The group's questionnaire on what to include in our products

[Work done as a group]

This is the questionnaire we created in order to gain feedback from our target audience. From this, we could then make our products suit the needs of our audience exactly.

Trailer

Are you male or female?
Male
Female

How old are you?
13-15
16-19

What genre of film do you prefer?
Romantic
Comedy
Horror
Action
Thriller
Sci-fi
Comedy

What sort of music do you think suits a teaser trailer for a Romantic Comedy?
Pop
Rock
Indie
Classical
Romantic
RnB

How long should a film trailer be?
Under a minute
One Minute
Two Minutes
3 Minutes Plus

Should a trailer have a voice-over?
Yes
No

What elements should the trailer contain? (You may circle more than one)
Comedy parts
Hints of the Story
Introduction of characters
Credits
Dates
Titles
Actors’ Names

Poster

What colours would you prefer to see on a film poster for a romantic comedy?
Primary Colours
Secondary Colours
Bold Colours
Pastel Colours
Plain Colours

How many images should the poster contain?
One large image
several smaller images

Should the poster show the main characters in the film?
Yes
No

Should the poster show the actors’ names?
Yes
No

Should the poster contain the credits/dates of the film?
Yes
No

Should the poster have a slogan?
Yes
No

Should the poster show reviews of the film?
Yes
No

Magazine

Should the magazine cover be similar to the film poster?
Yes
No

What colours should be used on the magazine cover?
Primary Colours
Secondary Colours
Bold Colours
Pastel Colours
Plain Colours

Should the film magazine show the main characters in the film?
Yes
No

Should the magazine show other headlines not related to the film advertised?
Yes
No

Should the magazine cover have a colour scheme?
Yes
No

Should the magazine cover have competitions to win film-related prizes?
Yes
No

Our chosen audience

[Work done as a group]

The audience we have chosen to aim our film trailer, magazine and poster at is:

• Males and females
• Aged 13 - 19
• White ethnicity group
• Middle class

We have chosen this particular audience as this is the audience the majority of exsisting products we have studied, have aimed theirs at. Due to the fact we have analyised exsisting products, means we can now easily create our own, referring to this particular audience easily.

My analysis of the 'She's the Man' film trailer

[Work done by me]

Here is the link to the trailer i have watched:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4OhwrMidSU

In terms of Mise-en-scene, the 'She's the Man' trailer shows teenage life at a high school in America. As it is set here, it shows how teenagers are percieved and how they are seen as behaving. Such characters as Monique and Olivia are shown at the beginning of the trailer as having blonde hair and blue eyes, which signifies that they are 'perfect' as they are sitting at a dinning table with other ladies dressed in fine clothes. This contrasts the character of Viola who is shown wearing a hoodie and a cap with props such as a football, which signifies she is a tom boy, unlike the other girls. Parts of the trailer show stereotypical American school life emelments such as cheerleaders wearing skimpy outfits and this represents this is important to school life for the teenagers and all the girls would like to be one. The characters are shown wearing trendy clothing which signifies their need to look their best all the time to keep up their social status and shows that they are vain.

At the beginning of the trailer, classical background music is used to refer to the 'perfect', well behaved girls as mentioned before. Again, the sound techniques used, contrast the different types of characters trying to be portrayed as the broken record sound effect is used to show Viola entering the room and she is the complete opposite the the other girls. The sound is used to show she this and doesn't really belong at the dinner with them. Ambient sounds such as the slapping sounds used to show the girls fighting, shows the literal fight between the different types of social status and between the two types of girls. This also signifies the girls as being violent and this therefore would refer to teenagers in general and this will be how they are percieved by others. The dialogue also refers to social status amoung teenagers as being important as Monique says 'girls with arses like mine, don't talk to boys with faces like yours' and this implies she is more important than them and wouldn't nomally give them the time of day. The fast paced background music, is used to show the confusing story line of the film as the plot is revealed. This refers to the comedy genre and it's funny that there is so much going on at one time and the fact that it is all going to happen at one time at some point. Non-diegetic sound is used e.g. voiceover, to give hints and clues as to what the film is about and help the audience see what is going on which is vital to this film as there is so much going on. It is also used to signify the importance of the confusing storyline as being funny and therefore the audience will want to go and see it.

Editing techniques such as Shot reverse shot are used to show the contrast of the 'perfect' blondes to Viola, the tom boy brunette. The shot starts by looking at the 'perfect' girls at the dinner table and then goes back to Viola who is eating rudely and is slouching in her chair. This implies the comedy genre of the film as this is very unlady-like. This editing technique is also used when Duke and Viola (who is Sabastian as this point) have a conversation about getting a girl. Viola momentarily forgets she is a boy and Duke is seen to be confused. The shot then returns to Viola who has to then quickly cover up the fact she is a girl without him noticing. This again refers to the comedy genre. Short takes are used to go from one take to another. In this trailer, this is used to show the confusion of the story line as each take lasts no more than a couple of seconds. It is hard for the audience to keep up with and therefore would encourage them to watch the film and find out what happens.

The shot types which are used throughout the trailer, are Close-ups and Mid-shots. For example, a close-up is used when Viola is seen eating at the dinner table with the other girls and when she enters the room. This enphasizes the fact that she unlike them as she finds it hard to open the door and keep her bag on her shoulder when she walks in and eats rudely whereas the other girls don't. This refers to the comedy genre as she is unlike the others ans therefore doesn't really belong there. There is a close-up used to show monique putting on her make-up in a compact mirror. This signifies that teenagers are vain and are constantly worried about their appearance. Yet another close-up is used after the dinner to show Viola in her normal clothes as she appears as a tom boy. This contrasts her to what she was wearing before but this style is seen to suit her personality better. Finally, a close-up is used is used to show Duke and Viola (Sebastian at this point) screaming when they see a spider. This obviously shows the comedy aspect of the film as this is stereotypically associated with woman and the men are meant to be masculine. A Mid-shot is used to show Duke and Viola (Sebastian) hugging. Viola gets a little carried away, forgetting she is a boy and this again shows the comedy aspect of the film as she has to hide her secret quickly. The camera is used to move up Viola body as she has undertaken the transformation from girl to boy. This shows the comedy aspect of the film once again as she over dressed and really isn't sure how to be a boy.

The contents of the trailer includes:
girl being forced into dinner she really doesn't want to go to
seeing the real side to the girl - love for football
girl turns into boy (supposed to be her brother) to play football
falls for boy
boy falls for another girl
girl has to stop them getting together
reveals her secret
girl and boy get together
other matches are made for other characters


Saussure, a representation theorist, came up with the idea that signs within media are forms of communication which stand for something to an audience. This applies to this trailer as the signifier is the fact that Viola is so clumsy and eats rudely compared to the other ladies which would then signify that she doesn't belong there and her personality is very different which is the sign. In this trailer, Dyers theory about stereotypes could apply as the males in the film come across as dominant over the females. This seen by the fact that Viola becomes a man in order to be able to play football and this would apply to real life and how males and females, see themselves. Tessa Perkins' theory on how stereotypes are not always false apply to this trailer as the fact that Monique speaks rudely to a boy 'beneath her' shows aspects of how different social classes are positioned in society and how they are looked upon by others. In this trailer, a male audience can be assumed as Viola can be seen in costumes such as a low cut red dress. This would create a 'Male Gaze' as Viola would looked at by a male audience as desirable and therefore this would create pleasurable viewing for that particular audience.

Levi-Strauss, a narrative theorist, came up with the idea of binary oppositions. This presents two very different things within the same media. In this trailer, for example, the social groups shown could be seen as a binary oppostion. Viola and the girls at the dinner table are compared and therefore show two very different kinds of female, the tom boy and the 'perfect' blonde. Propp believed that character funtions play a very important part in film. For example, in this trailer, Viola could be seen as the herione of the story, Duke as the princess, Monique the villian, etc. He believed that each of the eight types of function he came up with, would be present within a film. Todorov came up with the idea that narratives have a three part stucture of EDE (Equilibrium, Disequilibrium and Equilibrium). This applies to this trailer as everthing is in balance until Viola becomes a boy and has to keep everyone from finding out her secret. The story then goes back to an Equilibrium as when Viola tells the others about her secret, everything unfolds to be in everyones favour and the issue is resolved.

Steve Neale said that all things within a film, create a genre of which the audience can recognise. This trailer belongs to more than one genre as it is a Romentic Comedy. I got this from the fact that Viola has to become a boy in order to play football and becuase of all the situations she has to keep herself out of so she doesn't get found out. It is a romance becuase she eventually end up with Duke, who she has liked all along but could never tell him. As the trailer represents a Rom-Com, it means that the makers of the film would have had limited freedom when making it as this genre has to follow a conventional mould from other Rom-Coms. For example, a typical Rom-Com means that a couple want to be together but it isn't as simple as it looks so one or both of them have to over come certain obsticles in order to be together in the end, which creates the comedy aspect. This is known as a Generic Pattern and is seen in 'She's the Man'. Tom Ryall believed that Genre is a set of rules and guidelines which must be followed in order for the audience to fully understand the film. The 'She's the Man' trailer is an example of this as it follows the genre guidelines as said above. This particular genre relflects the complication of teenage love and shows social attitudes throughout, as Will Wright had predicted generally. The audience can then use this tell themselves about them and their society as they see the genre as having some truth to their actual lives.

Adorno came up with the idea that media reaches a mass audience and injects it's message into the audience. This would apply to this trailer as it would appeal to a wide teenage audience and inject the message of complicated teenage love which only they can really understand and relate to. There is a group shown in the trailer which influences it's audience. This is becuase each character has a different personality which a wide range of teenagers can relate to and therefore will influence a much bigger audience by having this group of people. Katz called this the 2-step flow. Culture is important in this trailer as it implies that it is for both male and females by the types of character shown and the majority of the characters follow a teenage age range. However, it's aimed more a white ethnicity group which will shape the audience's use of the media and determine which people will make sense of it. Finally, the different classes shown and the different tastes they have can be linked together to form a certain type of person which audience members can relate to as being one of the characters, sharing their tastes and class. This them forms a relationship for them to a character and creates pleasurable viewing for them.

My analysis of the 'Filmstar' magazine cover

[Work done by me]

In terms of fonts, the magazine uses the same clear font throughout so it makes it easier for the readers to understand. However, throughout the cover, different sizes and colours are used to represent importance. An example of this would be the fact that the Masthead (title of the magazine ‘Film Star’) is the biggest element of font on the cover and therefore insinuates it is the most important. This is correct as it will appear on the cover every week. The Main Headline, ‘Cinema Paradise’ is of equal importance as it too shares the same size font as the Masthead but it is presented in capital letters so it would stand out more to the reader. The Main Headline is followed by a caption which gives an indication what the Main Headline is about and therefore is presented in smaller font as it is the Headline’s job to get the readers’ attention. The caption is still in a larger font than the other headlines which shows it goes with the Main headline. The other headlines are in the same sized font to signify they are of similar importance apart from the ‘New!’ part of the cover, situated at the top of the page. This is meant to get the reader’s attention so it needs to be different from the rest of the page in order to do this. It uses a different font and size to indicate it’s importance to the reader.

The colours used on the cover follow a colour scheme of black, orange and white. There are colours used in exception to this such as the ‘New!’ part of cover as this is presented with a blue background in order to get the attention of readers and stand out from the other elements on the cover. The Masthead is presented in black and stand out from the yellow background it has been put on. The Main headline also uses black to link it with the importance of the Mast head but it also uses orange to insinuate it’s own importance. This makes the Main headline stand out by mixing the colours as they contrasting. The colour white is used to make certain things on the cover stand out. For example, the ‘50’ in the sub-heading for the Main headline is presented in white to show it’s importance from the rest of the sub-heading. The audience are supposed to be amazed by this and will therefore turn to the relevant page to read more. Different coloured boxes are also used, not just colourful fonts. This makes the wording inside them stand out even more from the background because it looks as if these elements are jumping out at the reader, telling them to pay more attention. There is also use of a white circle which is the only one on the cover. This insinuates it’s importance to the rest of the elements on the page and stands out from the orange background it has been placed on.


There is only one image situated on the cover of the magazine which is a picture of Brad Pitt during a film role. The facial expression portrayed by him, signifies the kind of role he has taken. He is serious and dressed in clothes from a previous era. This would then imply the kind of film magazine ‘Filmstar’ is and the kind of audience it is trying to approach. The magazine is made for an audience who enjoy perhaps Action films, not comedies, etc so the magazine would be geared more towards Males rather than females who usually like Romantic movie genres. The image is also used to accompany the Main Headline and therefore will represent what ever is said in it. In this case, the Main Headline is about the ’50 most exciting films’ which would then imply to the audience that which ever film Brad Pitt is in, is an exciting film. By using the correct actor, the magazine can gain a bigger audience as the image will attract them to the cover and want to read the rest of the magazine to find out what film it is.

The shot type that is used is a Close-up. This shows the facial expression portrayed by Brad Pitt and parts of the clothes he is wearing and therefore will signify the mood of the magazine. Due to this, Brad Pitt is signifying which type of movie he is starring in e.g. action becuase of his clothing and facial expression which will then draw in the attention of the intended audience. It is also used to bring the attention to his face and make the rest of him seem unimportant. It could be done like this to make the audience wonder what film is being talked about inside and therefore they will want to read further.

The layout of this magazine cover follows the 'Principle of Thirds' closely. The 'route of the eye' is shown to take on a 'z' shape across the page and this shows how the audience are likely to view the page. The Masthead has been placed at the top of the page as this is one of the first things the audience will see and pay attention to. Due to this, they are more likely to remember the name of the magazine due to where it is placed. Next, the main headline has been placed in the centre but to the left of the page. This is where the audience's eyes will follow next and this why it has been placed. This shows the main headline's importance on the page as it doesn't have as much importance as the Masthead but has more importance than all the other elements on the page and therefore has been placed here. The main headline is situated in the 'Primary Optical Area' which means it has been placed in the middle of the page, accompanied by the image of Brad Pitt. The fact that the image is covering the main headline slightly signifies that the image is more imantant than the headline or that it belongs with the particular headline. The important parts of the magazine are shown in the 'hot spots'. These elements are the Masthead, which is shown in the the top two 'hot spot' areas, and the headlines and the images, which are shown in the bottom two 'hot spot' areas. Other headlines are placed to the left of the page, commencing down the page. This also follows the 'route of the eye' as this is where the audience will look after th other two elements mentioned. In the 'terminal area' there is the barcode for the magazine which is typically associated with this particular area to show it is of least importance. Other elements of the cover, such as the 'new' box, have been placed at the top of the page to be looked at with the Masthead but, due to their size, they are not as important.


The mode of address of this magazine implies that it is for all types of genre of film, so it would apply to a large audience. I got this from the language used: '50 most exciting films of the summer and beyond' which implies that there will a wide range of different film genre mentioned within these pages. The audience it is trying to reach could be of both men and women due to the image chosen to be used on the cover. As it is of Brad Pitt, women would want to read the magazine if they have a love for Brad Pitt whereas men would want to read the magazine due to the type of film is appearing in or becuase he is a good actor. The colours used on the cover could be associated with both sexes as woman are stereotypically associated with pink, whereas mean are with blue but none of these colours are used, apart from blue slightly. Overall, this magazine would have a very broad audience but would prpobably be for more adult age groups e.g. 18 and above.

The contents of the magazine cover includes:
a list of the 50 most exciting films
the return of Quentin Tarantino - a Horror film maker
actors names mentioned throughout the magazine
barcode, price and date
title of magazine
one image
interviews with actors/makers

This magazine reaches a mass audience as it aimed at both men and women and talks about varied film genres. I got this from the headlines and the choice of image. For example, the headline talks about the '50 most exciting films' which means it would include different genres of films. The fact that the image os of Brad Pitt would apply to both men and women. Men, due the type of film he is and women, due to the actor. The colours used also indicate it is a unisex magazine. The fact it talks about 'Quentin Tarantino' means this article would be more for an audience interested in the Horror genre, as that is what he speacialises in. this message would be injected into the magazine's audience through these aspects. Cultural context is important to this, especially gender, as the image of Brad Pitt signifies male dominance and therefore would relate the to the audience. Morley believes this would shape the audience's understanding of the magazine depending on the aspects shown on the cover and due to these aspects, the audience would know who the preferred audience is. The purpose of the magazine is to create audience pleasure and this is done through the language used. If the headlines appeal to a certain audience, they will want to read the magazine as they will find it a pleasurable read. This refers to the audience's class and taste. If their taste suits what is written on the cover, they will form a relationship with the magazine and want to read it as they will know it is for them.

Steve Neale said that all things related to a certain media make up a genre. However, this magazine relates to more than one, as said above, as it includes all types of genre to suit a mass audience's needs. However, it may sway slightly to a Horror genre due to one of the headlines being all about a filmmaker who specialises in that particualr genre and therefore, it would apply to people who have an interest in Horror.

Richard Dyer's stereotype theory can be applied to the cover of the magazine. This is becuase Brad Pitt has taken on a certain role and therefore must wear certain clothes. The clothes he is wearing can be associated to a type of genre of film e.g. action and can be applied to the time the film was set. Filmmakers would stereotype the costumes due to the time it was set so that the audience would know clearly. An audience which takes an interest in this particular genre would want to look at the magazine. The fact the only image on the cover is of a man, this would signify that females are subordinate to males.

Kim's analysis' of existing products

Trailer

A Cinderella Story Trailer

Narrative: Like the Mean Girls trailer, hints of the storyline are given to give the audience an idea of what the film is like and how it will appeal to them. This trailer makes use of a popular fairytale which everyone will recognise to help gives clues as to what to expect from the film. The voice-over also makes use of this way of telling a tale; using popular phrases like 'Once Upon A Time'. However, the trailer also contains comic elements when the traditional story is changed to meet with modern times, (Like at the very start when there is an establishing shot of a picturesque castle which pans aside quickly to the large, busy area of LA), which adds to the film's appeal.

Editing: Although the editing is also fast-paced, in some areas it seems to show the film's storyline in a slower way than the Mean Girls trailer, without losing too much of an energic feel. The story-like concept is cemented also by the editing technique of the turning of a page to change the scene. This relates to what the film is about in a fun and original way.

Mise-en-Scene: Sam, the main character, is shown to be like a modern-day cinderella and this transformation is shown through her costume; she starts of quite tomboyish and messy, but changes into more of a 'princess' with a big dress at the end of the trailer. This appeals to a teen audience, particularly a female audience as it gives off a uplifting sense of change. Like, Mean Girls the school set provides something which the audience can all relate to.

Camerawork: The use of midshots is again the most frequent camerawork; showing emotions and clothing which helps to introduce the characters to the audience and in turn makes the film seem more enjoyable.

Sound: The voice-over plays on the storylike fairytale feel of the film and makes it seem more appealing as it is something the audience will know and relate to. The trailer also makes use of modern music, including a song sung by the main actress Hilary Duff, which appeals to a younger audience who will enjoy this type of music they can recognise.


Poster

Layout
The first thing you look at you gaze at the poster is the actors names and the tag line. This makes you interested in the well known actors so it create more interest for the audience wanting to see familier faces. As both actors are well known the message of the film as Adorno would say is just injected into audience as these actors specialise in rom coms, so in theory the audience would just accept that the film will be a romantic comdey.
The tag line "Once upon a time... can happen anytime" also creates interest for the audeince and can tell you a little about the story and that possibly a dream is about to come true.
The actors faces are in the middle top third as its one of the first things you look at making them fimilar with the audience and showing two good looking people making the film more attractive. Both of their faces are in the gaze of the camera and are both there to be looked at.
The root of eye then moves through the actors clothes and shows the girl in a puffy princessy ball gown which conotes a girly fairy tale sort of scene. The male is just wearing normal clothes showing he is just an ordinary boy. Although, as the root of eye moves down it shows the girl wearing pink converse shoes with her dress. The binary opposition here showing the femining dress and the boyish shoes, convay that the narrative has more to this girl and she isnt the usual girly girl the audience would expect to see but probably a tom boy who will under go a change in the film.
The fact she is wearing the converse in the picture suggests that her and the male are of two social groups. As perkins said stereotypes are there to show potions in society. It is clear from the picture and the trailer they have different postions in society.
The root of eye then moves into the credits, title and release date. These are all importants dates and interest the reader and give them information they need to be able to watch the film.

Colours
The colours used in the posters were black, blue, white and pink.
The black is used in the film poster to make the writing stand out and making it clear for people to read.
The white is used for the background and the dress. The white is used in the background just for clearity but for the dress it conotes innocents and purity.
The blue is used connote a masculine colour and to show her tom boy side again.
The pink is used to maybe connote romance,love and such.


Target audience
The target audience for this film would be teenage girls as it shows romance and love in the film poster. The pastle colours would also suggest a teenages audience


Magazine cover

1)Total film-issue 139
The rote of eye leads you into the first thing the audience would see which is "21 limited edition covers" and "every 007 choose your favourite"
This automatically grabs the audiences attention and wants them to read and buy it as the phrase "limited edition" appeals to so many people as its rare and special to many people espically collectors to get something which is limited addition or relates to it. The fact that it also says "every 007 choose your favourite" is also very appealing as james bond is very well established and has a huge market. The use of this will bring attention and readers as james bond films are so well established and liked people will want to buy the magazine to read about it.

The next thing seen is the magazines masthead, this is used to show the magazine title and also creates familarity with the audience as its a well known magazine audiences will want to buy it for comfort and because they have read it before and like it.

In line with the masthead is the date,issue number, price and website links.These simply supply the audience with relevent information of the magazine so they can know what issue they are buying, whether it is the up to date magazine or not and the pirce so they can pay for it.

It then moves into the main imagine of the magazine which is james bond at the front of the frame with a gun and an evil man in the back left of the frame. The fact james bond is at the front of the magazine shows he is most important and that the audience should identify with him. The fact he has a gun just helps the audience relate to the genre of the film, action. The gun uses tom ryalls theory of the triangle which is the film maker uses conventions of the genre to make the film, then looking at these conventions eg the gun the audience can relate and understand the film.
The rote of eye thenm oves into more writing, "why 2008 is the year of the bond" This just creates more interest for the audience as this isnt a question. This is telling the reader why its the year of bond! It then goes into girls, guns and gadgets: the ultimate guide". This is primailry made for the male gaze as laura mulveys theory would explain. Here the used that girls are used will show that they are gonna be objectified in this magazine also everything else in the caption "guns and gadgets are used for males interest. Here this just shows that males look and girls will be looked at.
At the bottom of the magazine is other captions of other pages in the magazine. This is also just to create interest for other parts of the magazine so the reader has more reason to buy it.
Fonts:
The fonts used are all bold. The reason the fonts are bold are primary so they can be seen from a distance and are easy to read.
Colours:
The colours used are red, black and silver. The black is used as it bold and also it can connote power and mystery with is a key feature of james bond. The red has been used to stand out but red can also connote blood danger and passion which also feature in the films.

Hetty's analysis' of existing products

Film Trailer

Mean Girls Trailer

Narrative: The trailer provides snippets of the film's storyline, without giving too much away - creating interest in the audience, without taking away some mystery. The story is of a new girl starting at a school and trying to fit in. It contains elements of comedy, romance and friendship: components which I think our teaser trailer should set out to the audience.

Mise-en-Scene: The use of costume is effective in creating divisions within the school life, the different styles each student has creates the sense of different 'cliques'. The main character of Cady is seen to be quite a tomboy when we first meet her, before she goes under some changes and is seen to be dressed more provocatively like 'the plastics' as she joins their group. The setting of a school is something we plan to follow to create a sense of verisimilitude, which in particular a teen audience can relate to; and in turn make the trailer more appealing to this target group.

Editing: The editing throughout is generally fast-paced, creating a sense of energy; keeping those watching engaged in what they are watching. There is also frequent use of flashes of whites to have a dramatic impact on the audience, holding their attention. The use of shot-reverse-shots often helps the audience recognise conversations and relate to the storyline which also helps maintain interest.

Camerawork: The majority of shots used are midshots, allowing the audience to se facial expressions but also their clothing - which helps them associate what the characters are like and making them more appealing. Panning, (edited in a fast way), goes across the cafteteria to identify the different groups of people, giving the audience, in particular teens, something to relate to.

Sound: The use of Cady as a voice-over helps the audience to identify with her point of view, and therefore makes the film's story seem interesting; other characters' dialogue is also used in a similar way to tell the story and give those watching an idea of what the film is about. The non-diegetic music is also modern music which teen audiences will recognise; which increases the film's appeal.

Applying Theories to the Trailer:

In some ways this trailer does relate to Laura Mulvey's theory of films assuming a male audience; the 'male gaze' as the costumes worn by the female characters provide visual pleasure for the males watching. In addition the use of slow-motion editing as the girls walk through the school emphasises what they are wearing and making use of objectification. However, the female characters do not seem passive to the males, in fact they seem to be more more active and this suggests perhaps this film may appeal more to female audience - may not assume a male audience.


Will Wright's genre theory also applies to this trailer in the way that in knowing its genre, the audience are more able to interpret and understand what they are watching. For example the conventions of Romantic Comedies are seen throughout the trailer; the use of an extra person in the way of the couple, an attractive couple and also the delayed unity of them. This helps the audience know how they should react to the events on screen; they want the two to be together. Also the use of school cliques could be seen as a reflection of society as there are often divisions within different social groups.

Foucault's social theory of idealised norms are also demonstrated in the trailer through the normalised values which are associated with gender. For example when we are introduced to the 'plastics' they are at the top of the social hierarchy as they epitomise what is expected of their gender; they are feminine and not particularly intelligent. By being at the top of the social hierarchy they are rewarded and respected by the others, unlike the character of Janice who is unfeminine and the character of Damien who is homosexual who are both more or less outcasts.


Poster

Mean Girls Movie Poster

Layout: The route of the eye demonstrates that the first thing the audience will see is Lindsey Lohan’s name; this grabs their attention immediately as she is well known and people will have heard of her – making the film seem more appealing. The audience then scan across the three girl’s faces and then their bodies. Their legs are positioned in the centre third and next to the hot spots which makes use of objectification. The position of the main character played by Lindsey Lohan separates her from the other girls, giving an idea of the storyline, which in turn makes the audience curious as to what the film is about in detail; following Barthes’ theory of narrative codes; the enigma code. The poster makes the audience ask questions and gives them interest in what it is about. In the terminal area; the last part seen by the audience, is the slogan ‘watch your back’. This relates to the image, but also addresses the audience directly, making the film something which they can relate to. The position of the title ‘Mean Girls’, divides up the poster images and as it is near the hotspots, it is something the audience is drawn to and helps them to identify quickly with what they are looking at.


Images: The image of Lindsey Lohan is separated from the other female characters to show that she is not part of their ‘clique’. This separation is cemented by the facial expressions and clothing of each character as Lindsey Lohan’s is wearing jeans and seems to be weary of those behind her; she is looking behind her and this idea is also shown by the poster’s slogan of ‘watch your back’. The three other female characters are pouting and wearing short skirts; connoting sexual availability and appealing to a male audience; as demonstrated by Laura Mulvey’s theory of the ‘Male Gaze’ and that all films assume a male audience – their appearance provides visual pleasure to men. The character of Cady played by Lindsey, however is unlike the others and this contradicts this message; she is more appealing to a female audience as her appearance makes her seem like someone whom can be related to.

Colours: The colours used are all related to femininity. Pink and purple both connote femininity relating to a female audience and the female characters also on the cover. Purple is also associated with royalty, which could relate to the 'plastics' and their obvious control over Lindsey Lohan's character; Cady. The use of white suggests some neutrality as white connotes purity and cleanliness. The use of the white also makes the text clear to read; and therefore displays the information to the audience legibly.

Fonts: The fonts used are quite simple; making them clear to read. However the boldness of some of the words differs to other parts; creating emphasis on some of the words e.g the word mean stands out as it is thicker than the other text; this creates interest as it shows what the film is going to be about.

Target Audience: The target audience of this film is likely to be a teenage female audience as it shows different female characters who they can relate to. As it is in a school environment it will appeal to a teenage audience more than an older one.


Magazine cover

Total Film’s Cover: Superhero and Villain Special

Layout: The subconscious route of the eye shows that the first thing the readers see is the magazine’s title: Total Film, in large lettering. It starts in the top left-hand corner and pans across; its positioning helps the readers instantly identify with the magazine and know what they are reading. The general layout of the page makes good use of the rule of thirds; the images and text divide up the page clearly; making the information on it easy to read and digest. In the primary optical area the names of various famous characters as to which the readers will know of and be able to relate to. As they are well-known it makes the magazine more appealing as the target audience will want to read about them and by putting them in the area we focus on most it emphasises this interest. In the terminal area, the last thing that the readers will look at, there is an image of a woman with the curious quotation ‘I want my ass kicked’. By positioning this in the terminal area the audience are intrigued to hear more about it and therefore makes them more interested in purchasing the magazine.

Fonts: The fonts used throughout the cover are bold and very clear – making the text stand out and reach out to the readers. The masthead is the largest font on the cover – drawing the readers’ attention to it; helping them to instantly recognise and relate to what they are reading. It also resembles a logo; with the ‘Total’ positioned inside the ‘Film’; making it even more distinguishable to the audience and in turn adding to the magazine’s appeal. The subtitle of the ‘Heroes and Villains Issue’: ‘The ultimate countdown of cinemas saints and sinners’, is a thinner font as to not steal attention from the main purpose of the issue, yet still provide additional information to the readers.

Colours: The main colours used are black, white, red and green. Black connotes death, maturity and darkness; which against white’s connotations of purity and innocence creates quite a contrast. These two conflicting colours relate to the main topic of the magazine; heroes and villains of cinema – helping the reader to understand the message the magazine cover is trying to convey. The red also contains contrasting connotations; from blood and danger to romance; this solidifies the contrast of the other colours. The green connotes wealth as well as goodness; this again relates to the theme of the cover as the heroes and villains are represented by the red and green.

Images: There are many small images, on the cover of Total Film, showing famous characters which the readers will know about and be interested in. The fact that the masthead interrupts the images at the top shows that it is of greater importance to the cover; as it will help the readers identify with it. There is one image that does not relate to the main article in the magazine and it is situated in the terminal area. It shows an attractive woman; which interests particularly a male audience. The main bulk of images are appealing to both genders and most age groups as the show characters most people can relate to. However the images also help the audiences to understand the sci-fi/action genre of the heroes and villians as it is clear which characters within the images are 'bad' and which are 'good' through the use of their costume and the colours associated with them. This relates to Steve Neale's genre theory. The fact the bulk of the images are of males and only one female shows how they are reppresented and suggests that males are perhaps more powerful; and so require more focus. This could affect the way women are treated in life and the way they see themselves as stereotypes are used to help reinforce social values as is said by Richard Dyer in his representation of social groups theory. This could suggest that women are considered inferior to men.

Target Audience: The colours and images are not gender-specific so the cover appeals to both sexes. However, to be most interested in this magazine, knowledge of film/book characters may be needed which may result in a slightly older target audience - therefore this relates to Pierre Bourdieu's Cultural Competence theory as the audience needs to understand the cultural codes to interpret the magazine cover.