Evaluative Analysis

You need a pitch to sell your film to the potential producer,

My log line tells you a bit about the film and a quick preview of what the

film would be like and sort of genre. My genre is based on a horror about a

./"group of young students on a weekend away but they don't know that there

not alone. They are joined with the cursed mother and son who waiting of

them. My film is based is aimed at an age of 15 upwards, I think that the

audience would enjoy from this film because there is young youthful actors

/in and valentine's day has been around for years and the older generation

would love to watch something so lovely like valentines turn into this horror

film.

My log line is a quick and snappy preview of the film, it tells you briefly

ywhat time of year it is, what actors would you be expecting to see and the

'•' big give away is '"the cursed mother and son" the killers, the established

genre is a horror this would appeal to most intended audience.

My storyboard is like a quick movie clip of the film it shoots through the

Important extracts in the film. In my film and storyboard the music is dark

and mysteries to link with the horror and dramatic genre, the hghts is needed

a lot because most of the film is based in the night time in the woods so if not

you wouldn't be able to see the actors or props. Also the camera is used at

many different angels and a variety of shots and positions this would also

appeal because it has a variety of examples. N.vs-J ii "c-v-

In my web page it shows a variety of pictures it shows the audience a small

/part of the film with the actors andjthererole in the film, also most of the

pictures are original photography, the colours which are provided on the

back boards are of a bright red the colour of valentines and are also the

Colour of blood. It appeals to any sort of audience over the age of 16 and

allows the web page to be simple to use and provides all the information you

would want or needed for this film. It also^llows the* audience to have a have

a short shot of the horror film which is a heart stopping. The web page is

very simple but affective.; A !

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Evaluative anaivsis

jj Pre-production (pitch)

p.,.. /By doing the pitch, I learnt that a pitch should only consist of information that the producer' needs to know. For example, the producer will want to know actors or stars in the film, the

K /genre of the film, the narrative of the film and similar films that have already been released.I also learnt what a logline is: a short sentence that describes the narrative of the film. MyJogline was 'Phil Turner, an experienced police detective, is hunted down by the mob to hishotel apartment, where the story unfolds as the trap is activated'. The story of the film 1pitched was about a man, an ex-police officer, who knew some information about the mob,and therefore is chased down by numerous hit men, although he ends up having a trap set

,rfp and kills the hit men. My pitch would appeal to a. producer because there is a flowing andaction filled story line, although there is still a sense of thriller and drama in the film, and

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,fhen at the end there is a surprise which would shock the audience and leave them iispirits about the film. Towards writing the end of the pitch, 1 realised that a pitch should alsoinclude the ending of the film as it is not an advertisement so therefore it should give the

/producer the whole plot. Throughout writing the pitch, I intended the film to be intended ata particular audience: 15 to 25 year old males as it is a boys action packed film, although itmay still appeal to older men up to there 40's. " - Sc ,.̂ (U v,,,4 /, .\UL e.cl<-.,

. • \n (storyboard)

Most storyboards are produced so that the director can give the actors and camera-men anId'ea about each scene and shot. They need to show the camera-men what kind of shot each

/ one was, so I included this in my storyboard. It is also useful for the film crew to knowsounds which are involved in each scene and shot, and I made sure this was on thestoryboard. For example, in one scene a sniper shot is fired, and i made sure 1 wrote down

'•- ' women screaming in the background, this was so that the sniper shot seemed realisticbecause obviously people are going to panic if they hear a sniper shot. While creating the

/storyboard 1 learnt many different types of transitions, these include: straight cut, fade,• dissolve, and wipes. Obviously there are many more however many of them are used to

change location or time. This is also the piece of coursework where I learnt most about theeffectiveness of camera shots, and learnt how to use them to my advantage. For example, I

L ' used a low angle shot in one of my shots and I knew that this would make the character inthe shot look almighty and powerful. 1 also used gun and shooting action in my storyboardas 1 knew that this would appeal to the majority of the male audience.

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Production

Since the beginning of this course, I have learnt that there are many different distribution

companies around the world, some are big and some small. 1 have also, learnt that these

iX companies have a variety of ways to market films: posters, internet advertising, billboards,

trailers, television advertising, newspapers and the radio, The most effective of these

probably used to be billboards or trailers, however now that the use of computers and

/fhterr.et has become available during the past ten years, it is probably the internet which is

L/ now useo to advertise to a.udiences. Although, trailers that are played in cinema's before

films are probably most useful as they're showed to an audience that obviously goes to the

. /ejnema, and the distribution companies can choose to play the trailers before similar films

'-/so that they are showed to the target audience. On the other hand, the use of the internet

Jo advertise also means that the companies can advertise towards their target audience

•/ because they can place adverts en websites that the target audience is likely to go on,

Posters

I was extremely pleased with the four posiers! created. In three of them I used original

photography, and 1 was very pleased how that fitted in with the genre of the film as-in the

''majority of the original photo's 1 was holding a gun, which obviously gives off the impression

of an action, crime or thriller film. The only problem with the original photographs was

deleting the background on the photos. Because the photos didn't have a perfectly clear

/background, I couidn't use the transparent tool to delete the background, so .instead I had/

to use the eraser to clear all the background on the photos. I think that the posters

compared very well to the real thing and I could imagine them being in a cinema or on a

/billboard. \d a small text across the bottom naming the actors, producers and some crew',

members in the film, a'nd this added to the.reality of the posters. In one of the posters, I had

a London background and this showed the location of the film, as well as the slogan on the

-'"' posters: 'London is their playground'. In three of the posters there was at least one gun, and

this helped establish a genre and show that there is action in the film. Finally, one of the

posters had a black and white with a bright red blood splash over it. The grim background

/sowed it was a gritty and dark film and the blood shows the audience there is violence

involved. In each poster, anyone could recognise a genre and narrative just from looking at

them.

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Reflective Analysis

Throughout my coursework, 1 have delved into the weird and wonderful world of film and learnt a. great deal.The-reaiity of'Film Language/ is that once the concepts are understood, you can apply your knowledge toother.aspects within the course. Film language is divided into Micro and Macro - two words that havefeatured heavily during the process of my courseworlc

In my micro analysis of Shooter (coursework 1 part 2), I explored the element of cinematography. Beforeentering the film studies course, 1 already knew.a fair amount regarding cinematography, My coursework,however, gave me a more detailed and valuable insight into the view from behind the camera. Out of the widerange of aspects that make up film language, cinematography was my topic of interest 1 learnt in considerabledepth how a fairly simple piece of equipment -a film camera - could be used in such an artistic and dynamicway, to create breathtaking footage, heartbreaking emotion and nerve-racking excitement: the indispensablecombination needed to create a great film.

A high percentage of my coursework has been fuelled by knowledge and research of the multi-billion dollarempire known as the film industry. In coursework 1 part 1,1 explored the processes that contribute in themaking of a blockbuster hit. For this particularly challenging portion of my coursework, 1 had to reveal thehidden secrets behind a motion picture (Shooter). This included finding information on the'production,distribution and exhibition of my chosen film. During the research for this project, 1 learnt invaluableinformation, including how, why and where this film was made. The key point for me was how the film wascreated. This expression seemed to merge all the characteristics of my film studies course and band themtogether in a few paragraphs.

For coursework 2 and 3 1 had to create examples of print and broadcast media to market my film(Radioactivity}. During these tasks 1 learnt a sizeable,amount about film organisations and film audiences. Mypitch was written with the production company in mind. I wrote it as if I was giving my pitch to a producer.This was a challenging feet as I had to summarise my entire film in 150 words or less: a feet that made meappreciate how difficult it is to have an idea, written on paper, materialise into a full production. Following thepitch, 1 had to create the front cover and contents page for a film magazine. An incredibly .interesting section ofmy coursework, 1 immersed myself into the project and believe to have produced a sufficient piece of workthat has taught.me a good deal about print media and why it is essential to a film's success.

Film organisations are no different to other companies in the way they use technology to boost sales and lookgood. An easy-to-navigate website is essential for all commercial entities and my research for coursework 3made me realise how a good film needs a good website. By offering information in a few languages, Iattempted to demonstrate how organisations reach out to a global audience. In addition, by offeringdownloads, ringtones, trailers and music, movie websites can be fun and interactive-just what many peoplelook for when they log on.

The greatest challenge when making a movie is pleasing and thrilling the fi!m audiences of today. This is whereI believe the macro element of film language comes into play. During my coursework, narrative,representation and genre became key points especially when writing the pitch and the analysis of Shoofer. Afilm's narrative structure contains representation and genre within it. One aspect I had previously overlookedbefore starting the course was the concept of representation. It became evident to me during my coursework'that representation was incredibly simple. In the case of my film (Radioactivity] the character of the vicepresident was represented as an archetypal villain and I wanted to demonstrate this aspect in my pitch. Thisparticular archetype is a consistent code and convention used in countless films involving a high politicalfigure.

Overall, my film studies coursework has taught me an incredible amount about the film world and filmlanguage. I have greatly enjoyed the tasks my courseworkJaas set me, and appreciate the requirementsneeded to make a successful film.

Evaluative Analysis

Pre-production (pitch)

I learned, while making rny pitch, how to only include information that would be valuable to

a producer such as the actors involved and the key points of the plot and the genre and styleof the film. In rny pitch I ppsse'hted my film as an art house, psychedelic adventure revolving

around a small traup*esfised girl "Lucy" who creates a world of her own to forget her

problems. itfcwrfK!my pitch would be appealing as if s a refreshing, original storyline that

features ideas not normally attempted in mainstream cinema. It also incorporates popularculture as its concept takes inspiration from the well known Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky

with Diamonds" which I explained incs/pitch. Reference to The Beatles alone, wouldattract the attention and interesfof producers and consumers alike, which is why 1 made

trje association expiicil^Jhe'iogline deliberately underlines this association, while being3 attract those who perhaps don't recognised the intertextual link.. I

Pre-Production [Script]

My script was produced in order to show the dialogue and storyline of my film, it needed tobe presented in a clear orderly way including shot transitions and camera angles. Like other

fiims of similar genres to mine, my script was designed to evoke strong emotions from theaudience. To achieve this I use juxtaposinesJKJtsand a variety of camera angles to create

interest and emotional impact. Mv^sefipt also basically relies on the rnood created through

camera angles and muswr'as much as dialogue.and the character's situation is depicted in.this way.

1 think the close up o-nj&£"teddy while the audience hear screams on the soundtrack willimmediately capfcdfe the audience's attention, something which is crucial in an openingscene. Arj^-fhe opening shot is deliberately held so that it gcatfually pushes in closer on Lucy,

to increase the sense of intensity and desperation-Fpr'cTramatic contrast, the camerasuddenly zooms out into a more conventional establishing shot taking in the city

environment before the mise-en-scene is bleached by the lightening strike-^fe-tfiTs point the

camera returns through a reverse zoom to Lucy's eyes, and the connotation is that thrcy,the camerawork the audience have glimpsed something of her interior world.

\ have Searnt about the many different kinds of distribution, and how companies market

films in ways such as; posters, via radio, TV and internet adverts, trailers in cinemas,

newspapers and billboards. I learnt how the target audience can affect where things are

distributed, for example, a film aimed at 18+ adults may play its trailers before fiims also

aimed at 18 plus aduits. In this way the target audience is exposedtp-trte films style and

content and are therefore, more likely to go and see it. The internet is also a great

dvertising tool, as an increasing majority of people wiii eithe^htsve internet in their own

omes, or at least access to internet at some potntJkHS'fneans they can be bombarded with

dverts about the fiirn and may decide they wish to see it. it also allows people to research

ny films they wish to see and so distribution companies can market their films in this w;(—•""T*1•boards on the sides of buildings and buses can also be a good way of advertising a film to

large number of people at any one tirn^However it is probably less effective than

Drnething like ths internet as peqptewill be less focused on something like a billboard. The

3rne applies to posters.L

'ilm Magazine Article i-.,-.

ursng the production of rny fiim article, I also learnt about the techniques which film?urnalists use during interviews and while creating magazine features on a film. I studied

lainstream film magazines such as "Empire" and "Total Film" and then incorpora±etTthose

lernents that i found particularly effective within my own film articieJ^uflffgthe researchiso noted that different kind of magazines have different kind of styles. Some are very

rofessional and deliver a film critic's verdict on the quality of everything about the

•om soundtrack to camerawork in a very straightforward, practical manneiv

•sore satirical and deliver a far more informal verdict on the filrnj-tried to emulate bothtyies in rny article, commenting on camera tech niquesancr'ot her parts of the film, but alsoeeping rny writing style relaxed and informal. lipetuoed a film poster in my film article

,'hich had been edited to give it a more polished, professional look and also photos of the

eopie who were interview within it. Both these aspects are included in magazines such asEmpire", where directors and movie starsoftend«fsometimes iconic, photo shoots, i also

/anted my article to be in keeping with the-fitfn it was talking about and so I adjusted my/ord art and font to fft this.! thinjj-*h1s would appeal to readers as it adds interest to the

rticie and also help market trie film using its logos and trademark writing and making itlore recognizable. It also brands the film and lets people know its genre and style

V

Evaluation

There a number of things I have learnt about the film industry through-writing my pitch.Firstly, I have learnt that the purpose of a pitch is to attract m^stjaaent and therefore thefilm idea has to be marketable in order for it to be green-tit A pitch is not just asummary, bufalso a way of selling a film and has to include key points that will attractinvestorsrl have learnt that a successful pitch includes star power, USP, genre, castcrew and a likely audience. I now understand that a pitch is an important starting pointof a film and therefore I incorporated these aspects into my own pitch. For example, Inamed well-known-'actors and actresses such as Marlon Wayans and Cameron Diazbecause this would make people more likely to watch the film/afid investors would beaware of thisrl also made my genre apparent - comedy honor - so that investors wouldbe more likely to buy into the film, as they would know whom they would be selling itto. In addition to/mis I also named two films my movie was linked to 'Outbreak' meets'Scary Movie ;̂ I did this so the investors would have an idea of the target audience formy film,/

I also learnt that the narrative of the film is included in the pitch because the storyline isobviously important as it determines whether the film is going to succeed or not and it isessential investors have an understanding of it. I kept my narrative brief but gave a cleardescription of the storyline. My narrative in my pitch gave my character's brief journeythrough equilibrium to disequilibrium and then gave an element of suspense as towould be the outcome of the film. The narrative is important as it-needs to have ato other films and needs to be original in order to be successful.

After creating my merchandise I have explored the key points of why merchandise isimportant and what it does for a film.

Many films are presented with marketing opportunities and this is important, astheo-retibal-'release isn't always that profitable. The merchandise is often responsible forrecuperating the money that was lost making the film. Merchandise also builds publicawareness of a film as it comes out about a month before the film is released and thiscreates a buzz:

I created a number of different forms of merchandise for my film and my merchandisewould be available in places such as shops, the Internet and online music stores such asitunes. The targeting audience is 15+ but younger children may be interested in buyingmerchandise such as action figures despite being too young to actually watch the film. Byhaving a target audience of 15+1 had a number of marketing opportunities such as beingable to have a wide range of merchandise and also being able to sell more expensive--items, as older people are more affluent and therefore I would make more of a jpr-ont.

As part of my merchandise I made T-shirts and I did this because people aged 15+ areparticularly interested in fashion and are likely to purchase the T-shirts,,-'! also made mugs

because they are an everyday, useful item and people would be likely to buy them if theyenjoyed the film. Furthermore, I also made an original soundtrack and a CD with currentsongs on it which featured in my film. I did this because my target audience are of theage to have particular interest in music. Also, because the music I used for my film wasup to date and already popular people would be more likely to want to purchase it. All ofmy merchandise had the logo I designed on it in order to create a brand.

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Posters are an important part of the market campaign because they promote films and afilm depends on good promotion in order to be successful .posters come out at differentstages of the film, in some cases up to a y^ar in advance^-These posters are called teaserposters and they don't contain much information, if any, sometimes only having a keyimage to establish the brand identity/On my teaser poster I just had an image of claws torepresent the baboon and the title. I did this so people would know that film is going to bemoderately scary but would also be in suspense, as I had not given much informationaway. This whets people's appetites, creating a buzz and gets people talking about thefilm. Other posters come out closer to the release date of the film and the closer it coniesout, the more information it will contain such as taglines, cast, star rating etc. DVDposters come out when the film is about to be released on DVD and Blue-Ray and thesehave the most information on them. Other types of posters included quad size and six-sheet posters. I would use my character posters for these.

I made a one-sheet poster and/mis is the standard size poster that is the final one andappears in cinema lobbies/My one-sheet poster was the final main poster and contained alot of information such as the title, the credit block, the tag line and the main image of thebaboon. I also did another main poster which I would put on a billboard because it had alot of information on and also an image of all the cast and this would attract people'sattention because of the cast ability.

Posters need to be immediate and communicate information quickly. I made the genreapparent to my audience by mixing comedy and horror aspects such as the images. Thebaboon was scary but the people's expressions were comicaj^Also the title was bold andeye catching, the font was dominating and the graphics - Icreated a logo - was slightlyscary yet humorous/Furthermore, the mise en scene is also clear from just glancing at myposters. The colours reflect the genre because the reds have connotations to blood andhorror, the black symbolises the mystery and the scariness and the green represents theaction. The setting is also present on most of my posters because I have created a jungleand placed my characters in front of it so viewers are instantly aware of the setting. Alsothe performance of my characters is easy to observe because they all have differentpersonalities and when they are all on the same poster this is apparent. My main characteris also present on a number of my posters and his pose and body language represents heplays the hero. The costume is everyday, normaHSlothing so people can relate to myposters and are encouraged to watch the fikrL My tagline 'Go Ape' is suitable because itobviously links with the narrative of the film and is also comical but has an element ofsuspense/