Ideas for our Trailer

From last year:
               
                  Trailer Ideas:

• Horror: Teddy Bears Picnic -Soundtrack. 
• Shot of London. Time lapse from the London eye. -Going around
• Horror: Filming in the woods.
• Using paints?
• Using the panning shots of old images we didn't use for opening two minutes.
• Using footage that we didn't use before.
• Using different actors and maybe more actresses to show more female roles instead of just males.

From this year:

                  Trailer Ideas:

• Time - clock counting down, heartbeat?
• Spy?
• Dubai? London?
• Aliens?
• skydiving shot- go-pro
• we need some sort of gun building scene e.g. putting ammo in a gun
• we need some fast paced music
• London can be a base for parkour over fences and stuff
• we need an establishing shot of the Burj Khalifa
• we need a nose down shot of the main antagonist on the phone, use the time scenario possibly\\/
• we need a chase scene, e.g. running down the street of London and Dubai
• idea of a world crime syndicate which has influence in all the most prominent stock markets
• we need a shot filmed from a car, in a main city as the roads are smoother
•  quick exchange of shots differentiating so we get different shot types each and every time it can get closer to the chase
• shot running around a shop corner with one man running, face preferably keeps the audience in the dark, blurred out so prevalence is on the other main protagonist running
• no makeup needed 
• 
  

Analysis of our AS production

The Summoning

Overall, I believe that our AS production was very successful to represent the horror genre clearly. Ouija boards and abandoned houses are mostly associated with horror films.

The weaknesses that we had during the opening were that we could have been a lot clearer with what we were saying as it comes out a to little quiet. We could have also added a few more unique camera shots in to our opening to make it seem more interesting to the viewer.

The strengths that we have shown through our production is the amount of development that we have achieved as we have used shots that we used in out first preliminary task, for example: the hand on the door handle shot. We have also shown our strengths in creative ideas with the appropriate camera shots to use with them.

The Uninvited Trailer Analysis

The Uninvited

The trailer to ‘The Uninvited’ begins slowly, giving the basic outline of the narrative. Seconds in to the trailer, we are already aware that the girls mother has died in a fire. We gain further knowledge of the situation as the trailer moves on. We become familiar with the characters and the roles that they play. Like other horror movie trailers, the trailer begins slow and speeds up towards the end of the trailer which is shown though a montage of short, scary shots showing the events during the film. There is also a final burst of action before the trailer ends.

The genre is clearly stated in the beginning of the trailer as we fist find out that there was a fire that claimed lives. Fire and death are two things that are often associated with horror movies. Throughout the trailer, we are shown the creepy goings on that happen to the main girl. This supports the fact that the film is a horror as such footage wouldn’t be shown in a romantic film. In the beginning of the trailer, soft music is heard, signifying the innocent settings and characters but as the end of the trailer approaches the sound of drums is heard as the shots become quicker which builds suspension and tension. When that drumming stops, a loud creepy sound is heard which is leading up to something. When the glass drops to the floor all of the music and sounds stop. This makes the audience seem afraid as they can only hear the sound of breathing as they wait for the final burst of horror. A hand then grabs the girls shoulder and she screams which shocks and makes the viewer jump. The audience is now exited and is tempted further to go and see the film in the cinema.

The editing in the trailer is prominently used to create the suspension and excitement because it features different footage at different points. The speed varies at points to create tension and through this, different moods from the audience are created. The speed is a key factor in the trailer because the trailer begins slowly and the speed increases until the abrupt stop before the final burst at the end of the trailer which is the main character in the middle of the shot and the creepy hand grabs her on the shoulder making her scream. This leaves the audience wanting more, making them want to go and see the movie in the cinema.

Silent Hill Trailer Analysis

Silent Hill

The audience become aware of the horror genre early on in the trailer. This is shown when the scene of a mother and daughter are shown driving in to a mysterious place and the radio begins to radiate white noise. A slight jump scare is shown when a little girl is seen in the middle of the road. The mother then loses control of the car when she tries to avoid hitting the girl but fails and hits her. We then see as the girls body crashes through the car. This is when we find out that the girl is a ghost. This is a convention of a supernatural/ psychological horror. The setting of the trailer is also a convention because it is shown in a deserted, misty town. Or as the sign said: Silent Hill. The black text on a white background also conventional to a horror as it says ‘Fear without End.’

When the mother is looking around the town she is on the phone to a male who we can see on the screen. She then said: ‘Sharon is gone, I need your help. Im not okay, please hurry.’ The audience then begin to feel sorry for the mother as she feels distraught about losing her daughter.  We can then see a girl who looks like the woman’s daughter with the ghost from the road. The mother screams her name which the audience know that she is the daughter.

A little further on in the trailer,  the camera moves showing the mother as she looks for her daughter. We hear a swift noise like a breath moving quickly past her ear. This can lead the audience to believe that there is something behind them which also adds a ghostly atmosphere. A child is then shown with a close up. This is accompanied by three sharp noises when the child moves. This makes the scene feel unnerving and makes the audience feel frightened.

Throughout the trailer we are aware that the mother and daughter are in a paranormal world that could possibly represent hell.

We hear a sound of a knife being pulled from a sheath like its being swung. We can see that it is a mummy like creature that is swinging at the mother with a knife. The noise comes to a standstill abruptly which matched the footage on screen. This is then followed by the sound of a heartbeat and with each heartbeat a new clip is faded in and out. The last burst is of a loud, sharp screaming noise which makes the audience jump. This then makes the audience believe that there is going to be a bad ending for the characters which encourages the audience to go and see the full film in the cinema to find out what happens.

In the beginning, we see characters of a mother and daughter who are sitting against a tree in a field. The camera is seen to capture them through the long grass. This represents the idea of someone looking at them. This also shows the good that is happening before the bad. 

The speed of the editing begins to increase in the scene of the car, whereas leading up to this point it was all quite slow. Through this scene we realise that they are entering the place that the young girl had been dreaming of in her nightmares. There are quick separated clips as the mother loses control of the car, they are choppy and violent which suggests that something is wrong. When we see the mother as she wakes up from the crash, shots have been used to look as though she is looking around for her daughter outside. This makes the situations seem confusing and reflects the feelings the mother may have as she realises her daughter is missing. She runs in to the road screaming her daughter’s name when a black drop falls on to her face but is made aware that is it actually ash.

The sign reading ‘Silent Hill’ is then made prominent as she walks in to the town. The colours on the sign then become inverted and flashes of white are edited in to this shot. This could possibly be to represent evil as we see an inverted view of the town. 

There is an extreme long shot of the mother running down the ashy, isolated roads of Silent Hill before it cuts to black. The black may have been there to introduce the new character that is then on the screen which s the female police officer. The audience may then find some relief that the mother now has found help. From a low angle shot we are then shown a character wearing a cape who rids the sensation of relief and fills the audience with fear once again.

The Strangers Trailer Analysis

The Strangers

The trailer of The Strangers starts off quite slow, it sets the base for the narrative and allows the audience to appreciate the two characters that are involved romantically because of the simple cuts used.. The speed of the trailer increases as the trailer progresses, this is the part where the narrative becomes clearer to the audience. We know something is wrong when we hear loud noises from outside, followed by a masked man standing behind the main female character. This adds to the fact that the couple may be in danger. The end of the trailer is a final burst of action which makes the audience jump when they think it is all over. This allows the audience to be prepared for what is to come in the movie which also builds up tension.

At the beginning of the trailer, we are shown a few cuts showing the setting and the location. We are shown a wooded area which then cuts to a secluded home in the middle of the woods. The audience are now aware that the house is in the middle of no-where with no other houses around. The mood is set at the beginning of any film trailer. From certain cuts we are able to establish what each character is like from the cuts used and the angles. Also, between cuts a dissolve has been used in each making the atmosphere look relaxed, gentle, soft and romantic.

 The shot of the woman standing in the kitchen lasts for about thirteen seconds, a lot longer than any conventional piece of film shown in a trailer. It seems to go on for a long time suggesting that the suffering that the characters are experiencing has been dragging on for a long time. Using a long take like this one, we are able to see how vulnerable she is and how one of the antagonists is watching her. We can see him entering the room behind her where she has no idea. This makes it very unnerving to watch for the audience which creates suspense because we don’t know what he is going to do. It almost seems painful to watch as he is just standing there unmoving as she is also. We cannot hear anything but silence and her breathing heavy. She looks scared, unprotected and alone.

The audience are then made jump by a loud stabbing sound when the scene fades. The trailer then cuts to a scene outside of the house where the characters are looking for the things/ people that are making the noises. We are then shown a series of shots of all three antagonists taken from a long range. This makes them seen extremely scary and distant.

The next shot  is of the three killers standing in a row. The shot is fast, random and eerie. It’s quite fast that if you blink, you may miss is. This makes the audience then question their beliefs to if they have seen it or not. It gives them a proper sense of fear of the unknown as they wouldn’t know who is in their house at any given time. The speed of the editing can create excitement, fear and tension for the audience as they feel like they are being prepared for a final burst of action.

The jump scare is longer than a conventional horror trailer but it allows us to properly hear the dialogue which is explaining to the victims why they are there. The trailer is then made more sinister by the antagonists telling their victims that they are only there because the victims were home, they had no motives to be there. They were just ‘playing a game.’ This long take gives the audience a long enough time to take in the full horror of this face appearing in darkness. The close up of the blurry face is scary and eerie which adds to the fear that the audience may have just experienced during the climax. Just when it is believed to be over there is a final image as the female antagonist enters getting closer to the camera. This shows that they are being haunted until the very end.

Two of the most conventional horror settings are featured in this trailer. In the beginning of the trailer we can see the house in the middle of the woods seeming to be the only house around. This suggests that they are far away from real civilisation. Large houses are often common settings for horror films. We also see an extreme long shot of a lake at the beginning of the trailer. The lake is surrounded in trees which confirms that it is located in a woods. Being in the wood secludes the people in the home showing that they are far away from help. The colours of the trailer in the beginning are warm and welcoming which sets the scene as homely and romantic. The colours become colder and darker throughout the trailer as it becomes tenser. The lighting is very low key towards the end of the trailer which gives off the eerie and creepy vibe. The costumes of the antagonists play a very big part in this film. Their masks show that their identities are hidden which adds mystery and suspicion. This could also suggest that they are un-human due to their cruel and cold nature.

Body language is also very key in this film. For example, when an axe slices through a door in the home we can see the woman jump with freight behind the man, screaming. There is also a shot of her hiding in some sort of cupboard with her arms clenched around her body. She looked frightened like her body language also expressed. 

A wide range of close ups have been used in the trailer, for example: the rose petals laying on the bed, the candles being lit. These both enable the audiences understanding that they are romantically involved with each other. More extreme close ups are used as the couple become closer together: their arms and necks. This suggests the fiery passion in their relationship. By using medium shots the audience are able to see the whole setting and the background but we can also see the emotion shown on both of the characters faces. The final shots of the trailer are shown as extreme close ups of the antagonists which explains to the victims why they are there and why the antagonists are causing so much terror. The images are distorted which supports the killer as having a hidden identity. But when the audience thinks everything is over, we see the final shot of a killer entering the room from the dark corner. This adds fear to the audience as it is the last burst of terror before the ending of the trailer. This also makes the audience want to find out if the couple will be really safe in the end.

The lead male in the trailer is shown as the protector as we are often presented with a wide range of shots where the woman is using him as a protector or she is following close to him.

Codes and Conventions of Psycological Horror

Some of the main codes and conventions that you will see in any psychological horror film are as follows:

Weapons

When watching a Psychological horror film, the weapons you tend to see are not actual physical weapons, but tend to be more supernatural and psychological. For example, the killer’s twisted minds act a weapon of fear against the victims in the film. Also, in Supernatural horror films things such as visions, jumpy moments and so on are used as weapons of fear, supernaturally, rather than actually possessing a knife, or axe for example.

Settings

Some of the main settings you will see time and time again when watching a Psychological horror film are big houses, forest/ woodland areas, ware houses, schools, and hospitals and so on. These types of settings create realism for the target audience as they are able to relate to the film on some level, having seen/ been or currently live in these settings. This increases the fear for the audiences are they begin to picture themselves in these positions.

Sights

Quite often, when watching a psychological horror film, there are flashbacks that take the audience back to see why the killer is disturbed and to explain what happened to them in their lives that has lead them to become mentally challenged.

We also may see shadows/ silhouettes which UN nerve and terrify the audiences.

Sounds

Common sounds/ music that we hear when watching a Psychological Horror film are; Contrapuntal Sound- this is sound that doesn’t match the action that is on screen. E.g. at the end of the ‘Orphan’ film trailer, before the sting...

This contradicts the action taking place on screen and adds to the paranormal fears of the film.

Psychological horror films use eerie music, like other sub genres to build tension and to create suspense.

Characters  

A disturbed, or tormented individual is the main antagonist, usually comes back to get revenge on their victims. The victims can differ but like any horror film, a high percentage of the victims are female. The uses of children as the killers are also very popular. E.g. the Orphan, the Omen...

When psychological horror films use children as the killer, again, the victims tend to be female. This could have something to do with the fact that mothers are maternal and the female audiences watching will be able to relate to the character in some way.

General Conventions:

This type of horror tends to be more subtle, meaning there is less physical harm and bloody gore visible to the viewers.

Psychological horrors create discomfort in the viewer by exposing common or universal psychological vulnerabilities and fears.

They expose the evil that hides behind normality, but with splashes of the paranormal which the audience is unable to relate to completely. (This relates to the idea of why people enjoy horror films which is because they thrive on the excitement of being scared, yet in a controlled setting).

Some say that this sub genre should not be linked to horror, because it relates more the thriller genre, but in psychological horror one of the main purposes of the film is to frighten the audience mentally, whereas this is not the case in thrillers.

Orphan Trailer Analysis

Orphan

This trailer conventionally and typically follows the structure all film trailers. It begins slow, showing us that the family is willing to adopt. Towards the middle of the trailer we begin to acknowledge that the child they adopt is troubled, that there is something wrong. The climax of the trailer shows a visual montage of different types of torment that the girl decides to put the mother of the family through.

During the trailer, the audience becomes aware of the genre as the middle of the trailer appears. We see the child become violent. She begins to scream. The scene then cuts to a text saying: ‘I think there is something wrong with Esther’ which tells the audience what the girls name is, Esther. The text is in black and white. These colours are associated with evil and purity which are common themes in horror. This film is one of the psychological horror genre as a main convention that we see in these types of horror is that they often include a disturbed individual who is most often the child. One convention that we see is that there are no on-screen deaths and that the antagonist first appears to be normal. The correct audience will be attracted through this trailer as they will be able to identify the things that they look out for most in the horror genre.

The settings in this trailer are to create realism. Schools are a very common setting for a psychological horror as we can see in this trailer where there are two school locations. This may be due to the fact that the killer may have had a bad childhood and wanted to get revenge on the other children. The main setting of the trailer is in the family home which is a common setting for a horror film. This may be because the audience are able to picture themselves in the same situation and would be more thrilling. A hospital is also seen as well as a park, etc. these are all stereotypical settings of the genre to create realism.

In a scene, we are in a park where the girl is. She sees a girl that bullied her about her dress sense. We follow her as she walked up to the girl on the top of the play equipment where she seems to push her off. The next shot is of the girl at the top of the slide. The shot id a low angle which shows power like it was her kingdom to rule.

Her dark costume appears old-fashioned and looks almost witch like which immediately shows us that she is evil and dangerous.

The lighting and colours of the trailer is a gradual change from beginning to end. The beginning of the trailer is a range of bright colours to show the audience that everything is okay, for example: when the girl is painting there is many colours on the page which makes it seem like everything is normal. This makes the trailer unclear as to what the genre of the film is. The trailer follows on to a scene where the girl is in the bathroom. She is seen as very angry as she kicks and screams. This is where the lighting begins to change. The lighting becomes darker and there is a blue tinge layering the scene. This suggests that there has been a change of emotion and everything is no longer normal. The lighting then proceeds to become darker until the scenes are almost black and white. This suggests that the contrasts between the characters as the black could represent the evil and the white could represent the innocence of other children. The skies begin to grow grey towards the end of the trailer and stay that way which creates a gloomy atmosphere, almost evil. 

In the beginning of the trailer, the facial expressions and body language is happy and calm. Every character is smiling and the mother and father have welcoming eyes. Each child, even the girl, have soft faces which shows the innocence of children in general. The trailer then moves on rapidly. The body language becomes very closed and the facial expressions become sterner. Our view on the girl begins to change. The girl gives evil glances and evil smirks at points which shows that she may have a plan on how to destroy the family. Her body language and facial expressions during the bathroom scene are shown as violent and angry. The other characters in the trailer also begin to change their facial expressions towards the end of the trailer, for the worse. They have fear and confusion in their eyes as to why it is happening to them. Other young children appear to look innocent and defenceless against the evil of Esther. As an audience, we begin to feel sorry for the family as the girl leads them in to her ‘death traps.’

The speed of editing usually starts off slow before it gradually becomes faster throughout the trailer. Tension is built up through this type of editing and it also creates suspense so it creates excitement for the audience. This is done as when it begins slowly, we are able to get a clear understanding of the basic narrative. As the speed builds it prepares the audience for the final burst of action in the end. The speed does not only create excitement and suspense of the railer, it also creates fear and eeriness that makes the audience scared. We appear to be looking at the action through Esther’s eyes as the black outs can be seen to give the sense of her eyes blinking as she watches her torment. Two occasions during the trailer we can see a white screen that appears with black text on it. This could represent Esther’s appearance. She is pale with an innocent face which contrasts her dark black hair and black clothing. 

Hide and Seek Trailer Analysis

Hide and Seek

This trailer starts of with informing the audience about the institution of the film, 20th century fox. This could attract fans of the 20th century fox company. At the start of the trailer two adults are talking about a girl called 'Emily', this initiates how 'Emily' may be one of the main characters and this is later proven throughout the trailer. The discussion between the two adults introduces the narrative of the film by hinting the death of a partner, which causes the need to move away. 

The lighting through out the trailer is fairly dull which sets the mysterious and sinister mood of the film. The first half of the trailer contains slow music in the background as this half of the trailer is setting the story. The tone then changes in the middle of the trailer with a big bang noise and all the creepy and scary behaviours of the girl are shown. This shows how the movie is more then about relationships and a troubled family, it has elements of horror, fear and suspense. 

 This film has a great emphasise on children and child-like behaviours, which makes the story scary as children are associated with innocence, thus making then evil creates a frightening story. The title of the film ‘hide and seek’ contributes to the emphasise of child like behaviours as hide and seek is a very popular children’s game. Many parts of the trailer are connected to this title such as the counting of numbers, which is echoed in the background and the reference to the word ‘game’ which is used by Emily. Also at the end of the trailer Emily uses the typical phrase ‘come out come out were ever you are’, which is used in the standard hide and seek game. However in this context this phrase does not seem innocent due to the narrative we have been told during the trailer about the Emily’s strange behaviours. 

Emily in this trailer is sometimes shown with a doll. This doll is a signifier and signifies horror, as dolls are used in many successful movies such as Child's Play to scare audiences. Also the writing written in blood on the bathroom tiles connotes death and horror as death and horror are associated with blood. Also the knife being taking out the holder by someone creates mystery, as we are unaware of who is doing this and what their plans are. The knife also signifies terror and death as knifes are associated with killings.

 The trailer ends with lots of fast shots and music building to an explosion. Once the explosion occurs the films name ‘Hide and seek’ takes the screen, informing readers about the title of the movie. After this Emily is shown again reflecting her major role in the film. This is followed by the release date of the film to inform audiences when the film is available to view. The films name and release date could have been purposely placed at the end of the trailer so that audiences would be able to remember this important information. 

Action Genre Cliché's

-There are many large explosions in action films

-There are always guns and bombs involved.

-There is always at least one death.

-There is always a villain and always a Hero.

-Evil henchmen

-‘World-weary assassins or Green Berets or Navy Seals or mercenaries who assemble to pull off one last suicidal mission,’

-Soldiers are often used as main protagonists.

-Death by ‘fatal’ injury. (Shot in the foot or arm. Not that bad of an injury.)

-Villain often has low lighting. (The Joker in Batman.)

-Women are useless in some action films. (Pepper Potts in Iron Man)

-Women can also be better than men. (Lara Croft in Tomb Raider)

- Villain often British. (Loki in Thor)

-Several large men possessing a preposterous level of upper body musculature.

-Car chases.

-Enigma codes.

Magazine Analysis - Empire

Empire

The masthead is in a large font and is centred, covering the width of the magazine with the main image in front of it. This connotes how important the character is and that they are the main subject in the magazine.

The slogan for the magazine located beneath the magazine masthead “The world’s biggest movie magazine”. This connotes that this is the movie magazine that everyone reads and therefore so should you. 

The magazine website located in a small font underneath the masthead. This connotes how successful the magazine is as it has its own website and encourages readers to visit it. 

Puff used to further entice the reader to purchase the magazine. The words “Massive Oscars special” connotes that this covers everything that the reader needs to know and that this is something that can’t be missed. 

There are many other films featured within the magazine. However, it appears to be a common convention of film magazines to have one main image of the main article and surrounded by text of other films that are featured. The text used for certain films is much larger than others. For example “The Dark Knight” is in a much bigger font than “Australia”. This connotes how big that certain movie is and the importance of it. 

The main image covers the magazine and is at the centre of the magazine, which draws the reader’s gaze directly to it. The background for the magazine cover is the background for the main image. This is a cloudy stormy background which connotes something being covered up in the movie or shrouded by darkness.

The image of Wolverine on the magazine is covered by light which connotes that he is the hero in the film. Almost his entire figure is surrounded by an ominous glow with his face and body being lit up depicting him as the light amongst the darkness. There are constant references to the colour white such as his vest and even the word ‘Wolverine’ which connotes innocence and purity which tells us he is most likely the victim in the film.

Magazine Analysis - SFX

SFX

The title 'SFX stands for Science Fiction Expo which clearly shows that the magazine is aimed at Sci-Fi enthusiasts. The title partly hides behind the main image to put emphasis on the main topic of the magazine.

The main person on the character is Thor who was recently featured in the film Avengers: Assemble which suggests that this particular issue is discussing this particular character where there is an article talking of the sequel to Thor's own original film. The fact that Chris Hemsworth (Thor) is an attractive man would potentially appeal to the femal audience. The character overlaps the masthead and images along the bottom of the cover put more emphasis on how important he is in the issue.

The other pictures are featured in a band at the bottom of the page containing 'The Walking Dead', 'Doctor Who' and 'Supernatural'. This could mean that they are revealing information about their new seasons. I have noticed that the front cover only contains male characters which could mean that the magazine is aimed at males.

The main colours that are featured on the cover are blue, red and white. The blue suggests the theme of masculinity as blue is usually associated with boys which could also suggest the primary audience, men.The red is used to hilight certain words and pictures which could represent importance or urgency and the fact that this torch red stands out against the blue which enhances it.

The font portrayed in the title is bold with a silver metallic 3D effect, dominating a quarter of the magazine cover. They used this metallic effect because it stands out due to it being the only text with this effect and this shiny effect presents the idea of something brand new representing the contents of the magazine. The fonts for the subheadings are shown using capitals to enhance the theme of urgency and importance.

By using the word “Exclusive” makes it sound that the reader will have s privileged experience by purchasing this particular issue. I have also noticed the word “plus” has been repeated quite a bit which the audience could be led to believe that the audience is getting more for their money.

There is a use of direct appeal like “Everything you need to know” and “Your essential guide to the new season” creates the idea that this magazine is made for them, extending on the feeling of being exclusive.

Magazine Analysis - Entertainment

Entertainment

Entertainment magazine is an American magazine published by Time Inc; this magazine which specialize in television, film, music, Broadway theatre, books and popular culture.

This cover of the magazine focuses on the film Catching Fire, part of the Hunger Games trilogy which went from a book to a film. The model in the image is the main character from this trilogy and is looking directly at the camera. In today's generation, Jennifer Lawrence is viewed as one of the world's hottest women and this helps to capture the readers eye with Jenifer looking directly at the camera. Having this actor, who is the main character, allows the magazine to gain more circulation and popularity.

The bold masthead is positioned behind Jennifer and is almost unreadable, yet as this magazine is such a popular choice for readers, people instantly know the name and look from its own iconic font and layout. Having the masthead behind her allows her to stand out from the magazine, adding a sense of realism. The designers tend to use models looking towards the camera and positioned in the middle with a dramatic expression, fitting the films atmosphere.

The Background of the cover is a scene from the film, a dramatic part where the fights take place and having this model with this pose shows her luring gaze. Also, the pathetic fallacy use of the rain adds to this theme of drama and action and the rain is also overlaying the masthead, continuing to make the model stand out while giving the magazine a simplistic yet intriguing outcome.

Having some parts of the text in bold shows the reader the most important and iconic parts, for example: 'BREAKING BAD FINALE' is capitalized and is something that was a massive hit at the time of publication.

Magazine Analysis - Total Film

Total Film

Total Film is a UK-based film magazine published every four weeks by Future Publishing. The magazine was launched in 1997 offering Cinema DVD, Blu-ray news, reviews and features. This magazine is both printed to be available in shops but it is also available in digital format so it can be bought on-line and viewed on an electronic device.

The layout of the magazine is in an olf-fashioned comic book view as the main interest of this specific edition of the magazine is a Comic-Book Movie preview, making the layout interesting to the reader. For example, screen-shots of the different films are presented with an old fashioned film border which goes across and off of the page on both sides. The bold masthead is two words, the first word 'TOTAL' is embedded in to the second word 'Film' and is positioned in the top left corner of the F which makes it easy to read as the word 'FILM' is in a very large font but it is also misleading as many people may not be able to see it in the F as it blends in slightly. Despite the cover looking visually noisy, it is still laid out in a easy to read way and the colours keep the magazine looking professional and thematic.

Having the model, Spider-Man, positioned in front of the masthead shows that he is important to the magazine and the institutional context. The main image also works with the comic book theme as Spider-Man was originally a Stan Lee/ Marvel comic before it was made in to films. The old and bright colours of red and yewllow represent the comic theme and also help all of the main parts to stand out against the background while also diverting the eyes to different sections of the cover; these colours also represent the emotion of the character who's expression is serious, showing that he is in full character. This magazine focuses on the actual film rather then behind the scenes of it.

The selling-line 'The worlds best movie reviews' makes the magazine appealing to the audience and critiques to see if the reviews they provide are actually the 'best. This selling-line is circled with stars, which could be the ratings that the films get as they are mainly rated with stars 0-5.

The text on this magazine cover includes parts that are bold, defined and colourful which shows the importance and popularity of the things that are emphasized making it stand out and appeal to a wider audience.

Magazine Analysis - Fangoria

Fangoria

Fangoria is a horror genre based film magazine made in the US but distributed internationally. This magazine specializes in the genres of horror, slasher, splatter and exploitation films in regular publication since 1979. It had began with the name Fantastica and was companions with the science fiction film magazine Starlog.

As this magazine is from the 70's, we can see that the layout is quite old fashioned due to the simplicity and choice of font. Because this is mainly a horror genre magazine, we expect the masthead to connote more of a slashing or horrific theme with its font, what we do understand from the font of the masthead is that from the jagged and sharp edges, the films they review keep you on edge and are shard and straight to the point. Also, the colours of the magazine do not suit the theme of horror as the main colours are purple and yellow. The purple works well with the female's dress on the colour done through mise-en-scene. The black box at the top of the page with the yellow text captures the viewers attention as it stands out as the yellow is bright on top of the black. This part is to reel in the readers and film critiques to real the magazine as it reads 'Friday The 13th: Jason's censored slaughter scenes' making a growth of interest amongst the readers.

The image of the two characters from the magazines main feature is presented as both comedic and horrific and they're both looking towards the camera signifying that we are a part of the scenario. We know that the character on the left, Freddy, is the antagonist as his face appears to be burned and he has claws on his fingers while he is smirking against the females scared expression. Freddy's eerie smile shows his eagerness and smugness as he kills in the dreams he enters, making him one of the most terrifying killers and he knows that. The expression on the females face shows that she is terrified and the tag-line to go alongside the iimage, 'Freddy & Nancy's dream reunion' is both ironic and comedic; because Freddy kills in peoples dreams and they are both wearing formal clothing which could suggest that they may be attending a formal event like a prom or dance, making it the 'perfect reunion'.

The negative space on the cover is covered up by the use of the images, the plant on the left side of the magazine from the film 'Little Shop of Horrors' (1986) has been edited to overlap the border and frame, as well as Freddy's head is too giving them both a sense of realism and adding to the theme that we are part of the scene.