This hyperlink is the link to our teaser trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJh-JFaU2lI
This is the hyperlink to our offical website
http://www.wix.com/adm_oli/agentfifteen#!home
This is the hyperlink to our various posters
http://www.wix.com/adm_oli/agentfifteen#!gallery
Showing posts with label Adam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adam. Show all posts
1 In what way does your media product, develop or challenge forms of real media products?
2 How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillery tasks?
3 What have you learned through audience feedback?
4 How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research and planning and evaluation stages?
2 How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillery tasks?
3 What have you learned through audience feedback?
4 How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research and planning and evaluation stages?
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary tasks?
How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary tasks?
By using a masked murderer as the main villain this follows the set codes and conventions of slasher horror films. The poster for Saw 3 focuses mainly on the costuming of the villain concealing his personal identity whilst exposing the crazed nature of his character through the choice of mask. We followed this convention by using the mask of our villain as the iconic feature; our poster focuses on this to emphasise the impassive features of the gas mask which represents the former shell of the villain after the experience of war has removed all emotion. We designed various posters and chose the one which was the most effective. When creating the posters we used the gas mask as the main feature. we designed a poster with an explosion as the main image to draw in a selected audience which portrays the war scenes shown at the start of our teaser trailer but we decided to use a more simple design which would focus on one aspect of the film rather than making the poster appear overcrowded and give too much of the plot away.
Although our iconic feature is the gasmask this wasn’t shown on our home page on our website, the design again was kept simple and having the Title appear on the home screen gave a heightened sense of isolation conforming to the conventions of a slasher film. We wanted the typeface for the title to conform to our theme of warfare and the military division which is where the tagline arrives from. The typeface is used throughout our ancillary tasks and our main media product helping to form a recognisable house style amongst the products. The colour red is used frequently throughout both of the ancillary tasks which is a feature that follows the conventions of horror films which was found whilst researching various other websites such as 
The Crazies, another characteristic which we used that follows the codes and In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Plot
Our main inspiration for Agent Fifteen was taken from the Saw films where the theme of isolation was common with connotations of fear of the unknown, we took this and used it to suit the plot of our trailer; the psychological effects of war on ex soldiers, we then twisted this to create fear amongst a local community.
Codes and Conventions
Throughout our trailer, set codes and conventions were followed to maintain a professional standard. Following these set conventions also help attract a target audience in order for our media product to be successful.
Colours/Poster
Our chosen genre was horror therefore the colour red which is has a high level of significance due to the connotations it has within horror films, more specifically to our sub genre slasher horror. When researching poster ideas the colour red was used frequently in films such as my bloody valentine where there is a red light shining on the pickaxe held by the villain; this draws the audience’s attention to the weapon whilst adding a deeper sense of aggression and violence.
As posters can be used almost any where (online, magazines, billboards etc) this is an essential way to target an audience. The poster consists of three colours black, white and red this gives the poster a darker atmosphere which is suited for our chosen genre. Due to the simplistic design the main focus is on the gasmask which is given a sinister look due to the lighting effect; the harsh emotionless features are emphasised which represents the former shell of the ex soldier before his experiences in war transformed him. We used white for the text which carries connotations of innocence and being pure; this challenges the idea of the villain being completely consumed by his murderous rage or is their any hope for him to return to his previous mind frame before warfare altered his mental state. The text is positioned in the centre of the poster therefore the audience is drawn to it automatically whilst drawing the audience’s attention to the tag line. The small print at the bottom of the page with actor’s names / director’s names etc will help gather an audience for the film bellow the small print is the website which encourages the target audience to visit it to find out more about the film.
Editing
A convention of teaser trailers is the time length they are shown in, we used this convention by using fast editing. At the start of the trailer we used royalty free online clips of war footage; we used longer shot lengths so the audience can try to gather an understanding of the narrative without giving too much away. Shots of the villain walking through fog then followed and we used faster editing the pick up the pace of the trailer and creating an ominous atmosphere around the villain. The fast editing also helps build tension this tension reaches its peak at the end of the trailer where the villain is in a dark room looking down and then slowly looks up into the camera. In the trailer Crazies the use of fast editing is effective as it shows enough to intrigue the audience but doesn’t give too much of the plot away. The genre is clearly highlighted by the scenes shown which helps to draw in a selected audience.
Sound
At the start of our trailer we used non diegetic sounds to create a peaceful ambience contrasting to war clips shown, this is a convention used by many horror films to lure the audience into a false sense of security which adds effect to the scenes later on ( 0.00-0.17). At the end of the trailer we used a non diegetic sound of fast paced heavy drumming which juxtaposed the actions of the villain looking up into the camera even thought this was happening slowly the intensity of his actions are amplified to create an uneasy atmosphere for the audience to leave on.
Props
Narrative theories
Vladimir Propp suggested that characters took on the role of narrative “spheres of action”. One of theses rules is that of the hero, in our film we have subverted the expectations of our audience by using an ex-soldier who would stereotypically be considered to be a hero and twisted this into making him the villain who has been traumatised by warfare.Todorovs Theory
Todorovs theory suggests that a film starts with an equilibrium (calm period) then as the plot unfolds disequilibrium occurs which is then followed by a renewed state of peace and harmony for the protagonist and a new equilibrium brings the chaos to an end; by using footage of warfare to start our trailer it automatically brings a state of disequilibrium, by subverting Todorov’s theory we conformed to the conventions of a teaser trailer by never creating a sense of equilibrium instead a constant state of chaos to reflect the psychotic nature of the murderer.
Website
As accessing the internet is now easier then ever, creating a website helps to conform to the needs of the target audience (mainly aimed at males aged between 15-22). By using features which makes the website user friendly and interactive this will engage the audience more. We have embedded the teaser trailer into our website which will encourage people to go onto the website; we have also included other poster designs on the website which might entice people to go onto the website.
Tagline
The tagline “you know when you’ve got company” works well with the theme of war as “company” is another term for regiment, it also plays with the sense of fear in the safety of your local community and not truly knowing the people around you even though you may think you do.
Title
I researched into chemical warfare and came across the name blood agent which was a chemical used in poisonous gases, after researching into blood agents I came across a blood agent called Agent Fifteen; this also has connotations to the army which is clearly represented by the costuming of the villain.
Equilibrium Chart
Final Poster
Questionnaire Results
Here are the results from our questionnaire posted, the results shown influenced our final media product; we questioned 40 people 1) Are you male or female |
| Male 16 |
| Female 24 |
 |
| 2) How old are you? |
| 16-19 40 |
| 3) Do you think age is an important factor in horror films? |
| Yes 35 |
| No 5 |
 |
| 4) What locations do you associate with slasher horror films? here are a few sample answers which where given; |
| Graveyard |
| Woods |
| Isolated houses (haunted) |
| 5) Does a sense of isolation help create the element of fear? |
| Yes 40 |
| No 0 |
 |
| 6) Which settings would you associate with the feeling of isolation? here are a few given sample answers; |
| Woods |
| Basement |
| A Dark room |
| Field |
 |
| 7) In slasher films a convention is mask or hidden identity, what type of mask would help create a sense of horror? here are a few sample answers; |
| Gas mask |
| Hockey mask |
| Bandana |
| Hat / Hoody |
| Balaclava |
 |
| 8) What elements do you think make a slasher film? here are a few sample answers given; |
| Violence |
| Sense of innosense |
| Young Victims |
| Isolated location |
| 9) How many horror films have you seen in the last month? |
| 0-5 37 |
| 06-11 0 |
| 12 - 17 |
Conclusion
The results from the questionnaire told us that the most effective mask to use for the villain is a gas mask, when questioned “In slasher films a convention is mask or hidden identity, what type of mask would help create a sense of horror?” 17 people said gas mask followed by hockey mask. We then researched various forms of gas masks and then decided to use a gas mask from world war two this also helped set our narrative plot.
When questioned “Do you think age is an important factor in horror films?”35 out of 40 people answered yes; from this we decided to use victims similar to the target audience’s age so they can relate to the victims easier and help create a detailed sense of sympathy.
“Does a sense of isolation help create the element of fear?” 100% answered yes, we knew from this that isolation would be a key element in our film and made effective by combing this with the villain. We carried this out by the use of camera shots, framing and lighting, we used a mid shot to frame the villain in the centre of the screen and dark lighting so that the main focus is on the villain, both of these combined helped create an effective sense of isolation.
Tag line
When i was researching our film name i came across the word 'company', another word for the army, which inspired the thought of a tag line 'youve got company'. After giving the line a bit more thought we agreed on adding in an extra part making it 'You know when youve got company'. we agreed this was a good tag line and we liked how well it had a connotation to the army.
Name Ideas/ Agent Fifteen
When researching a name for our film we came across the name blood agent, which is a toxic chemical agent used in warfare, this is highly relevant to our plot whilst creating an ominous effect, we researched further and came across the name agent fifteen. In February 1998, the British Ministry of Defence released an intelligence report that accused Iraq of having stockpiled large amounts of a glycolate anticholinergic incapacitating agent known as Agent 15. The chemical agent 15 is an incapacitating agent which was widely used in chemical warfare, and when used in large quantities can lead to death but when used in small quantities can lead to Mydriasis, Blurred vision Dry mouth, skin, Initially rapid heart rate declining to normal or slow heart rate over time and Possible flushing of the skin. With the use of a gas mask for our main villain this has connotations of war which links the Title in with the plot.
Production Logos
I researched various production logos, such as Lionsgate Entertainment, Warner brothers, Columbia production, and Paramount pictures. Rather than looking for a production logo that was generic I looked for logos which had been edited to suit a horror film. E.g. A Walt Disney pictures production logo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8BYaTIWX1U wouldn’t be appropriate for a film such as Nightmare on Elm Street. A production logo which came up perfect for a slasher horror film was Lionsgate. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaqRwg2GP6w .
The Lionsgate production logo starts off with a panning shot of industrial cogs, it then zooms out through a lock on a door, the doors then swing open and the Lionsgate logo appears behind the door. The background against the Lionsgate logo is almost as if you where entering into another realm and the atmosphere building up throughout the sequence sets the tone for that realm. Throughout the sequence there is low profile lighting and orange lighting has been used to help set a horrific atmosphere .
Predators Website Deconstruction
On the Predators website the background has been taken from a scene within the film, this helps set an expectation for the audience; what type genre to expect. The characters in the background are all wielding heavy guns which make them appear highly masculine, this is also supported by the fact that they are all wearing army uniforms; they are standing as if they are being hunted by something as they are all looking all over the place.The main selling point is clearly the predators DVD and blue ray, the character on the far right has his gun positioning down towards the text which states own it now on blu-ray and DVD using this presentational device helps draws attention to the advertisement text.The colour scheme is red, black and white which has connotations of gothic horror, which adds the effect of the website.
SAW 4 Teaser Trailer Deconstruction
The saw teaser trailer opens in a dark isolated room, with a green filter over the lens to help create mystery and also too add an eiree effect to the scene, there is also low profile lighting to help add to the horror effect. The words “on October 26th” is shown across the screen, the words are white against a plain background, which focuses the reader’s attention on the text as there is nothing to distract the audience. After this scene, clips from the film are projected onto a brick wall this is effective as you don’t see the scenes directly which gives the effect of isolation and secrecy, the light rays from the projector can be seen which makes the audience feel that they are put in a position to watch people suffering at someone else’s expense, which is key to the saw films. The pace and the length of the clips suggest that the film is fast paced which starts drawing in a target audience for the film. Also with the length of the scenes being short not too much of the plot is given away, which is vital in a teaser trailer. One of the clips projected onto the wall is a clip of the jigsaw mask which is iconic to the saw films, this tells the audience to expect the classic convections of the previous saw films. There is intense music in the background which helps with the overall flow of the teaser trailer.
Towards the end of the teaser trailer there is a voice over which prepares the audience to expect the generic conventions of the saw films.
1day website deconstruction
The enter screen for the 1day website highlights that the film has connetations of high forms aggression. The main central figure focuses the audiences attention and also to text , which also lays in the centre of the page. The colour sheme is mainly black and orange , the use of the colour orange against the black background represents the intensity of the poster. The overall colour scheme is kept simple with black
Questionnaire
QUESTIONNAIRE
1) Are you male or female
2) How old are you?
3) Do you think age is an important factor in horror films? E.g if the victim is young would it make you feel more sympathetic towards them?
4) What locations do you associate with horror films?
5) Does a sense of isolation help create the element of fear?
6) Which settings would you associate with the feeling of isolation?
7) In slasher films a convention is mask or hidden identity, what type of mask would help create a sense of horror? Gas mask , hockey mask , bandana etc.
8) What elements do you think make a slasher film?
9) What are your favourite horror films?
10) How many horror films have you seen in the last month?
1) Are you male or female
2) How old are you?
3) Do you think age is an important factor in horror films? E.g if the victim is young would it make you feel more sympathetic towards them?
4) What locations do you associate with horror films?
5) Does a sense of isolation help create the element of fear?
6) Which settings would you associate with the feeling of isolation?
7) In slasher films a convention is mask or hidden identity, what type of mask would help create a sense of horror? Gas mask , hockey mask , bandana etc.
8) What elements do you think make a slasher film?
9) What are your favourite horror films?
10) How many horror films have you seen in the last month?
Terminator Magazine Cover
The total magazine cover for terminator salvation follows the classic conventions for gothic horror by using red white and black as the main colours. The terminators eyes are bright red which focuses the reader’s eyes to attract the target audience. They also lay in the top third of the page which is a convention used as a presentational device to attract readers. There is high profile lighting on the face of the terminator, this highlights the definition and makes the face appear sinister. In the lower left hand corner is red lighting this follows the colour scheme set for the magazine colour and also attracts the audience’s eye towards the word TERMINATOR which links the illustration to the text.
Narrative Theories
Todorov suggested that conventional narratives are structured in 5 stages to the theory:
State of equilibrium
Disruption of equilibrium
Recognition of the distribution
An attempt to repair the distribution
A reinstated of the equilibrium
Vladimir Propp
He suggested that characters took on the role of narrative “spheres of action” or functions
1. The HERO, usually male, is the agent who restores the narrative equilibrium often by embarking upon a quest (or search) saves the princess and wines her hand. Propp distinguishes between the victim hero, who is the centre of the villain’s attention, and the seeker hero who aids others who are the villain’s victims. The hero is invariably the texts protagonist or central character.
2. The VILLAIN who creates narrative distribution
In our trailer the villian is the character who creates narrative distribution due to his Psychotic state of mind, but his identity remians hidden due to the fact that he wears a gas mask.
In our trailer the villian is the character who creates narrative distribution due to his Psychotic state of mind, but his identity remians hidden due to the fact that he wears a gas mask.
3. The DONOR gives the hero something; it may be an object information or advice which helps the resolution of the narrative.
4. The HELPER aids the hero in the task of restoring the equilibrium
5. The Princess (the victim) is usually the character most threatened by the villain and has to be saved, at the climax, by the hero, The Fathers (who is in the fairy tales was often king) role is given to the princess away to the hero at the resolution of the narrative. He may also be dispatched as the hero.
6. The DISPATCHER sends the hero on his or her task
7. The FALSE HERO appears to be good but at the end of the narrative appears to be bad.
Topics which affect the media produced
The media today is affected by many external factors which the public can relate to and come across everyday; therefore the public would become a target audience for that form of media. Many of these factors are usually kept within national boundaries unless the target audience of the media piece is international. We decided to research trends that affected the public so our media product could relate to a lot more people ultimately targeting a wider audience.
Current trends which affect the media we see today are:
Natural disasters ( Floods , droughts)
Current trends which affect the media we see today are:
Natural disasters ( Floods , droughts)
Mass killings (Raul Moat) (Michael Ryan)
Youth Culture ( Drink , Drugs, Violence)
Warfare ( the war in Afghanistan )
With warfare being on the news on almost every channel its hard not to come across, which would make it a topic that everyone has some knowledge about. We decided to use this subject for our media project as its a wide area to cover giving us room to experiment with a variety of ideas.
With warfare being on the news on almost every channel its hard not to come across, which would make it a topic that everyone has some knowledge about. We decided to use this subject for our media project as its a wide area to cover giving us room to experiment with a variety of ideas.
With different events occurring, effecting the public we can expect to see these changes reflected in the media we see today.
My Bloody Valentine Poster Deconstruction
The miners mask is a convention of a slasher film; it helps keep the villains identity hidden and create mystery. It also becomes a symbol for the villain and anything related to it becomes almost a warning that the villain is linked to it.
The pickaxe takes up the whole length of the poster and creates a very aggressive tone for the poster helping it attract its target audience.
The dark lighting helps add horror to the overall effect of the poster. Also the setting is in a mine which helps set the location for the film.
The use of the colours; red, white and black follow the gothic genre very closely and tells the audience straight away what genre of movie the film is. The red could also be interpreted as love “valentine”.
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