Storyboarding guidance

The second part of your production task for Assignment 2 is a 10-frame storyboard of your film trailer - for the same film as your film poster. 

What does your storyboard need to include?

• 10 frames
• Institutional information / studio logo
• Synergy (links) with your poster – the same image, tagline, release date, colour scheme etc.
• Production blurb
• Text on screen / voiceover
• At least three close up shots

Don’t forget the basics....

• Shot number
• Type of shot
• Edit/transition (cut/fade to black etc.)
• Dialogue/sound
• Camera movement
• Timing 

Plan and sketch using post-it notes and then draw a first draft on storyboard sheets (make sure you write about camera movement, sound, dialogue and any other details in the right-hand boxes). When you are happy with your storyboard, you can then draw a final draft with colour and fine-liner that looks fantastic.

Film poster production blurb: 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!

Film pitch: exemplar work

Quite a few students have asked for an example of a film pitch. Have a look at Kishan's work from last year for inspiration or read his film pitch below:

Unauthorised Personnel film pitch

Unauthorised Personnel is a crime/action/drama story about 17 year old student Clyde Kennedy, the son of Gerald Kennedy - a middle-aged criminal mastermind and reputed member of anti-government organisation: 'RTTS'. Gerald discovers that type U-235 enriched uranium is securely cached at Clyde's college site, which leads to a high-priority stealth operation executed by the academically successful and socially-anxious teenager; alongside unexpected personnel. 

Unauthorised Personnel offers an all-action element to the film Spy Kids. The film provides appeal to late-teen audiences with an effective coalition of serious crime, teen drama and explosive action. 

Clyde Kennedy has an established reputation of being the son in a criminal family and is neglected among his social groups for his intellect and shady background. Clyde commits the mistake (which he very soon regrets) of informing his father regarding the storage of type U-235 enriched uranium at his college. This develops interest for Gerald and results into Clyde having to operate a series of tasks under the surveillance of RTTS to obtain intel of accessing the lethal substance - tasks which could not only sabotage his reputation but also kill the 17 year old.

By Kishan Pandya

Film promotion: writing a film pitch

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 promotion, we need to come up with a good 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 – a sci-fi pitch may be difficult to realise with the time and resources at your disposal.
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 work on it more.

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.

Task 3: writing a log line
You now need to start building your film pitch for your idea. This is the chance to sell your film idea in approximately 150 words. 

The first part of a film pitch is the title and 'log line’ – a one sentence summary that will immediately grab attention.

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."

Write a log line for your original film idea.

Task 4: writing the film pitch
You now need to write the rest of your film pitch. Remember: you only have 150 words to play with. Make sure you include the following:

1) The ‘log line’ (a one sentence summary of the film's narrative or appeal) - in task 3 above.
2) Brief reference to your film's genre ("this film is an urban thriller...")
3) Brief reference to at least one similar film ("this film is a cross between The Italian Job and Spy Kids...")
4) Brief reference to the target audience for your film ("this film will appeal to the core cinema-going age group of 12-25...")
5) Indication of main characters ("The story is based around Jack - an honest guy who gets caught up in a major robbery - and Reuben, the villain who is after the money...")
6) Brief summary of narrative (what happens in the story)

Task 5: 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 Script 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.

Film posters and trailers

Film poster key conventions

• Central image
• Secondary images
• Title
• Tagline (like a slogan)
• Release date
• Stars
• Critic reviews
• Production blurb

Film trailers: key conventions

• Institutional details – film studio, actors, director etc.
• Short clips of key moments in film to introduce characters and narrative
• Fast paced editing to suggest drama and excitement
• On-screen text (replaces tradition of voiceover)
• Stars – usually early on
• Title and release date – always at END of trailer
• Critic reviews / quotes
• Social media hashtags / website details
• Production blurb (usually final shot of trailer)
• Music that communicates genre and ‘feel’ of film

Film language notes

Sound

Sound in film includes:

• Dialogue
• Sound effects
• Music
• Voiceover

Diegetic and non-diegetic sound

Diegetic: sound that is coming from within the sphere of the film. Remember: the characters can hear it. Example: dialogue.

Non-diegetic: sound that is NOT within the sphere of the film – only the audience can hear it. Example: soundtrack/music/score.

Mise-en-scene

Mise en scène literally translates from French as ‘putting on stage’. 

We use it in film studies to describe everything that appears in front of the camera.

When we analyse mise en scène, we need to look at the following:

• Actors (placement, movement, expression)
• Costume and make-up
• Setting and props
• Lighting and colour

Film posters and trailers: blog task

You are currently working on a case study for the film you have chosen from our list of 10. Complete the following tasks on your blog:

1. Create a new blogpost called ‘Film trailer and poster analysis’
2. Find the poster on Google Images and the trailer on YouTube for your chosen film
3. Embed them in your blogpost (you may need to save a small version of the poster to ensure it displays correctly)
4. List all the film poster key conventions you can find. How do these attract a potential audience?
5. List all the film trailer key conventions you can find. How do these attract a potential audience?
6. In your opinion, do the poster and trailer successfully promote the film you have chosen to investigate? Why?

If not finished during the lesson, complete for homework - due next Tuesday

Film Institutions: your own case study

Research the institutions behind one of the following films:

1. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
2. Taken
3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower 
4. The Wolf of Wall Street
5. Frozen
6. Blue is the Warmest Colour
7. 12 Years a Slave
8. Django Unchained
9. Precious
10. Pompeii

Use imdb.com, rottentomatoes.com and any other relevant websites you can access to find out the following information about the film you have chosen...


Your chosen movie
1) What film have you chosen? 

2) Why did you choose this film in particular? 


Institutional background
Use IMDB to find out the institutions behind your chosen film. Find your film, click on Company Credits and then look for the production company and UK distributor.

1) What was the film studio or production company behind your chosen film? E.g. Warner Brothers, Paramount etc.

2) Who was the distributor for the theatrical release of the film in the UK?



No brand loyalty
1) What genre does your chosen film fit into?

2) How can you tell it fits that genre? Be specific with reference to the trailer.

3) Is your chosen movie a sequel?

3a) If Yes, how does the film use the original movie or franchise as part of its marketing? 

3b) If No, are previous films by the writer, director or star mentioned in the trailer? 



It’s all a matter of timing
1) What was the UK release date for your chosen film?

2) When did the first trailer appear on YouTube for your movie? Find the earliest example you can and embed it in your blog.

3) What other examples of marketing (teaser trailers, main trailers, newspaper or TV interviews etc.) can you find for your chosen film from before the film’s release date?



It’s a social thing
1) What was the word-of-mouth like for your chosen film? If you can’t find tweets (probably blocked) use the IMDB user review rating or the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating to judge whether the public have given the movie a good review.

2) Find three quotes (no more than 25 words each) from user reviews of your movie to create a picture of what the public reaction to the film has been. Post them on your blog.



Risky business
Use IMDB to find out the box office records for your chosen film. Find your film, click on Company Credits and then Box Office/Business.

1) What was the original budget for your chosen film?

2) How much money did the film make in the opening weekend?

3) How much money has the film made in total? (Look for the subheading ‘Gross’ which has the total box-office earnings listed).



Stars in their eyes
Research the stars and director for your chosen film.

1) What films has the director previously directed? Are they in the same or similar genres?

2) Who is the main star in the film?

3) What other films has the main star appeared in? Are any of the films similar to the one you are researching?

4) Are the stars or the director or writer mentioned in the trailer for the film?


Complete for homework if you don't finish in the lesson - due next Thursday.

Institution: the movie marketing business

Key questions and answers from the film institution movie marketing lesson:

Why is movie marketing a risky business?
Because it is very expensive to make and promote a movie. A movie is a product with a limited shelf life. 

Why do movies usually have to be a hit on their opening weekend? 
If not they will tend to disappear very quickly, and the studio will make a loss on their investment. 

Why are sequels, remakes and reboots so popular?

These blockbuster movies already have an audience. The studio has greenlit a huge budget for the movie because they already know people will go and see it - often because it is based on a media text that already has an audience. 

Original movies like INCEPTION and AVATAR represent a huge risk for the studio backing them. Studios have a huge operating overhead, and put out a lot of flops that make no money at all, so they need a guarantee that a blockbuster movie is going to be make a comfortable profit. After spending $100 million dollars on a movie they can spend 50% as much again (or more) on marketing. 

Why spend so much on marketing a movie?

Most cinema tickets are one-off purchases: there is no brand loyalty. Your decision to buy is based on the marketing you have seen for that movie. With each new movie release, a studio has to create a new brand.

What two strategies do studios use to get around this?

Studios like genre movies (romantic comedies, horror) that already have a form of brand identity, as they can market them to a specific audience. This is also why they like sequels and franchises so much — a string of movies all based around the same brand are easy to market. 

Why can movie Stars also be considered as brands? 

Audiences feel comfortable going to see a movie starring Jason Statham because they know that they are going to get a specific sort of action movie (lots of fighting, not much talking). People may be fans of an individual actor and will go to see a movie because he or she is in it.

Why is this a double edged sword? (i.e. Why does this have benefits and drawbacks?)

Because Stars as brands go stale after a while, audiences tire of actors doing the same thing over and over again. Actors do not like to be restricted in their choice of scripts, otherwise they will quickly become typecast. Just consider the variety of movies that Johnny Depp has done. 

Why is timing so important for a movie's release?

Films have a limited distribution window (they may play in cinemas for as long as six months, sometimes only for a week). Movie marketing needs to get audiences into cinemas, and keep them coming. The movie studio may begin marketing a movie as long as six to eight months before the release date, especially to create anticipation for an event movie, using teasers.

What is a teaser?

Enigmatic posters or short viral videos designed to get people talking about the movie long before release.

How far in advance does the full-on marketing campaign start?

Most movie campaigns begin two to three months prior to release. However, a marketing campaign may build for as long as it takes to make a film (and keep changing, once it becomes clear how different audience segments are responding to the message).

Why are they over once the movie has been released?

Films can only be marketed effectively prior to their release. Once they have been shown in cinemas, word-of-mouth takes over from the marketing department in persuading audiences to go and see a film. Some movies screen at festivals for select audiences before they are released and are often re-edited between a poor festival reaction and the actual release date. 

Why is word-of-mouth so important nowadays?

Social networking. People tweet, post status updates and blog reviews as soon as they leave the cinema, and their reactions spread globally and instantly. If the consensus spreads that a movie is bad, it can have an immediate impact on ticket sales, even for screenings later that same day. 

What is Twitter Bombing?

BRUNO was the first movie to suffer this phenomenon - early screenings were booked out, thanks to the success of BORAT. Ticket sales took a nose dive once the first audiences tweeted their negative reaction. Equally, positive tweets and social network comments can promote a movie - for free - by building up buzz. 

Assignment 2: Genre and NCIS

Genre

One of the things a film production company uses to market a film is genre.


A film genre is made up of a repertoire of elements. That repertoire could include particular iconography, lighting, sound, or actors and directors associated with the genre. This list of features is known as a ‘repertoire’ because any given film within a genre may not use all of the possible elements, but it will use some.

NCIS

A useful acronym to remember what you need to look for when analysing the genre of a film is NCIS:

N = narrative (storyline)
C = character (people/character types)
I = iconography (what we can see)
S = setting (where it takes place)

These four aspects will provide enough evidence to identify the genre (or a hybrid of genres if the film fits more than one category).

Afternoon lesson / Homework

This afternoon, you need to work on the following:

1. Make sure your blog is up-to-date with your finished Assignment 1 magazine cover.
2. Choose three film trailers, embed the clips from YouTube and write an analysis of what genre each film is in and why. Use NCIS to help you.

Example:

Taken (2008)

Genre
Thriller

Narrative
The storyline is clearly shown to be a father willing to go to any lengths to rescue his kidnapped daughter. This is a tense, dramatic narrative that fits the thriller genre well.

Character
The characters are typical of a Hollywood thriller - the main hero: strong, brave and willing to do anything to rescue his daughter. The daughter is a classic 'damsel in distress', a female character requiring saving by a male hero. There are stereotypical villains - in this case Albanian, another typical aspect of a Hollywood thriller.

Iconography
There is plenty of iconography typical of the thriller genre: a car chase, gunshots, violence, technology, running and jumping from a bridge, explosions and smashing glass. All of these are typical of the action or thriller genres - in connection with the narrative, we can confidently say this is a thriller.

Setting
Although the trailer is only two minutes long, it has a safe American location for the daughter's birthday party and then a glamorous foreign location (Paris) for the rest of the narrative. Within Paris, there are clearly action sequences on roads, off bridges and in other settings that suggest action and drama.


Anything you don't finish in the lesson is homework.

Due: Next Tuesday