Movie production logo's

A production logo is compulsory to have within any film weather it is a small independent company or a Hollywood film. The company in which we need is something which will tie in with the film its self for example New line cinema and Pixar. I have already researched some institutions which are likely to be our chosen ones which can be found by following this link;Institution research .

In our AS film opening we used Paramount Pictures, the reason why we chose Paramount is because it fits in with our psychological thriller we then used Limestone Productions which is the company that we created as a group. One thing in which we noticed last year on film productions is that it was uncommon that two major companies such as Paramount and Universal were to work together. It usually has the common combination of a famous main company with a smaller company.

Considering that there are a lot of production companies we needed to find one which can be fitted and suited for our genre, so as a group we decided that we would brainstorm possible companies that we can use within our trailer.

After researching the different possible institutions and movie production companies we decided to go with Paramount pictures and Touchstone. This is because these movie productions were commonly used for our choice of genre. 

Magazine cover layout

 This is the layout of the magazine cover, well this is the typical layout of a magazine cover. We will try to follow this as this is what i came up with to try and create a sort of plan for the magazine cover. Although it seems that this did not go to plan because ,we decided to add in different components into the magazine cover to make it more attractive to the target audience.

The magazine cover has to be;

• consistent throughout, this includes text, pictures and the colour consistency throughout.
• Guide lines according to what is allowed within our magazine such as; Magazine title, Date line, Bar code, Main cover line, 

Conventions of a film poster

Some of conventions of a film poster are;

• The poster has got to be eye catching so that when a person walks past it they feel intrigued to go  and look at the poster.
• The background and main image must be the main focus of the entire poster and this must attract the audience.
• A very large and clear title must be easy to read from a distance and this must also become one of the main focuses.
• Although we are trying to attract as many people as possible with the poster it must attract a specific audience as this would then also attract our target audience.
• A famous actor or character within the film industry will help to sell the product
• The release date or coming soon written on the poster also intrigues the audience.
• The poster could possibly have the director being displayed on the poster.
• The poster must have the production company displayed as then audiences could look up the production company and see what films they have produced and whether they like them or if they are interested in them.
• The poster must clearly define the genre of the film for the audiences curiosity and demands.
• The poster may include the reviews and ratings from news papers and famous people.
• A caption to lure the audience in.
• A billing block is also one of the other conventions of a film poster.

At a first glance this film poster does not have some of the conventions of a film poster. the conventions of a film poster that this film poster does have is that the main background image is intriguing and it is aesthetically attractive to the audience who are interested in a horror film. Another convention that this poster has is that the director is on the front of the poster. The poster does have the convention of having attractive aesthetics for an eye catching film poster. The poster does have a caption which is luring the audience in. By using the caption which they have used on the poster it helps to lure the audience in, this is because they would want to find out why shouldn't he have been born. This poster clearly displays which genre this film poster is for, which is a horror/thriller. This poster does not however have a release date so this might not intrigue the audience. What is interesting about this film poster is that this film clearly challenges the conventions of a horror in a completely different way than what most people would expect. In this case they have challenged the conventions through the title, this is because when most people think of Humpty Dumpty they think about a child's nursey rhyme  which is an egg who falls off of a wall.

This poster is eye catching because in the middle of the poster it has an attracting image of a shark about to devour a girl. The background is also a main image of what the film is all about and so by giving away what the film includes this then lures the audience in as they would be intrigued about the plot and the storyline. The main image will attract the audience this is because it includes a dangerous predator which is known for harming and killing humans and by seeing this picture the audience might also want to know what happens as the story line as well as what a shark has to do with the film. The title of the film is clear and large enough to read from a fair distance.  The title its self draws in an audience 'JAWS' indicates that there would be teeth involved and with the image this begins to unravel a story of a shark and their stereotypical behaviour. I think that this poster attracted a certain target audience this is because it is a horror film. This poster is aesthetically presentable to a certain target audience of 16 to 35, although it does state that this film is a PG this film might be disturbing and cause distress for younger children as this film might manipulate their minds. Some famous actors which feature in the film are shown on the poster, so this will attract audiences who know about the actors and who like the actors. The poster also includes the production company, although at the size it is right now it is hard to see but it is in the second or third line. 

Eden lake inspiration

When we started to research trailers we came across Eden Lake, although it has a very different plot the shots that they use are some of the shots in which we want to capture as this will give an atmosphere about the film in which we want to create for our audience. they also have a very different genre but we wish to incorporate this shot into our trailer.

This shot that I have picked out is something that as a group we want to incorporate into our trailer. The reason for this is that our setting is in the woods and we have this vision of an idea that we will get a shot of the enemy in the woods, but only an outline as the villain is concealing their appearance as we want to create that imagination for the audience. The reason why as a group we liked this idea is because this shot demonstrates the emotion of fear and danger which leaves the audience on the edge of their seats which is the atmosphere which we want to catch. This shot also establishes that the emotion that is taking over is fear and the departure from all happiness.

pearl harbour inspiration

Our Pearl harbour inspiration came from looking at their film poster. This is because in comparison with the two film posters we have taken parts from the cover and placed into ours. The parts in which we tried to incorporate into our film are the fact that the two other heads  are facing two different directions which shows that there is a very different aspect about their personalities and their traits as a character. This inspired me to do this film poster because of the influence in which they have upon different target audiences. This gave us the influence to target this film because of the same genres of the films as well as having the inspiration of having a very diverse collection of target audiences which reflected our aspiration for our film.

Rating certificates

The above are film ratings which enable people of certain ages able to watch certain films. The certificates of films are considered necessary because it needs to be examined before it is released to the general public for showing. Certificates on films were needed because of the effect that they have for certain ages of people, this is because some films can have a stronger influence of words which can contaminate and disrupt the vulnerable minds of children.

The British Board of Film Classifications  is a non-government organisation and it is funded by the film industry. The bbfc is responsible for the national classification of films within the UK. This is also apart of the Video Recording Act 2010.





This is the Universal certificate which means that all ages are permitted to watch this film, and there is nothing unsuitable for children within the film of this certificate. This certificate means that children can watch this film without any supervision of a parent if desired. Some examples of films with this certificate are; Turbo and The Smurfs 2.

This is the certificate for Parental Guidance, which means that all ages can watch films with the certificate however some scenes might be inappropriate for younger children. The film may contain mild language and sex/drug references and this film might also contain moderate violence if it is justified by the context. Some examples of films with this certificate are; Wreck-it Ralph and The Sapphires.





This is the certificate is to state that films with this certificate is unsuitable for younger people. For those children who are under the age of 12 then they are permitted to watch the film with an accompanying adult, who must be at least 18 years of age, and they must be present with the child at all times during the film. However it is not recommended that children under the age of 12 to watch the film. Films within the category can contain some of the following mature scenes; discrimination, drugs, strong language and moderate violence, sex and nudity refernces. Sexual activity may be a brief and discretely portrayed within the film, whereas sexual violence may be implied or briefly indicated by the film. Some of the examples of films within this category are; RED 2, Pacific Rim and Iron man 3.




This is the certificate was only introduced to the public in the year of 2002. 12A rated films are given the certificate of a 12 for the DVD version unless extra material has been added which would require a higher rating. Extra material can come in the form of extras and bonus scenes which could also include behind the scenes. No one under the age of 12 can buy a film or rent it out if the certificate is a 12. The content guidelines are the exact ones which are used for a 12A. Some examples of films which are under this certificate are; Les Miserables and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.





Only those who are over the age of 15 are allowed to watch this film within the cinema. No-one who is under this age wont be admitted to watch the film, as well as anyone who under the age of 15 may buy or rent a film which has this certificate.  Films within this category can consist of adult themes, harmful drugs and their consequences, consistent strong language, strong use of violence and strong sex references, and longer scenes of nudity without any graphic detail. Sexual activity may be portrayed but without any strong detail. Sexual violence can be shown if it is discrete and justified why it is used through the context. Some examples of films within this category are;  The Heat and Mama.




This certificates state that only adults are permitted to watch these films. No one under the age of 18 can rent or buy an 18 rated film, or watch the film within the cinema. FIlms within this category do not have a limit on the amount of bad language that is used throughout the film. Hard drugs are generally allowed within the film along side the explicit sex references along with detailed and graphic sexual activity are allowed.  Scenes of strong and real sex might be permitted if it is justified within the context. Very gory and brutal violence is usually permitted throughout the film.  Strong sexual violence is permitted unless it is sexually graphic. Some of the examples that are within this category are; Django Unchained and Evil Dead.



 Our trailer will be the certificate 15 because our film consists of a terrifying experience for some younger and not yet developed people.  It is also a 15 because the plot and genre might cause distress to the younger audience so the appropriate target audience is 15 and over.

Audience Portfolio

 This is my audience portfolio, here we will state what our ideal target audience will be.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

   The audience of my coursework will be males that are in their 20's as well as 60-80. The reason why we have chosen these age ranges is because 20 year olds will be passive mass audiences whereas the 60-80 year olds will be an active niche audience. The reason why the 20 year olds will be a passive audience is because they will be given the information and they will be told information about the war whereas 60-80 year olds are active because they will know what to expect due to previous life experiences, and they can also relate to the film its self.  They are also an active audience because they will judge the experience given by the film because they would have previously already been within that experience.

20 year olds are a mass audience because they are more likely to go and see the film at the cinema, this is because its classed as a social class within the generation. They are also more likely to go to the cinema to go and see this film because they have a particular interest in the war, and they would be given the information rather than knowing the information form previous experiences. 60-80 year olds are a niche audience because there are a very few people within this age range that would want to go and see a film about their previous experiences. They are also a niche audience because they are not likely to go and watch the film within the cinema but they are the audience that would watch the film on the television. This can be due to a number of reasons such as they were traumatised by the war before so they would not want to go and relive their nightmare, others might be interested about what were other peoples views on the war and how they interpreted it.

The reason why we chose the age range of 20 year olds is that they could possibly be university students who are studying war or that have an interest in war. We also chose this age range because people who are 20 years of age are typically employed so they will have money to go and spend on things that they have an interest in.

The reason why we chose the age range of 60-80 is because they might have the interests of the war or they want to relive the experience. We also picked this age range because they will have pensions due to them being retired, and so at the cinema O.A.P's get a cheaper discount on their cinema tickets. So they would be able to afford the tickets to the cinema.




Target Audience Portfolio shortlist specification;

                       ~Male

                       ~20/60-80

                       ~White and mixed race

                       ~Employed/pension holders

                       ~Straight people but cannot specify

                       ~Interests in the war

                       ~People who can relate to the film

                       ~Have a job which allows them to goto the cinema at social times 

                       ~Possibly a part time  job or a job that finishes at 4 pm ready for socialising

Target questionnaire

Trailer questionnaire and results

The questionnaire in which I had created have the results as followed;

 What attracts you to a trailer?
70% of the people who answered this question said that something that is bright and colorful is what attracts them where as 30% said that they are attracted to a trailer of a specific genre not to do with anything else. What this means is that my trailer must have something bright or colorful in which would catch the target audiences attention to watch the trailer.

What is the ideal length of a trailer in which you like to watch?
30% of the results ticked the box with 3 minutes, 50% ticked the 1 minute box and the remaining 20% ticked the 2 minute box. What this means is that by looking at these results it is clear to see that i shall base the length of my trailer along the 1 minute length as this is what half of my results show me.

 What would you like to see in a war trailer?
 This question had a varied amount of answers so I have only selected a few of them;

      " I like seeing explosions and motive for the war within the trailer"

       " I like the antagonist to be a woman as this gives it a twist"

       " I like a war trailer to have the edge of suspicion at the end"

Conventions of a war film

     The conventional settings of a war film are usually set in abandoned places in which involve a film which can be used for battle scenes. Long streets with very little housing and a few people dotted around during the war scenes. By having a recognisable set for the audience to relate to this will help them to visualise the war genre and setting its self. The setting is something which can change according to the trailer and the plot as the film and the trailer progress. BY including some establishing shots of the landscape in which we are using this will give the audience the atmosphere that they will be experiencing something that has happened in history once before and that history is about to be re-written. Although we should consider the lighting of the setting this is because war happened throughout the day and night but most commonly in dusk or dawn where the ambiance form the natural light source projects its own light to create a unique atmosphere to the trailer.

     We will include POV( Point Of View) shots will give the audience the sense that they are in the characters body looking and seeing what is going on. BY including this shot we will have the attention of the audience because they will be in a different point of view which will give the audience a different perception of the plot of the trailer. 

       Music and sounds within a war movie is critical, this is because within a war movie you always get little sounds which indicate to the audience that something is happening. This is because the music and sounds help to create a tension between the character and the atmosphere.  Sounds can be used in your benefit and disadvantage this is because sound can give a sense of emotion between the character and the setting, but if the sound and the music is used inappropriately then this will cause the character to look out of place with the setting causing a confusing atmosphere for the audience. The music that is placed within the trailer is important because the use of happy music can be used to challenge the conventions as well as to give the feel of suspense. For example a music box portrays happy music but when it is nearly finished the song turns to a slightly more creepy sound which usually suggests that something bad is going to happen within the film. Although within a war film the use of silence can be there to build up tension between the character and the audience. This is important because the audience can then use their imagination to what sounds they would be hearing as well as giving them the emotion of feeling totally alone. However with the incorrect use of silence within the film this could cause boredum and loose the ability to scare and create an atmosphere for the audience.

     Using the correct colours in the costumes and props will help the audience to indicate the evil and the good as well as to distinguish between the two, this is commonly known as iconography. A common example is; visually dark colours such as black and red can connote evil, blood death and danger. WIthin our war film we will use basic colours which the audience will be able to relate to, this is because in the war basic colours like green, black, brown and grey were used for the uniform and the casual clothes of the civilians in the war. And so linking this to our trailer our characters will be dressed in the same colours so that the audience can recognise who the characters are meant to be. With the use of lighting we are likely to be non-naturalistic, with low lighting this can give the effect of darkness as well as shadows within the woods which will give the sense of spy's and the enemy coming closer to the characters. . other sources such as a bonfire, torch and car lights give off their own ligh which can add to the atmosphere if the lighting is used right. with the correct use of props the audience can identify the villains from the victims, this is because you associate a knife or a weapon with the villain whereas you assume that the victim will not be carrying these around in the beginning. With regards to the villain we are not showing the physical appearance of them due to the suspense and tension building. But they will be wearing something which will camouflage them into the surroundings. some of the common props and objects that will be included within a war are; weapons, religious icons depending on the sort of war. Iconography with the enemy character can help to connote the extreme fear and awareness into the audience.

Narrative structure is a convention of a war movie because with a narrative structure you can leave things hanging or you can give them as a start of a franchise, this can be done by the character leaving the room and then the credits coming up this would lead on to a sequel or for our trailer someone running off into the darkness.

Filming schedule

add in january and february schedules from desktop.

Target audience questionnaire based upon our genre

i handed this questionnaire out to a random selection of 30 people

Genre research.

Today we looked at the different genres that we could possibly do for our trailer.

 Some of the possibilities that we are currently discussing are;

• ·      War genre
• ·      Heist genre
• ·      Horror genre
• ·      Thriller genre
• ·      Comedy genre

The reason why we have narrowed our decision down to these few genres is because we knew what recourses were available to us and the locations that we could set all of the trailers. For the war genre we were curious to look at a few trailers that had already been done for this genre and we decided that it would be a great genre to base our film upon. This is because not every day does a war genre film appear in the cinema, and the conventions of a war film can be challenged and met with us as a group. With the heist genre we thought about how interesting this genre could be if we did it correctly. This is because a heist is when they steal something but this could be very hard to show within the trailer it’s self so this one is not one of our first choices. With the horror genre we discussed that we all know the conventions of a horror genre as we watched plenty of films and trailers and so it looked like an easier genre, also the fact that I had chosen to do this genre as part of my foundation portfolio work so I already had experience with this genre that I could bring into the group as well as some other members had experience. With the thriller genre this was tricky because there is a very thin line between a thriller and a horror this is because the conventions are similar and hard to tell apart. A thriller genre seems to be one to be in a combination with a horror this is because certain aspects of the trailer could be linked to a horror or a thriller. A comedy genre is one in which you have to be careful with, this is because a comedy can easy turn into a disaster movie I think this because comedy is something that varies from person to person it’s the way that certain people percept things. If we were to do a comedy it could be very tricky this is because comedy is something that can vary as well as the plot of the trailer will have to link in with the genre which could be tricky and might not work out how we planned.

 The things that we took into account when looking at the genres is which ones will most likely be good to do and which ones are we going to be able to do. For example one of the easiest genres such as horror were available to us this is because we was able to do all of the conventions of a horror as well as already having experience from my foundation coursework. We also looked at what we were capable of doing for example for a heist we would need loads of different angles of the camera to shoot and so that it will look intricate as the shots will have to be different and changing constantly from person to person and from location to different angles.  When looking at the different genres the most important part is whether it is interesting enough to do. This is because the films that come out recently are horror films, which is typical as it is the easiest, but as a group we wanted a slight challenge with the genre and applying it to the plot of the film. By looking at the genres that I have already discussed, the most interesting one seems to be the war genre this is because there can be so many dynamics with the way that we can present the war genre within the trailer. It would also be a challenge this is because it is not straight forward and this would be an interesting genre as we would have to change how we apply it to the trailer and the target audience.

We decided to do a war genre film; the reason for our decision is because;

Research Video

Film Trailer Conventions

There are all sorts of different conventions of a film trailer of all genres, some of them I have listed below;;

• The trailer does not go in the chronological order of the film as this would give the plot away which might discourage the target audience.

• A stable and firm voice over on the trailer will draw in the audience and it will also draw the audience into listening to the key parts of the trailer and film.

• All genres of trailers are structured to show what the most desirable parts of the film are, which will intrigue the audience. 

• Text that is on the screen when the trailer is playing will provide other information such as what actors feature in the film as well as other information about the title and the release date of the film, the director and producers of the film.

• The trailer its self usually has a basic layout of the order, which usually is; opening, peak, problems and scenarios and then events and outcomes.

• Over lapping music within the trailer is there to give a gesture to the audience what the genre of the trailer is as well as what the plot of the film could be.

• The title is usually located to the end of the trailer which is commonly followed by the release date of the film. This is because the date will be remembered to the audience and viewer after the film has finished.

• The names of the most famous featuring actors are screened early on in the trailer, this is done so that it lets the audience know who they are expecting to see feature within the film its self. Quite often audiences will only go and see a film because of a specific actor is featuring in the film so the actors name is crucial and it must be a peak within the trailer to keep the audiences attention.

Plot of the film

When the time had come to start filming we thought as a group that by making a sort of guide as to what we would need to film as well as what was the sequence of the film, so we decided to make a rough guide plan as to what we would film. By making this guide we were able to have a structured plan and filming trips as we know what shots we needed as well as what shots we did not need. However we decided to film on more than one occasion due to the different location shots as well as having the right amount of footage to be able to create our trailer.
    Below is the rough plan of what we plan to have within our trailer although it may be brief but as a group we understand what each part is and what is has to do in relation to the trailer as well as its effectiveness is the progression of the trailer. I have used Prezzie to get this information into an organised perspective.

Trailer research

 The genres that we have been discussing and researching are comedy, thriller, horror and war.

The genre that we have decided to do as our trailer is a war, this is because we find that the conventions of a war are harder to accomplish but we would like the challenge of recreating a war film and we also have the resources that we have access too.

I also researched what the average time is for a trailer, the adverage time is 2 minuets 30 seconds. but also within this time slot it seemed like all of the trailers included titles, release date, actors names, quotes from film magazines and directors, they also featured the sentence "from the directors who made".