Audio Script shown in YouTube video above –
From looking at the audience feedback via the questionnaire (above) which was answered by my target audience (between the ages of 15 – 30 as the age certificate would most probably be a 15) I have noticed how I could have improved upon these products. When looking at the poster, the participant said they thought the red eyes were effective.

Also, that the eyes and the ring were one of the first things you see when the poster is shown so you automatically know that the film has something to do with the ring as well as the type of genre it could be such as supernatural, horror or thriller. However, the participants also stated that the slogan underneath the title “Sometimes a new beginning, could be your end” was difficult to read. I also agree as I could have put it in a dark red colour which not only would be easier to read, but it could also link in with the release date at the bottom. Some thought the black and white was too plain, however this effect was intended, especially the smokey background. I thought the use of colours wouldn’t create the right atmosphere or wouldn’t show the genre correctly.
The majority of people said they would read the magazine which is positive; however participant 3 said they would think about it because there aren’t any images of other horror films. I do agree with this as ‘Digital’ is a film magazine so it should include others than just The Swarm. However, I have included this within some of the cover lines such as “From The Shining to Saw” and the list of 80s horror films. I decided not to use any images from other films as they were not original images and I did not have permission to use them.

The main aim within the trailer was to make people feel uncomfortable and to create suspense. From the audience feedback, I believe this has been successful. One participant did say that the beginning of the trailer (the equilibrium as stated by Todorov) went on too long. I do agree with this but I wanted to set the scene by showing the location and her moving into the house as a basis for the storyline.
Overall, the audience feedback has allowed the overall products to be a success. If I were to go back and redo this process, I would be able to notice these weaknesses and change them to enable a more professional product.

2. How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary tasks?

I think the three products I have created – including the trailer, magazine front cover and the film poster – fit together and work well. The house style was one of the main aspects I wanted to include in all three products so there is a link as well as connotations/meanings behind the use of colours and fonts for example. Another reason for the constant house style is so that the audience can link all of these products together. By using the main actress and the same image within the trailer and two ancillary tasks, the audience can link her to the film (this is the same with the colours used). hypothetically, once the audience walks past and sees the poster or magazine cover, they will automatically know what film it is. The use of the black background is to adhere to the traditional conventions of not only the horror genre but also of the magazine and poster. The use of the white smoke effect on top of the black is really effective and again, is in keeping with the genre.

I have taken this inspirations from similar films such as “The Possession” and “Missed Call” that show a simple image upon a black background. Much like “The Possession” poster, I have also used red – connoting danger and blood – for the release date as it stands out against the black background as it could be seen as one of the most vital pieces of information on the poster. The white is used for the title on all three products  so it could be read easily, be different from the other text and could possibly represent the main character in some way through innocence and purity. The font ‘Trajan Pro’ in capitals has also been used throughout as I had found that it was the most liked when considering the horror genre (as noted by myself and classmates). I decided to use capitalisation as it makes the text bolder and more extreme, using lower cases would be better suited to comedy or romantic genres as they represent a softer ideology.

Using the same character (and even the same image in the poster and magazine) in all three products links in well and was intended so that the main focus would be on her and her story line within the film. Looking at theories such as Laura Mulveys Male Gaze and Blumler and Katz’s Uses and Gratifications  I believe I have achieved this by using Amy as the main character which adheres to the traditional conventions as she is the victim (stereotype).

A male has not been used in any of the products I have created which challenges these conventions. The Bechdel test supports this as firstly, there are at least 2 women shown, secondly, they talk to each other and lastly, they talk about something (the strange events) rather than men. I wanted it to be this way as the film is a horror and the main focus should be on the story line such as the strange events happening, the ring and the young girl who died in the fire; rather than certain relationships (which are shown in almost every film).

Overall, I like how the three media products link in with each other and show similar aspects such as the logo, same font, same colour which establish the film and allows the audience to connect these together. I could have used a different image of Amy on the magazine front cover – as it is the same as the poster – but the image of her looking straight into the audiences eyes as well as her holding her hand on her chest symbolising that it is important (the ring) made it look really effective. Although they have similar qualities, there are distinct differences between each piece, showing what they are. For example, the poster has the billing block and release date at the bottom of the page. The magazine front cover has a bar code, price and cover lines showing it is a magazine. I also could have used a similar or same image to the 2 ancillary tasks within the trailer itself such as flashing in between clips (much like the flashing of the newspaper article and her screaming).