Tuesday, 13 April 2010
Photoshop Progression
At this point in time I have started my photoshop efforts to successfully develop a front cover of a magazine, which, in this case, is the British 'Sight & Sound'. The certain style I was attempting to recreate was that of the Sight & Sound issue that presented Quentin Tarantino and his newest film Inglourious Basterds. The blatent reference to violence, drama and also due to the nature of who the person is there is a slight 'spoof' element involved too. I was aiming to eventually darken the colour scheme and possibly adjust some elements of the image of the lead character and create a more artistic feel in order to stay with the Sight & Sound style.
Monday, 12 April 2010
New Trailer Research
This trailer for the yet unreleased Edgar Wright film 'Scott Pilgrim vs The World' displays the type of trailer that presents a series of tasks that the lead character must complete. The consistent issue of his dilemma is something that as a group we have decided would be a great addition to our film.
Juno is another studio release that is created in the style of a low budget indie dramedy. This can be seen in the 'hand drawn' aspects of the trailer, and is all a huge influence on our trailer. Such elements as the awkward comedic dialogue is also influencial.
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist is much like Juno in its style. A low budget indie film which, in this case, is more leniant towards the comedic aspects. Again, the use of 'hand drawn' text within the film is something that we hope to include in our trailer. The similar awkward humour to Juno is also something that we hope will subsequently be assisting our trailer.
(500) Days of Summer is a low budget indie dramedy that's unique style of storytelling, mixed with its strange and incredibly deep character development is certainly one of the key influences in our trailer. Again, it uses 'hand drawn' elements and has awkward comedic moments.
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Trailer Research
This trailer for the 2009 Guy Ritchie film Sherlock Holmes includes an effect in its trailer that we collectively believed would suit our trailer very well. The aspect of the trailer that we have taken influence from is the very end of the trailer in the build up to the climax. The sudden bursts of noise and striking images is something that in our viral trailer we believe will add to its appeal.
The music video for the All American Rejects' song Move Along has an incredibly unique technique that we are intergrating into our own trailer. The frequent cuts from image to image are something that we will combine with the technique that we have learnt in the Sherlock Holmes trailer and link them in with each other.
Although this is not a trailer for a movie, this promotional trailer for the videogame 'Halo 3' does demonstrate the perfect timing for the reveal of the lead character that we would like to show in our trailer. It also is a perfect example of how music can be used to coincide with the actions on screen.
This clip from YouTube of a variety of different Contra-Zooms (Trombone Shots) that have become famous over the years. Due to our hopeful inclusion of one of these incredibly unique shots, we aim to learn from those who have used them so well in history in order to make ours stand out.
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
5 websites that allow readers/users/contributors to create or participate in a collective identity
Spill.com: Movie Reviews, News, Trailers and Discussion
The specific identity that Spill.com allows users to broadcast over the internet is that of a superficial subject, in this instance it is Movies. The website allows for users to comment on the latest news or articles in a comment box underneath the article, this therefore allowing for personal opinions of film enthusiasts all over the world. Often a desire for acceptance and popularity leads to a 'one-up' nature in the comments, in which arguments and tests of someone's knowledge of films are apparent in order to create a certain persona. It could be argued that this is a perfect example of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, in which the lust for a reader or contributor to log in to this site and exert their opinions and ideas in order for them to gain acceptance and importance amongst a group of peers.
(Example of an article in which users are free to comment on)
The BBC Sport 606 Service
This service run by the BBC allows users to create discussions on an incredibly broad amount of subjects to do with sport in the country. The draw of this is often that over the radio certain broadcasters on BBC Radio 5-Live would read out the 606 comments if they are making a good point or are a poignant discussion. They also are quoted on front page news articles. Whilst this is also a repeat of the previous point about Maslow's hierarchy of needs, due to it being the desire to stand out and be accepted amongst a society of sports fanatics. Identities are constructed mainly through the addition of comments based around more than just a specfic sport, but certain teams within certain leagues at certain stages in a season. This sometimes minute by minute discussion board displays what is essentially the most accurate that sports discussion can get whilst also allowing the less hardcore fans the ability to log in and discuss things at a minor level.
(Example of a discussion on a current point which has been paraphrased in the genuine article)
Facebook
As the fifth most popular website in the world and the most popular social networking site, Facebook is essentially the world hub of broadcasting identities to the world. Due to the sheer number of people on the website, it allows for the largest scope of identities available, and the ability for each and every member to link in some way. There are two stand out aspects of the website which allow people to display their identities in the way they would like to and how they would like other people to view them. These are through the profile picture, which instantly states a first impression amongst anybody who visits the page. The other stand out aspect is the 'Info' section, which whoever creates the profile lists their favourite movies, books, music, hobbies and interests, whilst also writing a small bio of themselves. The strange thing about this section is that only friends can read this, so essentially the people who do read it already know who the person is, therefore, the bio is just the persona that the person writing it is hoping the reader will buy in to. Interpellation is another example of Facebook's continued efforts to group together as many people as possible into specific shared identities, and they do this in another key way, being targeted adverts. These usually base themselves around your interests, such as "Do you like The Arctic Monkeys? Then you'll love..." and giving you the link to either purchase their music or join a fan club.
Youtube
Youtube is another example of one of the most popular sites on the internet that takes a different approach to appealing to its contributors. the site is essentially just a whole database of videos that can be uploaded by anybody with access to the internet, and instantly allows an incredibly vast amount of people to watch and listen to certain things and create an identity based around their own interests within the entertainment world. The videos are always specific to a target audience, albeit some are more specific than others, yet all videos have a comment box in order for them to create discussions amongst fans and their opposites. Also, Channels and Categories split up those who are undecided about what they would like to see, and help to include the viewing public into more identity groups.
Twitter
Twitter is fast becoming one of the most used websites in the world, and its draw is due to its 'Followers' aspect, in which if you write something interesting, poignant or funny, another member of Twitter can read it an choose to follow you. Therefore, every time you write something, the message will appear on another person's home page. It's all very technical, but the method of following specific people who appeal to something that you are interested in an example of just how collective identities are formed and developed so easily over the internet. Another large part of Twitter is the 'Trending Topics' section, in which the most talked about things at that moment in time are frequently updated, and the talked about things are chosen for the 'Trending Topics'. This then causes Twitter users to discuss their views on the topic and group together whether they are seeing the topic in a positive or negative light.
The specific identity that Spill.com allows users to broadcast over the internet is that of a superficial subject, in this instance it is Movies. The website allows for users to comment on the latest news or articles in a comment box underneath the article, this therefore allowing for personal opinions of film enthusiasts all over the world. Often a desire for acceptance and popularity leads to a 'one-up' nature in the comments, in which arguments and tests of someone's knowledge of films are apparent in order to create a certain persona. It could be argued that this is a perfect example of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, in which the lust for a reader or contributor to log in to this site and exert their opinions and ideas in order for them to gain acceptance and importance amongst a group of peers.
(Example of an article in which users are free to comment on)
The BBC Sport 606 Service
This service run by the BBC allows users to create discussions on an incredibly broad amount of subjects to do with sport in the country. The draw of this is often that over the radio certain broadcasters on BBC Radio 5-Live would read out the 606 comments if they are making a good point or are a poignant discussion. They also are quoted on front page news articles. Whilst this is also a repeat of the previous point about Maslow's hierarchy of needs, due to it being the desire to stand out and be accepted amongst a society of sports fanatics. Identities are constructed mainly through the addition of comments based around more than just a specfic sport, but certain teams within certain leagues at certain stages in a season. This sometimes minute by minute discussion board displays what is essentially the most accurate that sports discussion can get whilst also allowing the less hardcore fans the ability to log in and discuss things at a minor level.
(Example of a discussion on a current point which has been paraphrased in the genuine article)
As the fifth most popular website in the world and the most popular social networking site, Facebook is essentially the world hub of broadcasting identities to the world. Due to the sheer number of people on the website, it allows for the largest scope of identities available, and the ability for each and every member to link in some way. There are two stand out aspects of the website which allow people to display their identities in the way they would like to and how they would like other people to view them. These are through the profile picture, which instantly states a first impression amongst anybody who visits the page. The other stand out aspect is the 'Info' section, which whoever creates the profile lists their favourite movies, books, music, hobbies and interests, whilst also writing a small bio of themselves. The strange thing about this section is that only friends can read this, so essentially the people who do read it already know who the person is, therefore, the bio is just the persona that the person writing it is hoping the reader will buy in to. Interpellation is another example of Facebook's continued efforts to group together as many people as possible into specific shared identities, and they do this in another key way, being targeted adverts. These usually base themselves around your interests, such as "Do you like The Arctic Monkeys? Then you'll love..." and giving you the link to either purchase their music or join a fan club.
Youtube
Youtube is another example of one of the most popular sites on the internet that takes a different approach to appealing to its contributors. the site is essentially just a whole database of videos that can be uploaded by anybody with access to the internet, and instantly allows an incredibly vast amount of people to watch and listen to certain things and create an identity based around their own interests within the entertainment world. The videos are always specific to a target audience, albeit some are more specific than others, yet all videos have a comment box in order for them to create discussions amongst fans and their opposites. Also, Channels and Categories split up those who are undecided about what they would like to see, and help to include the viewing public into more identity groups.
Twitter is fast becoming one of the most used websites in the world, and its draw is due to its 'Followers' aspect, in which if you write something interesting, poignant or funny, another member of Twitter can read it an choose to follow you. Therefore, every time you write something, the message will appear on another person's home page. It's all very technical, but the method of following specific people who appeal to something that you are interested in an example of just how collective identities are formed and developed so easily over the internet. Another large part of Twitter is the 'Trending Topics' section, in which the most talked about things at that moment in time are frequently updated, and the talked about things are chosen for the 'Trending Topics'. This then causes Twitter users to discuss their views on the topic and group together whether they are seeing the topic in a positive or negative light.
Friday, 27 November 2009
This is an updated and edited version of the original front cover that i designed. The text within the red bubble has been centered and changed to a white coloured font in order to stand out more and add to the professionalism. I also added a price above the barcode to assist the magazine in looking official.
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
FHM Front Cover
FHM Official Website
Creating the front cover for our magazines has assisted me in both granting me the ability to develop my new skills in Adobe Photoshop, whilst also presenting the complications that I still have with the software, and where I still need to improve before we target this in our coursework. Certain things have developed, such as the use of the polygonal lasso tool and implementing the overlapping and integration of layers to create interesting layered effects. I began the task with the intention of creating a ‘Sight & Sound’ front cover, but due to this causing much more havoc than it’s worth, I decided to change my intentions and create the front cover of an ‘FHM’ magazine, as my original task was possibly throwing myself in at the deep end due to my limited knowledge of how to use Adobe Photoshop. Specific difficulties that appeared where things such as attempting to find a suitable font to match the cover of the magazine that I was trying to imitate. The next time I attempt a task like this I think I will either research whether the magazine has a font which is available on Photoshop or whether the font they do use has a similar one that I could implement. I could also take the logo from an image found on the web and just drag and drop it straight into my cover to save time and add to the professional look that I would be aiming to obtain. Another difficulty for me was attempting to layer the certain elements of the page to make either text appear more extravagant or to overlap images with other things on the page to create a similar look to the specific covers that we had been given as influence. One thing that I enjoyed implementing and also found was one of the easier things to do within Photoshop was attaching certain text boxes to the front cover and advertising what would be within the fictional magazine we have created, whilst also making the headlines for the front cover look as professional as possible. Obviously, this links back to an earlier point about how the professionalism can only be obtained once certain fonts and positioning techniques can be used alongside it. These are the specific skills I aim to develop in the coming months, and will use this front cover of an ‘FHM’ magazine as a link to former work so I can analyse what I have improved when I am working on my coursework. One additional feature of Photoshop that I would need to learn to replace is that of 'Merging' layers. This is something that I have done with my original magazine cover and due to this I am unable to go back and edit the within Photoshop. Next time i create something like this I will have to be certain that I only link the layers together, otherwise I am stuck when a problem arises later on in production.
Friday, 13 November 2009
How has my creativity developed through using digital technology to complete my coursework productions?
Throughout the production of the coursework my creativity has benefited from the inclusion of such technologies as the editing software ‘Windows Movie Maker’, and the online video streaming website ‘YouTube’. ‘Windows Movie Maker’ was an easy introduction into video editing, and although it did not offer the range of possible editing techniques that have been promised for a future software, it was perfectly acceptable for the level of editing that was necessary at the point in time. ‘YouTube’ was pivotal in both the pre-production and post-production, as using the website for research materials when planning the basic ideas, plot and before filming to gain influential camerawork ideas from specific feature film scenes
Another key factor towards the pre-production of the coursework was the benefit of DVD’s that were essential in the research process and examples for how we would like to film specific segments, for example, the 2002 Danny Boyle directed horror film 28 Days Later, and the 2004 Zack Snyder remake of the classic horror film Dawn of the Dead, both included strong influences for what we hoped the antagonist of the production would share physical attributed with. Other films from the ‘slasher’ genre that we hoped to benefit from viewing were available to watch online from sites like YouTube and Metacafe, such as John Carpenter’s Halloween and Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Another key factor towards the pre-production of the coursework was the benefit of DVD’s that were essential in the research process and examples for how we would like to film specific segments, for example, the 2002 Danny Boyle directed horror film 28 Days Later, and the 2004 Zack Snyder remake of the classic horror film Dawn of the Dead, both included strong influences for what we hoped the antagonist of the production would share physical attributed with. Other films from the ‘slasher’ genre that we hoped to benefit from viewing were available to watch online from sites like YouTube and Metacafe, such as John Carpenter’s Halloween and Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
