Evaluation Question 2How effective is the combination of your

main product and ancillary texts?

REVIEW

How does my review inform my audience about my

film?

One of the main elements that informed audiences was the

combination of layout elements and the way that the review was

actually written . On one side of the page is a review of the film, and the effects that the film has, and

then on the other side, an impartial synopsis of the films overall plot. By placing the two next to each-

other, it gives the viewer a chance to look at both, and make a

reasoned judgment on what they think of the actual film, instead of being simply told what to think.

How does the way that the poster attracts people differ to the way that the poster

does?

Both the poster and the review share very similar aspects; both have reliance on

layout, aesthetics and content. However, this is to different purposes, and shown to achieve different things. For example, the poster is used as a marketing device; it is mainly seen by people who have never seen the film, and acts as an anchor,

drawing people towards the actual film. However, the review is something that is seen potentially after the poster is seen.

The poster could be seen as cursory, whereas the review is much more in depth,

providing detailed information for the audience to make a reasoned judgment. Differences between the two are obvious; one (the review) has may more words on it, and depends on content much more

than looks.

Is my review in any way biased and what might

impact of that be?

Bias, in a review written by myself and about a film

created by myself, is going to be obvious and apparent.

I believe that bias in a review of this manner is

something that is unavoidable. However, I did

try to minimise this. An impact of this could be that the audience may feel that the review panders to the film, and could deter the

audience from watching the film entirely.

From reading the review, what do we learn/understand about

the genre of/audience for/ director’s rationale for the film?

One of the things that is detailed in the review is the context of the film, and the way in which I have tried to make the point of the film. I wanted the rationale of the film to be clear; I wanted to be clear that I was trying to make a point with the film…

How effectively does the film review break down the themes and issues of my

film?

I believe that the the review breaks down the issues

behind my film effectively, as it provides a number of things. One of those things is a contextual look at the film; it compares the film’s

problems to those that existed further back in history, and as a result,

gives the audience a more reasoned look at the issues of the film, and how long

those issues may have been around for.

POSTER

From looking at the poster, what do we understand about the audience of the film?

One of the things that is communicated by the poster is a sense of youth. I used irregular fonts to connote a sense of irregularity; something that is normally synonymous with the in’s and out’s of teenage life. The sans serif fonts that I used create an irregularity in the poster, meaning that the design has a much more modern feel to it. The simplistic colors used also mean that the main points of the design stand out, and each part complements another. For example, the red of the graphic helps to create a point of interest in the poster, drawing the viewer in

How effectively does the poster represent the themes and issues of the film?

One of the things that I tried to represent in my film was the instability of youth; a culture that has been existent for years and years is slowly being turned on it’s head, and I think that this scares people. Change is difficult to accustom to, especially when something that you may have gone through has now disappeared, and has become irrelevant. The sans serif font that I used was used to show that instability and organic style of change.

How far and how effectively does the poster reflect the style of the film?

I tried to represent a minimalist nature in the design of my poster; by only using clean colours such as white, black or crimson, I wanted to keep as much of the viewer’s attention on the poster as possible. The minimalist style of the poster co-ordinates with the style of my film, as it could be said that the style of my film is also very minimalist. Close coverage during a large portion of the film means that I was able to create certain connotations and deeper meanings in my film, as well as retain a certain aesthetic quality, such as overexposing natural sunlight in camera to create a sense of isolation.

How does my poster inform my audience about my film?

There are a number of elements that I have employed in order to make sure that the audience knows about my film, but at the same time, retains a degree of mystery/ For example, the central graphic (a pot of glue) has certain connotations, such as a role within education, etc. An audience member may be guessing, but will not know what the glue actually represents until they see the film or read the review, thus creating a synergy between the three. Awards banners at the top signify that the film has been nominated for an award of some sort, whereas quotes to either side of the graphic from media professionals mean that the audience will believe what is said, as it is from a trusted source.

How effectively does the poster advertise the film?

One of the things that I tried to achieve when designing the poster was to create something that had impact. Instead of having a number of elements dotted around the page, I wanted to focus the viewer’s attention on one point, and then base other elements around that one point. For example, the title, directly below the graphic, means that a viewer looks directly from one to the other. This means that the viewer works their way around the poster and as a result, sees everything, as opposed to only a few minor details. Bright , but played-down , colours are used to divert attention.

What preconceptions does the poster develop in the mind of the viewer?

One preconception that immediately springs to mind when looking at my poster from the eyes of a first time viewer is that it looks fairly alternative; in that the color scheme used, the layout, type faces etc are all non-standard. Many mainstream films do not use layouts in this manner because they give too little away. However, because my film is away from mainstream entertainment, I can do just that; I can give away as much or as little as I desire in the design. Another preconception could be that the film revolves around children, what with the child like font used for the main title of the poster.

SHORT

What thematic elements are

common to both the main and ancillary

tasks?One of the main thematic elements that runs through both the ancillary

and main tasks is a theme of education. I tried to explore them differently in both the main and ancillary tasks. For example, by only using one graphic in the ancillary task means that the element gains

an atmosphere of simplicity. This is also something that I wanted to pull through to my main task. The main graphic of the poster is something that has been changed in post production (Photoshop) is something tat was done to create a different representation; changing the colors and turning it into something that isn’t as recognizable is something that I

wanted to portray in my film.

How do my ancillary tasks impact on my

main task?When creating both of my ancillary tasks, a big part of that creation impacted upon the

creation of my short film. For example, when creating the poster, I had to make sure that

what was being represented in the poster was synonymous with what was being represented

in the film. I wanted to make sure that the same themes and issues ran through each

element of the production process.

Are my ancillary tasks a clear reflection on my

main product?

The ancillary tasks, the poster in particular, was designed to explain the same themes and issues as are present in the main task. For example, the simplicity and layout of the poster that I

created was designed to divert the film’s atmosphere away from other mainstream films, and create the impression that my film is a more independent film, which it is. Working under the genre of social realism, I wanted to show that my film had this connection to the ancillary task, and that the connected elements have all

built onto each-other.