2 Analysing Existing Products

Research Into Existing Products

“A Cinderella Story”

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808503970/trailer

Analysing existing Romcoms

Analysis of A Cinderella story trailer and plot

Plot- The film is based on a modern remake of the film Cinderella. As the main character is seen as the “Geek” at school and her step mother and step sisters are always trying to stop her from having a good time, instead the main character Sam has to work all the time. Until she meets her Prince Charming, the film is all about the couples fight to be together. This is therefore a typical teenage Romcom as it involves young adults who are both trying to overcome certain problems to end up together.

Non diegetic and Diegetic music/voiceovers- There is a male voiceover throughout most of the trailer to narrate what is going on. This gives the trailer a fairytale feel. There is also non diegetic light and romantic music in the background when talking about the main character, Sam. However, this changes into darker, harsher music when a clip of the characters wicked stepmother is on the trailer. The music also becomes very upbeat and comical when talking about the main characters step sisters highlighting their somewhat “Dumb” approach. The non diegetic music clearly complements the narrator and the clips that are being shown, sometimes this music will quickly cut off when a seemingly funny part of the trailer is coming up emphasising the scene. The ending music is also one of the main actors (Hilary Duff) actual single and as it is quite a feminine track this indicates the film is also targeted at females. Throughout the trailer there is also a lot of Diegetic sounds such as various scenes from the movie

Analysis of A Cinderella story trailer and plot (2)

Mise en scene- The film is set in a conventional high school setting as well the general Prom idea which is quite over the top involving lots of lights and decorations. There is also some of the scenes set in the main characters home and working place showing her true horrible lifestyle.

Lighting- A use of Chiaroscuro lighting which is usually bright to emphasise the comical side to the Romcom, as well as some dark settings to highlight that it is a romantic scene.

Editing- The pace of the trailer is generally quite slow although there is a lot of cuts such as dissolve, which gives the effect of turning a page indicating that it is a remake of a fairytale.

Analysing screen shots from “A Cinderella story”

•This frame shows the stereotypical ending of a teenage Romcom, as it has a very unrealistic, fairytale feel to it for example with the perfect setting and costumes.

•The characters are also situated in the centre of the shot highlighting that they are the main focus and maybe that they are also in their own little world.

•The characters being so close together and sharing eye contact also shows that they are in love. The medium camera angle suggests that they are now seen as equal.

•This shot emphasises that the film is also a comedy mainly due to the characters clothing and his quite geeky appearance. As the character is wearing a straw hat, glasses and a bright shirt (quite a humorous appearance.

•The main character (Hilary Duff) is also wearing quite a funny expression highlighting her friends strange and unique image choice

•The use of bright lighting also gives the shot a light hearted feel therefore complementing the Romcom genre

•This shot indicates the typical features found in Romcom’s as the use of cheerleading uniform connotes a negative representation of these characters, as cheerleaders are often the nasty people in Romcom’s and it also highlights that the film is in the teen Romcom genre as it involves teenage characters.

•The slight use of a high camera angle on the characters also emphasises this point as they seem inferior even though they like to think they themselves are better

•The use of bright/ chiaroscuro lighting in this scene gives a comic feel and is a stereotypical feature found in Romantic comedies.

•The use of costume, setting and bright stereotypical girly colours creates a comical image as adults usually don’t wear such outrageous clothing.

•There is a low angle used on this character signifying that she is a member of authority in the main characters eyes. It also suggests that she is a powerful character who determines a lot in the film.

•The characters confident and upright posture also emphasises this point and also suggests that she is the villain with her confident, ridiculous and harsh appearance

“She’s The Man”

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808762534/trailer

Analysis of “She’s The Man” trailer and plot

Plot- The main female character has to stop playing football due to her team not being allowed to play as they are female. This means she decides to take drastic action and disguises herself as her brother so that she is able to go to his university and play football. Whilst there she falls for her room mate who believes she is a guy, this character played by Channing Tatum also likes someone else who fancies the main characters boy character. It’s a massive love square.

Non digetic/ diegetic Music- Non diegetic music in the background which is quite fast paced and has a heavy beat. It is very light hearted and sometimes cuts off when a funny part of the trailer is coming up creating a more dramatic feel. There is also a use of a non diegetic voice over which narrates the story making it more clear what is happening. Diegetic- Clips from the movie which complement the voice over of what is happening as random quips.

Analysis of “She’s The Man” trailer and plot (2)

Mise en scene- Set in a school, a house (in the main character’s bedroom, so there are a lot of posters), football pitch, café, college dormitory. Which are all typical teenage settings.

Lighting- There is a use of chiaroscuro lighting which is a typical convention of Romcoms as it helps set the mood of the scene. The lighting is often very bright representing the Romcom genre

Editing (Cuts, dissolves fade to black, titles + pace) The trailer is quite fast paced and includes a lot of dissolves

Analysing screen shots from “She’s the man”

•This shot uses costume to connote the idea that the Romcom/situation and scene are comical

•The shot also represents that Amanda Bynes is the main character as she is the focus of the shot

•This is also set in an everyday location as the mise en scene represents that of a salon. This choice of an everyday setting is a convention of Romcoms.

•This shot helps to emphasise that this is one of the main characters in the film and that he is the ‘Hero’ of the story as he fits the conventional good guy of the story e.g. with his good body he is like the character that all the girls fight for.

•This idea is also suggested with the character being placed in the centre of the frame and the slight use of a low angle making him seem quite superior

•The use of Mise-en-scene also shows that it is part of the teen Romcom genre as there is posters in the background and it is situated in a dorm room which is a typical teenage setting

•This is a typical convention of the Romcom genre to have a happy ending as shown in this shot

•The dark lighting constructs the idea that the moment is romantic. The Bright lighting makes the two characters the main focus and gives the preferred meaning that they are the main focus. As well as this the characters body language and their locked eye contact signifies the intimate moment.

•This shot has a slight use of low camera constructing the couple as powerful and superior

•The Mise en scene shows a typical teenage setting and situation as the characters are all having fun and are shown to be in a dorm room which is a stereotypical setting for teenagers

•The main character is also incongruous to the everyday setting as it is very obvious that she is in fact a girl instead of having her preferred identity, this creates a humorous feel to the scene

Propp Propp’s theory can apply strongly to the Romcom genre as there is always very similar characters in every Romcom that helps make the story. These include the hero as well as:

The Villain

This character is always set out to destroy the life of the main character and is always defeated/ punished in the end

The magical Helper

This character often assists the hero and helps them in their quest. This character is always by the heroes side and often gives good advice and often takes the role of a friend.

False Hero

This character takes credit for something the hero has actually done. However, they may not be the main villain.

“Carter” from A Cinderella Story (2004)“Fiona” from A Cinderella Story (2004)

“Stifler” from American Pie (1999)

Analysing existing film posters

Radial analysis of American Pie 2 film poster

The group of people highlights who is in the movie what type of roles they play. This therefore helps the audience to get to know and relate to some of the characters before even seeing the film. These also show that the film is a teenage Romcom as the majority of characters are teenagers/young adults.

“This summer is all about sticking together”, this helps anchor and complement the picture as it creates a sense of unity and also suggests that they encounter some problems as there is an underlying hint that its not all as good as it seems. It also complements the picture which shows a group that is really close together…”sticking together”.

By naming the characters it gives them a sense of identity and just like the image it makes the audience feel like they know the characters more, meaning they would be more inclined to see the film. Also it clearly links to the last series as they are they are the same characters in the sequel. This would also make the audience more willing to see the film as they would want to know what happened to each character

The stamp like title is very effective as it is the first thing the audience would see. It helps construct the preferred meaning that the film is unlike other Rom-Coms as this isn’t a typical feature of Rom-Com posters. It also helps show that the film is a sequel so previous American Pie fans would be attracted by the film

This is a typical convention of film posters to have a date when the film is coming out so that the audience is informed, so if they want to see the film then they would know all the details about it

Radial analysis of A Cinderella story film poster

Picture- This highlights that the film belongs to the Romcom genre as it contains Propps typical characters of a Hero who is shown to be quite strong and protective of the heroine. The Heroine appears to be quite vulnerable and she is lifted her off her feet which complements the title as the Romcom is based on the idea of a fairytale where the Heroine is always whisked away by a hero. The main character is also wearing a dress and a Tiara which was done to complement the title as “Cinderella” is a fairytale character. The use of footwear on the female character also shows that she is a typical everyday character which may attract the target audience as they could relate to the character.

The plain, colourless background is used to connote idea of purity and love as it suggests that the main character is really innocent which complements the image of the main character as she appears to be vulnerable and in need of the main male character. The background also creates a light hearted feel and therefore indicates it is part of the Romcom genre

This subtitle helps anchors the idea that the film is in Romcom genre as it is a fairytale like statement which are always filled with romance and love. This would therefore attract the target audience as it also creates a sense of hope

By naming the actors this is a typical conventions of film posters as it could also help attract the target audience if they like the certain actors in the film, making them more inclined to see it.

The light blue title helps it to stand out against the background whilst still creating a light hearted, innocent feeling as it is a light colour. The title also being lifted, anchors the picture where the character is also being lifted by her dream man

Radial analysis of “She’s The Man” film poster

The bold words helps emphasise the main themes of the film and the Romcom target audience would therefore be attracted by these words as they are often themes found in the Romcom genre. This also helps give an overview of the film and makes the film poster seem more interesting and eye catching as its quite different to have so much writing on the poster

The main image helps the target audience get a feel for the characters and there personalities. The use of costume also helps the audience relate to the characters as the look like stereotypical teenagers. This therefore highlights that the film belongs to a Teen Romcom as all the characters are teenagers.

The plain background is used so that everything else stands out more against it, creating a more eye catching and effective poster. This connotes the idea that the film is light and comical as well, as the lack of colour represents the idea of freedom and creates a light hearted feel.

Most film posters show the actors involved in the film so that the audience may feel more inclined to see the film if they like a certain actor/actress

Due to the contradiction in the title this may attract some people as it appears to be quite different from the traditional Romcom. The different sizes in font also give the impression of the film being quite unique and unpredictable.

Conventions of film posters

After looking at various teenage Romcom film posters I have found that there are typical conventions usually used:

•A image including the main female and male of the story

•The backgrounds are often plain so that everything else stands out. This also creates a sense that the film is light hearted indicating the comical side to the film

•Quite a large title placed somewhere which is easily seen

Conventions of film posters (2)

•Usually actors names featured in the film are often put on the poster

•There is always a date of when the film will be coming out

•Usually quite light and girly colours such as pink, red and light blues

•Most Romcom posters also have an anchorage which complements the picture and film

Analysing existing Film

magazine front covers

Analysing Existing Film Magazines (1)

This image is clearly advertising the film Pirates of the Caribbean as the character is in his costume. The image is also the main focus and feature of the magazine which is suggested as the character is covering up the title of the magazine.

The huge font also emphasises what the main feature of the magazine is. It also complements the image of Jack Sparrow.

There are many added features which are used to attract people that may not like the Pirates franchise, they would therefore be attracted by the other features shown on the main cover

The barcode and price of the magazine are typical features generally found

This issue of the magazine uses a simple colour scheme as the plain background makes the red and brown writing stand out more. The brown coloured fonts are often associated with “pirates” and their ships, and due the issues main feature being the Pirates of the Caribbean . The red fonts also complements the colour of the main title “Empire” therefore making the magazine look simple but effective

Analysing Existing Film Magazines (2)

The barcode and price is a typical convention of film magazines

The bright blue background reflects the genre of “The golden compass” film as it appears to be quite magical. It also shows the setting of the film. This would attract some of the specific target audience as they would see the magical setting and tone of the film and magazine that if they was interested tin the more unrealistic and fantasy films then would want to see the film

The characters costumes and props help the audience get a feel for the characters personalities and roles. They also set the scene as the main character Lyra is wearing a thick fur coat showing the film is also set in a cold area.

The title of the film is placed in the centre of the magazine showing that it is the main feature. The colour of the word “Golden” emphasises what the film is about and it also complements the various images of golden compasses.

There are also other features shown on the magazine to attract people who wouldn’t enjoy the film and genre of “The Golden Compass”.

The magical images of the huge compass and the witch would highlight that the film belongs to the fantasy genre which would therefore help to attract the specific target audience

The subtitle suggests that the film is very unique and it is there to also attract the target audience as it indicates that the film is different from the typical, exciting fantasy films.

Analysing Existing Film Magazines (3)This statement would attract the specific target audience as if they like action packed films full of crime then they would feel more inclined to buy this issue. The font is also quite big and with the word “Crime” in a different colour to the rest of the sentence this would make it stand out more, meaning that it is eye catching

The characters costumes and props highlight that the film is in the specific crime genre, as the gun for instance is associated with this type of film

This anchorage helps tell the audience a little more about the film. Which would make them want to go and see the film more than if they didn’t know anything about it

The are code and price are typical conventions of film magazine

There are also added features which would attract people who wouldn’t generally be attracted by films based on crime and the justice system

Conventions of magazines

• Every issue features a dominant film (Biggest new releases)

•The background/costumes and font are used to illustrate the specific genre the magazine is based on

• The pictures used on the front covers are all supplied by the production company as part of the release campaign

• There is always promotional copy (words like, plus/exclusive) to further attract the target audience in the cover lines

• There is usually a colour scheme on front cover, with about three different colours