanted to ask audiences what they thought of it.

• "It doesn't give much information about the film.   When and where is it going to be shown?  Audiences need to know this. " - Maria Stone
• "The text at the bottom of the page isn't very clear - thats the only negative thing I can think of!" - Jack Johnson

From the experimental film posters we found, like the image below, we found that most advertised the product and director.  Not many showed the time/date/venue of the showing.  We based our ideas on the poster below, because we did not want to follow the conventions of a saturated release, such as the Hunger Games (Poster shown below).

Experimental Film poster - Harlem 16                                          Saturated release - The Hunger Games

Jack, thought that the font used at the bottom of the poster was too hard to see.  From this feedback I went back and changed the size and colour so that it stands out from the background.  Here is the before and after the changes we made from our audience feedback.

Before....

After....

From Jack's feedback we improved our poster greatly, and made the text stand out more from the background.  This change was important so that the audience can read the text underneath the picture.  

Sight and Sound Info/Review Page analysis

Sight and Sound Background

Sight and Sound is a British monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute.  It was first published in 1932 and in 1934 management was handed over to the BFI.  The magazine is currently edited by Nick James.  The magazine reviews all film releases each month, including films with a limited (art house) release, as opposed to most film magazines which concentrate on films with a saturated release.  This would be perfect for our short film because it is an experimental, art house film.  It also offers the full cast an crew list on each reviewed film, and as new directors to the film world, we would need the promotion through this cast/crew list.  

Before creating our review page, I wanted to break down the structure of a Sight and Sound article to find what conventions I needed to follow when creating our review page.  We felt that we did not need to challenge these conventions because readers of a monthly magazine expect a certain standard each month they purchase the magazine.  

I have created a diagram beneath showing the break down of a Sight and Sound review page....

1)   Image – usually introduces new talent or the main character of a film.  In our film, because we do not have linear characters, we need to suggest the bokeh technique and the genre of our film.

2)  Title - Isn't usually the title of the film in Sight and Sound.  Writer creates a slogan that sums up the genre of the film

3)  Image description - lets the audience know whose in the image.  Usually has either a positive/negative thing to say about the actor/actress playing the role

4)  Main text - I was quite surprised to see that the text was not justified.  I thought that magazine articles were usually justified so that they looked more professional.  When creating our review page I will justify the text because it is easier for readers to read and it will look professional and slick.  I will use the same font as I used in the poster and film title, so that all our products are visually linked. 

5)  Film information - here the article has placed film information such as certificate, director name and all the different features.  

6)  Article sub-heading - introduces the tone of the article, whether it be positive, negative or mocking.  Audiences know what tone of writing the author will have from this heading.  

7)  Banner at the top of page - audiences know which section of the magazine the film comes under from this section.  Our film will come under "Short Film".

8)  Article type - audience know whether this review is a feature from this title - the title given to this review is "close-up"  this implies that more information will be given to the audience about the film.  

When creating our review page I followed all of these conventions.  

Review Analysis

Sight & Sound Review Analysis

I decided to look at the reviews in Sight and Sound.  Above is an example of one of their reviews.  

Starting with the colour scheme, they have decided to use only three colours within their layout - red, black and white.  This simplistic colour scheme does not draw attention away from the text or from the image, and is easy and clear for the reader.  

When reading the review I was surprised to find that the writer wasn't impressed with the film and he portrayed this through his language.  Personally, before reading this review, I thought writers had to be positive about the films they were reviewing.  The writer constantly implies that 50-cent has been lazy during the production, and compares him to the hard work of Eminem.  The language is also very professional, and his writing is like that of an industry professional.  

From the simple layout, and the critical and intellectual language used, we can tell that this review is for students and people who are experienced within the film industry.  Although he is very critical of the film, within his first sentence he sums up the theme and genre of the film he is reviewing, explains his opinions of the film and efforts of productions and then concludes with his overall strongest opinion.  

I like the simplistic choices of the layout of the review.  The choice not to use too many colours and different fonts makes it easy for the audience to read the review, and focus on what is being said.  The image used is a screenshot showing the two main characters within the film and the characters that the review mentions.

The FilmMaker

If we were to distribute our film online, it would be easier to link our film using hyperlinks or embedding.  When researching magazine reviews, I also found this online review page.  It is called the "FilmMaker" and it focuses on independent films.  Because our film will be distributed online through vimeo and youtube, an online review would be perfect for our audience.  This is because a hyperlink would be easier for our audience to access our film.  This system would be much quicker and cheaper for audiences to find and watch our film.  

Final Poster

From Jack Johnson's feedback, we decided to make the font colour white, so that readers will be able to see the font from the background.  

This poster will appear within experimental film magazines such as Sight and Sound.  Most magazines have poster advertisements within their copies.  This poster will take up either half a page or a full page.  Usually they are at the beginning of the magazine or the end on the opposite sides of the outer pages, or they are used as separators to separate different sections of the magazines.  

Our poster will also appear in small, independent urban cinemas, such as the Astor Theatre, Deal,  that show more niche films rather than saturated releases in their film club nights.  It will also be placed in community centres that the film will be shown at.  

Our film will appear in film festivals around the area, such as the Kent International Film Festival, so posters will advertise this event using the our poster image.  Our poster will be placed around the area on bus stops and noticeboards so audience members know when they can see our film.  

Film Distribution, Vimeo and Funding

What is a film distributer?
"A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for releasing films to the public either theatrically or for home viewing (DVD, Video-On-Demand, Download, Television programs through broadcast syndication etc.). A distributor may do this directly (if the distributor owns the theaters or film distribution networks) or through theatrical exhibitors and other sub-distributors." - Wikipedia

Most of the films that we have come across when researching the bokeh technique have not been distributed through a film distributer, but have been uploaded straight onto youtube or vimeo.

Vimeo would be perfect for our project because most experimental film directors post their films onto this site.  Audiences go onto vimeo because they expect a vast majority of films to be of this caliber.  Youtube is known for its vloggers and music channels, whereas vimeo is known for its broad film interest.  Short films are commonly put onto vimeo, with a wide audience of film critics and film enthusiasts.  This is why vimeo is a perfect platform of distribution.

However if we were to distribute our film through a film distributer we would most likely use Dazzle Film

"We are dazzle, the UK's hottest independent short film label, handles the exclusive distribution, exhibition and sales rights for a selective catalogue of award-winning, critically acclaimed UK and international titles. From 90-second, digital micro-movies to super-35mm masterpieces, dazzle's bijou short film collection is often provocative, always original and sure to inspire."  DazzleFilm


Dazzle Films then distribute films to the likes of Channel 4.  


This would be a perfect distribution company because the films are original, unique and are inspirational.  Our film will inspire others to try the bokeh technique and to find their own originality with the technique.  Our film is provocative because it challenges and experiments the conventions of commercial cinema.  

Funding?

"The Film Fund is the production and development heart of the British Film Institute.  We support filmmakers in the UK who are emerging or world class and capable of creating distinctive and entertaining work. We have £18 million a year to invest across the development, production and completion of feature films. Being supported by the British Film Institute means more than just being given funding. It means that your project can be assisted at every step of the journey by our team, who can offer advice and practical help with many aspects of developing and producing your film." BFI Funding
 

Because of the projects background, our film qualifies for the funding from the BFI.  In order for BFI to offer funding, films need to pass the cultural test with a score of 16/31.  They can achieve points by having a British location, cast, director, crew or writer.  All of which our project has.   Most of the money given would go to the marketing and distribution in order for our film to have a broad audience.  We would seek help for the BFI (British Film Institution).

Poster designs

Poster Idea One

I based this idea on the Martha Marcy May Marlene (M) poster.  Instead of using one main image, like the original M poster, I decided to use more than one, and use a different image for each letter.  I thought this would introduce our film more to the audience.

I don't like the colours of the background.  I do not think that white was the correct colour to use.  Instead of making the poster look slick, the blurred edges and the font make it seem like a childs film.

Poster Idea Two

When planning our film, myself and Jess went and took some bokeh still images.  When looking through these photos I came across this one.  I liked the different colours used, and how eye-catching it was.  I then took the title of the film onto the poster.  I like the sleekness of the poster, and although it is simplistic in its design, I think audiences would be intrigued by this image, and it suggests the artistic style of our film.

However, I don't think this poster shows the amount of work that has gone into our film.  This poster was very easy and quick to make.  The stencils used to make the words/symbols took hours to make.  I therefor do not think this is the best image to use when promoting our film.

Poster Idea Three

Jess then suggested that I take the image from the previous poster and combine it with the concept of poster 1.  Instead of having a white background though, I changed it to a dark grey.  I felt this colour brought out the colours of the lights, and also made it look very slick and smart.  

I didn't feel, however, that the image used introduces the audience to the entire techniques or concept of our film.  

Poster Idea Four

From poster three I then decided to go back to the original idea from poster 1.  I used the strongest images from our film and placed the different images behind each image.  I like how the grey background brings out the colours much better than the white background.  The text used is clear and easy to understand, yet doesn't draw attention from the image and title.  The images used show our audience the concept and techniques used within our film, such as the stars and the person.  It introduces the audience to the bokeh technique, and it intrigues them to find out more about our film.  

Final film/Feedback from Target Audience

Feedback on final Film.....

"I found the final product very mesmerising and visually appealing. The use of sound was also effective and fitted the imagery well. I really enjoyed watching your product and think that you've created a production to be proud of." - Hannah Louise Emery, 17.

"I thought that the product itself was of a very high qualty and was visually appealing. Not only were the visuals of a great quality, the audio was of the same calibre!"- Charlie James Razzell Gower, 17.

"I thought the product was very well made, the cinematography was very effective and I found the use of lights and sillouttes really interesting. I also feel that the music went well alongside the visual" - Leanne Clarke 18.

Poster Analysis

Martha Marcy May Marlene film poster

This is the promotional poster for the new release of Martha Marcy May Marlene.

I really like the use of layers in this image.  The image behind suggests that the character will be the person that the audience connects to due to her looking straight into the camera.  I like how the eye-contact suggests the importance of the character.  Because we do not have a main character in our film, we need to suggest the fact that all the audience will see are shapes and words made from lights.  In our poster we could place an image of the bokeh effect, or a screenshot from our film of, for example, the light that blurred into a person.  It is important that the image is strong from the film so that audiences are impressed by what they see on the poster so that they want to see more.  Our film relies on the bokeh effect.  Not many people know about this effect, so choosing the image is key to the success of our poster because we want to intrigue our audiences into finding out more about the techniques used.  

I find the layer on top of the image very intriguing.  Normally, the main character is within full focus.  However, the letter 'M' covers our character, suggesting that she has something to hide, or is afraid.  For example, the 'Pride and Prejudice poster shows Keira Knightly fully, and she is not covered our hidden by anything.

Because she is closer to the image we know that she is a confident, out-going character.  Although she is close to the camera, the character is hidden by another layer, which suggests she is vulnerable and isolated.  It also suggests she has a secret worth telling, which intrigues the audience, making them want to watch the film.

A simplistic colour scheme suggest purity and innocence.  The text used is also simple and clear.  This is important because the audience need to be able to read the text so they can find out information about the viewings of the film, etc.

When making our poster we need to recreate the theme and style of our film.  Our film is very slick and smooth, so the poster will need to be too.  From this poster I have learnt what layers can suggest and the importance of choosing a strong image from the film.  I have also learnt that sometimes using simplistic colours can be more eye-catching than using many bright colours, and using simple and clear text is better than using overly creative, funky text.