Change of story/idea- (Final!)

I decided yesterday on the 30th of October that another, but final change of story line was needed for my short film. The main reason behind this is simply due to my 2nd idea lacking meaning and social messages, which is why I'm now doing a home invasion themed thriller/psychological thriller short film that can engage the audience by linking to real life events and social issues that people can relate to.

I aim to get a screenplay done very shortly as opposed to as a script, due to the fact that so far I don't think there will be masses of dialogue in my short film, rather more actions and camerawork. I aim to shoot by next Friday the 11th of December at the latest, as long as my 2 main planning documents are completed.

Once the screenplay is done, I will be getting my storyboard done shortly after which will then enable me to begin filming and putting a rough edit together after.

I am also choosing to go along the route of psychological thriller due to the fact that in my survey results, psychological thriller was the 2nd most popular option, after action thriller. I have also casted all male roles in my short film due to the fact that the audience in my survey did not mind at all the genre of the lead character, which is why I didn't hesitate in casting all males for the short film so far.

Overall Summary of my Poster research

From carrying out sufficient and in-depth research on 10 movie posters, I now feel confident in pursuing development for my drafts of poster. This is because of my research has allowed me to discover further about the conventions and forms of film posters.


--- One feature I have discovered further is the formatting and structure of film posters. They are all completed in the portrait format, which allows many things to be happening in the poster at one time, such as images and text coming from the top of the poster down to the bottom. This is the standard convention for all posters for films.

--- Another convention my research has now helped me develop my understanding of  is posters use of symbolism and in general their use of semiotics. The way posters position certain characters next to certain objects, different types of lighting, certain types of text around the character can be telling and informative to the audience, even though the meaning isn't clearly and explicitly stated. Such as, when I researched the poster 'Black Swan', the fact that the female character had red lips and black eyes and most of the poster elsewhere is all an angelic white colour, this heavily connotes meaning and emphasis on the darker side of the character even though there isn't anything explicitly stating that, simply due to alternating colour schemes. This is one way posters can use symbolism and semiotics, and is also something I aim to transcribe into my poster. In addition to this, the poster for 'Shutter Island' does a great job in telling a story and setting a tone, just through the use of the characters face emerging from the darkness holding a candle, with a very sinister looking island placed directly below him. This also showcases how the positioning of images can contribute to a posters meaning.

--- Lastly, my research into film posters has helped me understand the conventions regarding text and typography. The type and form of text used in a poster has a great deed in determining the impression the poster creates. Such as, horror film posters will have text that is very eerie looking, and the audience knows this because they are used to the convention of seeing typography like this with that specific genre, being horror.

Overall I'm pleased with my film poster research and think the research has been widely beneficial when it comes to me proceeding development of my posters for my short film.

'The Grey' Poster Analysis #10 - Thriller/Action

This is the poster for the 2011 Liam Neeson action/thriller film 'The Grey'.

Liam Neeson's face takes up the most abundant part of the poster. This is to achieve the overall goal of the poster of resilience, and grittiness, in my opinion. This is also to tell the audience that the man you see in the poster, is one of the main characters in the film and the narrative may be centred around this character. The wound on his face indicates violence, and an act of intense fighting or such. Along with the tense, aggressive look on his face, this poster makes Liam Neeson's character not to be messed with in this films diegesis. This can therefore make the audience associate the character with a man of great bravery, determination and strength. This also helps to achieve the overall goal of the poster of resilience, and grittiness, in my opinion.

The snowflakes covering the whole poster are also telling, and help suggest to the audience that the story of The Grey will take place in a snowy setting, such as in the Arctic or a place similar to this. This can keep things interesting for the audience as they can further associate Liam Neeson's gritty character with an isolated, cold location which automatically makes the plot more interesting and climactic. Putting these two factors together make for an instantaneous exciting plot that can draw in the audience.

In addition, near the bottom of the poster you have 'The Grey', which is the title of the film and is presented in a large, striking font so it attracts the viewers attention, along with the tag-line for the film directly underneath it. The tag-line reads 'Live or die on this day'. This statement is very exciting and also to the point, which can further draw in the audience since the tag-line is highly engaging on an entertainment level. This can be why the creators chose to use a tag-line as such.

'Orphan' Poster Analysis #9 - Thriller/Horror

This is the poster for the 2009 horror film 'Orphan', which showcases a sinister looking girl staring into the viewers eyes. 

The female presented in the poster is the most abundant feature on the poster, and hence the most important aspect/character to the film. This is due to her centralisation and also how she's been formatted to make her seem bigger and how she is very close to the audience. The title of the film 'Orphan' is also directly underneath her, centralised also, giving information to the audience that this girl is in fact the orphan and can be giving hints regarding the films story-line and themes, and it is also worthy to note how the title has a different font from the rest of the text in order to distinguish itself and make it more obvious to the audience. 

The next part to the poster is the tag-line at the top, which reads 'There's something wrong with Esther,' Since this text has been presented in all capitals, the audience can assume that this text is meaningful and also more importantly it is suggesting something significant about Esther, the orphan character based on the posters structure. The audience can decipher that there really is something wrong with Esther, since it is a considerably sharp statement and engages the audience in a particular, questioning way. But the audience isn't quite sure as of yet what is wrong with Esther, since we haven't yet seen the film. But the purpose of the tag-line is to plant the idea into the viewers head, so that when they are watching the film they are knowing what to expect and what to lookout for. 

The background of the poster is entirely green, this is interesting as green is often seen as more of a neutral colour that doesn't show as much emotion. However this could be juxtaposing the poster since Esther is coming across as an ominous, evil looking girl that is dangerous. However the green background is suggesting that to the normal human eye, she's just a normal, harmless little girl. This could be symbolising a main theme and idea behind the film; that this little girl should not be trusted, she's evil, despite the fact that she looks innocent and normal. This can also be linked to how Esther's face is not showing at all much emotion, and how she is looking bluntly and longingly at the viewer, leaving behind a bitter impression. 

'Memento' Poster Analysis #8 - Psychological Thriller

This poster for 2000's 'Memento' in its entirety is more of a simple, but effective poster in terms of suggestion and implications.

The main thing to comment on is how Guy Pearce's character on the poster as been split up into many different sections. To someone who hasn't seen the film, they can associate this feature of the poster with delusion, multiple personalities, or in fact a shattered, fragmented memory. This is because the way the poster has been edited strongly suggests this, due to the fact it literally makes his character look fragmented and lost. This was done as an editing choice and perhaps saves words, tag lines or phrases to communicate to the audience that something is wrong with this characters mental stability, and or sanity; the visuals say it all.

Another thing to note on is the eye-line match up in roughly the upper middle section of the poster. I think that this has been done in order to make the character look more serious, and more troubled. This is because his face becomes more clear to see since his eyes have been lined up and furthermore emphasizes on his delusion and paranoia. Also due to his mouth being slightly open which further adds to the idea of the character looking troubled and in jeopardy

The title 'Memento' has been presented in a large, stylish white font which clearly states the name of the film, with director Christopher Nolan's name underneath it. With the three names of the lead actors in the top right, middle and top left of the poster.

Change of Short Film Idea

Recently I have decided to change my short film idea of the taxi corruption, to a short film based around an interrogation scene.

I did this because I was beginning to think that my original idea would be hard to film and it was a bit too ambitious. My new idea will be simpler to shoot and construct, and will only take place in 1 location, or 2 maximum. I also am more confident in writing a script for this and bringing it to life via a storyboard, followed by an animatic.

Development on this new idea is coming along well so far and I will have planning documents and the script finished fairly soon.

'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' Poster Analysis #7 - Drama/Thriller

This is the main poster for the 2011 drama/thriller film 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo', which is directed by David Fincher and stars Daniel Craig.

The colour scheme and  selective contrast helps to define the tone of the poster and the film considerably. Such as, because the colour is only in black and white, the audience can assume the film is more dark, and mature in its themes and subjects. It also makes for a bolder, more gripping poster because everything seems more explicit and striking. The lighting on Daniel Craig's face is also makes him seem more of a stern character, also due to the fact that his eyes  are made to seem darker than normal.

The positioning of the characters is also telling and can help give the audience information about the characters that are presented in the film. Such as, Daniel Craig's character is positioned and facing to his front, which can be indicating his character is determined and willing to achieve his goal, or to accomplish something. Whereas, the female character character to the side, played by Rooney Mara, is facing to the side. This can be indicating that although the characters are in the same circumstance together, they have conflict between them and perhaps have different ways of doing things which is why there is tension between the characters.

Another thing to comment on is the setting/image at the bottom of the poster. It seems to be a large, deserted house in the middle of a snowy setting. This can be telling to the audience and can then make them infer that this particular setting is important to the story-line and narrative, which would then make them look out for it when it comes to watching it in the film. It is also quite a serious image due to the extreme long shot of the house, and the relatively dark lighting and shadows; it creates emphasis on the spectacle of the house and makes the audience ask questions about it in regards to the story and characters.

'The Strangers' Poster Analysis #6 - Horror/Thriller

This is one of the promotional posters for the 2008 horror/thriller slasher 'The Strangers' starring Liv Tyler. The film falls under a home invasion styled, horror/thriller film. 

This poster I find is considerably effective and very well achieves the tone and mood for the film. 

The first thing that is effective with this poster is the three masked intruders in the middle of the frame. The key thing and most iconic aspect of this film is the masks they wear, as they are extremely odd and make these three people extremely ominous. Since they are wearing these masks, the audience can then associate the film with home invasion, slasher and murder, also given the title of the film 'The Strangers'. The characters are also presented in a low-key light, making for a tenser, scarier atmosphere for the poster, which helps to lure in the audience and feel chilled by this poster since the subjects are in such low lighting and makes it all the more scarier. Similarly, half of the female character's face at the front is shadowed in darkness. This is used as a device to hide the characters true identity, and also adding to the idea that the killer can be anyone who comes out from the shadows, also adding to the ominous tone of the short film.  Lastly the female character positioned at the front of the three intruders is holding a large knife. This creates again, a very bleak and sinister toned poster, due to the connotations the knife and all of the masked intruders creates. 

The next thing to comment on in this poster is the tag line positioned at the top. It reads 'Lock the door. Pretend you're safe.' This tag line has quite an effective impact as it subconsciously includes the audience in it, and makes them think about a situation when even though their door is locked, they don't feel fully safe, This is the purpose of the tag line and it cleverly manipulates the audience into imagining a similar situation to the one happening in the film, ultimately making the viewing experience of the film scarier and more thrilling. Additionally the 'Inspired by true events' at the bottom of the poster also helps to add to this effect, of getting the audience invested in the film's plot and theme as much as possible. 

'Black Swan' Poster Analysis #5 - Thriller/horror

'Black Swan' is a 2010 psychological thriller-horror film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Natalie Portman as the titular character. 

This poster is one of the two main theatrical posters for this feature film. What makes this poster so fitting for this psychological thriller-horror film is how strange and unsettling Natalie Portman looks in this poster. This is mainly due to several things. 

The first thing being the extremely contradictory colours used for the poster, in the form of Natalie Portman's soft white face, yet dark red lips, sinister red eyes and black eye detail. This was done to symbolise the themes and ideas that would be presented in the film. Her all soft, white face represents her character as a pure, frail, angelic girl. Yet however, her dark red lips exactly contrast this due to the fact that red is the typical colour for danger. This sheer contrast in colour and in meaning is striking and powerful , which is one of the reasons this poster works so well. It hints at the fact that this girl is going to go through some drastic changes and differences in her life when certain events happens. The second major thing to comment on is her menacing looking, black and red eyes. Her pupils are black yet her iris is blood red. giving the impression of some kind of monster within her. Another thing to contrast this yet again is the tiara she is wearing on her head. A tiara typically represents royalty, significance and being apart of a prestigious social circle of some kind. But however, despite she is wearing this grand, powerful tiara, she is opposed by the black swan, evident in this poster by her forbidding eyes and lips. When you combine all these things together, you get a drastic mix of emotions and themes, which is why the poster very well helps to tell the story that is occurring in the film. 

Another noteworthy feature of this poster is how the composition of the poster is different, some parts are out of focus compared to other parts. Such as, her face is in focus whereas the other majority of the poster is out of focus. This would have been done to further represent the theme of contrast and insanity presented in the film. 

Overall I think this is an excellent poster that represents the themes and ideas presented in the film considerably well and makes the audience feel rather unsettled by this poster. 

'Panic Room' Poster Analysis #4 - Thriller

'Panic Room' is a 2002 home invasion thriller film directed by David Fincher and starring Jodi Foster, Forrest Whittaker and Jared Leto. Here is the theatrical release poster for the film:

This poster I feel is greatly crafted and represents the films main theme of invasion and protection quite well.

Firstly, you have Jodi Foster's character in the foreground of the poster. I think the way she has her eyes wide open and seems to be lying on the floor is effective and it makes her look at her most vulnerable and also her most weak. The large, red font just under her is also extremely obvious and stands out very well, clearly presenting the title and main substance of the film, since 'Panic Room' is associated with a room of high security and stability in the case of a murder and invasion. It is also effective as the font is written in red due to the fact that red is very often associated with danger, anxiety or horror. Hence when you see the title Panic Room on this poster, you feel a certain tone that immediately hits you due to its design. This foreshadows certain elements and prospects of the film such as violence,since Jodi Foster and her daughter in the film are victims of great threat and danger due to the invading criminals who will stop at nothing to get what they are seeking.

The other captivating thing about the poster is the intruder in the background. He's dressed in all black and is also slightly blurred, so his character is not clear to see and it makes him more ominous and dangerous.In addition his body shape is hunched, which can be suggesting he is stronger than her and this is why in the poster she's lying down and is looking considerably vulnerable. This may be linking back to the stereotype that men are stronger than women, and could be why the creators decided to use this aspect in the poster. He is also directly in the centre of the poster, which may suggest the character has more of the power in the poster or in the film's diegesis, and he is not to be crossed.

I also think the way the poster has been chosen to cut off sections on the right and left is clever and appropriate, so it makes for just one strip down the middle of the poster. This creates a smart effect and makes it look like Jodi Foster is trapped within the frame and in fact within her own home, which once again foreshadows the film's theme of invasion and security.

'Disturbia' Poster Analysis #3 - Thriller

This is the theatrical release poster for the Shia Labeouf thriller film, 'Disturbia', which is a tense, subtle thriller. 

I think this poster is particularly effective as how it mixes up low key lighting with saturated colours, being the oranges and reds in the lenses of the binoculars. 

The fact that the male character has his face very contrasted by the whites and blacks is effective. It could be suggesting his character is more of a plain, unknown person with good observational skills, linking to the binoculars. I also think that this has been done to provide a more creepy poster that lacks colour and therefore lacks emotion and positivity, as it is a thriller after all. The contrasts between the black and whites create a slicker, more intriguing mood. 

I believe that the lenses have been saturated in colour to not only create a blend of colours in the poster, but also to suggest what the male is seeing through the binoculars is 'heated' and 'dangerous', since colours like red are often known for being the symbol of danger, linking to semiology. 

The tag line at the top of the poster reads 'Every killer lives next door to someone'. I think this title is clever as it manipulates you into thinking and agreeing with the caption. It is true, every serial killer living in a neighbourhood will be someones next door neighbour, it just comes down to who it is. Therefore, the caption plays with the readers mind psychologically and it the reason why the caption succeeds. 

Initial idea- Peer Assessment

In class recently, everybody was given the chance to have a look at and peer assess each others initial storyboards / ideas. This was a very beneficial task as it gave all of us some additional insight and perspective when it comes to forming ideas and narratives for our short films/ music videos and adverts.

For my initial idea, my positives were that I had a clear idea of settings and shots, and that it was detailed enough for someone to simply make. I also had a good idea of the sounds I want to be using, to set specific types of themes and tones. 

The main improvement for my work was that there needed to be additional character build up/ progression. This is so that the audience can understand the characters more and therefore build more of a relationship between the viewer and the the short film, making for a more tense/ sinister viewing experience, ideally.

I aim to take these improvements on board as much as possible so that as I am adding and developing to my initial storyboard, I am considering the characters throughout. 

'The Blair Witch Project' Poster Analysis #2 - Horror/thriller

This is the official theatrical poster for horror classic 'The Blair Witch Project'. This was the first film to utilise found-footage type film-making and it shocked audiences all over the world. 

This poster is visually striking to me and equally intriguing. 

The most intriguing part about this poster is the female's face, right in front of the camera, surrounded by absolute darkness in a forest. As soon as the viewer sees this it immediately strikes them, making them feel very anxious whilst seeing it because of the situation the female character is in. Another key thing is the fear in the females eyes, since her upper face is the most lighted thing in this poster because of the light from her camera, it stands out the most. As a result, the poster does a good job of emphasizing the sheer fear in her eyes and she is almost looking directly at you, which furthermore makes it look like she is trying to reach out to you for help. This so far automatically makes the poster very engaging with the audience and will make them drawn to see this film and discover the situation this female character gets in. 

Another thing to pick out is how the top of the forest, along with the sky, is still light and bright in colour, yet everything beneath it is in total pitch black. I find this to be interesting and creepy as it is suggesting that this may seem like an ordinary forest, but once you find yourselves isolated in the forest, it becomes a haunted. terrifying and horrific place. Given the title of the film, you could also expect there is  witchcraft occurring within the realm of darkness in this poster, which is the main thing the female character is concerned about and furthermore scares audiences considerably because they will begin to imagine themselves in the same situation. The colour scheme for the poster is also very dark and bleak, with an abundance of black which further adds to the ideas and mood the poster is trying to convey to audiences. 

Lastly, but not least, you have the films synopsis in the middle of the poster. I think that this is used as a device to not only inform the audience, but also to chill them. The text is in darkness, making it all the more scary and effective. It makes it seem like the whole situation is nothing but a hopeless, haunted adventure, given this synopsis and the female at the front of the poster. When you put everything together, this poster makes more sense and also makes it  all the more terrifying. 

'Shutter Island' Poster Analysis #1 - Thriller

This is the main theatrical poster for 2010's thriller film, 'Shutter Island' which is directed by Martin Scorsese. I really love this poster and think it represents the film as a whole incredibly well.

The way Leonardo DiCaprio's face and eyes are positioned in the poster are telling; his eyes are looking to his left which can suggest he has seen something he shouldn't of, or something that is indeed disturbing him. It makes him look very anxious which is why his face and eyes are this way. Furthermore, the fact that the rest of his face and background is in darkness adds to the atmosphere of the poster. It builds up on the idea that something very shady is happening in this poster, along with the expression on his face; the darkness in the background alludes to the mystery and sinister events that the viewer can expect to see in this film.

The tag line for this poster reads 'Someone is missing.' I really love this tag line due to how vague and ambiguous it is. Who is missing? Why are they missing? It is also a very blunt, and an extremely to the point sentence. As a result it sounds more dramatic and ominous, which I really like. The fact that underneath it is the titular island on the poster, it makes everything even more dramatic and exciting. The audience can assume that most of the film will take place on the island, given that it's in the title and on the poster, so how can someone go missing on an island that is surrounded by sea? This question will entice the audience into watching the film due to the ambiguity of the tag line and premise.

Lastly, the title 'Shutter Island' is in a large, red font that very much stands out from the rest of the posters dark colours of blacks and greys. This title leaves a harsh impact on the poster mainly due to its red colour, and bold, staggering font style.

Overall I think this is a very effective poster that draws in the audience with its minimalistic tag line and its captivating visuals.