A2 Media Studies, Project Summary

A2, Post 25: Main task final

Below is the final cut of the main task for the advanced media studies A2 portfolio:

1. Create a promotional package for a new film, to include a teaser trailer:

A2, Post 24: Ancillary texts final

Below is the final cut of both ancillary texts as set out by the brief:

1. Create a promotional movie poster featuring your film:

2. Create a film magazine front cover featuring your film:

Series review: Game of Thrones (Some readers may find images disturbing)

With the recent debut of the medieval fantasy epic that is 'Game of Thrones'. I thought I would release one of my soon to be famous reviews upon it.

Game of Thrones is set in the dangerous continent of Westeros; where 7 mighty houses are each vying for power over the others. With a mind numbingly intricate plot of politics, war, lies and slander, who can be trusted? And more importantly, who cannot? 

It would seem that everything that could ever go wrong for the House of Stark has done so, the King's hand is dead (Murdered by the treacherous Lannesters?) and Lord Eddard Stark is called to replace him, and with him gone who will guard the Northern stronghold of Winterfell from the prophesied return of the deadly White Walkers? All that stands between the inhuman monsters from crossing the border is a once mighty and noble order that now lies wind swept and forgotten in the catacombs of Castle Black.  And all the while, the vengeful Targaryens amass a mighty barbarian horde with intentions of conquering all under the sun.

The mark of the dreaded white walkers

Such a plot promises for a mighty series of battles, love and adventure. The series is based upon a line of books written by George R.R Martin and currently focuses upon the fortunes of the Stark family; A strong and hardy house of nobles from the bitter Northlands. The series has been very cleverly written as there is no clear line between good and evil, granted you instantly feel affection for the characters you come to recognise, but such is the way of Westeros that no-one can be trusted and each and every person has an ulterior motive and it will be up to the viewer to decide whose side they are on.

The ruthless Dothraki barbarians

The books upon which this series is based has attracted a huge following worldwide and has also inspired a range of merchandise ranging from T-shirts and mugs to board games and replica weapons. The timeline of history in Westeros spans a massive 12,000 years which allows for an epic scope of additional publications.

I personally like this series because it has revived fantasy to a more adult level, no more is it fixed upon magic and unicorns etc and more on love, war and politics. It makes for gripping viewing and has such a complex storyline that even if the viewer did not enjoy it; they would have to watch it through to the end just to tie up the loose ends.

Never have I watched an episode of a series and felt withdrawal symptoms when it finished, but game of thrones I find myself pinning all week for the next fix, and when it finally comes, I'm never disappointment; this plot is so unpredictable and intricate that you truly do not know who to trust or who to feel sorry for.

Watch out for this series and witness the noble houses of Westeros go to war over the mighty Iron throne... there can be only one king, but who will rule the seven kingdoms?

The fabled Iron Throne

A2, Post 23, Audience research

If I was going to create a breathtaking marvel of a piece, I had to have specific audience bracket in mind or how could I pick a target to work to? I could crate the best production in the world, but if the viewers don't like it I may as well grade myself with a U there and then...so, who is my target audience?

I already knew that wildlife films and documentaries have a huge following, but what if I could expand that even further? And how would I do it?

I looked to one of the most popular genres in film today; Action and fantasy, both of which have a gigantic fan base, but what attracted them? I conducted a brief survey to find out:

Out of around 100 people, the vast majority stated that the soundtrack was one of the major pull factors of a trailer, if the music was not up to scratch, then why would the film be any better?

Another major factor was the way in which the trailer is presented, most people surveyed prefer a trailer that leaves the viewer in the dark and wanting more, it seemed that my trailer had to give as much away as possible while revealing nothing... tricky.

Finally, the actual footage has to be of a high quality so as to grab the audiences attention, if it looks like a home movie it's simply not going to make the cut. Which is exactly why I filmed it on my phone... yes, my phone (It has an HD camera and gives the impression of being in the field).



So I suppose my audience was to be those who view action and fantasy movies on a regular basis, perhaps mid - late teens going on to early adults. But how could I grab the attention of such a rowdy audience with something as soft heated and gentle as mere wildlife? Well... simple, replace the usual placid atmosphere with fast shot changes and an epic crescendo of a soundtrack. Nothing to it... well, easier said than done, look back through some older posts to see my soundtrack research, or check out the second powerpoint presentation in which I explain in more detail why I picked this audience and how I intend to deliver.

A2, Post 22, So where have I been all this time?

Location, location, location.... A topic that has been dogging my every waking moment since the start of September... I was to create a trailer for a wildlife documentary, but where would I go to film the wildlife?

Naturally a few thoughts instantly come to mind such as the African plaines or perhaps the great barrier reef, but of course these were WAY out of reach, so I started to think a little closer to home with the following options:

1. The lake district

Admittedly not the best place for wildlife (To spaced out) but breathtaking potential for some panning or even time-lapse shots. Despite this potential though it was simply to far away and I had to find a compromise.

2. Breacon beacons

Not on quite the same scale as the Lake district but far more accessible, now, I DID manage to get here with filming in mind but tragically the camera broke on the first day, so I had to accept that my mountain shots were simply not to be.

3. The forest of Dean

By far one of the most beautiful places in the UK and perfect for filming wildlife up close and personal. The only downside being distance.. after quite the reality check I was forced to look even closer to home, but even still.. it's amazing what you can find when you look hard enough...

4. Blenhiem Palace

Hidden in plain sight was this architectural gem...but it was not the palace I was looking at, it was the 2000 acres of parkland surrounding it; complete with lake and waterfall, this was perfect:

(All below photos of Blenhiem are of my own taking)

The cascades provided the perfect level of drama for the production.

Even the parkland itself was breathtaking to behold and provided some magnificent panning shots

A view of the lake and the park gives a sense of scale to this magnificent location.

The parkland of Blenhiem Palace was used for a large amount of shot, not all of which made it into the final cut. But the setting of the lake was perfect for some stunning panning shots.

In addition to the Palace grounds I also took advantage of a road trip to Bournemouth in which I spent 6 hours in the local 'oceanarium', this provided the bulk of my shots as can be seen in the final out come of my project.

A2, Post 21, Ancillary texts

When I first chose these side projects I thought they would be a walk in the park to be honest. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

1. Make a film poster...
When reading this the first thing that came into my mind was Microsoft publisher, upon using that software I became aware of how amaturistic it looked compared to real world examples.

I enlisted Google images for a selection of movie posters with which I informed my work, I then faced the daunting task of putting it together. After painstakingly learning a new software I believe I have succeeded this to the level I intended.

I initially created a series of options from which I chose the best, and then I created 5 additional designs from that to create an overall piece that encompassed all the best bits from my research.

Below is the rough edit of the movie poster:

Overall I am very happy with this outcome as it has just the right levels of 'epic' and ambiguity to entice audiences, also, in a poll of roughly 50 people from all backgrounds (All year groups and staff), just over  40 said that this poster alone would swing the deal.

2. Make a film magazine front cover featuring your film:
This one was never going to be easy and required a lot of research, I could use 1 of 2 routes;
- Create a totally original piece ;
- Base project around existing publication but add as much original content as possible.

I opted for the second so that I at least had something to use as a template (I am a complete and utter beginner at photoshop).

I began by researching a number of film and media related magazines and ended up with "EMPIRE", a publication I have subscribed to.

Creating this piece was no mean feat, after about 3 months I managed to customise a similar font and format a layout that simulates the real thing to a high standard... all that remained was to add the actual 'filmy' bits.

Adding little magazine tidbits was fairly simple, but when it came to adding the section of my own film I hit a dilemma; do I make my production fill all the space or add it as if it was just another one of the films featured in this issue... I opted for the latter as covering the page in my film seemed to similar to the poster brief.

Below is the rough edit of the second ancillary text: