Homework: Trailer Storyboard

'Mission Dex-treme' - Trailer - Storyboard

Homework: Scenes I'd Like To Add To My Trailer

Scene description	Function in trailer
Egg cracks on Dex’s face	Convey comedy genre, establish main character as a ‘geek’
“Dexter Simmons” written on notepad	Introduce main character
Wayne reveals mission to Dex	Reveal some of the plot
Wide shot of Antarctica	Establish setting, convey adventure genre
Dex lowers into room	Convey action genre
Dex and Rosa dodge bullets	Convey action genre
Wayne: ‘I’ve found just the guy’	Create enigma
Rosa smiles at Dex, walks away; he goes weak at knees	Set up romance sub-plot, convey comedy genre

Homework: How Effective Are Film Trailers? (Sheet)

Out of the film trailers we watched in class, the one I thought was most like my film idea was Avatar, as the main character goes undercover and explores an unfamiliar place, which is similar to what my character does.

For Avatar, I think the main target audience is men aged 25-45, who are interested in technology, and can be described as sort of 'geeks'. Also, any man that likes action would be included. They were targeted mainly through the 'Entertainment/Distraction' and 'Personal Identity' uses and gratifications. As people who enjoy technology, they would find the CGI animation and the 3D aspect of the film exciting, and this would entertain them and make them want to see the film. Also, they would consider their position on some of the issues the film raises, such as 'Is it right to destroy someone's home to access a resource?'. They would decide what their opinion was, and want to know how that issue develops in the film.

Homework: Opening Sequence - Shot List and Storyboard

'Mission Dex-treme' - Opening Sequence - Shot List and Storyboard

Homework: Film Marketing Research

I have chosen to research the marketing plan behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, as it is part of a long-running franchise.

I wanted to see if they could come up with unique strategies to market the film, as audiences might be bored with the franchise and not want to see the new film as much.

There is extensive use of print, in the form of posters, from the first teaser poster to the many character-based posters that were released. A sense of the darker tone of the film is evident in all of them, from the heavy use of black, to the use of extreme close-ups and mid-shots of the central characters to create drama.

As well as print, moving image media in the form of trailers and TV spots is present too. The first teaser trailer, aired during the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, doesn’t give much of the plot away, but strongly hints at the dark tone of the film through eerie clips. The full trailer reveals that there will be a battle between the forces of good and evil, and shows many well-known characters from the franchise. These clips alternate with titles, with text such as ‘The finale of the worldwide phenomenon’, which emphasise how iconic the franchise has become. These give the audience a sense that this film is not to be missed. The TV spot focuses equally on both the protagonist, Harry, and the antagonist, Voldemort. They depicted Harry as being in grave danger, intensifying the drama for the audience so that they would be gripped.

The website is also a big part of the campaign. Opening with the trailer, it also offers pictures and videos, as well as downloadable content like screensavers. You can also play games on the website including “Harry Potter: The Quest”. Once you register, you play games and download free items to score points and unlock bonus content. There are various links to social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook so users can share the website with their friends.

The website also links to the official online shop for Harry Potter, where users can buy a variety of things, from DVD boxsets and clothing, to bobbleheads and other collectibles. There is a list of categories to the side, making it easy for users to find the type of Harry Potter item they are looking for.

Hagrid's Hut, recreated in the theme park.

A lot was done to promote the film. ‘The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’ is a new theme park attraction at Universal Studios, in which locations that feature in the film (e.g. Hogsmeade) have been recreated. The public can go and visit these locations, use the rides and also purchase merchandise, of which there is a lot. Also, at Comic-Con 2010 new footage from the film was screened, in an effort to target the Harry Potter ‘geeks’ that were present.

In my opinion, the marketing plan worked well, as all the strategies and media involved all conveyed the dangerous tone of the new film. This made them synergetic with each other, helping to give the audience a clear image of the film. They worked to target both long-standing fans of the franchise, by incorporating characters and locations well-known to them, and also those who weren’t as fond of the brand, by amplifying the drama through the posters and trailers. Overall I think this marketing plan was effective in drawing in the audiences, and convincing them to watch this film.

Homework: Moodboard Representing Men & Women in A-A Films.

So this is my moodboard:


While researching representations for this moodboard, I learnt that:

• There are both conventional and unconventional representations of men and women:
• Traditional view: men are strong and muscular, women are weak and need help
• This creates easily identifiable binary opposition between the characters
• Modern view: men are more clever and emotive, women are brave and skilled
• This creates more rounded characters, which audiences find more believable

By heading my moodboard with two clear binary opposites - stereotypical and nonconformist - I wanted to show how common these stereotypes are in A-A films, but also show how films are increasingly abandoning these stereotypes to create more interesting characters and plots.

Homework: Presentation Feedback

Good points

• Clear characters
• Clear target audience
• Good USP

Things to do/improve:

• Consider secondary target market
• Think about unique marketing strategies
• Add onto blog:
• Iconography info
• Setting info
• References

The things I have added after the presentation will be in green.