My completed trailer storyboard

Selected Scenes for my film's trailers

1) Gravestone- set up the starting point of the film and also easily understood

2) Labyrinth,  POV shot racing through as if you are there - connotes main setting used in the film and to establish the fantasy genre, [Entertainment and Diversion]

3) Villain at the end - set up binary opposition and to interest the audience, not much is shown of him (enigma)

4) Ivy that traps Lucy - magical, fantasy

5) Fighting creatures - main convention of action adventure, also magical/fantasy

6) Close up of moving map - (icon of film, sets up idea of a journey/treasure hunt)

7) Running through underground passageway - (adventure aspect)

8) Lowering coffin into grave with children in background - can introduce characters and sets up the film's beginning.

9) Finding things along the way that will help them on their quest - fantasy side and also to get a feel for the film but the actual coins needed in the film not shown so the whole film isn't given away,

DYM opening sequence feedback

Hi Sheena

You have produced an excellent storyboard which shows very good genre and narrative knowledge. You have included the film company credits, but you are missing the cast and crew credits. These are required if you need to use this work in an exam. Pls see Ms B's advice on the blog for guidance.

Shot List & Storyboard for My Opening Sequence

DYM HW feedback

Hi Sheena

You continue to produce research HW of an excellent standard, and your blog should provide you with a very effective revision tool. Keep it up.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1

Teaser Posters – there were several sets, the first just showing the release dates of HP7 part 1 and 2 with the well-known site of Hogwarts in the background. ‘It all ends here’ triggers enigma as the audience will want to know what happens and the teaser poster is only meant to generate interest in the film so it suits its purpose. The other teaser posters feature the main characters usually by them self in a close-up with copies that are enigmatic and connote that there is a big challenge ahead of the children.

Official Poster – shows Harry, Hermione & Ron on the run with sparks around them. This poster is again dark and dreary and uses the same font as the other films continuing the branding. It shows the three friends running from something (Voldemort or his followers probably) and red sparks (magic)  

Teaser Trailer – it was aired during the 2010 MTV Awards so it could reach out to its audiences. It shows a range of fast-paced shots, mainly dark with friends fighting, forests connoting isolation. Danger is the focus, which interests the audience, and there is not an absolute sense of the plot so keeps the audience interested for the future trailer.

TV Spots – The first was aired during the season premiere of The Vampire Diaries which would target their audience (fantasy fans), however it is more of a female show, so maybe on a show for both genders may have been more appropriate. TV Spots, the second being on Cartoon Network of which I think is not the primary target audience as younger children.

Official Trailer: full of action, several settings, and characters that are well known to HP fans – The Ministry of Magic, The Burrow. London is shown, and the fast-paced shots and music engage the audience if they have not seen any of the other films before as there are so many snippets from the film. The onscreen text ‘Only One Can Live’ describes the battle between Harry (the protagonist), and Voldemort (the antagonist).

Website: offers the conventional, casts, games, gallery, downloads. It opens with the trailer which achieves synergy. However, there are lots of links to other sites to improve the marketing campaign. ‘Previous Years’ shows the DVDs of the previous films with links to buy; ‘Shop’ takes you to the WBShop.com where you can buy merchandise. There are links to social networking sites – Facebook and Twitter and there is an iPhone app and a Facebook app (Join the Final Battle). Fans can also go on ‘Muggle Hub’ an extra website. They can go on Harry Potter: The Quest

In September 2009, details were released about The Wizarding World of Hogwarts (a location at Universal Studios) that would recreate locations from the books (e.g. Hogsmeade) and sell merchandise to further reach out to the HP fans.

ABC Family broadcast interviews and additional scenes from both parts during their Harry Potter weekend, which began on 8 July 2010. Deathly Hallows was represented at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International event where several props from the film, including the Elder Wand and Slytherin's Locket, were on display (iconography). A 50-second clip featuring never-before-seen footage was aired at the 2010 Scream Awards.

Overall, I think the film's marketing campaign is excellent. The variety of different posters and the trailer really shows the film at its best and the music just creates a great atmosphere. It is unbelievable, the amount of different things you can do on the website and its related sites, so the audience won't get bored. The next part will be even better!! :)

Homework: Moodboard to represent men and women in A-A films

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DYM pitch feedback

Hi Sheena

Just to recap on the main points of your presentation feedback:

1. Refine the family relationship in the film: children lose their parents when young and go to live with grandparents. Gfather was an explorer/adventurer? disappears. SOme years later, Gmother dies. Eldest sisters sorts through memory box and finds the map.

2. Give your characters and setting a British film context: think about different age and race representations.

3. Make sure that you have thought about your plot synopsis in terms of Todorov's 3 part structure.

Pitch Presentation

Sheena pitch

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My Film's USP

The USP is that the hero in my film is both young and girl which is unconventional of action adventure films. THis will fit with Steve Neale's theory of repetition and difference.

Homework: Target Audience Profile

An ordinary 12 year old boy who enjoys watching a range of different films. He likes to immerse himself in the films and enjoys watching action-adventure films especially ones with young children going on journeys together as he can empathise with them and also look up to them as the main actor will most likely be older than him. Girls are also in the target audience as the cast is mixed too but the film generally is aimed at a multicultured audience of pre-teens

Homework: My Film Pitch (Edited)

The Labyrinth

Narrative: Equilibrium -  Siblings Mei(17) (adopted), Kyle(13), Lucy (10) Myers live with their grandparents as their parents died when they were very young. Their grandad mysteriously disappeared a few years ago and their grandma just recently died. While looking through her grandma's old things, Maddy finds a map with many names ending in Myers including their grandad, Edward Myers who was last. She shows it to to her Kyle and Lucy.. They figure its a treasure map and knew their grandad was an explorer so thought that it must be a family treasure because of all of the Myers. The map shows the location 'The Cupboard Under The Stairs' so the children go there and rummage around and find a door at the back which opens to a secret underground passageway.. At the end of it, they come out into a forest, and meet a troll, Klioni who tries to attack them as she is unsure if they are good or bad.

Disruption: After holding up the map and saying they are the Myers family, the troll calms down. She tells them that their grandad is still alive but has been captured by the evil moster Dracufius. The map shows the first location where they must find things to help lead them to and save their grandfather from the clutches of evil villain Dracufius. The next location appears on the map after they find the first coin.

 

Resolution: 1^st challenge: Fight off goblin Mrakidi to get bronze coin.

2^nd challenge: Fight female ogre Froogador to get silver coin...

3^rd challenge: Children and Klioni go to Draficius' labyrinth. .He tries to trap them inside the labyrinth with sweet smelling rainbow coloured flowers but Klioni warns them that the flower will suck them in if they touch it, as she knows alot about this side of the mystical world. Dracufius nearly manages to strangle Lucy and Simon with entwining ivy. They find a gold key.
The actual resolution is the killing of Dracufius, who turns into a tw-headed Dragon.  They get his gold coin, and then the map shows the location where the treasure is buried. When they come to the cave which is secured by a door, they use the key to open it. They then find their granddad and use the three coins to open up the treasure chest which has money and jewellery and a letter from their great grandfather.

Restoration :  ThThere are 5 rubies in it which allow them to be transported back home. The  End :)

Iconography: The fights with magical creatures, treasure,map

Characters

Heroine: Mei- Sophie Wu
Helpers: Josh -Asa Butterfield

Lucy: Ramona Marquez
Donor:  Klioni (troll)
Villain: Dracufius (Christopher Walken)

Grandad: Ben Kingsley
Villain's Helpers:  Froogador (ogre)

Mrakidi (goblin)

Director– Chris Columbus

Producer - Michael Barnathan.

Setting: Set in England in park/forest similar to trent park...

Target Audience: 10 years+ of girls and boys.  

Marketing Plan:

Releasing : May 2012

Website – has plot, characters, games, links to trailer and videos of film in production, director's blog

Teaser Trailer– quick snippets that follow three-part structure, just shows first monster and 3 kids disembarking on journey through woods.

Official Trailer - quick snippets that follow three-part structure, male voice-over with on screen text.

Poster – 3 children , plus villain and 2 monsters in the background. Setting in the woods.

Inspiration:

The Spiderwick Chronicles, Stormbreaker, National Treasure, Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief, Aliens In The Attic

DYM HW feedback

Hi Sheena

Excellent analysis, showing clear understanding of the tasks. Gadgets are a key part of iconography, and costume too. General setting is mainly urban, highly populated areas - state of the art buildings or run-down, deprived sections of the city. The blog is also well presented. Well done.

Homework: A-A Clip Genre Analysis

Narrative:

Equilibrium: Very short like several other films. Alex at school.

Disruption: His uncle dies and he is recruited by Alan Blunt from MI6 who was his uncles boss to find out a bit more about Darrius Sayle, billionaire whom they find suspicious.

Restoration: Mainly Alex’s experience at Sayle’s Enterprises finding out what he is up too. This is most of the film and conatisn action scenes such as hism  Alex manages to destroy the button that was going to activate all of the Stormbreakers and kill all of the pupils. 

There are many action scenes with martial arts like this one to attract audience’s attention and to make them feel engaged in the film. Music is fast paced in this clip, along with enhanced sounds of the rope whipping the men to make a stronger atmosphere. Other themes addressed are teamwork, family, and friendship which underlie several action-adventure films. He uses his zit cream to break a massive water tank in which he is trapped with a deadly jellyfish. 

Iconography:

GADGETS: Yo-yo - super nylon cord, Bag - parachute, Zit Cream - works its way through metal. Call-Up game - PDA scanner and transmitter, Pank station game - bug finder, Green Screen - smoke bomb, Fountain pen - sodium pentothal ink that allows someone to do exactly what you say. Also, the start of the film starts with an explosion and there is chases throughout the film connoting it is an action adventure film.  

Guns used a lot during the film, and people are often dressed in black clothes (secret identity. The actual Stormbreaker uses special effects and advanced technology that can interest the audience and is part of action-adventure films.

Characters –

Hero: Alex - young teenage boy,not conventional hero but now there are more action-adventure films with young protagonists. He is a normal schoolboy, an orphan who lives with housekeeper and friend Jack Starbright.

Villain: Darrius Sayle, owner of Sayle enterprise. He was bullied as a young boy and called Darrius Smells by the boy who grew up to be the prime minister. Sayle has his own helpers, Mrs Vole and Mr Grin who help him to try and kill Alex once they find out he knows about the virus.

Donor: Smithers. He gives Alex the gadgets that help him on his mission.

Setting:

This scene is in scrap yard which could be dangerous as hardly any people go there. Also all of the used carsAlex nearly dies from being in a car and nearly being crushed. One part of the film is in a mine which also connotes danger. The city is vaguely shown but still plays a role more towards the end when Alex breaks into the Science Museum. High offices are used as the secret headquarters of MI6 . At the start when his uncle dies, the setting is an empty road, connoting isolation.

Homework: Genre and Narrative Analysis

Wild Child

I chose to analyse Wild Child as it is a great chic-flick which includes elements of comedy and drama.




Propp's character types

HERO - Poppy. She changes from a Malibu princess to a member of the Abbey Mount boarding school in England. The film follows her journey of trying to get expelled and then realising she actually wants to stay at Abbey Mount after making friends and finding out that her mum also went to the same school.

VILLAIN - Harriet. She is always trying to get Poppy ) into trouble with the headmistress and she tries to frame her in the ‘Honour Court’ in this clip. Harriet is jealous of her as she is prettier, more popular and catches the eye of Freddie Kingsley whom she also likes. The arguments between Poppy and Harriet are comical and engage the audience with the film e.g. when Harriet dumps rubbish on Poppy. Their binary opposites make their encounters even more hilarious.


PRINCE (IN THIS CASE) - Freddie Kingsley (the headmistress' son) - Gender roles have been reversed as the villain and hero are female. They both like the prince, Freddie and in the end Poppy gets Freddie.

HELPERS - Her friends Kate, Drippy, Josie and Kiki. In this clip they realise that she is innocent and try to help her. At first they help her to do things to get expelled and this brings them closer together.

Narrative Theory

Equilibrium - Poppy and the English girls become friends and are getting on, go shopping and go to the school dance and enjoy themselves. (MAIN - Poppy living a lavish lifestyle in Malibu throwing parties and having a great time with mates and shopping)

Disruption:In this clip, it is where Poppy is taken to Honour Court and could be expelled. However, the main scene of disruption in the film is when Poppy throws her dad's girlfriend's  expensive clothes into the sea and this leads to her dad sending her to boarding school in England which is where the narrative progresses.

Restoration: When Harriet accidentally talks about a lighter that no-one has mentioned before and gets herself expelled. Poppy, KAte, Drippy, Josie and Kiki go on to play and win a lacrosse game and Poppy continues at Abbey Mount school going out with Poppy and shows her dad she has become a better person and is no longer full of attitude. (MAIN - makes friends enjoys herself. Most of the film is based around the 'restoration')

First postt

Hey everyone... this is my first post.. action adventure filmmss :)