Questionnaire for Drama Film Trailer

Questionnaire for drama film trailer

Please circle ONE answer  

1.       How old are you?

Pre 16                 16-17                 18-25               26+

2.       What is your gender?

                Male                       Female

3.       What sub-genre of drama film do you watch

 

Period Drama           Thriller Drama           Romantic Drama

 

4.       What type of target audience would you classify yourself as?

Mass-produced             Niche                    Alternative

5.       Do you seek out films or watch films because they are mass advertised?

 

Purposefully seek new films                 Mass advertised

 

6.       Why do you watch films?

Entertainment       Education      Personal Identification

 

7.       How important are the trailers important in persuading you to watch film?

Vital                            Partially                  Not at all

 

8.       Do you prefer a trailer to:

 

Summarize the film         Pick out the good bits         Set the scene

 

9.   Do you like interactive trailers e.g. voiceovers that to talk you to as the audience?

 

Yes                                            No

 

10   “Trailers should use the enigma code and leave an audience in suspense” Do you agree?

 

Yes                                          No 

 

11.   “Trailers for dramas should be coherent and self-explanatory” Do you agree?

Yes                                           No

12.   How many characters do you prefer a film to expose? :

 

A Lot                Select few                minimum amount possible
  

13.   What attracts you to a poster

 

The main actor             Range of cast                   Bold text                 Graphics     

 

14.   Do you prefer one image or a range of images to give you a sense of a film?

 

           One image                            Range of images

 

15.   On a poster do critic’s quotes make you want to watch film?

Yes                                       No

16.   ‘A poster with minimal graphics and texts are more effective’ Do you agree?

Yes                                     No

17.   How regularly do you read a film magazine?

 

Weekly                         Monthly                       When a good film comes out           Never

                     

18.   What articles do you like to read about in a film magazine?

 

Production                    Actor information               Director                            

   

Thank you for participating!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Alternative Film Magazine Analysis

 

 

As this magazine is for ‘Art house’ or alternative films the conventions of typical magazines are modified for a more unconventional effect. The magazine is published by the BFI which also produces a lot of the films that are reviewed in this magazine which is why its logo is enlarged in a separate puff so suggest its importance in the publication. 

The cover lines are in a hand drawn style font with bubble writing and arrows for a ‘doodle like’ effect. This reflects the type of artistic films which are featured in this magazine-such as ‘Submarine’.  The alternative international genre of film magazine is effectively portrayed through the main cover lines- ‘London Film Festival special: British Invention’ and ‘Venice’ to instantly inform the reader its genre of content.

The pale blue, red and orange-yellow compliment the white background because they stand out drawing the audience’s attention towards particular articles. An example of this is “Richard Ayoade on his debut ‘Submarine’”  with blue text and a humorous play on the words ‘Submarine’ making the’ I’ a telescope. This ties in to the main image thus making it more of a focal point than the text underneath.

Another broken convention is the main image.  Richard Ayoade who directed the featured film ‘Submarine’ is known for his role as the awkward ‘Moss’ in the IT crowd so instead of using an action shot of a film or a sexually posed photograph, this awkward stance by Ayoade portrays an unusual yet quirky tone for the magazine which resonates in the text on the right and left third.

By having no pictures by the cover lines or a range of puffs this makes the reader want to subscribe to the magazine so they can look inside and discover what the cover line is about.  The absence of pictures is in keeping with the magazine creative and different image because it removes a tacky and amateur finish.

The Sight and Sound masthead is on the left third so if it was stacked on a kiosk the potential audience would be able to see it clearly, grabbing their attention. The language ‘Festival special’ suggests the magazine is specifically focussed on festivals in this edition appealing to a minority film market that are looking to seek out films rather than see them on the big screen.

I intend to make my film an indie alternative film thus making an understated magazine is important, as shown by Sight and Sound, to remain in keeping with the films tone and message.

The Third Man Magazine Analysis

 

 

This is not a front cover but gives me a good idea of what a 1949 magazine was like for drama films such as The Third Man. Contrasting to the article for the film Atonement this does not use straight lines and a simple layout. The jagged edges and range of frames from the film footage provide a sense of unease and turmoil which is in correlation to the feeling of the film itself. 

The use of shadows and black and white text also give the article a very eerie and suspicious impression marketing the film as an epic suspense drama. They had no colour in the late 40s so the black and white is an iconic dated feature of film.

Equally to Atonement, this article on The Third Man advertises the film by advocating a star member of cast. The large mid-shot of Orson Welles is easily recognisable and is a draw for a film such as this one.      

 

This large headshot of Ava Gardener is the only aspect of this 1949 film magazine apart from the name in a mast head. Magazines for any genre of film have moved on massively from this as the magazines were more about the actors rather than their role in the film. This is a classic portrait shot from this time and presents a very elegant image of film as a particularly glamorous industry. However other conventions still remain such as the models direct eye contact with the camera and a bright masthead in the top left third to stand out if the magazine is stacked on a kiosk.   

This is England Magazine Analysis

 

Unlike main stream magazines this front cover uses a drawing for the main image which is effective in retaining ‘This is England’s’ alternative raw message. The aggressive facial expression of the main character on the front highlights the theme of anger in the film which is reiterated by the word ‘HATE’ in the background and the crude gesture, providing a dramatic element from the genre.

The name of the magazine 'Little White Lies'  is not in a large masthead so instead the front cover prioritizes promoting the film instead of the magazine itself.  The retro and rough ‘The This is England Issue’ print is fairly understated and compliments the simplistic cover as it is in keeping with the dated 80s skinhead vibe which is quintessentially the whole aim if the film.

The strapline ‘Truth & Movies’ suggests to the reader that this magazine looks at films without financial influence from American conglomerates and therefore perhaps portray a more truthful representation of life experiences.   

The cover lines are replaced by the list of cast and director under the heading UK Talent Special. This exposes the names in an understated way as the actors were not massive stars and thus little hype was required unlike the promotion of Keira Knightly for Atonement.

This front cover goes against a lot of the conventions in magazine production as the colour scheme is fairly dark, with no smaller graphics, puffs or cover lines which pushes how an audience receives information about a film. As the magazine is quirky and different, it appeals to an audience who are deliberately trying to find features on This is England rather than having to be drawn in by flashy colours or taglines.

I intend to create an alternative drama film so by creating a front cover that abandons layout conventions, it may attract an audience of students and young adults 18-25 that want a creative and original film.

 

Atonement Magazine Analysis

 

This magazine is portraying one of my chosen drama films is a very erotic way.  The main image is not a capture from the film so is suggesting and alternative sultry tone in contrast to the traditional World War romance which is depicted in the trailer and poster.  Keira Knightly’s bare back and wet hair with James McAvoy’s arm around her waist conforms to Laure Mulvey’s theory of the Male Gaze- where women are objectified for sex. This appeals to a more adult and male audience rather than an audience who want to watch a World War 2 based period drama.   This links to the tagline ‘Atonement Is Heating Up the Race’ emphasising the theme of sex in the film. The main image covers the majority of the masthead to make it stand out and make a large impression on the reader.

The dark, green and white colour scheme compliments Keira Knightly’s famous emerald green dress and dark hair. This makes her very desirable and as she is directly looking into the camera the readers’ eyes are instantly drawn to her beauty.  This means for this magazine cover the main selling point of this film is Keira Knightly and her passionate relationship instead of the war or the pivotal character ‘Bryony’. Thus again this attracts a male audience who may have not been interested with the period drama aspect, heavily focussing on the physical side of the couples love.

This edition of Entertainment Weekly is focussing on the Oscars. The main cover line ‘Will The Oscars Happen?’ and ‘Oscar Preview’ flash adopt a gossip spin on the film event. The rhetorical question grabs an audience’s attention as a cancellation of the Oscars would have very negative impacts on the Hollywood film Industry.  The main cover line and tagline underneath build the anticipation for the Oscars. The language in the tagline ‘Atonement is Heating up the Race’ intrigues a potential audience to want to go and watch the film as the language is very effective in marketing the film as a very big deal.   The Oscars awards films of a mainstream nature so the reader is instantly informed the origin of the films featured in the magazine are large conglomerates. This is supported by the smaller cover lines in the left third e.g. ‘Terminator’ and ‘Tom Cruise.’

By not having any smaller graphics or puffs the main pull factors of this edition is evidently the ‘Oscars’ and ‘Atonement’ as these are two major events that would have large coverage on each. 

 

 

 

Similarly this article markets the film with Keira Knightly as the focal selling point. The tone for this article is much more sophisticated than the Entertainment Weekly but it still displays Knightly in a very desirable and attractive way. This shows that most media texts advertising this film use the star members of cast to promote the film rather than the directors or more minor characters like alternative film magazines.  The two dramatic film captures used as the images encompass eerie mist or crystal clear reflections to give it more of a professional cinematic experience. The article is kept very simplistic with straight edges and limited headings such as ‘the costumes’ in lower case to compliment the stylish impression of the magazine. This means the reader is drawn to the stunning pictures and attracts a reader who is more interested in the production of a film rather than the physical relationship that becomes a turning point in the plot of the film.

Submarine Poster Analysis

Submarine is another alternative drama film funded produced by Warp Films and Film4 Productions like This is England. The film follows a 15 year old boy in a year of school focussing on his personal life and new experiences that shape his choices of adulthood. The title film suggests an overwhelming feeling of emotions that often ways you down under the water, like a submarine. Consequently the poster has utilized this fundamental idea and created the impression of the protagonist being submerged under the water. The blue strip that takes up 1/3 of the poster draws the audiences’ attention to the main characters eyes emphasises his vulnerability as a youth in the big wide world. His vacant expression further supports the character's awkward personality which is very relatable for a teenage audience of the same age range (15-17).

However the film is also successfully targeted at the age group of 18-25. As a 'student' age group creative, alternative text appeals to a large proportion of this demographic and therefore by placing the film festival awards such as the London and Toronto Film Festival on the poster confirms its successful 'Indie' and raw nature. By having the reviews at the top of the page this manipulates the conventional layout positioning the title in the right half of the landscape. It could be argued that this is one of the first places the audience will look at as psychological studies reveal that most people look into corners of the rule of 3. This would mean that an audience would either look at Craig Roberts' eyes or the MAR in the bold red text.

The basic block colour scheme links to the simple beauty of the film which is part of the attraction. This cleverly represents the innocence and vulnerability that runs throughout the film.

For my poster using my protagonist's personality as focal point I can really portray the message of my film which has a very correlation with this film Submarine. By using an alternative layout and simple colour scheme I can appeal to my audience of 18-25 without over-complicating the visual and giving an incorrect impression of the film.

This is England Poster Analysis

 

 

 

The poster is a long shot of the majority of the cast. It’s demonstrates the collective mix of individuality that relates to the title of the film ‘This is England’. Their costumes are very in keeping with the set time period 1983 and their natural poses and shaved heads provide a raw reality untouched by many drama films. By tapping into an untouched subject in the drama genre this interests audiences as it is something new and unconventional, presented in a very rough way.
 

By using a flat estate and corrugated fence as a background this creates quite a harsh tone for the audience as a contrast to the sugar coated quintessentially British films that obscure British reality which is what makes ‘This is England’ a drama film. By photographing the young skinhead characters as the main image to promote the film, the poster attracts a demographic of 18-25 years because their defiant nature is relatable even if it has evolved. The imperative strap line ‘A time to stand out from the crowd’ is another technique that arouses young adult interest as it promotes a disobedient rebellion which is frequently suppressed today.
 

The title of the film is in capital letters and a bold font. The patriotic colours of red, white and blue symbolise the dramatic passion felt in the skinhead movement. Patriotism is a good way to appeal to an exclusively British audience as many people remember this tough time during Thatcherism. Many ex-skinheads will be able to relate to this image depicted by poster.
 

The combination of the title of the film 'This is England' in patrotic colours and the urban intimidating stances adopted by the characters also juxtaposes with the multicultural backdrop of youth in England during the 1980s.
 

As the director of this film creates smaller alternative films the choice of font reflects this. The understated spray of graffiti is in keeping with the photographed image and does not leap out at you. This keeps the prestige of the director in proportion to the size of the film and does not over shadow the initial impression of the poster.  
 

This is England was made of a very small budget with an independent film company. This means the success of its distribution is largely based on word of mouth and reviews so by putting the awards and quotes given to the film at the top becomes a good way of effectively convincing an audience the film is well worth a watch as it has been given critical acknowledgement.