My Photoshop skills profile

Prior to creating my film poster on Photoshop, I decided to explain a previous production I had created as part of my coursework last year.

I have used Photoshop since last year when I started my AS Level in Media Studies. My assignments were to create a front cover, a contents page and a two page spread of a created magazine, which all totalled for my coursework mark. I had never used Photoshop prior to this and did not have any instructions on how to use it as I had joined the course a month later than the rest of my class. My first task set by my lecturer was to play around with the font and the backgrounds, to get used to the tools palette. Looking back now, this was of more help for me because it allowed me to be independent as apposed to being told what I should do and having the same outcome as everyone in my class. I gradually became more experienced in using Photoshop and began to create my first assignment, which was to create a magazine front cover.


The front cover required most of the things that the film poster will require, with roughly the same layout and content. To achieve top marks, I needed to make my magazine design appear as realistic and look official. I was required to fit certain objectives, such as: to include a barcode, to include my own photos and to include a magazine name. Before I created it, I briefly planned out ideas for the magazine’s layout, text and the title. When they were all consolidated, I chose the best designs and decided on a final one.
I first started with choosing my magazine name, sorted out the content of the text on the front, then chose a picture to support the main magazine headline, and finally sorted out the little details. All of the front cover was created on Photoshop and I used the majority of the standard tools on the tools palette.
The tools palette:

[1]

This is the final design of my magazine front cover:

I was very pleased how it turned out, and through it’s production, I was enable to gain experience in Photoshop and understand it’s features better.

The next assignment was to create a contents page. This was not as complicated as the front cover as it followed a typical layout in comparison with other magazines. The only key objectives that I needed to complete were to make sure that the numbers and pages made sense (that my double page spread was on the correct page numbers) and also to make sure it is easily readable.
I first sketched out plans of what the contents page would look like. I came up with 3 sketches and I chose the one that I thought suited the magazine best. When the correct template was created, I began to think of other storys to involve in the magazine, just for the purpose of the contents page. I then wrote a list of storys with their corresponding numbers on a sheet of paper so I could type them up later.
The first part of production on Photoshop was to create a grid with the pen tools, so that the layout was neat and readable. I also left room for small pictures to be inserted on the contents page. After this, I typed up all the required font for the page, then finally including the pictures.
All of the contents page was created on Photoshop and included pictures and text.

This is the contents page:

The third and final assignment was to create a double page spread. This was to coincide with the main story on the front cover. The majority of this assignment was font as opposed to layout like the two previous assignments were. So before I sketched up ideas of layout prior to creating, I first started to think of ideas for the text. I began to think of examples of stories that the main story could involve. Then I took the best ideas and began to use Microsoft Word to type it up. When all of the text was completed, I began to sketch ideas for the background and layout. I decided to make the text the main focus and just have one picture as well as the background picture. The background was a picture I took which was edited on Photoshop using a filter. All of the double page spread was created on Photoshop and included 1 picture and text.

This is the double page spread:

[1] http://www2.iastate.edu/~honeyl/313/images/photoshop/toolbar.png

My Film Poster - Ideas

After looking into film posters and film trailers, I decided to finally start to sketch ideas on horror film posters that I will then, later in a few weeks, recreate using photoshop and pictures I have taken. I gathered information from other film posters as well as previous knowledge of layout, and sketched 3 examples.

 

Slash

For this poster, I drew an figure with a cape on. When I first decided on a cape, I looked at previous posters from Star Wars, because I wanted to study the way the cape hung over the figures head, and also the folds and creases. The Star Wars capes focused heavily on shading, and I tried to re-create this in my image. I used shade to cover up most of the figure face, and used the colour black frequently to create a sense of darkness. I wanted to keep the poster simplistic but have a powerful meaning to it, so I left the background quite bare. To the right of the figure is the sentence, 'The shadows hold many dark secrets.' I used this to enhance the use of shadows, and show significance to the story and figure. 

 

The figure has 3 cuts on his face, and I wanted this to have an effect on the character and the story, so I used 3 cuts on the film title. Under the figure I expect the credits to be written and also the main actor's names. I also wrote underneath Coming Soon, as this film poster does not show or give away enough information to entice the audience.

Overall I was rather pleased how the sketch came out, and I would rate it 3 of 5 stars. ★★★☆☆

 

 

 

Blood Puppets

When I decided to create my second poster, I wanted to change the perspective of how the audience would see it. With the previous poster, there was no clear storyline that was displayed. This poster I tried to recreate a scene in which a guy is being tortured. I wanted to base it on the Saw series of films, so I looked into my notes and analysis from looking at the Saw IV film poster and others. This gave me the knowledge to re-create a film poster based on them. I drew a figure hanging by threads (as if a puppet) and then drew a collection of objects. If I reproduce it on photoshop, I'd want the background to be dark and the objects to be surrounded by shadows so that they are not clearly shown. I wanted to re-enact the idea that in Saw the victims tortured are involved in a game against others, so I used the sentence, 'How far would you go to prove you're right?' I also wanted to get the audience involved in the film.

At the bottom again, are the credits and the actor's names. I also put an 18 age certificate badge in the bottom left hand corner, to show that the film will be out soon and also it is a violent film only suitable for 18s and over. I don't think I put a lot of effort into this poster, but I think the idea is rather good, and if using the photoshop software it might turn out better quality. For those reasons, I would rate it 2 out of 5 stars. ★★☆☆☆

Blackout

This film poster was the first idea I came up with when I first decided my ideas. I wanted to create a sense of panic for the audience when they see the poster, by showing a terrified man sitting down in an electric chair. I wanted them to feel sympathetic for him, and for them to feel as he might feel. I used one solo light hanging from the ceiling to show that the room is empty and make the figure appear alone. I came up with the name of the film before I began imagining the poster, so I began to get ideas as to what my poster would look like. To enhance the use of the light, I used a lightbulb in the title as the O. I think this was a good idea as it's not just text and is almost like it has it's own twist to it. To help with viewings, I involved some positive quotes from magazines. If this was a real film, these could help by more people gaining another view about the film, and this could help them decide whether they should watch it.

As with the other film posters I created, I put the credits at the bottom of the page, but on this poster, I put the film title last. It was not much of a difference to the previous sketches but it could have a different effect to the audience. I also used shadows a lot in this poster, and also used the sentence, 'Darkness is our biggest enemy...' to scare and entice the audience. Considering that this was my first idea, I was very pleased with this sketch. I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars. ★★★★☆

Film trailer analysis

To coincide with the previous blog looking into film posters, I decided  to look further in to film trailer production, at how they reflect the film and also link with the film posters.

To find a perfect example, I needed to look into the blockbuster films, at either The Strangers or Saw VI. This is because the blockbuster movies would be more well known than independent films and could provide feedback which can be easily accessed, also they would more than likely have been shown more times as trailers than independent.

The film trailer I looked at was The Strangers. It was shown to audiences in March 2008 in America, prior to it’s May 2008 release.  Below is the trailer:

The trailer starts off with the company’s logo’s using effects such as fading in and out, and blurred writing. The company’s logo’s are placed on a black background, creating a sense of darkness and this enhances the film genre. Preceding this is a fade in of a landscape with dark colours, then there is a screen shot of a remote location surrounded by darkness and trees. This is accompanied by slow piano music using just piano keys not a melody, and also sounds of the forest (birds, crickets), trying to set an atmosphere. You are then introduced to the two main characters, the characters who’s names are printed on the film poster, using a hint of subtlety with a romantic theme. The character are shown talking to each other, as if in conversation with the music playing in the background, then there is a loud bang at the door. The bang halts the characters to look suspiciously at the screen. It is now that the audience are first introduced to the genre of horror. The music then stops and the audience are given the noises of a swing creaking, followed by deep bass thudding and then more piano playing.

For the first time in the trailer, the audience are introduced to text: ‘Inspired by true events’. This is repeated on the film poster and is an attempt by the production team to scare the audience before they’ve seen the film, and also make them believe that the film is true.  The words also allow the audience to tell themselves that the clips about to be shown in the trailer will be true and appear more realistic to them. These words are followed by further screeching noise from swings, and also an image of the swings themselves.

The audience are then shown more words: ‘We always tell ourselves,’ as an attempt to entice the audience and make them feel a part of the trailer and as one of the characters. Further words are followed after with short clips in between of roughly 3 seconds; ‘There’s nothing to fear,’ and then repeated with the words: ‘But sometimes we’re wrong.’ These words are also on the film poster and a way of audience being able to link the film to the poster. This was followed by a scene from the movie, with a character standing in view in silence whilst behind her, out of the shadow comes another figure. This scene is followed by a sudden black screen with another bang. The other character is then seen leaving a car with what appears to be a gunshot through the back window.

The characters then speak suspiciously using sentences like, 'There's someone out there!' which of course is used to frighten the audience. After the slow long clips at start of the trailer, there appears to be a lot more faster short clips now. There is a clip around 1:13 of the trailer which shows the couple with what appears to be an empty house, with music playing in the background. I think this clip is very powerful in the way it captivates the audience, and keeps them on the edge of their seats. The music plays while the audience still think there is someone in that house with them, the couple are then seen exploring their house, finding evidence such as a burnt mobile phone and writing on the walls. The audience now know they are being targetted somehow.

The trailer now draws to a close with an axe powering through a door, while the music gets stuck looping over. The characters are seen running away terrified about what lies behind the door. The background noise starts to dull down now, and all you can hear is the music looping, while the screen displays shots of the characters and the strangers. There are also words displayed on screen saying things like 'What are you afraid of' which targets the audience themselves and makes them a part of the trailer. When roughly 20 seconds of this is over, the music suddenly stops and the screen goes black. You hear a voice say: 'Why are you doing this to us?' and a response: 'Because you were home.' and the trailer finishes showing a blurred figure with a mask on, and the film title, The Strangers.


I think The Strangers' trailer is a brilliant example of an attempt to get the audience watching a sense of panic and interest into viewing the film. The way the trailer is put together and the sequence that it unfolds is well planned and makes the viewer want to know the rest of the story. Also the use of colour and lighting really has an effect on how the trailer can be understood to people watching.
I'm glad I had a look into The Strangers' trailer as it has helped me understand how the film poster is linked to the film. The poster uses the same techniques as the trailer, but without the use of animation or videography. It has also helped me with ideas for my film poster, for my next post I will start to look into ideas for my film posters.

Film Poster Analysis Part 2

 

  [1]

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

There is a powerful use of black on this poster, and this is used to create an atmosphere of mystery and darkness. The main focus is the top half of a figure’s head, which is not clearly visible through the shadows. There is a paragraph of writing above the figure, explaining briefly what the film is about, this allows the audience to understand the background of the film prior to seeing it, which could result in being more frightened. There is also no mention of actors names, which supports the idea that the film is made by an independent company and is not a movie blockbuster. Although the film was released in 1999, it was a new film of its time, as no major film previously had used the idea of a handheld camera in a horror film, and it therefore started a revolution. This poster is important as it was a huge independent film when it was released, and the difference at the time in the film as well as the poster, need to be noted.

 

 [2]

The Cellar Door (2007)
The first thing to note about this poster is that it is has won awards at film festivals which means it is more than likely an independent film. The film does not use actor’s/actresses’ names, and this is more than likely because they are not well know names, and they want to create a sense of mystery, as the to figures depicted in the poster are not shown clearly; the man at the top is hidden in shadows and the women at the bottom is trapped behind an enclosure. The poster uses the same font for all the major parts; the movie title; the positive quote and the slogan. The mention of previous films and how this film is like them entices the audience to watch it. It lets the audience have feelings about how the film will be before they actually watch it. It is also useful to gaining a wider audience because the other successful horror films would have their own fans which the production team hopes will want to watch this film.



Conclusion
Although I’ve only briefly looked at 4 film posters, I can see the differences in each. All of the film covers are clearly shown to be horror films or thrillers, and this is created by using the right colour saturation and by using certain lighting on the figures or objects on the poster. They each display something different, but all show a situation that may arise in the films. For example, in The Strangers’ film poster, you are shown two figures, and this is a screen shot of what happens in the actual film. This is used so that the audience who view the poster, can feel part of the scene, and also feel tension between the characters before the film starts.
From looking at and evaluating film posters, I have decided that I will use some of the ideas used in the posters and I will look at a couple of film trailers in my next post so I can gain a further insight into how the poster links to the film.


[1] http://www.elistmania.com/images/articles/260/Original/The_Blair_Witch_Project.jpg
[2] http://www.rapidsharecollection.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/the_cellar_door_movie_poster.jpg

Film Poster Analysis Part 1

One of our assignments approaching will be to create a film poster of a created film which will be created using the Photoshop software. Prior to this, I researched into some film posters that have been released to promote horror movies, as this is the genre I want to explore.
I first looked at two blockbuster films, as these were the most famous posters, and then looked at two independent films, so I could compare the way both are represented in different ways.
I chose to look at the two blockbuster hits: the Strangers and Saw 6.

[1]

The Strangers (2008)

This film poster captivates the audience with the image of a scene, and allows the audience to see the emotion of the two contrasting characters. One character looks worried and has a blank expression, showing a scared side, whilst the other is in the shadows with a mask on, showing a mysterious side.
The statement, ‘We tell ourselves there’s nothing to fear, but sometimes we’re wrong’ entices the audience and using first person allows them to relate to the situation the figures are in. The top and the bottom of the poster and the title’s font have a shadow to it, which enhances the idea that it is a horror film. There is also only mention of two names, which are the two main characters, the other characters are not seen and to keep a mysterious approach they do not mention their names on the poster. Finally, at the bottom of the poster, it says: ‘Inspired by true events’ which is an attempt by the production team to scare the audience before they’ve seen the film, and also make them believe that the film is true.

[2]

Saw VI (2009)

This poster is very gripping and is a good example of a typical horror film poster. The background is black to create an eerie atmosphere, and in view is an image of two hands with an appearance like that of gloves. The image sells itself because the only words used on the poster (bar the credits/film name) are: ‘Trust in him.’ and there is nothing else to try and attempt to gain an audience. This also supports the idea that it must be a film franchise, as people would not need to look at the film poster for possible storylines, and may already have expectations. There is no actors name’s, which doing this means that people may feel more scared as the actors have ‘no extra baggage’.


In my next post, I will look at the two independent films: Blair Witch Project and The Cellar Door.


[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Strangersposter.jpg
[2] http://www.collider.com/wp-content/image-base/Movies/S/Saw_6/Saw%20VI%20Saw%206%20movie%20poster%20%281%29.jpg

Facebook vs. Twitter

Two super-giants of the social networking world; Facebook and Twitter.
Although totally different, they both serve to connect friends together and allow them to see about their friend's daily lives.
 

Facebook

Upon first glance, the Facebook layout is more complicating. The home screen has many titles, providing the user with many different tasks that they can perform.
When you access the website, you are met with a sign up screen automatically. It suggests that there is no way to access the website’s main features unless you sign up for the service. This is a great way for the website to promote people to sign up, and also to gain as much people as possible.

When you sign up, you are asked to input details about yourself. Such information as your full name, birthday and email address. This information is automatically shown to everyone on your Facebook profile, but can later on be changed so most information can be hidden. I see this as an unnecessary means of allowing other people (possibly strangers) to access information about yourself. Once you’re set up and have a profile sorted, you are able to add photos, add videos, play games and various other types of media; most of which are shown to everyone. Facebook does warn users about the privacy settings, and if under the age of 18 does change the settings for you, so some of your content is automatically hidden when you sign up. Facebook is aimed at people who are ‘computer-friendly’ (people who know quite a lot about computers and networking) and would, more than likely, know how to change the settings. This would also explain why there are so many media applications and games on the website.
Personally, I think Facebook users’ details are shown to the public too easily, and Facebook should clearly warn or just block people from viewing certain information when you first sign up, as people can easily get side-tracked into putting too much information up for others to see.

The main way to socialise on Facebook is to comment (leave a public message on their profile page) each other, but you can also socialise on Facebook Chat.
Facebook Chat is an online instant messaging service that Facebook provides when you sign into your Facebook account. It lets you socialise without other people viewing it but also allows you to see who is online and on Facebook at the moment you are. It is a great feature that allows you to talk to your friends without the need of Windows Live Messenger to be installed.

Facebook has received recognition in the workplace and many companies have installed programs that disable access to social networking websites, so that employees focus on their work.
The Wikipedia page for Facebook claims that ‘Facebook has been banned at many places of work to discourage employees from wasting time using the service’ [1]
As well as time being wasted in the workplace, another issue that can arise is privacy/confidentiality being leaked on status’s. A great example is in the medical workplace, where doctors/student doctors have in the past posted about their daily lives in the medical industry but involved too much information.
This is explained in this article:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/AheadoftheCurve/medical-students-leak-patient-info-facebook/story?id=8650491


Facebook has also received much criticism in the past over many events.
Events caused because of arguments on Facebook, or involved the website.
Here are some examples of infamous events:

http://www.aolnews.com/surge-desk/article/facebook-hit-list-raises-fears-3-colombian-teens-murdered-an/19606812

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/8557273.stm


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1208147/First-cyberbully-jailed-Facebook-death-threats.html

Facebook targets the age group of 16-24 but people of all ages use the website.
The oldest person reported to have used Facebook was Ivy Bean of Bradford, England, who joined Facebook when she was 102. Ivy later claimed that Facebook was too complicated and moved over to Twitter.

Twitter

Ivy became more popular in the public domain after she joined twitter at the age of 104, becoming the oldest twitter user ever. When Ivy died, the public began to donate to the nursing home she lived in and donate to charity.
This article was written the day of her death:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jul/28/ivy-bean-oldest-twitter-dies

Generally Twitter is totally different to Facebook, but still serves the purpose as a social networking website. Twitter has a simplistic layout, far more simplistic then Facebook, and when people first go on the website, they are taken to a more interactive home-page; with an interactive scrollbar labelled ‘Trending Topics’ and with a regular update called ‘Top Tweets‘, which refreshes the most popular ‘tweets’.

The language used by Twitter throughout the site, tends to be slang, using words such as folks and it also tends to be second-person narrative, as if the website is talking to you directly using words like you. This allows the public and users of Twitter to feel more connected to the website and therefore more than likely sign up to the website.
When you sign up to the website, you are instructed to enter some information about yourself, but unlike Facebook, Twitter only asks for your name and email. This is a good idea as your information is not given to the website, and therefore not distributed on your profile. As information is not inputted, it’s not necessary to have it on the website, so Twitter only include your name and your picture when you visit a friend’s Twitter profile, but there is also room to write other information. Below is a picture of what information you give out looks like on your profile:

Twitter has many popular features that differ from Facebook. Twitter users are able to ‘follow’ someone, which means their Twitter ‘tweets’ become visible on your news feed. This is totally different to Facebook, which requires people to send friend requests to one another, and can only view their full profile if the other accepts the request. A Twitter user can also view another user's profile even if they are not following that person, but this can be changed easily in the privacy settings.
Twitter also only lets a user post a ‘tweet’ with a maximum of 140 characters, which enables more quicker, faster, simpler updates. This is helpful and ensures that twitter users do not clutter up with long updates and instead are short and get the point across in fewer words, and means that slang and ‘text-type’ (shortened language used in text messaging) are commonly used.

As Twitter is a key way of keeping updated on public issues and events, many events have become famous through the Twitter website.
Below are links to some examples:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/03/twitter-kanye-west

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/4518473/Stephen-Fry-posts-Twitter-updates-while-trapped-in-lift.html

Twitter is used by a wide age range of people, but on average used by 20-30 year olds. Because of the way users ‘tweet’ and share their updates, it is more commonly used by busy people, and used by famous celebrities. It allows them to write an update with just 140 characters, and therefore does not take as much time as Facebook for getting in contact with people. It also lets celebrities quickly post a link to possibly a document or a picture and save time explaining.

Although Twitter has no Instant Messaging service as Facebook does, Twitter allows users the choice to change how their Twitter looks to other people. It allows them to change their background colour/picture and also how the text colour would appear to others. I personally think this idea is good, because it lets users show their individuality in contrast to Facebook, where every profile layout looks the same.
Below is an example of how a Twitter news feed might appear:

After looking at both websites, I feel that social networking is used in people’s lives far too much. Facebook entices people to share information including pictures and personal contact details, which could lead to fraud or fake accounts. Twitter needs to be more strict with it’s privacy settings; allowing people to follow others without the need for requests. Social networking has only recently gained popularity during the last 5 years. From personal experience, I know the websites cause arguments and this can be avoided by not using them as much as people, especially young teenagers, do. A study showed that ‘Using Facebook regularly could make users insecure, narcissistic and have low self-esteem.’ [2]
It could also lead to personal information being put out in the public domain, which could inevitably cause family or relationship problems.

On the other hand, social network websites are a good tool to reconnect old friendships, and could also be helpful when getting in contact with teachers, lecturers, bosses or anyone you urgently need to talk to, as opposed to calling or emailing them.
It can also provide teenagers with the confidence to meet new friends, and go to events which can be organised on the sites. They are a good way of getting a message across to a lot of people at one point.
Out of both of the sites, I would choose Twitter because it causes less problems for people and is a lot easier to use. Nonetheless, Facebook can only cause problems if you let it, or if you give away too much information. I think the real message people need to focus on if they are to sign up to a social networking website is, be careful what information you put on them, as you never know if anyone is who they say they are.



[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook 7.9.2010 22:45pm
[2] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1310230/Facebook-users-narcissistic-insecure-low-self-esteem.html 10.9.2010 3:58pm