Evaluation Task 2

Evaluation feedback

You have made a good start on your evaluation, with work on task one (although you should add in how you have conformed to/subverted the conventions for each point) and four.

Targets:
Titles of posts - make sure all are titled 'Evaluation Task x'
Evaluation task 3 - re-upload the audience feedback for your finished trailer - you should sum up what you have learned (positive and areas to develop) in your analysis
Evaluation task 2 - record a voice over/interview style footage where you discuss how the three tasks combine effectively to create a marketing campaign
Evaluation task 4 - what about the software you used to create your poster/magazine cover? Blogger to record your work? YouTube to view other trailers etc? The camera? Make sure all of this is discussed.
Remember to also upload any written responses you complete for exam preparation to add to your evaluation

Logic Screenshot

Evaluation Task 3

Special Effects.

For the special effects we decided to be more reserved than our previous project last year. We opted opting for some simple muzzle flashes and added gun sounds as its just the trailer. The reasoning behind this was to make the trailer feel a lot more raw and gritty then your average Hollywood blockbuster of the same genre. In this shot we can see the main character returning fire on other survivors, you can see the muzzle flash added into the shot and there is also gun shot sounds added that obviously you can't hear from this still image. The muzzle flashes were added in for obvious reasons such as we didn't have real guns or even blank firing guns that would produce there own muzzle flashes and if we had not added them in it would have looked weird. The gunshot sounds were also added in for the same reasons.

Costume/Props

The costume we chose consisted of an old metropolitan police jacket, a flannel shirt, at an old black t-shirt, cargo trousers and boots. Our character also wore a dust mask, due to the 'post apocaylptic air' We chose the costume we did as it displayed our character as an Average Joe, and highlighted that he was in this world without any specialist equipment or skills. The clothes we chose are all quite old and look worn, particulaly the jacket, which has the odd tear and frays coming off it. This definately adds to the post apolcalypitc feel we are trying to acheive in our trailer due to the scruffy, deshevilled look of the clothes. We used a few props, but not all that many, the main one we used was a colt replica BB pistol and an air rifle with a scope. The pistol in particular, pretty much became part of the costume as he carried it throughout the trailer in the post-apocalyptic sequence in the trailer.

The Title Of The Film

The title of the film is at the end of the trailer because mostly this is a conventional position for the title to appear. This is due to the fact that the title sticks in the audiences mind as something they should go and see. The title itself is has a simplistic white on black style which makes the font prominent and eye-catching to the viewer. The font used has a weathered effect with an inconsistent tone and texture, this is to conform to the genre and also give a final indication to the audience what genre the film is if for some reason they had not figured it out by this point.

Setting/Location

Choosing the Setting/Location for the trailer was important, because its supposed to be a trailer post apocalyptic film the scenery had to look desolate with hints of decay and abandonment. Wisley Airfield was perfect for this as it was and has been completely empty for many years now. So it does establish the abandoned and decayed scenery we were trying to present in our trailer. The location included overgrown empty runways, abandoned trailers and a tire mound and stacks of wooden pallets. The lighting for the location was very dim and quite dark due to the very cloudy weather we had on the day. However this was useful as we wanted to create a grey unsaturated colour throughout the trailer making it look bleak. This would be similar to films such as I Am Legend, which is set in a similar setting, where everything is decaying, overgrown, abandoned and ruined which aside from being based in 

New York City, which our location and setting has very much conveyed.

Camera Work & Editing

Camera work and editing in the trailer is varied depending on the emotions we were trying to convey in the given scene, but in this scene, a high paced action scene, the type of camera work used was a fast using close up and medium shots with the camera always in motion, not on a tripod. This was used to make the action look much more intense and fast paced, the mild shaking on the camera also adds to the effect of violence and action. Its a similar story with the editing, which reflects the situation in similar ways. During the panoramic shots at the beginning of the trailer the shots are long and smooth flowing, creating a feeling of security, but also conveys further emptiness and gives the trailer a rather bleak feel too. However, once the action begins at the end of the trailer the cuts become more choppy deliberately, all to give a feeling of insecurity and to increase the pace to convey your stereotypical action scene. The sound is another thing that is varied in the trailer, the sound starts off quite and then becomes progressively louder as the trailer climaxes. in this shot the the music and sound is at its loudest.

'Her Majesty's Wasteland' Trailer

'Her Majesty's Wasteland' Poster

'Her Majesty's Wasteland' Magazine cover

Film Poster Design Draft

This is the first complete draft for out film poster. As you can see it is not 100% complete as there are a few things that are we are debating on, such as whether or not to change them or not, those things include the position of the film title, the colour of the font both for the font itself and the colour of the crown logo an. We are also questioning whether to return the image in the background to colour but that is going to take a little thought.

Brief evaluation and decisions for the draft poster as it is now:

One of the main questions is why does the character have their back facing us, and that is the exact reason, it raises questions. We have done this as it promotes curiosity in the audience and will hopefully result in them watching the trailer and ultimately, watching the film. The second reason is because of the nature of the character. The character in the film is a stealthy and extremely skilled survivalist (at least by the end of the film he is) and this poster with the characters back facing away from the audience helps to promote the stealth side of the character, not having his face visible helps to do this as well.

The logo and font colour was chosen as it is the same colour used in the revenue and customs logo. As this is a British film we decided that using the logo and colour from HM revenue and customs would help the audience identify that the film is completely British. We has abbreviated Her Majesty's to HM which is also a direct link to the British revenue and customs, but the actual name of the film is the full 'Her Majesty's Wasteland', This abbreviation might also park the curiosity of the audience who don't already know what it means, which will hopefully lead them to the trailer for the film after they have found out what HM means.

You may notice that the clouds are the only part of the background image that is in colour. This is because it is supposed to represent the chemical war that left Britain in the mess that is shown in the film, however this will be hard to identify to without watching the trailer or reading the synopsis of the film.

The text at the bottom of the poster is the institutional information and some of the main credits for the film, typical of many film posters.

Film Poster Draft Drawing.

This is one of the first drafts of our poster, we have settled on the name ‘Her Majesty's Wasteland’, the poster accentuates some of the themes presented by this name. Given the large, regal crown in the middle of the poster, the reference to the royal family (an iconic sign of Britain) is obvious, this further outlines the British touch which we are trying to display as one of the main focus points of our film. The character on the poster is looking away from the viewer. This is a nice change to the conventional theme of characters giving a direct look towards the audience. This makes the character look much more real and gritty, as if he doesn't really care about the fame of the cover. The fact that he is holding his gun in his hand closest to the camera is an obvious hint to the violence within the film. The gun also compliments the character's distraction, it makes it seems as if the character is distracted by something dangerous enough that he may need to use his gun. The font of the poster is very grand, in the way that the viewer's attention is immediately attracted to the title, however at the same time the font also looks gritty and brutal. The themes presented in the font are exactly what we attempt to portray in our film; a grand, melodramatic piece with gritty, cruel undertones.

Research and Planning Grade

Well done Will. You have made an excellent effort in evidencing the research and planning you have undertaken. You have researched similar products in a detailed way, including audience profiling. Your organisation of locations is excellent, and I would like to see you add to the posts explaining your choice of actor (for example, a picture of Chris alongside a picture of a character from a similar genre film, and then an explanation as to why Chris would be appropriate for this role etc). I'm glad to see you have written a script, but you must upload a storyboard and animatic in order to further evidence your excellent ability to use ICT or digital technology. Shotlists are also needed, and you should add more detail to filming diary 3 in order to move up into a level 4.

15/20 Level 3

Film Poster