Magazine comparisons

During this blog i will talk about the differences between a mainstream film magazine, and an independent one:

Total Film

Sight and Sound

• Total film magazine is usually have one main person on the cover, and that becomes instantly noticable, however with sight and sound, it usually has a person on it, but he/she is less known, and it isn't usually just their face.
• In total film, it's target to people who are into a more mainstream kind of film, and therefore are more likely to mention the film in the front cover, instead of mentioning the people behind it (like interviews with indie directors, writers, cinematographers e.c.t.)
• The colour scheme in total film are much more epic than in the sight and sound one, the colours are dark and brooding where as in the sight and sound one there are a nice palid blue which matches his pale skin anad shirt.

Movie Title Draft

I like this layout the best because it works well with the simplicity of the genre. The picture i ghave chosen is very simple and it's quite ambiguous, like with the posters i studied the picture that acompanies the poster usually has little connection to the poster. The colour scheme i will use will probably be black and white, which is simple. The font i want to use with co-ordinate with the colour scheme, but i may use a bolder colour to attract people's attention.

Distribution Companys

Distribution companies are the main companies that give films the money that they need to make the film. The basis of the film is that they control of the marketing, the budget and how the money is distributed into different parts of the film department (e.g. Stars, Marketing, and how many takes e.t.c.)

Below are some of the mainstream Distribution companies

• Universal Studios
• Miramax
• DreamWorks
• New Line Cinema
• Paramount
• 20th Century Fox
• Working Title Films.


Because my film is a drama, I would like to use a production company that really knows how to market and distribute this film.

Poster Analysis

Little Children


Little Children's poster has a bare minimum amount on it, it seems to rely on it's star to maintain an audience.


i,Robot (2004) Action


i,Robot has seem to pack as much information in as possible, to appeal to it's audience they put will smith's face on it to give it star power.

Black Christmas (2006) Horror


Black Christmas' poster is left pretty plain compared to the action one, the only selling point of the poster is the picture, and the fact that it's a remake, there are no credits or anything to account for.

Indepth Analysis

in this blog post i shall do an in depth analysis of one particular trailer that will inspire me in making my teaser trailer, not in the genre, but in the way the mise-en-scene works:




First of all it starts out really creepy, with the location being very diserted and a long shot showing this debris around everywhere, all surrounded in low key lighting. Then all of a sudden the screen implodes with hostility. This mysterious man is being chased by a group of cars. He recoils into this abonded old room and the people get out there cars and approach the building.

It is obvious that the man running is being chased and is in trouble as the camera shows the people in the car to have a powerful booming voice and violent criteria. And when the running man speaks his voice is shrill, panicky which gives the character there power.

When they throw the gaslight in the room, it ends with a big explosions, and then cuts to black. Then the credits role "From producers Michael Bay"

Then the cutting rate slows down dramatically, and we see lots of long shots of peculiar images, that seem harmless, but ends with a silhouette of a man with a claw like hand.

Then non diegetic sound come in, of creepy kids singing nursery rhymes, which creates tension. Then an insert shot makes the audience realise that it's a remake of a nightmare on elm street. The cutting rates become slowly faster, and the images become more sinister.

Within every three second or so interval it will be broken up by some diegetic dialogue. Also the sycronous beat that goes with the transitions of the images.

It then slows down to some degreee when we see a long shot of the man coming closer to the camera. It then goes silent, and we hear a girl scream, then the title comes up 'A Nightmare On Elm Street'

It the cuts to a diologue between the evil silhouete, and then it cuts to a close up of his scarred face. Then it cuts to black.



I really like this trailer, as it starts off slowly and finally creeps into the story, this is something i'd like to portray. Also the mise-en-scene of the trailer worked incredibly well. I'd like to take elements of this and use this for my teaser

Drama/Comedy (Dramedy) Trailers

Valentine's Day (2010)


Valentines Day Teaser seem to fit as many jokes in as possible, to show that the audience will have can easily watch it. Also the high caliber cast that shows alot of names signing up for this dramedy, like the predecessor 'He's just not that into you' this seems to be becoming a trend around this time of year.

Atonement (2006)


Atonement, like Valentines Day uses it's stars as a selling point, however, unlike valentines day it is very serious and maintains that hostility throughout the trailer, it gives the film a certain serious quality about it which appeal to a more mature, older audience.

(500) Days Of Summer (2009)


500 days of summer teaser comes across to a younger audience, by the use of humour, and it doesn't give too much away. It comes across as very sweet, happy film, but still warns us that it's not your stereotypical love story.

Action Teasers

Inglorious Basterds (2009)


Quentin Tarantino's war epic's teaser trailer has his name on it alot, to sell the film even more as Tarantino has alot of cult followers, and this film has been long awaited (original script had been started before 'Kill Bill') The film showed there to be alot of gore, but also for there to be a good amount of drama in it aswell.

Die Hard 4.0(2007)


In the reboot of the series, Die Hard 4.0 starts off calmly, and seems to have evolved into a completely different kind of up to date and high tech film. Although half way through the film is where they first mention the name of the film, and it's star (John McCain) Bruce Willis, which fans of the first three films will recognise.


Sin City (2005)


This teaser trailer doesn't give off alot of information about storyline, but it does show you alot of what it's about, it pretty much shows you a gangster storyline. But because it was adapted from a graphic novel it focuses more on the stars and characters than it did the story, and the all star cast to give it a boost for the people who would be unfamilar with the premise.

Initial Research - Horror Trailers

For my A2 media project, i shall be doing a teaser trailer. I'll be looking at all kinds of genre's to get a good feel of which genre would be best suited for me.

These are three horror trailers that i shall be analysing.

Nightmare On Elm Street (2010):


This trailer (as it is a remake) holds a lot of resemblance to it's original that was made in 1984, it has similar shots, similar locations, but still holding michael bay's own original style to it. This becomes the style of many horror remakes. By doing this, it tries to re-assure original fans by making sure that the film (unlike so many previous remakes) is going to be good.


Friday The 13th (2009)



The film, being reboot of the series, this tries an intirely different approach, it shows as little relationship to the original as possible, until near the end of the teaser. It gives little information and shows abit more about original to keep the audience guessing until finally unvieling it.

The Children (2008)


This teaser gives off absolutly no information about the plot whatsoever, There's a few establishing shots, and insert shots. This could make people even more intriqued into seeing this. Along with the rave reviews it got from british critics, the teaser kept the audience guessing into what it's actually about