Question 2 - How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

Below is a screen grab from our short film which was my inspiration for my postcard design.
Although when first filming the image below was taken and was the main cause for my postcard design.

The fact that the postcard image is basically an image from the short film itself we already have a connection. Obviously with the change in cast member I was not able to use the image exactly and the one in the film would not have been as effective. Although this worked to my advantage in my opinion. As Lexy needed to be removed from the image it gave me a chance to experiment with a number of ways in which you could see that she is not going to appear in the film but is crucial within the story. I wanted to create the element of a spiritual guide because that would link to the story completely however when put into practice did not look visually appealing and did not give off the exact effect I was looking for. This lead me to the burn tool which relates to a scene where 'Lucas' is about to burn the picture but cannot do it to himself. It also keeps the mystery that appears with 'Closer' as you never actually find out how she was killed.

The main character also appears which allows the viewer to establish the main protagonist who will be the basis of our short film. Also having him smiling implies that he was happy when the photograph was taken which juxtaposes the film in that he is in the opposite state because she is gone. So works well to create background knowledge with the story to show his life before and prove that the 'woman' in the picture was very special.

The text itself had to be changed to allow the title to appear as that is a main convention within postcards plus shows the viewer what the film is called which is obviously very important. I chose to replace the word 'Forgive' with 'Closer' rather than placing the title else where as it looks effective and fits well within the picture. I chose to blur the rest of the text with the smudge tool as it was not needed and looked distracting, plus works with the mystery within the film and the tension created in the facts that have been missed out, such as how she died, so keeps the audience asking questions.

The back also works well in that although there is no image but the brick wall allows a connection with the one setting of a house which shows the character to be closed in. Plus the title is written in fridge magnets which are crucial within the film as they create one one the messages, which links directly with the main image of the front with the other hidden message within the film that has been sent by the spirit of his former girlfriend.

I believe the postcard design works well with the film as it incorporates both character and a sense of story with the loss of a person. Although the colour scheme is a bit dull, it keeps with the darkness of the film and continues to keep an anonymous feel with un-answered questions.

The next ancillary text to help promote the film is a Film Review Page.

I have either circled of highlighted the aspects within the page which link to both our short film and also the conventions within Empire Magazine. I have colour coded them so I can explain how they connect below...

Green: The images on the page link directly with the film as they are shots taken from with in it. Both images are of the main character and give you an introduction that he must be in distress because of his stance and facial expression, which shows he is facing a problem within the film. The Empire conventions require a main picture and I used the 'Image Gallery' to display another image so people can get more of a feel of the film. Although it may have been more effective to use an other image that was not just of him to give more of a variety. However the use of using the main character twice shows the film is all based around him and does not give to much away about the films content, other than his emotional state.

Red: The use of the synopsis explains what will occur in the film but leaving you asking questions. Although it may seem to go into a bit to much detail about the storyline, it gives a good representation of the film in a way that should attract people to watch it as it seems more unusual with an awaiting twist happening at the end. With the connection of Empire they always leave a separate section for the plot itself so was vital to place within the page.

Purple: The use of the 'Film Detail's' box is very important and is another feature among an Empire page to outline who is in it, who it was made by, running time and certificate which is more important for the audience. Yet also for the film as with a positive review leaves a lasting impression so they can recognise and enjoy later work with the same people involved.

Blue: The explanation of the good use of acting skills by our main character played by Kenny Mitchell may be more important for him but is very helpful for the popularity of our film. Having positive reviews should allow a bright future for Kenny as he will be recognised and can move on within his scheme of work in the future. The positive attitude will help promote our short film as people do not want to see an un-believable performance and considering he is a new actor has not got an already built audience which means we do not have that star quality. Although from the review you would certainly be more inclined to watch our film.

Yellow: The review itself highlights the important elements within the film such as director, set and genre. Having an up coming director allows the audience to explore new things whilst getting an understanding of the films content. Introducing other hit feature films with a similar outlay helps create a built audience whilst beginning the develop genre. The mix in the two genre creates a less well known idea for a film so could attract people who fancy something different. Explaining about the one setting creates a deeper impression of the film and works with the character's depressed emotion, shown through other means, to give the sense he is trapped, and linking love makes you feel he does not deserve what he is going through. The overall review allows a mostly positive opinion of the film which would help promote it, plus give you an understanding of what will happen whilst again leaving you with un-answered questions. The conventions from Empire imply that the text should be based a lot on the opinion of the writer which I believe is present, and although you get some detail the little things are missed out so not to much is given away.

Pink: Every review must have its criticisms, although thankfully ours have managed to be turned into a positive comment by showing that although it is slightly typical also has elements that make it different. Most people do not like change and enjoy a happy ending so therefore keeping in traditional stereotypical methods is not all bad. And the context of our film is not badly expressed.

Orange: The adverts around the outside of the page do not exactly link to our film in particular but help make the page look more colourful and exciting, plus fallow the Empire conventions very well. Although what I could have done to make the adverts more effect is incorporate a sections that would help our film, rather than random links, such as a similar film part which would appeal to an already built audience create by such film,s as 'The Notebook. This I now regret and would use as a replacement if the page were to be re-created .

The Review Page as a whole seems to fit well within the film and the Empire conventions. Although there are certain elements that could be changed I think it is visually appealing and gives a good impression about our film which would hopefully persuade people to come and watch 'Closer'.