Job Roles-Research-

Although all of the group have an input into each others work, my primary role is for the camerawork. This was decided as everyone in the group chose a part of film production, so that we could specialise and allocate the different parts so that we could complete the project by the deadline set.

Cameraman research-

The Director of Photography is the main person who is responsible for achieving the artistic and technical decisions that are related to the image. They must work with people like the Lighting Technicians, Director and Production Designer to achieve the desired look and feel to the production. Sometimes they may select things like the lens and filters that are used on the camera to achieve this. They must also manage the camera operators, assistants and trainees so that the job gets done correctly and according to the shooting schedule.

Their main objective and role is to provide the film with a unique visual identity. They have a very difficult task as they prepare each days work in terms of the camera side and are in charge of making sure the right shots, angles and other things are used; and the camera is prepared for the shooting of that day. The experience of the DoP is very important and is the main way in which their learning is enhanced and the way they set up to captivate the audience. Their role also relies on doing pre-production work, like the technical and location recces which are consulted with the Director. The skills that are needed for the Director of Photography include: great attention to detail, an artistic and creative vision, excellent communication skills and the knowledge to complete the tasks that are needed and to set up each shot of each scene correctly.

Camera operators who work under the DoP must do what they instruct them to so they can achieve the cinematic experience that is desired. Camera trainees work closely with all members of the camera department, but they specifically assist the second assistant camera and they must be willing to learn, as it will take them a long time to learn all the things that are necessary for being a camera operator and one day maybe a DoP.

Summary-

Although there are many more roles apart from camera work, this information was picked as it is relevant to the production that I am part of. As I am the cameraman for the production I am in, this information has increased my understanding of what roles there are when talking about the camera crew also what would be expected of me if I did this as a full time job and what is needed to achieve a cinematic feel. Also, I have understood the importance of the job roles, especially the DoP as they are the main person who the accountability and responsibility for the actual image go to. Therefore I will take this knowledge away and fulfil my duty to produce as good a piece of film as I can.

Resources:

http://www.skillset.org/film/

http://www.skillset.org/film/jobs/camera/article_4687_1.asp

http://www.skillset.org/film/jobs/camera/article_4686_1.asp

http://www.skillset.org/film/jobs/camera/article_3886_1.asp

http://www.skillset.org/film/jobs/camera/article_4688_1.asp

http://www.skillset.org/film/jobs/camera/article_4782_1.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinematographer

http://www.startintv.com/jobs/director-of-photography.php

http://www.wbvideography.com/images/cameraman.jpg

Sony PD-150 camera research-

This is a semi-professional digital video camera that has many fuctions and gives a much better quality image than other small digital cameras that could have been used.

Because I am the cameraman for the project and we are using this camera, I decided to do some research into some functions of the camera that we may use to enhance the cinematic feel of the film and to have certain effects on screen.

Adjusting the manual setting on the camera allows for the cameraman to make their own adjustments during filming, where the camera if on automatic function would do its own adjustments. To change the setting, the auto lock selector, must be pushed to the manual setting (auto lock release). This is located at the back of the camera near the viewfinder.

Adjusting the depth of field-

To adjust the iris and therefore the depth of field, the camera must be in the auto lock release section, then the iris button must be pushed and finally the iris dial can be pushed to whatever effect is wanted.

Adjusting the ND filter-

The ND filter is the amount of light coming through the lens and to adjust this, the camera must be in the manual position. If the ND1 icon flashes on the LCD screen, then it needs to be set to number 1. If the ND2 icon flashes on the LCD screen, then this time it needs to be set to number 2. If the ND off icon flashes, then it needs to be turned off. All of these features help prevent the risk of audio sound or the picture looking blury. The selector for the ND filter is located behind the LCD screen and just before the lens of the camera.





Adjusting the white balance-

The allows more neutral colour balance for camera recording. Changing the white balance manually when lighting conditions change dramatically will have a better effect than if left in the automatic position. The first step is to put the camera in manual position by the same step, the next is to press the white balance button which is by the viewfinder, finally adjusting the selector to either one push white balance, outdoor, or indoor. These settings will aplly to whatever position and area the camera is in.

Summary-

From researching how to achieve effects such as changing the white balance, it will be a lot easier for me to implement these if the group decides to use them or if when we are filming, I as the cameraman spot that we need to change something manually to get the best image possible. These effects can create a stronger image for the audience and so incorporating them into the production could make it have a higher production level feel it would generally be more aesthetically creative.

Therefore this research into the more complicated functions of the camera could enhance our film and could make it more cinematic for the audience to watch.

Resources-

http://beallcenter.uci.edu/facility/docs/Sony_Mini_DV-Cam.pdf

http://www.timewind.be/producten/sony_pd150.jpg
http://www.photoshopsupport.com/photoshop-blog/06/10/ib/depth-of-field-pro-3-1.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_DSR-PD150

Analysis of film reviews-Research-

Research into film reviews-

A film review must be precise and concise with its words, as it is somewhat a guide to which people read and influences their decision to whether they are going to pay to see the film or not.

The structure of a film review varies and there are many types which can be used. This is an example of a film structure that seemed to be good in the way that it provides everything that needs to be in a film review.

The first step is to introduce the film in a sentence or two in order to provide the viewer with an initial insight to what they are going to read about.

The second step is to describe the plot of the film without giving away any of the spoilers. This is an important part of the film review as it will describe what the film is mainly about and what interpretations the review has received from watching it.

The third step is to talk about what was liked and disliked about the film and this can cover many areas such as the cinematography, actors, dialogue e.t.c. This reviewing part can make or break films because it is this section in which viewers will want to read and will in the end make them think about whether they are going to go out and see the film, or not.

The final step is to give the film a rating, and a summary of their thoughts. This will sum up the review and conclude whether the film is deemed to be good or bad.

Resources-
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090511015502AALqmES

Analysis of two film reviews from different sources (Johnny Mad Dog, Sight and Sound and Did you hear about the Morgan's?, Empire)

Introduction-
Sight and sound magazine is a film magazine published by the British film institute. It is seen as a more high brow review magazine, however it has and is very important to the film industry, especially in the UK.

Empire film magazine on the other hand is more populist in its entity and reviews films in a different way compared to more 'serious' magazines such as sight and sound.

Analysis-

The two film reviews from these differing magazines offer contrasting styles of reading that will suit and please varied readers. The Sight and Sound review has a middle to upper class feel, as the material that is provided uses language in a specific way to meet the expectations of this demographic. This type of audience is far different from the review that is provided by Empire magazine. This seems to be more suited to a working class everyday person, that will be less interested to read about issues such as the social impacts of a film; instead it talks about how the film is worth paying for and also brings some humour into the material. These reviews are obviously therefore designed for differing readers who have contrasting lifestyles. However this is to be expected as one magazine is published by the BFI and the other contains information such as what is the best gag in The Simpson's?

The language used in both of the reviews is vastly opposed to each other and they have distinctive features that make them sound different because of the diverse style of language used. The Empire review is written in more informal language, like they are speaking to the reader. This makes it easy to read for the audience and would attract a certain type of reader who likes an easy understanding piece of writing. The Empire review also has other features that are not common in the Sight and Sound review. For example they use phrases such as rom-com and chitchat, whereas the other review uses words such as cacophony and redolent. However, the Sight and Sound piece does use some phrases that are similar to Empire like raggle-taggle, but the way the review is written with the language used makes it seem to be more sophisticated, and also sarcastic in some places. This could be because of the writer that is behind the review, or to meet the needs and wants of their audience. Generally though, the language used in these two reviews is very separate and this is mainly because of the age and status of the reader they are trying to attract. Empire's more fresh and humorous touch to their review makes it seem attractable to younger readers, while the Sight and Sound review does have some humour and sarcasm in a small amount of places, but seems to be written for a more mature reader that wants a more serious and relevant review.

The style of the Empire review is that it features quite a lot of criticism, and also good points which makes it seem to be a liberal review. Because of this, the reader not given a clear thought about whether the film is good or bad and so this makes it seem to be somehow non-important, because it does not give a clear answer to whether it is a good or a bad review; and so the viewer is left to come up with their own conclusion and is neither persuaded to or not to, go out and see the film. On the opposite side, the Sight and Sound review is more clear cut and decisive in showing the good and bad points and also comes to some conclusion about the reviewers thoughts and ideas. The content of the review is also different as the Sight and Sound review seems to contain more information about the plot of the film, while the Empire review has more comical sentences and criticisms. Therefore, the style of these two reviews is different in many ways and they have characteristics which make them who they are, and while one is more down to earth and liberal, the other has more to say and comes to a conclusion in which to persuade the reader.

The structure of the film reviews have some parts that have similarities and some that have been written and thought out in a different way. The first part of both reviews is to give a brief synopsis of what the film is about, and this is very standard with most film reviews as they will want to give the reader a sense of what the content of the film is and how the story builds up to a conclusion. The first paragraphs of the actual review are very different from each other, as the Empire review talks about the abilities of Hugh Grant and has humorous wording. The Sight and Sound review talks more about the filmmaker and his attempt on creating a film that portrays the real Africa without just showing all of the conventional things that the audience place with such an issue, such as poverty.

The next part of the review from Empire starts by talking about the audience and their expectations from the film, and then what they actually receive. It gives some examples of parts of the film that are good, and then ends with some criticism about the story that is presented. On the opposite side, this part of the review also talks about the story, however is not criticising it, but is making it sound appealing, but with a caution of how it is a 'dark film'. The third paragraph of Did you hear about the Morgans? review is criticising Sarah Jessica Parker's acting skills and saying that she does not share the same chemistry with Grant as other actresses have. For the Johnny Mad Dog review, this paragraph talks about the characters and how through the story, the children have been turned into animals and therefore is creating a disturbing concept, but at the same time is not criticising it.

The final part of the review by Empire sums up the review by saying that the film is neither good nor bad and this makes the reader somewhat anxious about going out and spending money to see it. For Sight and Sound this is the opposite as in this paragraph they are saying that its a good film that connects with the audience, but is dark and so they are trying to make the audience aware of this. These two film reviews mostly differ in their structure as one is recommending the film, and the other holds a neutral view. There are fundamental differences with the content in each paragraph from these reviews, however they both cover the same topics for discussion and come to a conclusion. Therefore it could be said that they do have some similarities and differences when it comes to the structure of the review.


To conclude, these two film reviews are obviously going to be different in many aspects such as their style of writing and the wording they use. The Empire magazine review uses a lot more humour and speaking language than the other review which would appeal to a young audience. The Sight and Sound review is a lot more sophisticated and technical with the way it words its review, commenting more on the actual filmmaking than other aspects such as the acting. Because of its use of more extensive vocabulary, this review would be made for an older more upper class personnel. Consequently, the analysis of these reviews makes it even clearer that they are very different in many ways and they use different techniques to appeal to their specific audience.

Summary-
Analysing these two film reviews has shown me that in order for me to create a film review for the audience my film is appealing to, the language used must be suitable. This is very important as the readers of the review are likely to be younger people that are more interested in easy reading and so creating a film review that appeals to them and getting them to read it will be a challenge. The structures of the reviews has also shown me that there is generally a universal structure that although may hold some differences, does mostly have similar ways in which the paragraphs are set out. This will be helpful as although I may want to change some parts of the structure for my review, I can use this conventional structure as a starting point and continue from there. Analysing these film reviews therefore has allowed me to learn much about how the writers use the language and structure to manipulate the readers, in order to create interest and consequently have as many viewers as possible.

Resources-

Johnny Mad Dog review from Sight and Sound

Did you hear about the Morgans? review from Empire

http://moviecarpet.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/did_you_hear_about_the_morgans.jpg

http://img15.myimg.de/JohnnyMadDog2008e0ab0.jpg

Final film review magazine page-

Because of a technical reason, there is no way to inlarge the film review page so that the writing is readable. Therefore I have put the information which is on the page below.

Synopsis (in grey box on page)-

Southern England, the present. Lily is a young, innocent looking girl, whom like all younger siblings wants to know what her older brother, Leon, is up to at all times. This leads her to look into Leon’s bedroom on each day, and on the first, to find that he is in possession of a knife. Following this, Lily looks into Leon’s bedroom again, only to have the door slammed in her face. That night, Lily hears a dubious conversation outside between Leon and an unknown voice, so goes down to investigate where she then finds her brother inside arguing with her mother, which leads to Leon storming out. Lily returns upstairs none the wiser.

The next day entails Lily going past Leon’s room, but to find it shut on this occasion. Lily is then seen on the sofa playing hangman and spelling out the word brother on the game. The penultimate day sees a policeman turn up at the house to question the mother, and Lily comes to investigate again, only to receive a remorseful glance from her mother, when the policeman leaves. The fifth and final day commences with Lily again walking past Leon’s room, only to find the door wide open and the room clean. She then goes downstairs with her mobile in her hand, and sits with her mother on the sofa, where she hesitates; but then puts her phone away and they both look at each other in unison.

Review (the main paragraphs on the page)-

This debut short film from the director, Camilla Braine, is the portrayal of the emotional outcomes of one family member becoming involved with gang life, which takes effect on the mother of the household, and more significantly the younger sibling. This story for the half action, half enigma film produces and builds tension which is then stalled at the end, where the conclusion is unclear. This conventional aspect of many short films has been used to the advantage of the narrative and the overall message, as the audience has to engage into the fine details of this story, to be able to come to their own conclusion. This somewhat confusing outcome is very effective in extracting the emotions of the audience, which conventionally is in need, in order for a short film to be compelling.

The narrative structure consisting of five days in which each start in the same way is a convincing tool used to develop the story, creating an axiomatic identification of what main character is being focused on. The costumes and props also help to generate this, as they demonstrate each characters specific identity which helps the audience to understand what these characters are meant to be portraying. The way that this has been constructed shows clear planning and engagement with what audiences want to see from specific stereotypes.

The film is technically commendable, as the camera shots, angles and framing used to see the effects on Lily grip the audience to where the dialogue and the diegetic and non diegetic sound represent an atmospheric illustration of each character. These two aspects have been cleverly combined (which could have been ignored) that create a sense of praise from the viewer.

However some parts of the film are not as well created. Firstly, the acting in some scenes can seem dull and unenthusiastic, which reduces the excitability factor that the film has potential for. Also, with the confinement to one location, the house, it would have been more engaging if there had been some experimenting with different locations, where there may have been a scope for some more creativity. Alternatively, the slow pace in some scenes could have been replaced with faster cuts and more shots, to create a greater shock value.

Overall, it’s a good short film that pleases the viewer and creates emotions and feelings which an exemplary short should do. The concept and the alternate narrative structure from this debut short is to be commended, as it does contain conventional aspects stemming from short films, but also challenges and implements a personal style that is apparent in order to provide the viewer with a strong message. However there are some places in the film which seem a bit vague and perhaps if more action had been incorporated, the viewer may have been struck with a more explosive message. Nevertheless, in the time period it had to portray its message, it contained adept material that makes it a well attempted short film.

Cast and crew information (bottom left side of the page)-

Credits- Directed by-Camilla Braine. Producers- Camilla Braine, Danah Hussain, Emma Horton, Sam Cunningham. Director of photography- Danah Hussain. Set designer- Emma Horton. Costume designer- Emma Horton. Production company- Danimal Productions. Soundtrack- Extracts from the work of Sylvan Lane.

Cast- Leon- Josh Rose. Lily- Steph Chandler. Mum- Danielle D'Cruz. Inspector Armstrong- Michael McGuirk. Gangster voice- Daniel Dunton.

Summary-

This is my final magazine review page, and its structure is based on a Sight and Sound review page because they are the basis in which I decided to write my review. The review itself has been created in a way that will hopefully replicate a Sight and Sound review as I analysed one of their reviews, and they do write reviews for Arthouse films such as ours. Adding the information such as the cast and credits makes it like a magazine page and the synopsis is in a different colour so that it will stand out among the rest of the information. There is a still image from the film, that I thought I would use in order to give the audience a view of one of the first scenes in the film, and I put a caption beneath expressing what this shot is about. Finally, the information on the top left hand corner shows the reader some basic information about the production which just makes it more like a magazine page. I believe that this page and the review looks like it could come from a magazine such as Sight and Sound, and it contains all of the information needed to make a judgement about the film, as the people who read it would do.

Analysis of film post cards-Research-

Having consulted with producers from the short film industry, we have been advised that the conventional film poster is replaced with more direct marketing in the form of a postcard. Miss Becky Knapp has given us examples which we have analysed. However, we have still done research and analysis into film posters, in order to cover all aspects of this marketing sector.

Introduction to film posters-

Film posters are used to advertise a film. A conventional film poster will be made up of a key image that reinforces a central theme of the film for the audience that will give the first impression of the film. This may show the main character or will show something that will be associated with the main aspect of the film. There may also be a date of the release of the film and the names of the actors that are going to create the star attraction and will bring a buzz to the film. There can also be a tagline that can give the audience perceptions of the main concept behind the film, will make them think of what they might expect in the film and will include enigmas to hook the audience. The Dark Knight had a tagline of ‘Welcome To A World Without Rules.’ This creates a sense of danger and excitement for the audience who will expect an action genre film that will keep them entertained for the full duration.

Film posters are displayed in many places to reach as many people as possible. The cinema used to be the main stage for these posters, however they can also be seen in places like: Magazines, newspapers, bus stops, the side of buses, shop windows and obviously on the internet. Using the internet as a place for advertising will bring many benefits including millions of people that will see it. A strategy like a viral marketing campaign can be launched so that it becomes the thing to talk about especially on social networking sites. However this publicity can cause problems for the filmmakers as, if people believe it is going to be bad and this spreads, the viewing at the cinemas is likely to decrease along with the reputation of the film.

Teaser posters are used as early promotion and do not contain much information to keep some secrecy within the film. Their main purpose is to create interest and hype for the film which is hoped to create a bigger interest when the full marketing campaign is released.

In order to create my own poster, I need to analyse existing texts. Therefore I choose and analysed two posters that were for British films that had some similarities to our short film. I did try to find a short film poster with similarities, however I was unsuccessful with my findings.

Resources-

http://dept.kent.edu/theatre/porthouse/interface_img/facebook-logo.jpg

Film Poster analysis-

These two film posters are both from British films that are recognised in Britain and have some aspects that exploit themes similar to my film. The first look at these posters shows what many people want to see, with the important characters on the front and some mise en scene that will convey to the audience what the themes of the film may be and what they can expect from the film. For example, the Kidulthood poster shows teens that are obviously from an urban area, and one of them is holding a bat which conveys to the audience that there will be violence in the film. Also there are girls in the poster which could mean there will be relationships and maybe problems. The dark clouds in the background connote that there will be trouble and by the look of the teens, this may involve tragedy such as death.

The two posters do share similarities, such as there being all of the main characters on it. This was probably done because there is no single character that is well recognised to most of the public and so they cannot use a ‘star’ to attract the audience to go and see it. Another similarity is that the image on the poster is not in the film and this is different to many other films such as the Dark Knight. Doing this will not give anything away to the audience, but just captures the image of the characters and the mise en scene which is strong enough for films like these. For my postcard, I have created an image that is a shot in the film, but there are some minor differences and I believe that this one still shot captures the essence of the film, without showing all of the main characters in the film. Therefore my postcard in those aspects goes against the ways the fillmaker used for the two films above, however as our film is a short film, there is going to be differences.

The titles on the posters are bold and stand out from the rest of the background, especially in Kidulthood. The black scene and the dark clouds contrast the bright white of the big letters spelling out KIDULTHOOD. The poster for This Is England has a title that is in the UK country colours of red, blue and white. This along with the title brings together thoughts to the audience which make them think and know that the film will be based on themes in Britain at a particular period. Both of these posters also have reviews on them that are there to make the film seem even more tempting to go and see as they want as many people to go and pay in the cinema as possible. This Is England though has also presented some awards they have received for the film, which is also going to make the audience think that if critics think the film is worthy of an award; then the film is worth going to pay to see. Adding such items may have an effect on the amount revenue the film will make, but it is not a huge aspect of the film poster and adding things such as these may not cause any benefit at all. The title on my postcard will be edited onto the TV in the living room, so that it creates the effect as it was on the TV, and Lily is looking up and down from her notebook to the TV. It was also designed this way so that the title would not interfere with anything else that may be in the shot.

The two film posters do have some differences from other conventional posters in some ways, such as there being no release date. This may have been because the producers thought this was a waste of space on the posters, as they both have a niche audience appeal and so it would not have the same effect as if the film was a blockbuster where a vast amount of people want to go and see it. This could also be the reason of why there is no tagline that captures the film in one short snappy sentence. Also for these types of films, the audience appeal is limited to an extent and unless they are going to be distributed in the USA, such as This Is England was; the amount of viewers is likely to be small compared to many other films. Therefore the main emphasis for the film poster will be the image that represents the film and the title which can in some ways make the film seem interesting and worth researching into, which is what most film producers want.

These two film posters although intended for a much larger audience than my film has influenced the ways I have thought about the poster I am going to make. The image for the film is essential and gets the audience to think about the main themes and ideas that is going to be portrayed in the real production form. This for my film will be important as it is a short film with a niche audience who will want to see what the film is showing in terms of the themes. The mise en scene in the image is especially important to capture the characters profile’s so that people know why they are there and what impact they will have on the story. Finally, the title must be printed in a way so that it also has meaning and is maybe contrasting the other images that are in the shot, which is the case in Kidultood.

Resources-

http://caffeine-headache.net/blog3/this_is_england.jpg

http://uk.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/36/MPW-18363

Film Postcard analysis-

The postcards that are shown in these photos are from short films that have been produced, and follow some conventions that are typical for postcards. The layouts of these seem to be mostly universal, and they are very similar, but do have some differences. The front of the postcards all have an image which is trying to capture the film in one shot, or is one significant event in the film. This is what mostly every postcard and poster is like, because this image must be key in order to stay in the mind of the viewer. This is the most significant conventional aspect of a film postcard as it is what the main proportion of the postcard is trying to show. However, there are differences in the front of these postcards, such as Divine has the still image, and then the name of the film; whereas although On a Life’s Edge has this, it also a stamp on it and other small pictures from the film. The other postcard that is shown does not even have a name on the front of the postcard. Therefore from seeing the front of these postcards, it is clear that there is a typical convention for most of the space on the front to be filled up with the image that represents the film, but some postcards differ to others where the name of the film may not appear on the front and a stamp may be put onto the front as well as the back.

The backs of these postcards also have some characteristics which seem to be common on most postcards, while others can be seen to be regular on some, but not others. One thing that is on every back of a postcard is the name of the film, which again just shows what the film is called. The font for the title is very important as it will give an impression to the viewer of what kind of style the film is. For My Brother Leon, I will want a font that looks to be hand written, as this coincides with the image of Lily drawing hangman.

Another thing that is also conventional is to have the synopsis of the film on the back, as this will tell the reader what the film is about and therefore, will create interest. However a synopsis is not seen on all postcards, as for example, Divine does not have one. One very conventional feature of postcards is that they have information about the film; which can include: the producer, the cast, the director, the production company and maybe other information such as the cinematography and the production design. This information will give general information that is purposely put there to show off any members of the cast that may be well known, or to try to create an interest in researching some people, that would lead back to the film or others they may have produced. Finally, there is always a space for a stamp on the back, because this is the typical ideology that is thought of by people, when they think of a postcard. This stamp may be designed by the creator, or may just be left blank.

Summary-

The back of postcards can show as much or as little information about the film as possible, and the amount of information given will depend on many factors, such as the regional area where these will be given out, and the industry status of the producers and director. The front face of postcards usually follow a certain pattern, where there is a main image to represent the film, and the title is shown. However as seen above, there may be additional information added to give to the reader for many purposes. All three of the film postcards that have been given as examples above have similarities and differences, but there are some aspects of film postcards that are conventional and are used universally. Analysing these postcards has given me an understanding of the codes and conventions that they follow, and other information that can be provided to the audience. This has therefore helped my understanding of how to create my postcard and what should, and can, be included to make viewers interested. Consequently, when producing my postcard for My Brother Leon, I will have direction and co-ordination of what to use, in order to produce a postcard that is creative and has high aesthetical value.

Resources-

Film postcard provided by Ms Becky Knapp

Film postcard designs-

Summary-

I thought that one of these six still images that i have drawn could be used for my postcard because I drew ones which I thought represented or captured the film best in one still shot. I also think that these that I have drawn do contain some conventional characteristcis that are seen in posters/postcards. The one that I will chose will be taken during filming, and then edited to put items on such as the name of the film.

Front part of postcard- final, finished design-

Summary-

This is the final design and finished front part of the postcard that I have produced. It is different to my designs and especially the one it is based on because I have made a change of that the title of the film is now placed in the middle of the screen, instead of on the TV. This was done because when it came to the producing of the postcard, I had produced it with it being on the TV as first planned, but after some consideration, I decided to put it onto the middle of the screen because it stood out more and also I could keep the imagery of the TV as well. Also, I changed the font style of the title as at first I was going to use a font that looked more automated, but I realised that it would look better if it looked as though it had been hand written. Also, I added lines on under each letter, because this would give it a look as though it was involved with hangman, which is one of the crucial scenes in the film. Therefore I changed the font, where the font is placed and added lines under each of the font letters. This in my view, is a more creative postcard that is of higher aesthetical value, compared to my earlier designs.

Back part of postcard- final, finished design-

Summary-

This back part of the postcard stemmed from the design of the front, and I will justify why I have chosen to do certain things. Firstly, I designed the front part of the postcard on PhotoShop, where I chose a certain font for the title, however I did the back of the postcard on Publisher, which did not have this font and so I could not use the same font for both titles; but I tried to find one that was closest to the font used before. The colour choice for the back of the postcard was decided because in the front of the postcard, there is a lot of brown colouring in the image from certain props, and so I thought it would be appropriate to contiunue some of the colouring onto the back so it did not look out of place. The white going through the middle is meant to represent the cleanness in most of the family in the film, which includes the mum and Lily, while the darker colours on the edges are meant to represent the darkness that is in the family, in terms of Leon. Therefore this is why I chose to use these colours and the pattern.

I added a space for a stamp, as this is a conventional item for postcards to have, and it is a typical ideology that is recognised by people around the world. The font for the rest of the writing is Comic Sans and I chose this because I thought it went well with the colours used and was not a harsh font, like others are. I put text boxes around all of the information, apart from the synopsis as I thought this would make it stand out and would be one of the first things that the viewer would see. Therefore they would read this, and understand what the film is about, then would read the other information that is also from the making of the film. I chose to put the production company on, as people may recognise this if we were to produce more films in the future. Adding information such as the director and DoP are conventional to film postcards, and so I thought I would add this. The synopsis was something which I believed was necessary to go onto the postcard as this would give the audience an idea of what the film is about, which could create interest and could spread some word of mouth interest as well. Finally putting on who starred in the film and what the duration is, just adds more information to the postcard, and would be useful to any mainstream short film, if there was a part of the acting crew that was well known.

My postcard for My Brother Leon would be used to market the film, and I believe that both the back and the front combine to produce a postcard that is good to look at and has creative aspects running through it as well. Therefore if the film were to be marketed to the public, then I believe the postcard would be a good tool in creating a hype and an interest.