Magazine Name Survey

Survey research from Sarah Nurse

Magazine Name Tally

In order to decide what to name our magazine, we decided to come up with three names on our own that we liked. We then asked 20 17-18 year olds in our year group to pick their favourite one using a tally chart. The most favoured name was 'REEL', therefore it is most likely the name we will use. However, since the number of people who chose reel was only 2 away from the number of people who chose lens, we will do a survey using survey monkey to determine which name to use as our final choice.

EMPIRE Magazine

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_(film_magazine)

Film Magazine - Conventions

Film magazine covers follow conventions that are similar to those of general magazine covers. From looking at various magazine covers and doing research online I have comprised a list of codes and conventions that are used on the majority of film magazine covers:

• MASTERHEAD - These feature on all magazine covers and are usually placed at the top centre of the page, telling the audience which magazine it is. It should be the largest text on the cover and often is in bold capitals and colours so that it can stand out and be more eye catching for the audience.
• IMAGES - Magazine covers always include a main image that will take up most of the space on the page. The main image will usually be a mid-shot, but can vary in shot types, and it should also reveal what the film is about (e.g. a still of a lead character taken from the movie). Film magazines for big films that include Hollywood stars will most likely have them as the main item on the page and use them as a selling point for the movie. Sometimes, other small images are included on the cover to show other movies or interviews with movie stars.
• BUZZ WORDS - These are words that catch the audience's attention, as they make the magazine stand out from the rest. For example, using words such as 'exclusive' make the magazine seem like it is the only one with the exciting and complete inside story that no other magazine has.
• ANCHORAGE TEXT - This type of text will tell the audience what stories will appear in the magazine. For example, short, snappy titles that reveal what will be inside the magazine, or quotes taken from interviews inside of the magazine. It will be far smaller than the masterhead but is quite large on the magazine cover and may overlap with images.
• BANNER - This gives overall information about the magazine and what can be found inside.
• BARCODE, DATE, ISSUE NUMBER, PRICE - These are elements that are included on the front cover of all magazines. The date and price will appear very small, but still bust be included for the audience to see.

Different Types of Film Posters

Popular places for film posters to be seen are bus stops, billboards, buses, train & underground stations and cinemas to show future film releases. There is no limit on where films can be advertised on film posters, as they are a physical thing. Because posters are advertised in various places, there are different shapes and sizes of them that are created to promote films. Films advertised in public with film posters will usually be big, Hollywood blockbuster films, produced by conglomerate companies. For example, a big film may advertise on the side of a bus or a bus stop, as this is expensive and they would have the finance to produce multiple types of posters. However, a smaller film may only be able to produce one poster and promote it in a few locations. Below are some examples on where film posters can be advertised.

We only have to produce one film poster to promote our film. We will create a standard A4 poster that could be used in a cinema, as the photo above shows. Since we have researched different types of film posters we should be able to produce a poster that has everything that it is required to have, so that it can be a successful product.

Risk Assessment

Risk Assessment from Sarah Nurse

Filming Schedule

DAY ONE: 11th February

ACTORS:

• FREYA
• REBECCA
• SOPHIE
• GYING

PROPS/EQUIPMENT:

• Camera
• Tripod
• Papers
• iPhone
• Backpack
• Gun

COSTUMES NEEDED:

• Rachel's costume - smart, professional clothing
• Jessie's costume
• Leo's costume - suit with a trench coat

LOCATIONS:

• School - Common room
• School - Canteen
• Sophie's House

DAY TWO: 18th February

ACTORS:

• GYING
• RAVI
• SOPHIE
• MONIQUE
• DWIGHT

PROPS/EQUIPMENT:

• Camera
• Tripod
• Phone
• Gun
• Goggles & lab coat

COSTUMES NEEDED:

• Leo's costume - suit with a trench coat
• Hayden's costume - all black tracksuit with black bandana
• John's costume - smart suit
• Dr. Jackson's costume - lab coat and goggles

LOCATIONS:

• School - Media room
• School - Science lab
• School - Office
• School - Common room

DAY THREE: 25th February

ACTORS:

• REBECCA
• DWIGHT

PROPS/EQUIPMENT:

• Handcuffs
• Gun
• Camera
• Tripod

COSTUMES NEEDED:

• Hayden's costume - all black tracksuit
• Alex's costume - black leggings with t-shirt

LOCATIONS:

• School - PE closet

DAY FOUR: 28th February

ACTORS:

• REBECCA
• GYING
• DWIGHT

PROPS/EQUIPMENT:

• Camera
• Tripod
• Guns
• Fake plant
• Table and chair

COSTUMES NEEDED:

• Leo's costume - suit
• Hayden's costume - all black tracksuit
• Alex/s costume - black leggings, white t-shirt

LOCATIONS:

• School - PE field
• East Croydon - Car park
• East Croydon - Alleyway

Equipment for Filming Trailer

The camera we will use to film is a Nikon D3200. It is able to film in high definition, as well as do things such as zoom and time lapse. We can also change the colour settings or the brightness when filming in dark places. It's quite small so it isn't a hassle to carry around and it is good to shoot with because it is easy to travel with; the fact that the camera is lightweight works as an advantage to us, because when carrying out steady cam shots its easier to hold still, allowing us to achieve perfect shots. This is good for us because we will shoot outdoors in a variety of different shots and angles, so we shouldn't find it to be a difficult task.

Here is the tripod that we will use. It is a Hama Star 63 Tripod. It is adjustable so that we can get the shots that we want by changing to different heights and different angles. It also has a handle so we were able to pan and tilt when needed. 

Since we do not have a microphone to use, we will use an iPhone 6 to record the dialogue for our trailer. It is not the best quality but we can record voice memos and insert them into our trailer whilst editing. This is because the camera won't be able to pick up the sound loud enough when filming when the character is too far away.

2D Logo Designs

Together, we have created two production logos to use for our the start of our trailer. The names of the companies were chosen by students in our school from a questionnaire (seen in a different blog post). Both idents are very simple to read for the audience and reflect the action genre by including big, bold fonts and using dark colours.

These 2D designs will be animated and used in our trailer.

Blue Arrow Productions - Ident Design

We have used Serif DrawPlus X6 to product our trailer ident designs. The first we created was 'Blue Arrow Productions'. We started off by getting a stencil tool of an arrow and tilting it slightly to the left so it's diagonal. Then we took a brush tool int he colour blue and filled in the stencil.

We did not completely fill in the stencil so there are a few small spaces that aren't brushed in to give the arrow a rough look. The genre we chose is action and we wanted the ident to mirror that so that it looks uneven and harsh. At this point we decided to make the shade of blue a bit darker as well; we also took another stencil that resembled splattered paint, filled it in blue and added it on top of the arrow so that the ident is more eye catching.

We also made splattered paint design darker (navy blue) so that it would be more visible on the blue arrow. 

The final thing that we did was make the logo look more whole by adding two circles around the blue arrow and adding the word 'productions' at the bottom. We chose this font because it is big, bold, and fits the action genre because of its block letters. The word 'productions' was added at the bottom because we wanted the name of our company to be obvious; since there is already a blue arrow in the logo, we wanted the audience to know that its a production company.

We will add a background and animate the ident before we put it in our trailer so that it can be more engaging for the audience.

Costumes and Props

Costume and Props are one of the key aspects to our genre as they are a part of the codes and conventions.

COSTUME/PROPS

Costume is fundamental to a characters identification. This is because, the audience won't even need to hear the character speak and they will have an idea of who that character is. Costume can also represent what sort of background that character is from.

DR. JACKSON

COSTUME: This character will be easily identifiable as a scientist because she will dress stereo-typically as a scientist. She will wear smart black trousers and a white lab jacket. Along with this we will make her look as formal as possible with glasses and her hair up as well.
PROPS: As a prop she will wear scientific goggles and white gloves. Furthermore, she will have test tubes, test tube racks and other various experimental equipment around her, which are needed to give the impression that she is a scientist.


ALEX JAMES
COSTUME: Alex is the main character who will be wearing dark clothing so that we can show that her character is tough and not afraid to take action. She will look rough as she has just left her home in a panic. She will wear, black leggings, a backpack, a hoodie and converse. The purpose of this clothing is that we still want her to have a tough exterior so that the audience can assume that she is one of the strongest and secure characters and that she know what she is doing. Her hair will either be down or in a messy bun, and she will wear dark makeup to add to the idea that she is dangerous.
PROPS: She will have a phone and a backpack to contact other characters and to keep her possessions safe. However, she will not have a gun as we want her character to be vulnerable.


HAYDEN WHEELER

COSTUME: He is the SI5's best 'assassin'. He will wear all black which will give him an element of seriousness and professionalism.This will include black jogging bottoms/jeans, a black tshirt, a black hoodie, and a black face mask to hide his identity from the public.
PROPS: He will have a gun which is to protect himself but also to assassinate with. Additionally, he will also have a walkie talkie to which he will use to communicate with John Ross when needed.


JOHN ROSS
COSTUME: John Ross is another main character who is the head of the SI5. He will be filmed wearing suits. These will include navy and black suits to show his sophistication, as he his the head of a dominating organisation. 
PROPS: A gun, as he must protect himself and a phone so that he can contact the other members of the SI5. He will also have a briefcase full of money for when he pays Jessie in the trailer.





JESSIE WRIGHT
COSTUME: She will wear black trousers/jeans with a plain top or jumper. This is because she plays the friend of Alex and doesn't get in any physical disputes throughout the trailer so she will be wearing clothes a normal teenager would wear.


PROPS: She will have a phone so that she can contact Alex when needed.






LEO DAVID
COSTUME: He will be smartly dressed to show that he is apart of the 'SI5' organisation. He will wear an all black suit at some points during the trailer to show his dark side, but a lighter, blue suit to show he is not a complete 'evil' character.
PROPS: A phone and a gun as he is one of the most important members of the SI5 so he must protect himself and also a phone to communicate with Alex.






RACHEL ADAMS

COSTUME: As she is a news reporter, we only see the top half of her, so therefore the only costume that we will see her wearing is a formal shirt and a blazer. She will also be wearing makeup to give her an older and professional loos. This is because it is stereotypical of news reporters to dress smartly and look pretty as they broadcast the news nationwide.
PROPS: A microphone and papers so that she can read the news story and she can be heard.

Character and Actor Profile

MAIN CHARACTER: Alex James

We are aiming to follow the ideal look of a young adult girl in her late teens. Since she is the main character, our target audience will also be able to relate to her and be more immersed in the trailer. She must also look physically capable so we can show that she is not easily afraid but also look vulnerable as well so the audience can feel sympathy for her in certain situations. Therefore she must be able to show more than one side, a soft side but also a tough side. She should also have short hair so that we have a somewhat sophisticated look.

CHOSEN ACTRESS: Rebecca Maguire
GENDER: Female
AGE: 17
HAIR COLOUR: Blonde
EYE COLOUR: Green
HEIGHT: 5'5
RACE: White

We have chosen Rebecca because she fits the character description of Alex well. She is also a drama student, which helps because her acting skills are already advanced so we can rely on her to perform the role exactly the way we want her to. She also lives quite close to our school so we know that she is easily accessible.

MAIN CHARACTER: John Ross

The character of John Ross must look physically older and stronger than all of the other characters. He must have dark hair and eyes to make the character look tougher. His voice must be deep and boisterous so that his power is evident through the way in which he talks. He must have a stern face in order for our audience to take him seriously and know that he is in a position of great influence; he must have a powerful gait.

CHOSEN ACTOR: Ravi Sivalingam
GENDER: Male
AGE: 18
HAIR COLOUR: Dark Brown
EYE COLOUR: Dark Brown
HEIGHT: 5'8
RACE: Asian

We have chosen Ravi because he also matches our character profile for John Ross accurately and we know he can achieve this role successfully because although he is only 18, he has a stern face, which makes him look serious. He is a friend of ours and would be available to film with us when we need him. 

CHARACTER: Leo David


For Leo's character, we don't have a very strict description for appearance. He must simply have dark features, such as dark hair and eyes so that he can look mysterious for his role. he must also have hair that is easily able to be slicked back in order for him to look smart and sophisticated and as if he is in a secret organisation. He must have a solemn exterior; he will have a intellectual tone to his voice and he will carry himself in a neat and organised manner. These characteristics combined with his costume of a variety of suits will help communicate to the audience that he is working for a serious organisation.

CHOSEN ACTOR: G-ying Lo
GENDER: Male
AGE: 18
HAIR COLOUR: Dark Brown
EYE COLOUR: Dark Brown
HEIGHT: 5'8
RACE: Asian

Gying was the clear choice for us because he, like the rest of our cast, fits his character description perfectly. He has the appropriate look for the role and also has studied drama in the past. We believe that he can execute the role of Leo David the best out of the people we were thinking of. We are good friends with him and he also lives quite close to us and is available to film during school times, so he is convenient and will be easy to work with. 

CHARACTER: Jessie Wright

We will be following a basic description of a teenage girl for the role of Jessie. She must be around the same height as Alex's character and she must also look like a young adult, so that the audience can relate to her character more. Since she is a villainous character the idea is that she will have a strong aspect to her, so she must look young, but very confident.

CHOSEN ACTRESS: Sophie Lehane
GENDER: Female
AGE: 18
HAIR COLOUR: Dark Brown
EYE COLOUR: Hazel
HEIGHT: 5'6
RACE: White

We have chosen Jasmin for the character of Jessie Wright because she fits most of our description. She has quite a baby face, but we can easily make her look one or two years older with makeup for our trailer. As well as this, she is our good friend and she lives very near to us as well so working with her won't be a problem. She is also very enthusiastic about film, so she will be very engaged in the trailer whilst filming, which is always good.

CHARACTER: Hayden Wheeler

Hayden's character is similar to John Ross. He must have some facial hair to highlight his masculinity. He is one of the 'bad' characters so he must be able to look dangerous with a mysterious look. This is because he will not have many lines in the script and we need the audience to be afraid of him. Hayden Wheeler should look physically strong and able to fight so that we can show that his character's job is mainly physical. He must also have a deep voice and he must be able to speak in a patronising tone.

CHOSEN ACTOR: Dwight Gibson
GENDER: Male
AGE: 17
HAIR COLOUR: Dark Brown
EYE COLOUR: Dark Brown
HEIGHT: 5'8
RACE: Black

We have chosen Dwight because he is an enthusiastic actor, who is currently studying drama. He also fits the description of Hayden and is readily available to film during and after school. Dwight also wants to get more experiencing in acting and being in different media pieces, so he will definitely be motivated to accomplish his role.

CHARACTER: Dr. Jackson

This character must look sophisticated. They must look like a young adult (so around 20-25). They must be able to speak in an intellectual manner and be able to sound wise. There is not a strict restriction on what they must look like, however they cannot look too young so that the audience doesn't assume that they are young and therefore naive/unintelligent.

CHOSEN ACTRESS: Monique Jackson
GENDER: Female
AGE: 18
HAIR COLOUR: Dark Brown
EYE COLOUR: Dark Brown
HEIGHT: 5'6
RACE: Mixed Race

Monique will perform this role because she is part of our group, so it will be really easy to get her filmed because she is part of the production. Although she is only 18, she has a mature style, and with some makeup we can make her look older than she it. She also knows this character and all of the others in detail and she understands a lot about the trailer because she helped create the idea and will help direct and edit. As well as this, she also studies drama and is a very capable actress so she will be able to get into the character of Dr. Jackson with ease.

CHARACTER: Rachel Adams

We will be following a basic description of a news reporter for this role. Therefore, they must be able to articulate and be able to look presentable on camera; some key characteristics they must have are confidence and charisma.

CHOSEN ACTRESS: Freya Cattermole
GENDER: Female
AGE: 17
HAIR COLOUR: Brown
EYE COLOUR: Green
HEIGHT: 5'6
RACE: White

Similar to most of our cast, Freya is a drama student and she can get into different characters comfortably. She also fits our character description, as she has a loud and bold voice, and a lot of confidence. Additionally she studies media as well so she will be able to film with us during lessons and she will be passionate about the production. Her skill in acting means that her performance in our trailer will be immaculate.

Shot List

Shot list for filming day one: 11th February

Shot list for filming day two: 18th February

Shot list for filming day three: 25th February

Shot list for filming day four: 28th February

Storyboard

Ident Name - QUESTIONNAIRE

We have asked 23 students in our sixth form, male and female, aged 17-19 to draw a line next to the name that they liked the best so that we could choose which two names to use for our idents. We collected the results in a tally chart because it is a simple method. We used students this age because they're of a similar age to our target audience so we want to know which names they find the most appealing so that we can have a better chance at engaging them in our trailer.

The top name that was chosen was 'Black Tape Films' so this is the first name we will use. 'Blue Arrow Productions' and 'Purple Reel' tied second, however we personally liked 'Blue Arrow Productions' more, so that is the second name that we will use.

Screenplay

FADE IN:

INT. SCIENCE LAB - DAY

DR. JACKSON, an experienced scientist for the SI5, is in the lab, experimenting on some blood.

DR. JACKSON

I’ve never seen anything like this before.

CUT TO:

INT. MEETING ROOM - DAY

A few important members of the SI5 are in a meeting room.

JOHN ROSS, head of the secret government group SI5, 40s, holds a picture of a girl up.

JOHN ROSS

 She's different.

INTERCUT - ALEX, a normal teenage girl, is with her friend JESSIE watching a video and then taking a selfie.

John Ross slams the picture of the girl on the meeting room table.

JOHN ROSS

We must find her.

CUT TO:

INT. ALEX'S HOUSE - DAY

Alex is laying in bed, watching a news broadcast about her.

NEWS REPORTER

This is a global broadcast announcement. A teenager names Alex James is wanted by the government for a classified investigation. A monetary of ten thousand pounds will be awarded.

CUT TO:

 INT. MEETING ROOM - DAY

John Ross is accompanied by his main assassin, HAYDEN WHEELER, an experienced killer working for the SI5, 30s. 

Jessie is sitting opposite the two.

JESSIE

I can help you find her.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE FOREST - DAY


LEO DAVID, a loyal member of the SI5, tracks down Alex and confronts her.

Leo grabs Alex and turns her around.

LEO

Alex, I need you to come with me.

ALEX

Who are you?

CUT TO:

INT. LEO'S OFFICE - DAY

Hayden confronts Leo about his betrayal to the SI5.

Hayden walks to Leo's desk and slams his fists on the table

HAYDEN (V.O.)

I know what you did.

INTERCUT. Alex running down some stairs behind an alleyway. Dr. Jackson inspecting Alex's blood. Leo banging on someone's door.

HAYDEN 

Pick your sides wisely.

CUT TO:

INT. HOSTAGE CLOSET - NIGHT

Hayden is handcuffing Alex.

LEO (V.O.)

It's not about her. It's her blood.

CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEYWAY - DAY

Hayden and Leo are fighting outside.

HAYDEN (V.O.)

Listen, Leo can't be trusted.

CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEYWAY - DAY

Alex and Leo share an intimate moment as their heads touch because they are reunited.

CUT TO:

INT. HOSTAGE CLOSET - NIGHT

Hayden is holding Alex's head down as she is trying to struggle.

ALEX

Help! Anyone! Please!

CUT TO:

EXT. CAR PARK - DAY

Leo gets out of his car and picks up his phone.

INTERCUT - Alex is in an unknown location, calling Leo.

ALEX

What's SI5?

LEO

It’s not ‘what’, its ‘who’.