Question 2 -How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

By Katie Maher

My 3 Products:

Horror Trailer

Film Poster

Film Magazine Front Cover

Character I have used the same character in all 3 of my

products. I feel this is effective as the audience can identify her so that she is recognisable in each of my products. In addition, the character is wearing the same clothing in the trailer, poster and magazine cover so that the audience can easily tell it is all the same person from the trailer and who will be playing in the film. Using the same actor allows the products all to be linked together as the same theme of the young girl being chased is used throughout.

Colour Palette

Another way the audience can identify that my three products are linked are with the colours I have used. In all three products, there is a common theme of dark and gloomy colours such as black and brown and also lots of green due to the setting of the park. The colour palette within the front cover is black, white and green which links to the green in the images and in the film along with the green in the picture on the magazine too.

In addition, another link between my three products is the setting. The majority of the trailer is set in the park so that the character is surrounded by trees creating an eerie atmosphere for the audience. Similarly, the images that I have used for my film magazine front cover and film poster is of the same character in the park. I felt this was effective as the audience can then see the link between all three products and also gives them a slight insight in what the film will entail.

Setting

Title and Text

Moreover, the same film title of ‘Insomnia’ is used in all three products. Straight away the audience can see that the film poster and magazine front cover is a product of the Insomnia trailer as the title is stated.

In addition to the title being used throughout each product, the same text is used too. The title used on the film poster is the same text that is presented as subtitles throughout the trailer suggesting that the products are linked.

However, to further improve my products, I could have gone a step further and included the same text within the magazine front cover to, again, portray a link between all three of the products to the audience.

Imagery Finally, the imagery within my products also creates

a link as in both the film poster and film magazine front cover, the image is of the character with their back to the audience. The images also show a lot of the setting of the park as the style of the shots are very similar. These images may create some iconography of the film so that when images of this style are seen, the audience know what film is being advertised.

This also links to the fact that having the character facing away from the camera is unusual to the stereotypical codes of conventions of a magazine as direct address through characters is usually used. The way the character is turned away can also be seen as iconography as a representation of the film ‘Insomnia’ which also creates enigma by not seeing the character’s face which will also help to attract the target audience.