Final Coursework Deadline

You will need to have your planning folder, trailer on DVD and full evaluation ready for 4pm Friday 25th April. I plan to pick them up for final grading. Don't leave anything out as there isn't another chance! I will post the full folder contents and how it should be set out early in the week.

I'm so sorry I couldn't make it through to the end with you. You're a great class and I wish you all the best of luck in everything you do. I've really enjoyed teaching you.

Mrs Ward x

Conventions of Film Trailers

Never forget that film trailers are a marketing tool used in conjunction with other marketing methods. They are trying to persuade a target audience to spend money on a cinema ticket. They use the following techniques (conventions) to persuade the audience in a short space of time:

They highlight the ‘best bits’ of the film; the very funny, the very sad, the action packed, the bizzare

We are not shown the story in narrative order

They showcase the stars of the film

Some visual images stay on the screen for just enough time for our mind to realise what we are seeing

Conversations between characters usually consist of one line each

Unusual angles are often used to show events and characters

Action is interserped with credits on screen

Voiceovers are used to tell the story and give credit information

Music plays an important role in creating atmosphere

The title does not appear until the end

The trailer builds to a climax, where it ends

Which of these can you identify in the film trailers you've studied? Which of these techniques have you used in your own trailer? Have you forgotten any essential ingredients?

PART 1: Whole group feedback for 13A

The following weaknesses were identified in most responses:

• Discussion of specific conventions found in the film trailers studied
• How some conventions are particular to a specific genre
• How this influenced the planning and structure of your trailer i.e which conventions and which structure was essential to communicate the genre and persuade the target audience to see the film?
• Discussion of the film promotion industry (very weak in all essays) using the trailers studied as case studies
• Submission of synopsis, feedback and development into a treatment (changes made as a result of feedback)
• Pitch presentation and peer/tutor feedback (changes made)
• Formation of group and allocation of group roles and responsibilities
• Storyboarding, feedback and changes
• Scheduling and the challenges faced (changes made)
• Filming and planning - what did you learn i.e did you actually need those extra frames on the storyboard or was Mrs Ward winding you up with more pointless work?
• Logging shots and the paper edit - anything missing? Re-shoots or extra footage required?
• Feedback on work in progress (changes needed)
• Reflection on relationship between planning and construction

Evaluation Parts 2 & 3 Deadline 03/04/08

Section 2 (1000 words)

Textual analysis of the finished trailer – the focus of this section is how your decisions about form and content have affected how the trailer communicates meaning to the audience. Use your understanding of the key concepts (genre, narrative theory, representation and audience) and your knowledge of trailer conventions to analyse the finished trailer as a media product.

Section 3 (1000 words)

1. Media Institutions – how has your trailer been influenced by the institution it was made for? Discuss in terms of decisions you made about content, style, structure, language, sound etc

2. Evaluation – How does your trailer compare to the real trailers that you’ve analysed? What are its technical and structural strengths and weaknesses? What are the strengths and weaknesses of your production process and of your individual contribution to the project?

3. Audience – discuss the relationship of your trailer to its target audience. Has it met your own brief? Give details of your audience feedback. Where did you get it right/wrong?

Evaluation Part 1 Deadline 25/03/08

Section One: (1000 words)

Each item listed should be covered using your analytical and evaluative skills. You should not only provide details using technical terms and media terminology, you must reflect on your decisions and the impact they had on your progress and final product.

1. Research - how did you carry out your research into comparable media products (trailers) and what were your findings on the conventions? Which particular trailers did you analyse and what did you find about how they communicated to the target audience? How were these films marketed at the time and who was responsible for the promotion?
2. Ideas – How did you come up with the ideas for your own trailer? (How did you research and other influences inspire you?)
3. Target audience research – who is your target audience (use terminology and categories)? How did you prove their potential interest in your web site?
4. Planning – Discuss the pre-production process (Meetings, drafting, scheduling, permission letters, booking forms, organising cast etc). Discuss key dates (what you did when and why). Make reference to all the planning you have in your folder.
5. Construction/Technical points – Discuss the stages of constructing the trailer (filming, transfer to iMovie, logging, paper edit, edit, sound, music etc). Evaluate key decisions and revisions and how they changed the trailer.