How effective is the combination of your main product & ancillary texts?

How Effective Is The Combination Of Your Main Product & Ancillary Texts?

Comparison To Industry Standard

I created a tagline for my poster as it is a conventional tool used to lead the audience to the title. My tagline incorporates a rhetorical device where I directly address the audience as to who they believe will have ‘The Last Laugh’. This involvement could have been heightened if I listed the website, Facebook and Twitter websites on the poster. However, as I have already created Twitter and Facebook pages to market my trailer and ancillary texts, I will use the social platform to receive feedback about how I could improve my products.

The title is not as simple as the ‘Friday the 13th’ title as I felt that the horror theme should be established through the title as titles are very important. The font style and effects on the font makes my poster stand out especially for audiences who will see the poster in cinemas and will instantly distinguish it from a psychological or zombie horror film, for example.

The credits are placed at the bottom of the poster which is a convention for all posters.

The date is also placed at the bottom of the poster. My film will be releasing on January the 13th, I decided this date as it was a Friday and Friday the 13th is notorious for the superstitious beliefs it is tied around. This date will add to the horror atmosphere thus making my film attractive to my target audience who are keen horror film viewers.

The ImageThe low angle long shot image of the masked villain is effective in depicting his power. The mask is hidden by the shadows which makes it frightening for the audience through the fear of the unknown. The mask is a conventional paradigm which invites audience members to view the film in order to find out who is behind it. The deathly chainsaw weapon highlights the sadistic nature of the villain and it is a weapon more effective than a gun for instance as it allows personal contact and it penetrates inside the skin. It conforms to Clover’s theory as when the Final Girl uses this weapon in her final combat with the villain, she displays her masculine traits.

The trees and mist in the background depict an isolated and claustrophobic environment. The villain stands in front of them as if he owns the area. The villain is certainly more familiar with this surrounding in contrast to the victims who have no chance to hide. The tall trees depict a sense of entrapment as they appear like bars, this instantly conveys to the audience that most of the action will take place in this place and the victims will make attempts to flee the area, alive. The lake and woods make a good horror setting and the tranquil nature of the natural world is subverted to witness disturbing brutal murders.

The TaglineThe tagline ‘Welcome To Crystal Lake’ is a jovial warm invitation which serves to inform the audience that the film is set near a lake. It is a direct address to the audience members. It is placed at the top of the poster and is visible through the colour white which makes it stand out. The audience recognise that the calm, tranquillity of the lake will be tainted by the sadistic acts of the villain.

The Title The red font connotes blood, death and passion establishing the slasher subgenre and making it stand out from the dark background. The broken effect coupled with a classic font style reflects how it is a remake of a classic film with a difference. Friday the 13th is a date considered to be bad luck and the target audience are certain to be aware of this. Thus, the title immediately attracts the audiences attention and conveys the horror theme.

The DateThe date is at the very bottom of the page and it is ironic that this slasher film is set to release a day before Valentines day. It subverts the notion of love and unity and presents a film all about the opposite.

The CreditsThere is information about the producers and people involved in making the film. The production logo makes loyal audience members want to go and see the film solely because they know that it is big budget and high quality.

The Extra StraplineKnowing that the film is ‘From the producers of ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ links it to a line of successful slasher films. Fans of ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ are likely to go and watch the film and this conforms to Barthes pleasure of Text theory where the audience guess what will happen and seeing this play out gives them the pleasure. Also there is another layer of pleasure to be had when the unexpected happens and seeing as this is a remake, there must be something which marks it out from the others. The Franchise

Friday the 13th is part of a big franchise and audience members who have seen previous film will want to see how this edition is going to be different. A franchise film

The TaglineI chose to use the tagline ‘Who Will Have...’ as it is featured in my trailer too, this creates a continuity between my main product and ancillary text. It is a direct address to the audience members. I decided to place it at the top of the poster as it is visible through the colour white which makes it stand out. The audience recognise that the film will be based on someone avenging for something and there will be a combat between the villain and the protagonist. To see who survives is a leading factor in inviting the audience to watch the film. This conforms to Barthes ‘Pleasure of Text’ theory as audiences can guess what will happen in mainstream films and seeing this play out is the pleasure they get. Also, there is another layer of pleasure to be had when the unexpected occurs. This is relevant to our film where when the villain is unmasked, the audience will be shocked as it will not be someone who they had expected.

The DateThe date is at the very bottom of the page and it is ironic that this slasher film is set to release at the start of the new year. I chose to set this date as it would be the first horror film of the year so audiences are likely to want to watch it. Because 13/01/2012 was a Friday, I have chosen to release the film on Friday the 13th as the day is emblematic of horror thus sets an eerie mood. I edited the date so it had the same wind effect as the title, the horror of the film permeates to the date which is why Friday the 13th is an effective date for the release.

The Extra StraplineKnowing that the film is ‘From the producers of Scream’ links it to a line of successful slasher films. Fans of ‘Scream’ are likely to go and watch the film and loyal audience members of the producer are given an incentive to watch the film. The purpose of this extra strapline was to add weight. Associating ‘The Last Laugh’ to a film like ‘Scream’, raises expectations of the audiences who expect a high quality, big budget, successful film. I chose to use plain white font as I didn’t want to divert the attention from the main image and title. Moreover, the font on the tone cards is also white and I wanted to continue the illuminating sharp colour theme.

The CreditsThere is information about the producers and people involved in making the film. The production logo makes loyal audience members want to go and see the film solely because they know that it is big budget and high quality.

The ImageThe slight low angle, medium long shot image of the masked villain is effective in depicting his power. The white mask is tainted with splatters of red which makes it frightening for the audience as the red represents blood thus his brutal nature. Using the Photoshop software, I decided to use a red colour theme as it links with the slasher genre. Moreover, in our trailer, the last sequence shows blood on the floor therefore it links with the idea of the villain being a savage murderer who commits brutal actions. The mask is a conventional paradigm which invites audience members to view the film in order to find out who is behind it. I decided to use this image as I wanted to brand my texts with an image of the villain. I used a close up image of the villain on my magazine cover and a close up image of the mask blending with the title in my trailer. I feel that showing the villain is far more effective than showing the victims as this generates fear for audiences who want to find out more about his sadistic nature. It also leads them to ask questions as to why he is wearing a mask? Why cannot he reveal his true identity? To find out the answer to these questions, audiences are thus forced to go and watch the film.

The Title The red font connotes blood, and establishing the slasher subgenre and making it stand out from the dark background. The wind effect coupled with a classic font style reflects how it is a remake of a classic film with a difference. The smudged effect on the font makes it look as if blood has been smeared across the title. We chose the title ‘The Last Laugh’ as it a metaphor for who will be the last one standing thus the title suggests that there will be a final combat between the villain and the victim. To see who will survives: the villain or the protagonist, makes the audience want to go and watch the film to see if what they have guessed is correct.

The Image continued.The trees in the background depict an isolated and claustrophobic environment. The villain stands in front of them as if he owns the area. The villain is certainly more familiar with this surrounding in contrast to the victims who have no chance to hide. The tall trees create a sense of entrapment as they appear sharp, coupled with the red colour which I added, nature has been tainted with the blood of the victims. I chose to darken the image to match the dark settings in our trailer and the black background of my magazine cover. The audience will be able to relate to the trailer as this location fits in with the scene in the woods in the trailer.

MarketingMy poster would be placed in cinemas and on bus stops, underground stations etc as this is an effective way to advertise my film to the wider audience and my target group who are students therefore are likely to be using public transport and going to cinemas.

Comparison To Industry Standard

Both images are positioned in the centre thus they stand out and invite direct eye contact with the readers. This contributes to the horror theme as the direct eye contact makes the villain look powerful.

I chose a similar masthead with the issue number embedded in the ‘M’ as this was a convention for Empire magazine. I added an outer glow to the masthead to make it stand out and reinforce the horror theme of the magazine cover.

The film title is placed just under the masthead as it is positioned in a place where it will stand out. I have also placed the film title on top of the image.

The cover lines are placed at the bottom of the page featuring exclusive previews of the content inside thus providing an incentive for the readers to purchase the magazine.

The banner is placed at the top of the page where the green and white font choice make it stand out against the black background. I decided to use ‘Movies’ Biggest Year Ever’ as it is more shocking for readers and entices them to purchase the magazine to find out what the big deal is about.

The cover line is made to stand out with a white font against a green background. This makes the cover line appear almost highlighted conveying the importance of the article featured inside.

The BarcodeThe barcode is positioned on the bottom right hand side in a vertical position. A barcode is necessary for it to be scanned in the shops.

The MastheadThe issue number, price and date of publication are positioned between the “M” which is a convention for Empire magazine. The small font means that it is not very noticeable for readers as a result, it is the last thing the readers will look at. The “Empire” has a green outer glow which correlates with the green colour scheme.

The ImageThe extreme close up shot of the Joker instantly stands out from the other magazine covers on the shelf. The readers are attracted to the front cover through the direct eye contact. The red paint on the lips and smeared across the face could be blood which highlights the sadistic nature of the clown. The white face gives him an almost ghostly, zombie and deathlike appearance which creates fear for readers. The smile is creepy and uncanny.

The Cover LineThe cover line invites the reader to take a glimpse of the articles featured inside and a “12 page career special” on Eastwood’s career is likely to make his fans want to purchase the magazine. The white font stands out against the green background making it stand out on the cover.

The Extra Cover LineThe cross is a conventional tool in Empire magazine covers and here it provides a neat ordering of the extra cover lines. Other films are featured on the front page with short descriptions to engage readers.

The BannerThe green font colour of the banner blends it with the green theme of the magazine. The banner provides an incentive for readers who may wish to collect the covers. It is positioned at the top of the page making it visible for readers.

The Film TitleIt is clear as to what film this edition will feature as it is shown on the front cover. The juxtaposition in “summer” and “scary” mirrors the juxtaposition of the “mass murdering clown” which conveys that the film will be unique.

The BarcodeThe barcode is positioned on the bottom right hand side in a vertical position. A barcode is necessary for it to be scanned in the shops.

The MastheadThe issue number, price and date of publication are positioned between the “M” which is a convention for Empire magazine. The small font means that it is not very noticeable for readers as a result, it is the last thing the readers will look at. The “Empire” has a green outer glow which correlates with the green colour scheme.

The ImageThe close up shot of the mask instantly stands out from the other magazine covers on the shelf. The readers are attracted to the front cover through the direct eye contact. The splatter of blood smeared across the face highlights the sadistic nature of the clown. The white face gives him an almost ghostly, zombie and deathlike appearance which creates fear for readers. The smile is creepy and uncanny. The Cover Line

The cover line invites the reader to take a glimpse of the articles featured inside and a “12 page career special” on Radcliffe’s career is likely to make his fans want to purchase the magazine. The white font stands out against the black background making it stand out on the cover.

The Extra Cover LineThe cross is a conventional tool in Empire magazine covers and here it provides a neat ordering of the extra cover lines if not alluding to the religious crucifix symbol to foreshadow death. Other films are featured on the front page with short descriptions to engage readers.

The BannerThe green font colour of the banner blends it with the green theme of the magazine. The banner provides an incentive for readers who will want to purchase the magazine to see why this year is so ‘Big’. It is positioned at the top of the page making it visible for readers. I chose ‘Movies’ Biggest Year Ever!’ rather than ‘2 Covers To Collect’ as Empire readers are more interested in the content of the magazine which will give them detailed information about movies. I therefore felt that this banner will attract my audience.

The Film TitleIt is clear as to what film this edition will feature as it is shown on the front cover. The juxtaposition of “laughter” and “fatal” mirrors the juxtaposition of the sadistic clown which conveys that the film will be about appearance versus reality. I didn’t want to add the wind effect to the title as it appeared quite messy, this is why I decided to keep it simple and just added a glow.

The Puff“Essential 2011 Preview” parallels with the white and green colour scheme making it stand out from the cover lines.

Branding

The Images

I used images of the villain on both poster and magazine cover as I wanted to link the two texts together. By using two different shots, a medium long shot and a close up shot, I managed to depict the villain in different forms as in my trailer where the villain is shown committing different sadistic acts. I placed the image in the centre as from my research of existing texts, the ones which attracted my attention were the ones which had the image positioned in the centre where direct eye contact was being made: (The Dark Knight Empire Magazine, Friday the 13th Film poster).

The Font

I decided to use different fonts on the poster and magazine cover. This was due to the feedback from my target audience as they felt that the effect on the poster would not be suitable for the magazine cover as it was quite unclear to read. Moreover, from my research into existing magazine covers like ‘The Dark Knight Empire edition, I could see that the film title was simple and bold which made it stand out. I decided not to use the same font as the trailer as it was quite simple. I did however use the same white colour as the title and tone cards in the trailer as I liked the bright effect.

The credit font on the poster is different to the title font as after researching existing posters, I found that the purpose of the credits is to inform rather than contribute to the style of the poster. This is why I chose a small plain font for the credits.

The Colour

I used a red colour palette for the film poster as I wanted depict the horror element using a colour notorious for blood, gore and, more specifically, the slasher sub-genre. The sharp white font compliments the red colour where the wind effect on the font tears through the font which mirrors the villain’s destructive nature. I opted for a green, white and black colour palette for the magazine cover as I wanted to challenge the stereotypical red colour, and moreover, wanted to differentiate my magazine cover from the poster. Although the green may not appear as a horror colour, I feel that the colour presents the villain as both intelligent and malicious. The colour challenges the conventional colour theme like ‘The Dark Knight’ Empire cover. The bright green combination is attractive for readers and the natural green is subverted to present a dangerous character. The green theme correlates to the woods scene in the trailer too.

The Audience

My film poster, trailer and magazine cover are aimed at the same target audience of 16-24 year olds which is why they are consistent with the level of horror depicted. Because my film is rated a ’15’ due to the violence, I feel that the poster and magazine cover are suitable ancillary texts to accompany it. The image of the mask correlates through all the products which is why I believe that the audience will instantly recognise the brand. The mask is the motif stamped across all of my products which is effective in creating a link and binding the products together.

The Link With My Main Product

The poster links to the woods scene in the trailer therefore the audience can quite clearly establish the connection. I decided to use the woods location and a slight low angle shot of the villain standing in front of them as I felt that the villain’s stance made him appear very powerful, which echoes his presentation in my trailer. The close up shot of the mask ties universally to my trailer as there are many shots of the mask during the latter part of the trailer. Here I wanted to heighten the villain’s power and fearfulness through the constant portrayal of him.

Branding

The Effect

The effect of marketing our trailer on social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube enables us to create a stable foundation for ensuring that our main product reaches our intended audience and the wider public. Due to the links between my main product and ancillary texts, audiences will find it easy to associate one with the other therefore our brand will be well known on a global scale.