Film Magazine Cover Drafting

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Film Poster Inspiration

 

Following my film poster research, I came across the 'Edge of Darkness' film poster and this became the inspiration for my film poster. The genre of 'Edge of Darkness' is very similar to the genre that my production team is working with and therefore, this film poster had the correct colour scheme, mise-en-scene and overall representation that my poster needed to portray. I feel that my film poster is appropriate considering the genre, 'Police/Crime Thriller' as there are significant similarities between the two posters; which means my film poster is conventional.         

Film Poster Drafting

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Film Poster Photo Analysis

Film Magazine Colour Scheme

Using Adobe Kuler, I have displayed the colours I will like to use to for my film magazine cover. Film magazine covers are very unique in their colour schemes because they usually reflect the film portrayed on the cover.and so I have chosen colours accordingly.   

Red - This colour connotes blood, violence and action; which is direct reference to the film 'Playing Judas'. In addition, this colour reflects the genre, 'Police/Crime Thriller', as it can act as imagery for emergency sirens and federal involvement. 

Black and White - These colours present sophistication and this is reflected in the police profession. This is relevant as the mise-en-scene of the police profession is predominately black and white and sophisticated and so the audience can interpret the genre of the film portrayed through these colours.

Masthead Font Research

After doing further film magazine research, I concluded that Masthead fonts are quite similar to a certain extent because each magazine is trying to cement their name in the audience's mind; in an attempt to secure future purchases. Most magazines do this by displaying a considerably bold font in a large size. Therefore, I've chosen these fonts as they all have a large bold visual impact and this is essential for a Masthead. The fonts are very much alike and so, it was hard to come to a final decision, but after liaising with my production team and taking feedback, I've decided to go with the font at the bottom of the image. It is very bold so it can capture the audience's attention, but at the same time, it is quite a simple font so that image/model can be more overpowering on the magazine cover. Considering that the film being portrayed on the magazine is a 'world exclusive', it is important to draw attention to the image and the film as this will then bring attention to the magazine itself.

Initial Poster to Film Magazine Cover

 After taking feedback from my teacher and carrying out additional research, I concluded that conventionally, long-shots are taken for 'Crime-Thriller' film posters to present the dynamic, fast paced side of the film to the audience. Furthermore, I conversed with my production team and we realised that our promotional package needed a poster that was more dynamic. Therefore, I think it is appropriate to change the poster accordingly.   

I will make the transition by copying the main image from my initial poster and using it for my film magazine cover. During my film magazine research, I found this Sight and Sound magazine cover; which inspired the transition. The similarities of the mise-en-scene in both images suggested to me that the image I've created follows conventions and is appropriate for a film magazine cover.     

 

Initial Poster Drafting

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Initial Poster Photo Analysis

Here are photographs I have taken for my initial film poster. The photo shoot is taken indoors as I have learned from previous pictures taken outside that the sunlight can produce too much glare which creates a completely different mood/atmosphere than desired. Sunlight was still required in this photo shoot so that the correct colour of light reflected off the model's face. Therefore, I positioned the model in front of the windows to receive full exposure from the front and above. These pictures were taken during motion so the clothing in particular would not be very static in it's appearance.  

I also took a few pictures the model positioned further in the background to deter the sunlight exposure, but more importantly, to visually show that the model is further away; this could suggest that the actor has a long journey to walk throughout the film and so the audience can gain a greater understanding of the characters within the film through the poster.

I have decided to use this photo for my initial film poster because the natural lighting is very evident and also, the gun can be clearly seen; which is important as this prop is a very essential element of this poster.

Font Research

Using www.dafont.com, I was able to preview various fonts with different styles. To a certain extent, there are conventional fonts used with 'Crime-Thriller' film posters and I wanted to capture this convention in my poster. Therefore, the selection of fonts is important because it can illustrate or complement the genre presented. Furthermore, it is evident that the font used adds to the authenticity of the poster.

Through my research, I was able to find conventional fonts used with 'Crime-Thriller' film posters and also, I have presented a few posters that represent these styles. The 'Pulp Fiction' poster uses a more playful font which suggests to the audience that there is a comedic side to the film; which is entirely correct. The 'GoodFellas' poster uses a serif font which creates a traditional appearance and this links significantly with genre and setting of the film as 'GoodFellas' is a period film set in Brooklyn, N.Y, 1955. The 'Bourne Legacy' poster presents the font that I think is most relevant to my production. The font highlighted is the font I'm going to use for my film poster; this font is very similar to the font used in the 'Bourne Legacy' poster. I have chosen this font in particular because I believe the simplicity it presents gives a very serious, sophisticated atmosphere which is extremely relevant to my production.

Film Magazine Planning Sheet

Main image: What is the main image going to be? What type of shot composition/angle etc?

• The main image is going to be one of the main actors, either the protagonist or the antagonist within the film.
• Long shot of the actor, displaying conventional mise-en-scene and props (gun).
• Actor subverting to conventions by looking away from the camera.

Name of magazine: What are the connotations of the title?

Script – This film title refers directly to film scripts, which implies that the magazine contains raw material and information from films. This gives the magazine integrity and ensures the audience that the content is appropriate to the film industry.

Headline: What is the headline and how does it match the film/actor etc.

The headline will be the film title, this means the image will anchor the headline as the image will be of the main characters. The actor's name will also be postioned above the headline and so the actors' reputation should attract certain parts of the audience.

Sell lines: reference to other films/actors/directors/ film festivals. 

• List of current films
• Introduction to reviews on current films
• Introduction of highly anticipated upcoming films 
• Famous actors to correspond with the upcoming films

Banners/splash: other features, competitions etc.

• Possible use of banner at the bottom of the page to present additional information. 
• Limited use of buttons/splash to emphasise the image (similar to Sight and Sound Magazine)

Magazine tagline:

'The Raw Material Behind The Film' 

Other info: (price, date of issue etc)

• The Price and Date of the issue will be positioned at the top of the magazine cover in a same font as this is very conventional in magazines in general. 
• I will also position the Barcode towards the bottom of the magazine cover for authenticity. 

Film Poster Colour Scheme

 

Using Adobe Kuler, I was able to explore different complementary colours to create a suitable colour scheme. As our film is a  Police/Crime Thriller, I researched colours associated with this genre and came to the conclusion that conventional film posters utilise a mixture of the colours:

Grey - The use of this colour creates a darker, mysterious atmosphere which illustrates the 'Thriller' aspect of the film. The colour also has connotations of a formal, professional environment and this correlates with the refined police force that is being portrayed within the film. In addition, the colour grey creates the imagery of a 'concrete jungle'; which represents the urban city setting. 

Blue - This colour is very conventional in Crime related film posters because it is direct imagery of emergency vehicle lighting. Therefore, emphasis of this colour will suggest to the audience that the film is associated with the police force and so through the colour scheme, the audience can decipher the genre of the film.