The institutional information at the bottom of a film poster is in a very distinctive font - you can't make a film poster look authentic without it...
Luckily, we have downloaded the font on to school computers - it is called Steel Tongs. The way the font works is that CAPITAL letters work normally while lower case letters each correspond to one of the movie credits ('Directed By...' 'Written By...' etc.)
You may want to look at a Steel Tongs guide to see which letter you need for each credit - there are plenty online, here's an example:
Note: we have an older version of the Steel Tongs font so not every credit is possible - if you can't find the one you need, just change the credit. It won't cost you any marks!
Assignment 2 Film poster
Open a new document in Photoshop and call it Film Poster.
Remember that your poster can be portrait or landscape.
See examples from last year below:
Remember to revisit your conventions to use as a check-list for your own poster and use your sketch to see what you have planned for placement of the conventions.
Steel tongs font
The institutional information at the bottom of a film poster is in a very distinctive font - you can't make a film poster look authentic without it...
Luckily, we have downloaded the font on to school computers - it is called Steel Tongs. The way the font works is that CAPITAL letters work normally while lower case letters each correspond to one of the movie credits ('Directed By...' 'Written By...' etc.)
You need to use the Steel Tongs guide to see which letter you need for each credit - there are plenty online, this link has one website you can use.
Note: we have an older version of the Steel Tongs font so not every credit is possible - if you can't find the one you need, just change the credit. It won't cost you any marks!
Our production task for Assignment 2 involves coming up with our own film promotion for an original movie that we have created.
But before we create the film poster and trailer, we need to come up with a brilliant original idea for a new movie.
Work through the following tasks to develop your film pitch. Remember, it must be original and individual to you - this is NOT a group task.
Task 1: top tips
Read these top tips for coming up with your own idea:
1) Think carefully about setting and genre – make sure it's something that will appeal to an audience and will work for your photoshoot.
2) Avoid major stars – you’ll need an original image for the film poster and unless you know Brad Pitt that will be a difficult photoshoot to arrange.
3) Make sure the film’s narrative is easy to understand and follow – you only have a 30 second trailer to play with. If you can't tell the basic story in one sentence you need to simplify it.
Task 2: the key details
Come up with the basic idea for your film - title, genre, storyline, characters, setting etc. Discuss it with someone else and make sure you can tell the story clearly and easily. You may want to start by simply brainstorming different genres and ideas.
Task 3: writing the film pitch
You now need to start building your film pitch for your idea. This is the chance to sell your film idea using just one side of A4. Use this template to build your film pitch - this will be handed in and marked as part of your Assignment 2 Production work.
Film pitch planning
1) The first part of a film pitch is the title and tagline - basically a slogan for your movie. E.g. Alien - In space no one can hear you scream. The Shawshank Redemption - Fear can hold you prisoner, hope can set you free.
2) Next, you need a 'log line’ – a one sentence summary that will immediately grab the attention of a film studio or your audience.
Example log line - from Pirates of the Caribbean: "A 17th Century tale of adventure on the Caribbean Sea where the roguish yet charming Captain Jack Sparrow joins forces with a young blacksmith in a gallant attempt to rescue the Governor of England's daughter and reclaim his ship."
The rest of the pitch needs to cover genre, narrative, character and target audience. Follow the template and you will cover all the aspects you need.
Use this example we've written for the Hunger Games to help you if you're stuck.
Task 4: planning and sketching
When you have completed your film pitch - and it may take some time because you want a very good, original idea - you need to start planning your film poster and trailer. First, plan your photoshoot and work out who will be in your film poster and when you will shoot the picture. Then, sketch a draft of the film poster and start writing the text that will go on it. Remember: a film poster can be either portrait or landscape.
Help! Online resources
There are many resources online to help with writing a film pitch. Try these ten top tips for selling your script to Hollywood and the BBC Writer's Room for help.
Extension task
When you have finished your film pitch, planning and sketching, ask another student to look over your plans and suggest ways to improve them. Make sure you can tell the story of your film in one clear sentence - that's how you would sell the idea to a film studio in the first place.
If you have completed everything, you can start sketching a potential storyboard for the trailer of your film.
Homework: film poster photoshoot costume
The photoshoot for your film poster will be in the week after half-term: that means you will need to bring props and costume in!
IMPORTANT: Do NOT bring in anything resembling a weapon of any kind for the photoshoot. If you need a weapon for your genre you can add it digitally using Google Images and Photoshop.
