Poster planning
Planning timetable for poster
Session 1: Film title (1 hour)(2hrs)
Session 2: Production logo (1 hour) (3/4 of hr)
Session 3:Design (2 hours) (1 and 1/2 hrs)Session 2: Production logo (1 hour) (3/4 of hr)
Session 4: Mise en scene planning (2 and 1/2 hrs) (3 hours)
Session 5: Photoshoots (1 hour) (2 hours)
Session 6: Creating process (3-4 hours)(4 hours)Name
I am naming the film 'Loading... Escapism'. 'Loading...' conveys foreshadowing the narrative but also the monotony game players go through whilst waiting for a game. 'Escapism' is ambiguous whether it is her use and gratifications in gaming or the escape from the game and her room to seek 'freedom' in a relationship, which could be argued otherwise by Feminists. Furthermore, it also suggests that 'escapism' is a mode or a 'map' on the game that she will be discovering in the film.
Analysis of existing art film titles
The font for Submarine is very simplistic as it is all in capitals. The capitalisation suggests that the film is quite scientific. This is because the vertices of the letters emphasised by the capitalisation, conveying rationalisation as science is characterised by rationality and objectivity. Additionally, science relates to the origins of vehicles such as submarines. Moreover, why submarines are used- to discover the underwater, suggesting studying marine biology and archeology. Although, the 'S' is the exception as the font emphasises the curves. This corresponds to the oceans waves. The colours used in this title shows a pattern of every third letter a new colour is used. This pattern could represent the repetitiveness of waves crashing.The yellow, white and red could show a scale of temperature, again relating to science as well as the Summer's heat. The colours also contrast with the dark blues and blacks used in the background. The range of colours represent the obscurity of an art film. The colour scheme however, looks like the film is aimed at a majority male audience between the ages of 15 and over.
The font for the film title 'Sarah's Key' is again quite simplistic but does not look as structured as Submarine because it is not in capitals and is in a handwritten-style font. The handwritten element present conveys a personal touch and a sense of familiarity with the central protagonist. It also portrays that the film could be part autobiographical or biographical as it conveys that the film could be diary-like. The font also emphasises the soft texture of the crops in the background, which is also exaggerated by the wind. Furthermore, the font could represent the wind as in comics, wind is portrayed by the colour white. Additionally, the white could represent something omitting from her life, the emptiness and the film is about getting over grief or lonliness. Although, the word 'key' links in with this emptiness as the word suggests discovery and opening, so it could be a silver lining in dark times. With the soft textures and the colour scheme, this film could be aimed at a majority female audience who are between the ages of 20 and over.
My font design
I have chosen several fonts from dafont.com for the poster title. I experimented the combinations of keeping to one font throughout the title or have 'escapism' a different font, suggesting it being a place name in the game or emphasising the theme of freedom and escape the film encompasses.The short-listed fonts are shown here. I have also experimented with colours I wish to present. (The squared background represents transparency, the darker grey was used to make the white visible).
From looking back at existing artefacts of film posters, I found that their titles are quite simplistic (all one font) and the background of the title is the central image. What differed between the titles of art house films and mainstream is that art house films do not place titles at the top of the poster, usually integrates with the central image; slanted or rotated. Also by analysing art film titles separately from the poster, it showed a trend of simplicity and only one colour used. I looked at using dark and light green, black and grey for my font. These are all military colours and with the theme of the war games. Although, I would like the central image to be dark and oppressive so the darker colours would not show. As a result, white seems a good colour to use.
I like font one (white) as it is simplistic much like the film titles I have researched. Moreover, the simplicity represents femininity, in particular, the serifs used. The font itself is military like, relating to the girl being addicted to war games. However, even though femininity and military juxtapose, in the narrative, she discards her love for war games for a boy. The femininity is then increased. The white used also represents the girl's emptiness, her desensitisation and dehumanisation caused by the video games. However, it represents her naivity of 'the outside world'.
Title two shows the words 'loading' and 'escapism' juxtaposed as 'loading' is very structural and simple whereas 'escapism' is fussy. The brown colour of 'escapism' compliments the graininess of the font as it suggests the mud the soldiers tredged through in the trenches. It also conveys the camoflaged look. The black used for 'loading' conveys the dark psychological problems the young girl undergos. Although, the title I believe does not look simplistic and professional enough.
I like title three uses the black from before for 'loading' but I have used a different font. This font is again structural and follows the military theme. Nevertheless, it is more distorted. This conveys the young girl being tainted by the violence of video games. I have chosen this time to use green for 'escapism'. This was because it is another camoflage colour. In addition, it relates to the Call of Duty Modern Warfare logo as it is a similar colour. Additionally, the colour is stereotypically boy-ish which conveys that the girl is not a stereotypical girl; being interested in video games. Moreover, it attracts the young, slightly male biased audience my film is aimed at.
Predominantly, I do not like Font 4 because both fonts do not compliment each other which makes it messy and unprofessional. The font for ‘Escapism’ does not fit the theme as the other fonts do, it looks more wild western. Therefore does not fit the genre of romance/war. Alternatively, the lines conveys the leads and wires going from the console to the controller and she is the one holding it, therefore instant transmission of violence.
Nonetheless, I have changed my mind about one font in particular. I quite like 'Top secret' (4th font in first short list) because it looks like a film title already, as people will be drawn by the borders. The font, however does not have emphasised vertices like the others. This represents the romantic genre behind the ethical issues present in my film. It could also imply that I have softened the situation of desensitisation by romance. In my audience research, they mentioned ethical problems are usually overcome in films by comedy. Here I have used romance instead. The font also represents the age of the young girl as at that age they are usually 'bubble-wrapped' by their parents as they are over protective. This conveys I have used irony as they have not protected her because they have bought the games in the first place and have not taken the games away from her. The distortion used, as mentioned previously, portrays her mind being affected by these video games.However, going back on dafont.com to download this font, I discovered a new font. This font I believe suits my film moreso as the font before was more thriller/secret agent like rather than army. In addition, it is simplistic and professional with the hint of military that I wanted.
Analysis of art house/niche film production logos
The Celcius Films logo conveys they specialise in documentaries as both the text and the logo convey they are very factual and scientific minded. The black and white also represents this too as it conveys binary which is 0 or 1. Black representing the 1 and white representing 0. In addition, the F in the logo is ambiguous as it could be both Fahrenheit and films. It also conveys that their films are 'hot' as in current and attractive. The font used for the logo name is not unlike a typewriter which could suggest that they are academic as well as practical, their films have a clever meaning behind them.
The logo for 'Hand Made films' conveys that it is stitched. This reminds me of Levi Jeans which suggests that they make fashionable, fresh films. It also conveys that if it is handmade, it has a personal touch to the film and it is not mass produced. The text has a wild western element to it because of the serifs. This could imply that the company is American and their reverting back to the origins of America. Moreover, it is opposing the mainstream Hollywood films. However, the retro camera and tripod signifies original film studios like MGM.
This logo is more mainstream than the others, but is still slightly niche. The logo conveys that they wish to enlighten the world with their films. It could also imply that they could specify in sci-fi because their text is outside the earth. Although, the lighting bolt also looks like werewolf scratches, therefore they could represent supernatural films too. The font for their company name is very simplistic. Additionally, they have serifs which suggests a sense of professional expertise.My production logo design
I designed this logo using Serif Page plus. I used Bernstein font and graphical elements from the software. I wanted the colour scheme to be black and white to represent my niche market for my short art film. Furthermore, the two art film production logos that I researched were black and white too. The swirl graphics suggest an art interpretation of a film reel, hence relates to my genre. The serifs on the Bernstein font also compliment the circles and swirls because they are slightly curved. The angle of the text conveys the shouting from the director through the megaphone. I chose 'Rolle-ing films' for my production name as my surname is Rolle and I used it as a play on words as on set they shout 'And we're rolling'. Design
Photoshoots
Background
I thought of using a background for my poster to show that the girl is extremely addicted to video games that she becomes a part of it. I took images in our local heath as the wooded area resembles the brown the soldiers wear to camouflage. I took these images when it snowed. Even though this opposes the dark colours they wear, the COD video game is set in the past. In the past there was wars in areas where it snowed such as Russia. In addition, the COD music I used was called 'snowmobile escape'. Furthermore, the snow connotes romance which in essence the narrative is about.
This image shows depth with the inclusion of the vanishing point as the trees border the edges of the image. The trees surrounding her could suggest her being encapsulated by the game. It also could represent the daunting oppression of the patriarchal society.
Background 2:
This image represents the trenches present in WWI. The mix of mud and snow suggests the Christmas Day truce where they stopped fighting for a week. The soldiers believed this would end the war. This is relevant to my film as she ends her addiction to video games and therefore escapes her bedroom.
Background 3:
This background includes barbed wire and fencing which is seen in warfare areas. It also signifies borders which suggest the division between countries and possibly wars which start because of land ownership. This border also represents the step the girl takes to escape from her bedroom and the video games.
Background 4: I like this image because it shows the burnt bushes which resemble the destruction that occurs during warfare and after. In addition, it resembles the girl's psychological harm that was caused by the addiction of violent video games. The branches could depict her brain cells disintergrating or being polluted by the messages.
After looking at these backgrounds, I thought that even though they do have some relevance to my film, I think it does not define it. In addition, it will have practical benefits if I did not use these as it would take a lot of time to make the foreground and the background look naturalistic. Moreover, the name includes escapism and these background suggest that she is outside so it opposes the theme of being trapped in a house. Furthermore, it would look more Art Film like if I used a simplistic background with quirky graphics such as Napoleon Dynamite and Juno.
Foreground
Organisation of photoshoot
Misc en scene film poster
Photos
This image shows the desensitisation of the girl as the action represents her having no emotion for human beings as the gun is pointed straight at the camera (or audience). However, her eye contact is not as direct as the gun is, as a strand of hair is in the way, so it is not consistent.
This image shows her being unsure of what she is doing. Thus, suggesting that she is being brainwashed by the video games to be violent. Her looking away from the gun also could relate to her being distracted from video games by the boy.
This image is over exposed due to the dark background and the lighting but this can be recified in an edit suite like photoshop. Oppositely, the drak background emphasises the shadow of her. On the other hand, she is using a direct mode of address, more direct than in photo 1. and 2.
Photo 4:
I like this image too as she looks vunerable due to the high angle. By her crossing her legs, this suggests that she is still in a child-like state as she does not know how to interact; being trapped in her room for 8 years.In addition, she looks unsure on whether she should shoot at the camera/audience or not. The use of teddy bears as props suggest her loss of innocence. The teddies encircling her represent the struggle between childhood and adolescence and how being additced to video games slows the socialisation process.
This image shows a direct mode of address through eye contact and the gun. Additionally, her eye contact is very disturbing which represents how the video games have psychologically harmed her. There is juxtaposition in this image as she is stood up rather than being on the same levels as the toys. This suggests that she is growing up and stepping out of childhood. But also that she has destroyed her childhood by playing the violent video games.
This is an example of when I experimented with close ups. Through her eyes it depicts her being unsure about something. This shows that she is unsure of whether she has been influenced enough to kill another in real life like in the games. This could be unsure of letting go of her addiction or unsure about emotions. In addition, the light in her eyes suggest sadness and inner struggle. It also shows that she is weary and tired from playing video games constantly (even during the night).
I have picked photo 4 because it shows her vunerability through the high angle. Also the stuffed toys will compliment the scrapbook look I wish to show on the poster. I can always crop the toys out and place them in different areas of the poster if the whole composition of the image did not fit the layout desired. Even though I have cut off the top of her head, if the image is placed at the top of the poster (like seen in the researched existing material) it would not matter.
Development process
I felt that my poster needed a plain background as there is a lot of visual elements in the foreground and the background would detract from the protagonist if it was not plain. I created this in Adobe Illustrator. This was the first time I had used this software so it was hard to navigate to start with. Nevertheless, I found how to create graphic effects and textures to a simple rectangle. 
After applying the background, I thought that the central protagonist had to be positioned in the middle of the circle so that she was centralised and more prominant in the foreground. In addition to this, I cut out the teddy bears from around her. This took a while as I had to cut out each individual toy and constantly copying and pasting the same image after. Thirdly, I created some illustrated graphics which relate to video games. Nonetheless, I did not like these as they look unprofessional. On the other hand, to make the poster look more professional, I added a real festival accreditation rather than using my own logo which did not resemble a nominee stamp used on existing material. 
To overcome the graphics looking unprofessional, I made these illustrations on paint whilst researching and constantly comparing them to the real item/logo. Thus, the images look more realistic as well as arty.
The finishing touches included adding an age certification, touching up some of the images that needed slight cropping and repostitioning to fit on the page.
Final Outcome
Review Planning
Session 1: Design (1 and 1/2 hrs) (1 and 1/2 hours)
Session 2: Screen shots of film (30 mins) (15 mins)
Session 3: Creating Process (3-4 hours) (4 and 1/2 hrs)
Design
Screen shots of film
Screen-shot 1:
I like this image because it shows the desensitisation of the young girl as she looks miserable and tired (depicted by the red and baggy eyes). She also looks quite pale which could suggest that she does not eat or drink; she just plays video games constantly. In addition, the lead from the headphones conveys she's always connected to it. Although, this screen-shot does not have clarity.
Screen-shot 2:
In addition, I like
this image of the older girl looking out of her window. This is
because, she is looking quizzical at something. This allows the
reader to wonder what she is looking at. This might be a draw in for
readers to watch it. The element of video games is shown through the
headphones only rather than the controller as well. This image also
shows movement as she is taking the headphone off. This is a pinnacle
moment of the film which is where is questions her life and emotions
and inevitably lets go of her addiction.
Screen-shot 3:
This screen-shot of the older girl shows movement through the wind as her hair is flicking. Furthermore, the movement of her hands in a controller shape; signifying her socialisation warped by video games. Nevertheless, her smile and direct mode of address makes the image look too personal and artificial. On the other hand, this image gives away the ending of the film; that she finally escapes.
Screen-shot 4:
This was my original
idea of a photo for my poster. By using the transition between the TV
and the concentration, this emphasises the ethical and psychological
issues of young children playing video games. However, this image
lacks clarity and will look pixelated which is not professional for a
review.
I picked Screenshot 2 because of the clarity of the image and the use of movement. The other images either give too much of the story away or are too pixelated.
Creation process
I was inspired by the graphics I found, such as the pin, to make the review seem like a post-it note or notice board. This then shows that it is a requirement to see the film. Therefore, I used pale yellow for the background of the main body.
As well as this, I chose a red and white theme with small details such as the 5 star rating and the magazine name. I thought that my film magazine could be dedicated to online short films which are present on websites such as youtube (like my short film). In addition, there is not a magazine in the industry that focusses on online short films specifically so I'm creating a niche market.
Additionally, I have applied a texture tool to the basic rectangle background. In my existing material, some of the review pages had textured graphics or a squared background. I chose this texture in particular as it anchors the text that says 'brand spanking'. The texture is similar to glitter and diamonds which are associated with 'new' and sparkling. This is also amplifies new talent (albeit directors or actors) who are labelled as 'shining new stars'. In addition, they are naive to the glitz and glamour of showbiz that they would head towards.
At this point, I decided to edit the image in Serif Photo Plus. I sharpened the image as it was slightly pixelated at that large size. Moreover, I increased the warmth of the image to take away the 'cold' naturalistic lighting.
As much as I was inspired by it, I took away the pin graphic as it did not have any film connotations or as Saussure coined it 'signifiers' of film. Furthermore, I experimented with the placement of the image so I decided the pin had to go to fit other conventions such as the recommendations.
First final outcome
After looking at my products as a whole, I believed that the review was 'the odd one out'. So, I amended it so that all my products looked part of a promotional pack. To do this I edited the presentational features. I added the movie title from the poster and placed it on this instead of the simplistic title text. I then added the playstation logo from the poster to it aswell. I was first intending to use the xbox controller as it is prominant in the film, however it did not show up against the white background. Anotehr adjustment I made was the background of the review. I used two layers- one being dark brown and the other a 'transparency' of the wood texture which looks similar to army print. Hence, relating to the theme of the poster and the video games. In additon to this, I added a white outline to some of the text which gave it more dimension against the background.
Second final outcome
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