Film Review

This is our finished article review.

In our magazine review, we decided to keep a cohesive sense of style in terms of layout and colours to keep in form with our Brand Identity As you can see the 'split' appearance is also used in our Short film as well as our film poster, which helps to juxtapose the characters really well. we decided to layout the article in a Profile kind of style, consisting of a profile picture and Questions like Name, Age and Hobbies, this makes the article seem a little more informal and allows the audience to have a brief idea what the characters are like, we also use ironic language for example Maggie's hobbies are 'eating' this also allows the audience to picture their own perception of the characters.

Looking back at the structure of the article we decided to use 'pink' for Maggie and 'blue' for Danny, the conventional colours for a 'girl' and 'boy. However the background is made up of a range of colour which is used to reflect on Maggie's character and sense of style.
To create our magazine review we used Adobe Indesign to create the split page for our magazine review. We put up pictures of clipboards that we found on the internet and added pictures of the two main characters to give it a kind of profile effect. We were mainly inspired to do this from websites like facebook and bebo.

Magazine Review Original Images

We used this image for our magazine review profile picture since we wanted to show the ugly version of Maggie and also since we were going to use it as a profile picture so we thought it would be best to have it just a shot of the face to reflect Maggies bad looks. Also it gives the audience a more clear view of her face and how we were influenced by ugly Betty's sense of style and copied the way Becky put lipstick around her lips for Maggie. This gave Maggie the messy untidy effect we wanted.

Film Poster

This is our final poster for our short film. it consists of a hearty background which we found on the internet, and thought it suited our theme well. once that was done, we took two images of the 'ugly' Maggie and 'Pretty' Maggie, in order to juxtapose these two characters, we decided to create an image with dual characters. Using photoshop helped us to crop both those images in half and place in the right proportion, we had difficulty doing this at the beginning because the face features werent leveled, but we took pictures again- and it worked better the second time round. So, In order to get the two images looking as different as possible, we played around with different effects on photoshop, such as liquify, which let us manipulate with the shape and width of the face, making the ugly side larger and fatter , and the pretty side more in tone and normal- again this is linking with contrasting the two characters. After this, we could finally put the image onto a new layer ontop of the background. To create a even more cartoonistic effect, we added a white ripple(almost as a paper rip)- down the middle of both the images to show that they are one character but with two different perspectives.

In terms of the Title, which we created using LiveType, we choose the font reflecting the characters personality and style. Maggie is in a bold colourful font whereas Danny is a more original subtle colour. after choosing the correct font and colour, we decided that was going to be our final Title.

The slogan that shows right below on the poster says ''The Dream of a Life Time...''

The elipsis is almost a cliffhanger, leaving the audience to imagine. Our film is mainly set on a comedy/romance, presenting us with that 'teenage love' story, that never seems to go right. after watching our short film, you will realise that the slogan line is quiet ironic and cheesy, which is the type of feeling we were trying to create.

Poster Original Images

This was the background image we used for our poster to give the typical girly feel we wanted. Also our film is based on a comedy romance so the hearts fit in well with our theme giving it the funny, puppy love feel.

Poster Inspiration

Although they are both completely different types of films and have different genres. We were still inspired by the poster for Terminator 3. This was because the poster alone foreshadowed an idea of split lifestyle. Both these posters included an image which also helped capture the essence of the character. The T3 poster follows the stereotype of men being dominating and this is shown by having Arnold take over the whole poster whereas we have subverted this stereotype by not displaying our male character on the poster and displaying Maggie on the poster alone,taking up the whole poster. Also, the Terminator poster displays it genre and mood of film through the use of its dark colors whereas in contrast, our poster uses bright and funky colors to create a happy and comical effect.

Audience Feedback

It was interesting to see what people watching our film thought since it would help us with adding and editing what needed to be changed. it gave us a better idea on what we were missing and what our target audience thought when they watched our film. Alot of people said our storyline was obvious however that was the effect we wanted on our audience, we wanted that cheesy, romantic storyline since it was what made it more funnier. We changed the ending so that the film would end without a obvious answer, we leave it to the audience imagination to what happens next. When people first watched it we hadn't added music to it and alot of people commented on that since they all thought it would go well with a nice dreamy soundtrack and thats what we did after seeing peoples comments on what music they thought would go well we added a sound track that we thought our target audience would enjoy and would suit with the mood of our film. People also commented on some of the dream shots being far away, to fix this we zoomed into these shots and made them more closer, we also cut them shorter so that it would'nt get too boring. Alot of people liked our mirror shots and split screening since it reflected the characters lives which is the effect we wanted. People also commented on good acting and good camera movements which boosted our confidence up to make this film even better. A few said it got a bit boring since the shots were too long so we decided to cut the shots making them very quick so people wouldnt lose interest. We made sure we took everyones comments in too consideration and fixed what we were able to fix to make it look even better.

Editing Diary

After capturing our footage onto final cut we watched everything we had filmed and made sure we didnt have any missing parts. An advantage was that we had filmed all our shots in order and repeated the same shot so all that there was needed to be done is to cut out what wasnt needed and to choose what shot suited best since everything else was in order of what happens in the film.

We started by putting all the same shots in the same folder so that we knew what shot we needed next. We then put every scene of the film in order and after sorting the whole film in order we started cutting out the parts we dont need. We had alot of footage however after editing and cutting down we managed not to go over 5 minutes for the whole film.

At first we had a few problems with the split screening since it was the first time any of us had used this feature however after asking Mr Hull and a few media students from last year we managed to fit the split screening to go with our film. The size of the split screening was a bit of a problem at first since when we began filming we didnt think we would have to film at a certain angle so that it would fit with the split screening however when it came to editing we noticed some parts might be cut out of the scene if we were going to use the split screening. To solve this problem we looked at the same shots we repeated from different angles and chose the shots that would fit in the split screening. We had to make each shot very short since we needed both split screens to have the same things happening at the same time. Such as both the male and female wake up at the same time and get ready at the same time.

We left the transitions to the end since we wanted to see which transition would suit in which part of the film. For the dream we used a blurry effect since it adds a more fantasy and dreamy effect. Also we played around with the sound aswell for the dream so that as Mr Hull speaks the noise becomes slower and louder so people can tell he has fallen asleep.

Our music was abit difficult to find since we had a problem in which music would give us the mood we wanted for our film. We were looking for a humourous however upbeat track. Since we could only use non-copywrighted music we looked at websites such as Newgrounds and free non-copywright music and checked out tracks we thought could go with our film. We found a few however we asked teachers and students what there opinions on the music was and they said it didnt quiet fit because it wouldnt give the mood we wanted. We even tried to make our own music however it still didnt give the mood we wanted. After alot of looking around for the right music rawad finally found two tracks that went well with our film and we all agreed on. We added them to the film to see whether it would give that mood and emotion we wanted it to and felt that this was the right music for our film. After we were all happy with it we asked Mr Hull and a few students and they all agreed that this was the right track to use.

We had one shot which didnt go well with the film since the lighting was too dark however we played around with the lighting and made it look much lighter so that it would look natural and not as dark as before. We used an alarm clock sound and put it on the film adding more realism to the film. It took us a while to edit however after finishing editing we were all so relieved and happy with the outcome.

Ancillary Task - Article review

This is a draft of our magazine review. the first page is split into two sections. each section being almost as a profile page of the two main characters , Danny and Maggie, a picture of both characters will be on their profile and also introducing the audience to the characters, this is a good technique in order to get the audience to see the difference between the two characters personalities. The use of bright colors and bold writing is going to be used on Maggie's side to reflect her bubbly, unique personality, whereas plain colours and italics will be used on Danny's side to illustrate the contrast between them. At the top of the page there is a rhetorical question; 'An ugly girl,a good looking boy and a dream... Now who said dreams don't come true?
This question will help place the audience in a situation where they would be questioning their own imagination. This will be useful as it creates an unrealistic mood.
The colors used in this review are mostly Pink and Blue. These colors will be also used in the poster to create a coherent style. this shows that the production company has a particular motif color scheme that is used in all their film reviews. This is done to show consistency in their reviews and also to make their reviews recognizable to their target audience. The layout of the review helps attract new readers due to the strict and ordered layout. The review is presented through the use of columns. The columns help keep the review in an orderly fashion and is also part of the consistency used on all the reviews. The review is a double page spread and includes a profile section about each character. This is done to create a comical effect which can ease the mood of the reader and allow them to drift into a feeling of euphoria.
In terms of images, there is an additional photo connecting both pages at the bottom. This image helps create the split lifestyle of both characters. Each character is placed on their own side of the page however,the image itself shows them looking at each other. Presenting this to the readers will create a clear view of the romance that will be going on throughout the film. In addition, the image also leaves readers to envisage their own idea of what may be happening because they see a good looking boy dropping his eyes on an ugly girl.

Ancillary Task - Poster

This is a draft of our short film poster. unfortunetly its not so clear, but our main idea was to illustrate an obvious idea of split personality by the use of an image. The left hand side of the image shows the dreamy side of Maggie whereas the right hand side shows her real look. this double image effect was used to help us keep in coherent style of split screening. The use of bubble writing font was to emphasise on Maggie's features, as you can see we used thinner , bold writing for Danny. Our slogan which is shown below the film date release is 'The dream of a lifetime..' the use of elipsis gets the audience to assume what will happen. Just under the slogan is the website which is full of information of the film i.e its release, audience feedback and some stills taken from the film. For the poster to be very conventional we had to follow some rules. We placed a large title which attracts the eye, bold and funky colors which stand out from the background, and an intriguing picture which would attract viewers to
the film. the use of split picturing is very interesting as it foreshadows an idea of split personality in our film. We also used a persuasive slogan which might persuade the viewers to go and see the film. We used the main character's name for promotion, and the certification will help ensure that the right type of people
are watching the film.
We tries using the rule of thirds to help format our work. This rule was very useful as it helped us place the image and title in a very coherent way.

Production Diary

28th September - We discussed the locations we needed for each shot and kept in mind the advantages and disadvantages of filming in each place so that we wont have any problems when we start filming. We chose to film the waking up scenes in one of our houses since we would'nt have a problem if any shots needed to be re-done. We used the bedrooms and bathrooms for when both they wake up to show their lives and makes it look more realistic rather then a fantasy. We chose also to film in trafalgar sqaure and the park since they are seen as a very romantic and calm place were a couple would normally go to spend time together. Also trafalgar square is seen as an icon of London so it could also establish the location. We agreed to film in a school classroom since it makes it more realistic and our target audience can also relate to themselves. Also it represents that they are all normal teenage students attracting the same age group.

29th September - We needed a few props for our film so we made sure we had everything and ready to go so that we could start filming straight away.

13th October - We started off by filming in school since the school shots were most important to show our film was a comedy. A problem we had was making sure we didnt do any mistakes since we had alot of background people and the slightest mistake could mean we have to re-do all the shots. We also had to choose reliable people that we knew in any case we needed to repeat we'd be able to find them. Furthermore we had to make sure the sound was good enough for when we start editing later. The shots in school went smoothly and we were all impressed by the standard of our work.

15th October - We went to my house to film the first scenes of our film which were the waking up and getting ready scene's for both the male and female character. We started by practising a few times to make it come out right. After practising a few times we filmed the shots required from different angles so that we had more options to choose from. We had a few problems were people would walk past the camera and in one of the mirror shots the person filming could show in the reflection in the mirror however this wasnt a problem since we re-took the same shot many times. By the end we were all impressed with our footage.

17th October - We all agreed the day before to meet up in the morning so we could shoot the scenes we needed in trafalgar square. At first we were worried that we were'nt able to film at that location since it was a public attraction, however we asked a police man over there and he agreed to let us film our required shots. Yet again we made sure we repeated each shot to save us any hastle later with one shot turning out wrong. While we were coming back on the train we had an idea to film since it would make the film a bit longer and also suited with the romantic theme we wanted to show. So we took a few shots of both characters in the train. Also we looked for other locations around the area to suit with our film, such as dancing in front of the london eye and walking in the park.

23rd October - We captured all our footage on to the laptop to we could start editing straight away.

24th October - We started editing everything so that everything was in order so we could add the transitions. We had a few difficulties such as the split screening coming into the screen.

10th November - We had finished filming and captured all our footage, however after we watched the film we realised we needed a few more shots for one of the transitions we were doing since it split the screen into four and as a group we decided it would look better if each split screen had a different shot to reflect on what was happening in the dream. As a group we decided on what shots would look better and chose to do them the next day.

11th November - We all met up in Goldney park near school were we had all originally planned the day before to meet. We set up and filmed a few shots however we had a problem with the weather since it was very dull and rainy which allowed us to change a few of our ideas for the shots. We then filmed the 3 shots we needed however we made sure we repeated the same shot more then once incase we had a problem while editing and needed a back up. We had to go to a flower shop close by to replace one of the shots and had a few problems with people wanting to be in front of the camera and people sticking there heads in while we were filming however our aim was to film this shot and we made sure we did it without any inconveniences. After we were all happy with what we had filmed we went to school to capture it and start editing it.

This is our title card that we will be using in the opening of the film. As you can see we have purposely made the size of the word MAGGIE bigger than Danny. this is contrast and reflect that they are both completly different people.Also the colors used help reflect their lives. MAGGIE is colorful which can mean that she is very untidy and can be all over the place.whereas Danny is neat and calm contradicting MAGGIE'S lifestyle

Draft of Production Logo

we chose this as our production logo since we thought it would keep with the theme of our film. Also because our film is based in a school we made the production logo colorful and funky and chose a certain font to fit with it.

Animatic Storyboard

This is an animatic of our Storyboard. It briefly shows what will happen in each scene. Also the titles used reflect upon the mood of our film.

Script - A day in the life of Danny and Maggie

Int. Sun shining through window. 7 am.

FADE IN

Aerial shot of a clean room. The camera pans around the room slowly until it reaches a clear shot of the bed.

CUT TO

Intruding split screen where we see both Danny and Maggie sitting up on their bed.

CUT TO

Mirror shot of both cleaning themselves in the bathroom mirror.

CUT TO

Long shot of both characters putting on their final piece of clothes.

CUT TO

Closeup of both characters closing the house door behind them leading to a black screen.

Ext. Grey windy day.

Long shot of both characters walking in the street. The male character shows a positive attitude towards the day however the female characters shows the exact opposite.

CUT TO

P.O.V shot were both characters see each other walking towards each other.

CUT TO

Medium Long shot of both characters meeting each other next to the school entrance. Split screen ends upon both characters meeting.

Int. School corridor

Long shot of Danny walking up the stairs while everyone moves out of his way.

CUT TO

Long shot of Maggie walking up a crowded staircase and everyone is pushing her aside.

Int. school classroom.

Medium shot of Danny sitting down and Maggie about to sit next to him then suddenly a student ( Friend of Danny ) pulls the chair from under Maggie making her drop the the ground.

CUT TO

Long shot of Danny and friends laughing at helpless Maggie.

CUT TO

Medium shot of Danny and Maggie sitting on the same table. the table is mostly taken up by Maggie while Danny is forced onto the side of the table due to Maggie's size.

CUT TO

Closeup shot of Maggie showing her so called 'Buff' nails to annoyed and disgusted Danny.

CUT TO.

Closeup shot of Danny's face as he feels revolted and as he moves away from Maggie.

Fade out/Fade in to Long shot of bored class. The teachers voice begins to disappear slowly and the sound of the clock becomes the dominant sound in Danny's ears.

Class Teacher

(Science and Nature lesson)

Your brain has the ability to hide your deepest desired secrets. When you fall asleep, you begin to dream. These dreams then begin to reveal your secrets and you might wake up one day and realize you love someone but never gave your heart the chance to know they exist.......

Towards the end of this speech the sound of the teacher begins to get quiet until the sound of the clock takes over completely.

CUT TO

Closeup of Danny's face as he falls asleep.

Int. classroom. unrealistic atmosphere.

Mid shot of Danny waking up suddenly. Slow motion as Danny turns his head and sees beautiful Maggie. The camera pans across until both characters are now in the screen. Maggie turns around and looks at Danny. Both characters are now smiling and staring at each other.

Int. school Corridor. happy atmosphere.

Long shot of both Maggie and Danny walking into the distance. The camera pans backwards slowly. everyone has moved to the side and is watching both characters walk off.

CUT TO

Ext. Public London.

Quick cuts of both characters spending amazing time with each other.

The buzzer goes on while Danny is dreaming. this interrupts the dream.

CUT TO

Int. school classroom.

Closeup of Maggie's hands tapping Danny awake.

CUT TO

P.O.V shot of Danny getting up quickly and turning around to look at Maggie. He sees ugly Maggie again.

CUT TO

Closeup shot of Danny nodding his head

Danny

Nah man, forget that!

Long shot of Maggie walking off with an unpleasant look on her face.

CUT TO

Closeup of Danny's face as he is still overwhelmed by his dream.

CUT TO

A panning shot of the empty classroom with only Danny sitting alone.

The End

Locations - Millennium Wheel

We used this location as it is very iconic in London. As you can see the Millennium wheel is visible we have chosen this because one of the main traditions in London is celebrating New years next to this wheel and New years symbolizes 'A new start' as a result the audience can quickly grasp the idea that something new is happening between these two characters that are next to the wheel.

Locations - School Corridors

School corridors to show shots of them going to class which also makes it look more realisitic. Also, we used this location to be able to contrast the ways in which they are treated by other pupils. This can help us to portray a clear difference between the characters respect.

Locations - Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar square since it has a very calm and romantic scenery for the couple which makes the film more effective and attracts the target audience more. Also Trafalgar square is very iconic in London so it could also establish the films location.

Locations - Park

Park because it idolizes peace and love. As a result we have decided to use it because it will help build the understanding of the mood of the film for our audience. Also, the scenery is very romanitc for the boy and girl to be in.

Locations - Bedroom

Bedroom for both the female and the male for when they wake up to represent their lives are just like every teenagers life, waking up, getting ready and going to school. It attracts the same target audience and also makes it look more realistic rather than fantasy.

Locations - School Classroom

• School classroom to represent that they are normal teenage children studying in school adding realism to the film. Also it attracts the same age group since they are in the same situation. Also school is very known to bring people to meet other friends..etc.

Props

Props:

• Glasses - We will use glasses for Maggie to add to the geeky and untidy effect. Making her look even more ugly and messy.
  

• Red Lipstick - We chose to use red lipstick to put around Maggie's lips to give her more of a humurous and ugly look.

• Clock - We will need a clock for certain shots to signify time pasting by.

Costume

• The young male to be wearing smart trousers on a smart shirt to show he is in school and has to wear business wear. Also to reflect on his status, showing he is from a high class society. The boy clothes change within the dream however he is still dressed in businesswear.

• The female to wear ugly, old, funky and colourful clothes such as a long granny skirt, a wripped baggy shirt and bright coloured tights. These will all show she is untidy, not know how to dress and un-organised. She wears the complete opposite to the male character adding to the contrast between their lives. However within the dream Maggie wears very nice, classy and stylish clothes which could reflect on her beauty within the dream, such as a short skirt on a clean, ironed shirt. All these features make her look beautiful in contrast to how she looked before.

Setting

Settings:

• For our settings we chose to start of our short film with a rainy, dull day to reflect on the females life, however within the dream we want it to be a nice bright, sunny day to contrast on her life.


• The scenery of the dream has to be very nice and colourful emphasizing on her happiness. However when they wake up it should be rainy and grey to add more realism and get the point across to the audience.

Initial Idea

The whole group participated in the creation of this idea. we got many film influences such as "Shallow Hal"
The main idea of the film is, a day spent in school in the life of two teenagers. The main purpose of the film is to portray the life of both the male and female teens. both from differnt 'social groups' you could say, and you will see what i mean by this later on.
The film begins with a shot of a male teenager waking up and getting ready for school. it is then followed by an intruding split screen that shows a female character also waking up and getting ready for school. The split screen effect is used until both the characters meet in the entrance of the class. the use of the split screen is so that the audience get a immediate insight of the contrast between the two characters ' Danny & Maggie '. after this we get a shot of the female character being bullied by her classmates and even being disregarded as being part of the class community. Eventually, Maggie who is the known and seen as the 'fat-ugly- no sense of style- unpopular' girl then proceeds to take a seat next to the male character Danny who is ' popular- handsome- well dressed- & liked by many' in other words the complete contrast to Maggie.
After all the humiliation she has been through, she still tries to impress Danny. however this fails to happen.
Time beings to pass by and the clock is ticking so slowly. Danny begins to doze of in class..
In his deep sleep he is dreaming of Maggie as a much attractive and respected person.

In the dream we begin to see them getting along and spending a good time together. we get shots of both enjoying life together, spending time as though there was no tomorrow. Finally, the lesson comes to an end the bell rings and all students about to head outside.Maggie innocently tapping Danny to wake up . He takes a long stare at her and for a split second imagines the 'dream version of Maggie' then shakes his head and realizes it was all a dream and when he sees the real Maggie again he feels revolted and disgusted of himself.
The film ends with Maggie walking off with an unpleasant look on her face and Danny still overwhelmed by his dream.

Film Influences

As soon as we came up with our initial short film story, Shallow hal become a great influence to us, and helped us broaden our imagination and come up with various new ideas.the idea of a guy seeing this fat women as a really sexy young lady correlates with our character Danny, as he dreams of Maggie as being a beautiful popular girl, a complete contrast to her original character.




'what i go to school for' is an old well known pop song for teens. its set in a school, and is based on a group of teenager guys admiring their new sexy teacher. the reason why this was an influence to us, is because the narrative realates to our short film. the fact that these boys come into school waiting to see their teacher, this relates to our character Maggie, who is a lonely and unpopular girl that comes into school everday excited to see the hunk-Danny!!




Ugly betty is a well known drama. Betty is recognised by her weird sense in style and attitude, but is also very clever and successful. our character Maggie was influenced by Betty's personality. Maggie is always dressed in bright colours and has unusuall behavious, she is fairly unliked by many, because she acts different and never seems to have much in common with other classmates.




'DirtBag' is another song based on a quiet young boy in school who falls in love with a beautiful and popular cheerleader. we notice the way in which they are so different in character- proving to the audience that they are NOT for eachother.
'Dirtbag' and 'What i came to school for' are both songs which base a story on liking or loving someone who is out of their league. which is what out short film is based on. Maggie and Danny who are from two differnt social groups just cant be together.

Brand Identity

The use of brand identity helps the audience distinguish one magazine or newspaper from another and also enables the audience to recognize the product easily. Brand identity is fundamental to the consumer as it helps symbolize the brands differentiation from the other competitors.
Companies tend to continually look for ways to differentiate their brand's identity so that they are able to keep their brand strong and fresh in the market. This would also allow them to still be able to demand the highest value for their product.
There are many advantages with having a Brand identity. Here are a few:
1) The value is wrapped around the brand. For example, Nike, Adidas and Puma are brands that are worth more in the minds of consumers regardless of whether the product is actually worth the value.
2)If one brand is made to be of higher quality than another brand then customers tend to believe that the higher-quality brand is a better value. For example, Apple's Mac Book is perceived to be better in performance and style than the Dell Inspiron. This causes the audience to understand that the value for the Apple product should be really high. However, the audience never tend to compare the two products because if they were to do so then funnily they would find that the Dell functions much better than the so called 'Amazing' Mac Book.
3) It can be easily determined by specific attributes such as colors, logos, fonts and layout of adverts. These attributes together help to create a unique feeling towards the brand.
The way in which we are going to display our brand identity is by keeping a coherent style. Keeping the font the same style and using the same color scheme throughout all of the media texts will help our audience recognize our Brand wherever they are.

Target Audience

The core target audience of the film would probably be teenagers aged 15-18 years .
We checked if this was correct by searching on BBFC.co.uk it made it easier for our group to classify what criteria was appropriate for our film. Also, we did some research into the media industry and found out that teenagers aged between 15-18 are the most likely to purchase and watch a film. This has helped us decide which age range to aim our film at.

Considering that our film is mainly set in a school atmosphere and urban settings. It is appropriate to say that our target audiece will be mainly teenagers and students as they would probably be fond of such everday situations which occur in our short film. Also, by watching this film, the teenagers are able to place themselves in the characters shoes and are able to contrast their life's with the characters.
We chose this genre because its a combination of humour and reality issues, making it amusing to watch but also a story in which some of the target audience may relate to. although there is a gap between our target audience they all seem to share the same lifestyle and interests.

After gathering our questionaire results we found out that not many people were familuar with short films which was an advantage to us since it would be a change for people when they watch our short film. However most of the people completing our questionnaire said that they would consider watching a short film. Furthermore to get an insight into what genre our target audience's would enjoy more we asked what genre they prefer more. Our most common answers were comedy and romance which also gave us a few ideas for our short film so that our audience would enjoy it. This told us that we should include both genres in our short film to make it more effective and enjoyable for the audience we have targeted. We also asked what type of settings they like to see in films and many people answered city or urban, however we had a few who circled countryside. This also helped us think of better ways to make our short film enjoyable and better plays to set it. Our next question was whether they prefer films that are realistic or fantasy and many of the people we asked said they prefered realistic however a bit of fantasy involved with it would be good. This helped us so that when we start producing our film we can take into mind our audiences opinions to make the film more enjoyable for our target audience. We also asked if they'd prefer the film to focus on female social life or male social life and the majority of our results were female social life. This yet again helped us choose whether our main protagonist was going to be the male or female. Our final question was whether people would prefer all dialogue or all music in a 5 minute short film and most of them stated a bit of both. However we had a few annonymous ones who prefered all dialogue or all music. This gave us a good idea to use both music and dialogue within our film to entertain the audience more and make our film best to suit our target audience.

Questionaire

Questionnaire for short film

Please circle the answer.

1) Are you fond of any short films? If yes, please name.

yes / no

...................................................................................................

ii) If you answered no, would you consider watching a short film?

yes / no / maybe

2)What types of genre do you prefer (circle more than one if you like or state any other)

Comedy

Thriller

Romance

Fiction

Fantasy

Sci-fi

Other

......................................................................................

3) what type of setting like to see in films?

Urban

City

Countryside

Other ( please state )

.......................................................................................

4) would you prefer films to be more realistic or fantasy?

realistic / fantasy / a bit of both

5)would you prefer the film to focus on female social life or male social life

male / female

6) for a 5 minute short film would you prefer it to be all dialogue or all music?

dialogue / music / a bit of both

Thank you for completing our Questionnaire :)

1- Magazine Review Analysis - G.I Joe: The Rise Of Cobra

Language:

1) The article begins and ends in the same tone. its just pure comedy the whole way through. Jokes and negative comments are made constantly throughout and no sense of remorse is shown towards the director. the audience are given a sense that no time should be wasted for this film and that no effort was put into the making of this film.
The Review begins with a snub of the film: 'At least three times during G.I. Joe, you will hear...‘Let’s get into the fight!!!’ This snub line immediately creates the mood for the whole review and creates a sense that the whole way through, all that will be visible is negative remarks about the film.
2) The reviewer then goes on to give the audience a fact which is backed up by the actual comment. "Holy crap, these G.I Joe clips look like SHIT!", This humorous comment is used to ease the reader in and to allow them to understand that even though the film is not good as expected, we as the audience should still read on to find out why.
3) the reviewer then goes on to list other previous films made by the same director such as 'Van Helsing' and 'Deep Rising'. Both these films were criticized and named daft. the comment after 'Deep Rising' was "giant squid monster attacks hijacked luxury cruiser". This language is very playful and also contrasting. The word 'monster' and 'luxury' contradict each other causing the audience not to take this review very seriously but to take it easy.
4) Almost the whole way through the article, the context is very comical and not very serious. In fact, all that is spoken about is the negatives of the film. this is done to inform the audience that the film is not worth it and no money should be spent to watch it.
5) Finally, the reviewer brings the review to an end leaving an impression to the audience that this film is a total mess based on its 'substandard visual effects' and its 'moronic script'. Also, the reviewer concludes his review with a verdict, 'Bond without style and Team America without the belly laughs'. This final conclusion implies to the audience that this film is just so desperate to be something but fails at the end.

Layout:

The colors used in this review are mostly black and orange. these colors seem to be associated with all the other reviews in the empire magazine. this shows that the magazine has a particular motif color scheme that is used in all film reviews.
Empire magazine seems to keep all their reviews in the same similar way. This could be done to show consistency in their reviews and also to make their reviews recognizable to their regular customers. The layout of the review helps attract new readers due to the strict and ordered layout.
The review is presented through the use of columns. The columns help keep the review in an orderly fashion and is also part of the consistency used on all the reviews. the review is only one page and very short. this could of been done to show the audience the their is nothing worthwhile to write about.

Image:

There is only one image in this review and it takes up half the page. This still image consists of two ninjas holding swords, with fire in the background. this image simply sums up the whole film in one image. It basically gives the audience a sense that all they will be seeing is sword fights between ninja dressed people and explosions happening throughout. This image was probably chosen because its the best to attract an audience. Also, it could have been chosen to inform the audience that they would be seeing this kind of action constantly. so, the image gives the audience an option to either judge the film from the picture and review or to just watch it and find out for themselves.

Conventions:

Throughout this magazine article we see a strong sense of brand identity although it is only one page. The layout is a very conventional and the article is very easy to follow because of the use of columns. The image is very eye catching to the audience due to its size and position on the page. The use of colors is very strict and straightforward. there is no particular color scheme used however white and black is the most visible colors on the page. Also, the title is very bold and black. The use of these colors was probably used to give a certain emotional response from the audience. The descriptive language used engages the audience to read more and therefore creating a successful conventional magazine review.

2- Magazine Review Analysis - Julie & Julia

Images

1) Included in this review there is only one image which takes up half the page. This image consists of a women wearing a cooking apron and cooking in her kitchen. This could reflect on the storyline of the film since the audience are immediately told the film has something to do with cooking.
2) The main elements focused on are the props such as the plates, saucepans, sinks and food in the backround which all sum up what the main focus of the film is and the main theme of the film is a women cooking.
3) The audience immediatly know that the protagonist of the film is this women since shes the only one in the image. This image was probably chosen since it immediately tells the audience what the film is about also because it is taken in a kitchen, it adds more realism to the film and show that cooking is associated with kitchen. It gives the audience the choice whether this is their type of film or not, allowing them to choose whether they want to watch it.
4) The capture of the womens facial expression show its a cheerful film and not no horror film, which also allows the audience to choose if they like it. The genre of the film it represented just by the image on the review. The image represents the film since it is in a kitchen of a women cooking and the whole film associated around cooking.
5) Furthermore the image is also anchored by a box of text on the right side of it. This is used to get the main points of the film to stand out. This could interest the audience just by reading the main points which could persuade them to watch it since it might interest them.

Layout

1) The main title is presented as BIG, BLACK and BOLD. This is to get the main title to stand out from the rest of the text. Also it is very eye-catching and attracts the audiences attention straight away.
2) The colour used on the page is mainly black, orange and maroon, which is also associated with the other reviews in the "Empire" magazine. This is used throughout the entire magazine to show the magazine has a particular motif noticable through all reviews. This could be used to make their reviews stand out and more recognizable to customers.
3) The whole review is presented through the use of columns (4 very short columns). Positioning the text in columns keeps the review looking more orderly and more like a review rather than a fairy tale story. I found this review very short since it all fits on one page and there is not much said in the text which could be to emphasize that there is not much to say about the film.
4) The quote "The cook, the wife, the staff and her blogger" stands out because of the size and colour used. This short sentence pretty much sums up the whole film, what its about and who its about.

Language

1) The tone of the review is very much serious, however has a very jokey and humorous tone to it. The reviewer uses phrases such as 'hot hubby' ande 'teeny kitchen' to add humour to the review and make it seem less serious. Also these kind of phrases are not standard english they are more slang and make the review seem less realistic and very childish.
2) The reviewer is trying to persuade the viewer to watch this film since he states, "this scrumptious biographical comedy-drama". This could show the reviewers own opinion to the film since he is talking about the film in a good way which could signify its worth watching.
3) Also by the reviewers use of 'us' it signify's he is trying to involve the audience.
4)He adds alot of his own opinions about the film which could suggest his own thoughts of the film. This could also be a persuasive technique allowing the audience to watch the film because of what the reviewer has said about it.
5) The Reviewer uses "Streep is to die for, so funny, so touching, so brilliant" This is also another of his opinions which he is also talking about the film in a very positive way. He is trying to keep the audience involved.
6) "A winning love story" this is also a very positive description of the film which could also attract the audience after reading how good it is.

Conventions:

There is deffinitely a sense of brand identity with the film. The colours, the character and the costume all makes the cover link to the actual film as it follows the same cohearent style.
The way everything is laid out is very organized and consistent through the use of columns. Using bold colours such as red and black to catch the audience's attention and draw their eyes around the page. At the bottom of the page is a strip of red containing an opinion on Streep's performance. This is useful as it supply the viewer with opinions from movie critics. The article has an overall professional feel to it, highlighting aspects in a simple and clear manner.

3- Magazine Review Analysis - District 9

Image:

The initial eye-catching piece of this review is definitely the large close up image of the alien its very striking, this is purposely done so that the alien creature is noticed by readers, it also develops a key theme to the film, making it pretty obvious what the film is about and what sort of genre it is. It also shows us the good use of special effects in the film as the creature looks very existent and photo-real especially with a budget little as $30million – which in terms of a sci-fi film is fairly moderate. Films such as the Matrix had an approximate $63million budget.
In terms of other images, there is an additional photo on the third page of the review which has been taken from the film; it consists of two MNU soldiers aiming to shoot at an alien, presenting readers with a clear view of the monstrous creature. In addition, the image also leaves readers to envisage their own idea of what may be happening ( other than the obvious of course). This is a caption included at the bottom corner of the image ‘’ohhhh, okey- cokey-cokey..’’ this creates a sense of humour, which relates back to the playful tone in which most the review is set.

Layout:

1) Considering it is a magazine review, it is set in columns; the review consists of three pages, half of which is filled with images and the other half with the review analysis. The writing is fairly small and is in black. However, there are some subtitles which are illustrated in a maroon bold font, which can be correlated with ‘yang’ which is associated with light, activity, movement, rigidity, strength and masculine energy, which definitely refers back to the theme of the film.
2) Some subheadings are in a bright orange font. In addition, there is a streamer which says ‘In cinemas’ also in an orange background and black bold font, below this, the date of the film’s release is revealed. Orange backgrounds help images seem closer and larger, but avoid over-use. It has come in useful for highlighting important elements.
3) On the same page as the large image of the alien, there is a little box at the bottom corner giving the reader additional interesting facts about the making of the film. i.e they share with readers, what inspired them to make the creatures look the way they do ( a giant tropical bug from Africa). Unexpected, but true.

Language:

1) The article begins with a humorous and conversational tone, introducing to the readers the various typical types of aliens there are i.e. ‘’ones that look like Jeff Bridges, and ones that eat bridges for breakfast’’ the use of humour and wit really engages the readers, as it makes the article seem more entertaining rather than boring readers with a dull review.

Conventions:

Overall, i believe the article review has been successfully created and follows a conventional rule of a magazine articles, due to the fact that at first sight you see the ordered layout. The target audience can immediately be able to relate to it due to its brand identity. The use of the big image can help the audience understand the mood of the film at first sight. Also, the mood is successfully created by the use of colors and fonts, and the conventional method of the way the image is placed around the double page magazine. The image of the movie also reflects upon the movie, giving the audience an idea of a futuristic action style movie. The header is big in size compared to the other reviews. this is done to show the significance of the movie and also the double page spread backs this idea up creating an idea to the viewer that this review is more important than others.

1- Poster Analysis - Reservoir Dogs

Here we see a poster of the film "Reservoir Dogs'. in the poster we see a group of men. They are all dressed in black, all wearing the same, smart suits. This would denote that they are possibly gangsters. They are also all in a line, which demonstrates that they are organized and well prepared people.
The colors used in the poster are mostly orange and black although the color red is used, its not as much as the other two. These colors were used to show simplicity from the color orange, death from their black suites or bloodshed from the red writing. The colors orange and black contradict each other because one means simplicity and the other means death. This idea could create a sense to the audience that their lives are complicated and very uneasy.
Their shirts have changed color from white to the color of the background. This could have been done to connote that there is heat and conflict between them and their backgrounds.
this poster is trying to represent to the audience that the men are possibly part of a gang because they are all wearing the same clothes, sunglasses and dressed in black.
The most noticeable words which appear on the poster would be the title "Reservoir Dogs". This title stands out the most because of its large size and bold color. The color red could represent the color of blood. These words being so noticeable would affect the audience because straight away as they read the title they would recognize that the color associated with the title has to do with blood and violence.
"5 total strangers, team up for the perfect crime. They don't know each others names. But they have each others number." This tag line for the film is very catchy, as it brings a certainty of mystery as it makes the audience wonder; what will they be trying to achieve, and how would it be achieved if they don't even know each others names.
Although the poster is very vague (nothing about the actual film is clearly shown in the poster) it is still very interesting and attracts the audience to want to watch the film and to see if the film is as effective as the poster.

I believe that the "Reservoir Dogs" poster is very conventional. As you can see in this poster the font of the title is bold and Red, this helps it stand out as the letters are firm. this can help represent the males power in the film,strong and dominant. Also due to the fact that the title is written in Red in contrast to the rest of the light colours used in the rest of the poster it causes the Red to stand out and have a huge significance on the mood of the film. In this poster they have adhered to the conventions of the male character being the dominant by placing them on the main poster. Other conventions were included in this poster are the release date and tagline at the top of the poster. Also one main convention with the layout of the poster is using the rule of thirds. This rule helps us display a more clear picture to the audience.

2- Poster Analysis - Drag me to Hell

Within this "Drag me to hell" poster there is a picture of a girl getting pulled into a fire by some sort of claws, with a background of houses. This has been chosen to show this character is the protagonist of the film and that the film evolves around her. The fire beneath her also reflects the title "drag me to hell" to show that she is being dragged into hell. The atmosphere evoked by the image is sufficiently sinister and spooky, with the sepia tint of the background nicely offsetting the flames in the foreground. The background of the houses could be the places she lives in. All these features make the poster much more eye-catching. The tagline states, "Christine Brown has a good job, a great boyfriend, and a bright future. But in three days shes going to hell". This could engage the audiences attention so that they assume even nice people can go to hell. Also it shows she has everything going well for her however it will soon all be over it makes the person seeing it want to wwatch the film. The poster tells us it is a horror movie because of the sinister and evil atmosphere. It allows people that like horror movies to watch this film.
The poster is composed with the main character in the middle and the tagline and title under it, this is used to grab the audiences attention to the protagonist of the film. The audiences eyes is straight away drawn to picture in the middle. The use of colour and lighting is very dull and dark. We are given more of a creepy and sinister atmosphere rather then a joyful one. This also adds to the scariness of the film to represent it as a horror movie. There are no light colours however the face of the women is more lighter then her body, as her body is taken over by the fire. The brightness of her upper body and darkness on her lower body could represent heaven and hell with heaven being bright and cheerful and hell being dull and dark. It is a photo image which adds a more realistic effect to the photograph however its also animated to give it the fire look. The claws holding on to her also give it more of a graphical effect make it seem less realistic. The claws could show her getting dragged into hell by a monster. It keeps a question answered for the audience so that they want to watch it. Her facial expressions show she is being forced.
The font of the title is written much bigger to the tagline to make the title stand out from the rest of the writing. Also its written in white to make it eye catching in contrast to the rest of the colours on the poster. The fact that the main character is a women could show women are weaker then men and can be dragged into anything. The poster suggests that it is scarey and evil. I think there is a sense of brand identity with the film since the people whom made the advert are trying to persuade the consumers to go watch the film. I think the film is promoted very well by the poster since it gives us the genre, gives us an idea of what the story is about and attracts the audience by its tagline. It is a very eye-catching poster and promotes the film well.

The "Drag me to hell" poster is very conventional. As you can see in this poster the font of the title is written much bigger compared to the tagline, this helps it stand out. Also the title is written in white in contrast to the rest of the dark colours used in the rest of the poster. In this poster they have subverted the conventions of the male character being the protagonist. The use of colours and lighting is very dark and dull, the audience are given more of a creepier and sinister atmosphere. Other conventions were included in this poster are the release date and tagline at the bottom of the poster. Also one main convention with the layout of the poster is using the rule of thirds. This rule helps us display a more clear picture to the audience.

3- Poster Analysis - Pulp Fiction

This poster contains a lot for the eye to see generating interest in seeing what this movie is going to be about as it . In keeping with the title, it is designed with the look of an old pulp magazine. The mood of the movie is well-established with the imagery. The first thing that caught my eye was the constant use of the colour red and black. Uma Thurman is presented to us laying on a bed with her ankles crossed, cigarette in one hand, book in the other. She is wearing dark red lipstick and red nail varnish. Red is a colour associated with violence and danger, it also signifies feminine qualities/sexuality and passiveness.

Also the type of costume she is wearing (all black), low cut top and cropped trousers and heels. Dressed all in black, signifies to the audience a sense of darkness and to some extent, monotony about her character. Black is also associated with power,elegance,death,mystery and usually has a negative connotation, which is the type of impression this poster is trying to set.

Uma Thurman maintains her femininity through her costume and body language i.e the way she is positioned. However, the props used in this poster manipulates this idea i.e the gun, portraying Thurman as a stronger character. In most films the hero/villain is usually represented as a male character. However, this poster contradicts this idea and subverts the roles of gender.
The gun laid out before her contrasts this feminine perception and emphasises on presenting Thurman as a more dangerous/edgy and sassy character.

In terms of the title, the lettering is in bold font, which is significant of a pulp magazine, the use of bold may also be correlated to Thurmans character as she too, is represented as a bold and brave character. The colour of the Title is in a dull (dingy) yellow which can also be associated with caution, decay, sickness, and jealousy.

I believe that the "Pulp Fiction" poster is not as conventional as the other. As you can see in this poster the font of the title is bold and yellow meaning, even though the letters are firm they are still in the colour yellow which is femine. This could of been done to create a sense of power and femininity at the same time. Also due to the fact that the title is written in yellow in contrast to the rest of the Dark colours used in the rest of the poster it causes the yellow to stand out and have a huge significance on the mood of the film. In this poster they have subverted to the conventions of the female character being the weaker character by placing her on the main poster. Also, there is a sense on phalic symbolism by the use of the cigarrette. This creates a sense of power and masculinity. however, there is no conventions in this poster of the release date and tagline. On the other hand, one main convention with the layout of the poster is using the rule of thirds. This rule helps us display a more clear picture to the audience.

1- Short Film Analysis - Signs

We are introduced to "Signs" with a shot looking down at a young male laying on a kingsize white bed. This could emphasize the mans lonliness since his alone on a king size bed which could reflect back on his life. The music is also very depressing and he wakes up to a alarm clock signifying that its his daily routine. Furthermore there is a shot when he is getting out of his bed showing the white background of his curtains, duvets, and walls this could represent his life as being boring, plain and simple. The shot of him eating breakfast wearing a suit could show his a working man waking up and getting to go to work, the suit could symbolise a set of cultural ideas about formality, proffesional conduct, respect and care. Furthermore we also notice that the kitchen is also all white representing his plain and normal life. throughout the rest of the beginning of the short film, a piece of music is played which constantly varies from low to high pitches, which may invoke on the persons emotions and thoughts in each shot. The music changes with the persons emotions to symbolise what he is feeling. His facial expressions also seem very unhappy helping the audience assume he is unhappy with his lifestyle. There is a shot of him with empty shelves behind him in his office which could reflect on his own emptiness and lonliness. The ringing of the phones also signify the working environment his in adding more realism to the story. Also since he is eating lunch by himself helps show his alone and doesnt have much friends. This is also reflected on us when he is looking out of the balcony on to the rest of the world which could be because he feels its him alone against the rest of the world. Also when he sees everyone else laughing in the meeting he pretends to laugh suggesting his an outcast and feels like his the odd one in the group, also reflecting on his lonliness. The shots of him answering the answerphone and making his food and eating all alone reflect upon his lonely life. The repeated shots of him going to work represents his life like a cycle that goes on and on with nothing knew. The music throughout the film also reflects his emotions and thoughts since it is very calm and gives a sense of boredem and loneliness.

This short film is very conventional. It includes many of the conventions used in short films. The main convention is the use of no dialogue. the whole film has its ups and downs which are conveyed by the music. at the beginning the music is very dull and low pitched. this helped convey the mood of the character which is obviously unhappy. However, in contrast the music in the middle changes to high paced which helps convey that the character is joyful. One other convention used in this short film is the use of minimal characters. The film is based on two characters however, many other characters are seen but have no effect on the narrative.

2 - Short Film Analysis - The Black Button

In the opening scene of the film, the audience get faced with a quote from the bible. also, the background is pure white. Both the color and quote represent holiness and purity. This straightaway creates a sense that life, death and spiritual power may be involved in the film. the quote is followed by the title of the film by slow transition. this slow effect gives time to the audience to reflect upon the quote and be able to relate the quote to the title of the film. The film starts off with a mid shot of a man wearing a black suit that is sitting on an over sized chair talking to a confused and frightened man.
The size of the chair helps the audience recognize the power and importance of the man sitting on it. Also, the color of his chair stands out boldly. The color of his suit creates a sense of evil and darkness. Altogether, these factors create the dominant personality of this character. However, the other character is wearing a white shirt and sitting on a small chair. The color white represents purity and innocence. This alone could create the personality for the character however, the size of the chair he is sitting on adds to this and shows to the audience that he is in a lower state of power compared to the man in the black suit.
We later get a shot that zooms in on the black button. This effect is accompanied by a slow dramatic eerie sound. This is used to give a more intense effect and also to emphasize the importance of the black button.
As the film goes on, the man in the black suit begins to persuade the other character to press the button. This then causes the character to become confused. This is shown by the use of quick cuts between him and his two options, to press the button and take the cash or take the key and wake away. the audience get closeup shots of the key,button and suitcase. this could of been done to create a sense that he is so close now to making a decision. Also, the quick cut effect allows the audience to place themselves in his shoes and feel the pressure he is going through.
Finally, when the character presses the button we begin to get quick cuts between the button and the dominant man. this shows the audience that the man is eager to find out if he will press the button or not. Also, this scene is backed up by fast paced music. This helps raise the tension in the film.
after the button is pressed, the man gets close to take the money and leave. However, the dominant man grabs his hand and brings him closer. This is when we get a closeup shot of both the characters faces. This could have been done to show that at last they confront each other and finally the story unravels. Here we find out that the man is actually dead. this followed by quick cuts that are blurry and also in black and white. this was done to make the audience recognize that it is a flashback of what happened. This is followed by blood pouring out of the characters head. The blood pouring down his head brings the character to reality and makes the audience realize that the man has now understood everything and has woken up from what can be called a dream.
While the blood drips down, the camera is really shaky. This could be done to portray the characters feelings. On the other hand, The dominant man is very calm and this is portrayed by the use of steady shots.

This film follows conventions but also subverts some of them. for example, their is a few characters used in this video. this is meant that the narrative is based around these few characters. However, one convention that is subverted in this video is the use of dialogue. throughout the whole film, the two characters have a conversation. this means that there is no soundtrack for this short film and as a result the audience have to listen closely to be able to understand the story within the short duration of the film.

3- Short Film Analysis - The Black Hole

the Short film the 'The Black Hole' opens with a black screen that reveals an office through the use of a circular motion wipe out. Also, the title of the film is displayed while the circle wipe out effect is taking place. this helps connect the title to the effect because the title includes the word 'Hole' and as everyone knows, holes are in the shape of circles. The connection between the effect and the title helps create a sense for the audience that circles plays a real factor in the film. The short film strongly conveys the idea of loneliness and boredom through the use of music and props. the use of diegetic sound helps backup the idea of loneliness because there is no music to create any emotion or thoughts. in the opening scene the camera is exploring the office creating the sense of loneliness and isolation.
we then get a mid shot of a guy doing repetitive work. also u hear the sound of a printer continuously printing. this gives the audience an idea that the guy has been working for a very long time. on top of the that, the clock behind the character displays 12 o'clock. this backs up the idea that the character has been working for a very long time.
Later we get a low angle shot from inside the hole on the paper. this gives the audience that the character is now in a higher state of power. this could also mean his emotions have changed because before he was bored doing his work then all of a sudden a magical hole appears in his life.
we get a medium shot of the character as he discovers the purpose of the hole. this is backed up with an eerie sound that helps the audience recognize that the hole is unusual. we then get a closeup shot of the mans face as he uses the hole to steal a chocolate bar from the vending machine. the use of the closeup helps the audience relate to the characters change of emotion. we later get a closeup of a door accompanied by dim lighting. the use of lighting helps reinforce the idea that what is going on is wrong also foreshadows that something dark may occur upon entering the door. after that, we begin to hear heavy breathing as the character approaches the vault. this helps by displaying his personality through the use of diegetic sound. the heavy breathing represents his excitement and overjoy as he realizes he will become rich. this can help the audience realize his greed.
before he enters the vault the camera begins to zoom quickly onto him giving a sense that 'we are watching you'. this also helps the audience become more engaged into the film as they feel that they have a voyeuristic view of whats going on.
as he enters the vault, the paper falls down and we begin to hear a banging sound because the guy is stuck inside. this creates an ironic situation because a couple of seconds ago the character was able to get into anything and now he is unable to get out. this irony creates a sense of amusement for the audience.
throughout the short film, we here the sound of the photocopier. this helps signify the importance of the copier because without it, this would of never happened.

I believe this video is very conventional. It follows many of the conventions used in short films. For example, in this film there is a very minimal use of dialogue. The use of very little dialogue is a convention of short film. there is mostly diegetic sound from the machines used in this short film. These sounds help create the sense of realism and also creates a serious tone for the audience. One other convention used in this film is the use of coherent fonts. The fonts used reflect upon the mood of the film. Another convention used in this short film is the use of minimal characters. This means that within the duration of the film the characters have to become well known to the audience and as a result short films cant use many characters or the story will just be all over the place and feel incomplete.

4 - Short Film Analysis - Strangers

This short film "Strangers" opens with a establishing shot of a train station setting the scene and establishing the location. The shot begins to introduce the audience to a dark and creepy atmosphere helping create a sense of Fear since it looks like a scene taken from a horror movie. This also sets the audience to the context of the film which is also re-inforced by the diegetic sounds made by the train. Also the non diegetic sounds may help add suspense to the film making the audience feel uneasy about what is going to happen next. We get a few shots of the train as it moves which could foreshadow that an incident may happen within that train. This is re-inforced by the use of the colour black and dark lighting which may emphasise fear and danger. The first character is introduced to the audience using a mid shot of the back of a male person waiting for the train. This could help the audience assume something is going to happen to this man inside this train. The diegetic sounds of the train add a sense of realism to the film. There is then a shot of another male character reading a newspaper which quickly then cuts back to the first character. This could help the audience assume that something may happen between these two characters. We then get a close up of the newspaper the man is reading which shows arab writing on it, this could establish the persons backround or religion. The use of a close up of the necklous with the jewish sign on also could tell the audience the persons religion this helps create a sense of suspense for the audience since both men and from different race and sitting opposite to each other. There is then many close ups of both characters faces looking at each other which attracts the audiences attention so that the story starts to unfolds. It creates a sense of suspense attracting the audience to know how the film is going to end. Furthermore the sounds of the train add to the suspense of the film. The use of a beat while the people are walking towards the two men reinforcing the representation of something bad might happen to these men, which also keeps the audience at unease.Furthermore the whispering in the background could add more suspense to the film attracting the audience into thinking something is about to happen. The tatoo on the back of the bold man's head also could suggest the man is a criminal or violent since he looks like a stereotype of how a criminal would look like in society. Also his other friends which they all look alike have very similar features to each other such as the tatoos and the lack of hair which could also suggest they ve come out of prison. There are many close up shots of each persons face to express their emotions and thoughts through there facial expressions and body language. This could make the audience more tense as the suspense goes on. There is then a close up of the bold man putting his foot in the middle of the other guys legs foreshadowing something bad is about to unfold. The ringing of the mobile phone gets louder as the guy is looking for it with all the other bold men looking at him, this could be to signify their frustration and anger building up like the music gets louder as they wait till he finds his phone. This also may invoke a range of thoughts and emotions such as tension for the audience to find out whats gonna happen next. Also the sound of the tunoi when the train stops adds more realism to the story. The loud bang of the doors shutting could signify that something violent is about to occur. Also as soon as the doors shut loud and confusing music comes on reflecting on the messed up situation they are in. However as soon as the two men get out of the train the music is gone signifying they are longer in danger. The swapping of their bags shows they have been united even though at first they disliked each other because they were from different races. Last but no least the last shot taken was of the train station were it all began however the lighting is more brighter reflecting on their thoughts, showing that the sense of fear they each had is not their anymore. We really enjoyed the moral behind this story showing both races in peace and unity.

this film is very conventional due to the fact that the characters are very minimal and the narrative is based around two characters. this means that the narrative is clear and straightforward. the audience become clear of the story just by the use facial expressions. one more convention of the film is the use of minimal dialogue. this means that the narrative has to be conveyed with the use of music. also the film uses enigma to play with the audiences perception.