Front Cover Analysis - Total Film Magazine

 

• The feature article photograph is displayed in black and white allowing a shadow to form across the main actors face, conveying a sense of mystery and danger. This is a typical convention of most thriller/action/crime based films as it gives the impression that the overall style of the film is dark and dangerous.

• Much like most well known magazines, the feature article photograph is positioned in front of the masthead, demonstrating the fact that 'Total Film' magazine is well known and doesn't need to be the main centre of attention.

• The overall style and colour scheme of black, white and red used demonstrates typical conventions for a film magazine and for a thriller genre film. However, this particular issue of 'Total Film' magazine adds the colour yellow in to enable certain features to attract more attention to a particular section and makes it easier for the reader to understand.

• In this issue, the use of a large bold white font contrasts greatly against the dark coloured background allowing it to be a more prominent feature within the page and contrasting with the other pieces of text featured.

• The tone of the magazine gives the overall impression of a more serious attitude, demonstrating how the films overall style and genre has had a major influence on the layout and appearance which is very common for most film magazines.

• Connotations of violence and danger  are portrayed by the fact that the main actor featured, Daniel Craig is holding a gun, allowing the viewer to gain an understanding of what the film is like.

• 'Total Film' have included the puffs 'Unseen Pics!' and 'World Exclusive!' on this issue to boost the status of the magazine and attract more excitement to the content inside.

• The use of both capitals and lower case letters highlights the status of key topics within the plugs whilst also creating a contrast between the two colours used for each line of the plug.

Front Cover Analysis - Empire Magazine

  

• The feature article photograph has been positioned in front of the masthead at the top of the front cover, this suggests that the magazine is well known so therefore the masthead doesn't need to be a prominent feature on the page and also giving the impression that the photograph is the main focus of the magazines cover.

• Furthermore, the main male featured as the feature article photograph is shown looking off to the side of the frame, this allows a shadow to have formed across one half of his face, therefore makes him look more dark and mysterious.

• The use of the colour scheme of red, black and white text demonstrates typical connotations for the thriller genre of the main film featured, so clearly has been tailored to suit the film that they are featuring for this particular issue. This colour scheme also stands out against the mixed medium background therefore attracts attention to the magazine.

• In addition the bold red masthead also has been used so that it is eye catching to the individual viewing it. It also is a typically used font and colour for 'Empire' magazine to use so is gaining attention and more recognition for itself as the public will recognise that brand of magazine because it will be more well known.

• The overall text used is a bold, plain font making it easier for the individual viewer to read as it stands out against the background whilst not drawing attention from the main feature article photograph.

• Using the puff 'Plus!' and the use of a block of red in the corner of the front cover makes boosts its status within the magazine by drawing attention to it rather than making it harder to read.

• In this issue, the main actor Leonardo Dicaprio is seen to be holding a gun, giving the overall connotation that this film features action, danger and violence. Therefore the audience can immediately see the genre of film, from this denotation.

• The tone of this particular issue of 'Empire' magazine portrays the theme and genre of the main film featured on the front cover, connoting a sense of mystery and danger. This is because darker, duller colours have been used to create this link between the films thriller genre and the magazines overall look.

Planning The Filming Process

Actors:
Rosie (Protagonist) = Natasha Boddy
Emma (Best Friend) = Izzy Miller
Young Rosie = Ella Woods

Locations:
School grounds
-Corridor
-Drama room
Alleyway near my house

(My house)
Hallway
Kitchen
Upstairs bathroom
Kellyann's bedroom = Rosie's bedroom
Ella's bedroom = Young Rosie's bedroom
Mum and dads room = Emma's bedroom

Props:
Script for Rosie to 'practice' with
Medication in some form
Large printed photos of Emma (Izzy) to put up all around the room
Mobile Phone
School Equipment

Shot List:

MY HOUSE

Kitchen:
Conversation between Rosie opening the letter and her mum
- Close Up x2
-Over the Shoulder
-Mid Shots

Conversation between Rosie and her mum two
-Close Up
-Mid Shots

Rosie holding knife
- Close Up
-Mid Shot
-Over the Shoulder

Kellyann's "Rosie's" Bedroom:
Rosie on the phone to her friend
-Close Up
- Mid Shot
-Long Shot

Rosie looking out of the window
-Over the Shoulder
-Zoom (from Mid Long to Close Up)

Rosie learning lines in the mirror
-Over the Shoulder
-Mid Shot
-Close Up

Hallucinating scene
-Wide Shot
-Close Ups
-Extreme Close Up

Ella's "Young Rosie's" Bedroom:
Young Rosie learning lines
-Over the Shoulder
-Mid Shot
-Close Up

Lounge:
Young Rosie wanting to be an actor
-Wide Shot
-Mid Shot

Mum and Dad's "Emma's" Bedroom:
Emma on the phone to Rosie
-Close Up
-Mid Shot
-Long Shot

Bathroom:
Rosie taking medication
-Over the Shoulder
-Close Up

Rosie splashing water over her face
-Over the Shoulder
-Mid Shot
-Close Up

AT SCHOOL

Corridor:
Rosie and Emma walking through the school
-Reverse Tracking Shot
-Close Up
-Mid Shots

Rosie running away
-Over The Shoulder
-Tracking?
-Handheld?

Classroom:
Rosie getting violent with Emma
-Close Up
-Mid Shot

Rosie throwing chair at the wall
-Close Up
-Mid/Long Shot
-Eye Line Match

OUTSIDE

Alleyway:
Rosie hallucinating
-Close Ups
-Pans
-Track
-Over the Shoulders

Street:
Rosie walking along
-Over the Shoulder
-Handheld

Film Poster Analysis - 'Black Swan'

 

Black Swan (2010) - Darren Aronofsky

 

• The poster for Black Swan goes against typical genre conventions by using a bright white background rather than a dark coloured background that has been used in many other psychological thriller posters such as Shutter Island and Before I Go To Sleep. This may have been done to persist with the overall theme and genre of the storyline.

• However, they have still used the colour scheme of white and red but have added the colour black in as well. These colours have been used in a different way that the usual conventions as they present the poster in a more simplistic manner whilst still making it appear mysterious and disturbing.

 

• Using a black font for the title "Black Swan" connotes the storyline of  the film by the use of black and white colours whereas all the other text featured is a pale, brown colour which doesn't stand out quite as much as the black text, making it look less prominent and drawing more attention to the title.

• The strong use of the contrasting colours black and white continues to persist with the theme of the film by having strong connotations for each of these opposite colours. For example, purity and innocence are connoted with the white, swan like colours and the black connoting the protagonists dark transformation from the white swan to the black swan.

• The style of font used is more thin and precise which looks more delicate and petite and aids the style of the film. Furthermore this font is unconventional for a typical psychological thriller poster, therefore makes more of a bold statement.

• Dark red lipstick is worn by the protagonist in this photograph, connoting a sense of danger and violence, furthermore contrasting with the pale face and white background. The use of the pale make up on the protagonists face shows her theatrical status.

• Strong black make up that has been used around the eyes further connotes her transformation from white swan to black swan whilst also makes her look more intense, dangerous and mysterious. The feathered make up used portrays swan like features, all the more showing her transformation.

• The protagonists red eyes and large black pupils also make her appear more dangerous and intensifying the audiences view of her, making her look like more of a threat to herself and to other characters around her.

• The camera focuses more on the protagonists facial features in the centre of the poster but begins to blur out her less prominent features as the focus leaves the middle area of the face and progresses towards the side edges of the page. This shows her importance as it maintains focus on her and the tiara she is wearing, furthermore showing her role and status in the theatre. 

• Featuring the release date "this fall" in a fairly normal, plain font focuses on the main features within the poster making everything else look more prominent, whilst still making it a bigger sized font than other text, to still highlight its importance. 

Film Poster Analysis - 'Shutter Island'

 

Shutter Island (2010) - Martin Scorsese

 

 

• The contrasting colour scheme of red and white that has been used demonstrates typical genre conventions of a thriller movie as the colour red typically connotes blood and violence, therefore is frequently used for this genre of films. This brightly coloured text also stands out against the darkly displayed background, which gains more attention from the audience viewing it.

 

• Featuring a bold font on the title, actor name and release date also aids the poster in attracting attention and makes the overall poster appear to stand out more.

• The tagline "Someone is missing." is the only bit of text featured, excluding the title, actor name and release date, therefore makes it stand out, especially seeing as a white font has been used to make it appear bolder against the dark background. The positioning of the tagline also attracts attention to it as it is placed away from all the other text featured and is positioned closer to the top of the poster.

 

• Another typical genre convention that has been used is the contrast of light and dark lighting, this makes it look more mysterious and frightening, therefore connoting the overall genre and storyline of the film.

 

• The close up shot on the main actors face makes the poster appear more intense and mysterious which also allows the audience to really see the characters facial expression, showing him to be frowning, conveying the overall storyline and genre, and his characters emotions of confusion and fright about what is going on.  

 

• He is also shown looking to the side of the camera rather than right at it, creating a sense of mystery and making him appear suspicious of what's happening around him. This makes the audience feel more suspicious and intrigued about the storyline of the film.

 

• The composition of the squared images of the mental hospital have been put together to create the overall image which makes it seem more disorientating and uneasy on the eye, due to the jaunted look that this composition creates.

 

• The image of the mental hospital appears to have a white glow around it from the top and from the waves at the bottom which makes it stand out against the dark background and makes it seem more mysterious and intriguing.

 

• The main image of the leading actor is partially in black and white which intensifies and enhances the brightly light match which also makes his eye that has been left in colour, look more vibrant and therefore will attract more attention against the dark background.

 

• An over layer of 'rain' has been used across the whole page, adding pathetic fallacy to the poster that something bad is going to happen, also the bad weather displayed further creates a sense of mystery and danger.

 

• Furthermore, using the composition of both images put together allows the audience to understand what the top image of the leading actor is facing during the movie by showing the mental hospital on the bottom image, which makes it look more frightening and intriguing. 

Film Poster Analysis - 'Before I Go To Sleep'

 

Before I Go To Sleep (2014) - Rowan Joffe

•  The close up shots featured on the poster make it appear more intimidating, personal and uncomfortable for the audience to view. This is reinforced by the fact that all 3 of the actors featured are looking directly into the camera, again making it more uneasy for the audience to look at.

 

• The use of mixed mediums, both coloured image and black and white image, may have been used for two main reasons. One of these reasons being to highlight the status of the main actress featured in the middle of the page and the other being to perhaps highlight a key point in the storyline of the film that she is the only one she can trust and that she cannot trust the other two males.

 

• Furthermore, the use of black and white on the two males makes them appear more mysterious and dark, conveying the overall tone and genre of the film. The contrast between the light and dark lighting used is also a typical convention for psychological thrillers.

 

• To make the poster seem more disorientating to the eye and more uneasy for the audience to view, they have used vertical lines running through the characters faces. This also follows typical conventions by not fully allowing the audience to see what is there.

 

• In addition, the poster also doesn't display the characters full figured faces, as the two men are only shown with half their face. This could connote the storyline in which the female doesn't know which of the men she can trust. Also, the main women's face is shown the most, again promoting the fact that she is the lead role.

 

• Each characters facial expression convey their characters personalities within the film, for example the woman is shown to be looking alert and frightened, whereas the other two males are shown to look more menacing and mysterious.

 

• The contrasting colour scheme of white and red used within the font make the writing stand out against the darker colours of the background. Furthermore, red is typically used in thriller/horror films to create a sense of danger and violence as this colour typically connotes blood, therefore displaying typical genre conventions.

 

• The positioning of the tagline "Who do you trust?" being on different levels added with the vertical lines make the poster seem more jaunting and disorienting for the audience to look at. Also, the use of a bold font further reiterates the purpose of making it stand out against the background.

Final Script

After making a few slight alterations, I typed up my final version of my script in a more professional manner in order to make it look like a good quality script and make it easier for the actors to read and understand.