Research Stage - Ella Ponting (EP)
Researching Magazines
Sight & Sound
As part of my research into film reviews I had an in-depth look at the infamous film magazine 'Sight & Sound' a magazine popular for its film reviews and polls, publishing monthly under the BFI (British Film Institute). To obtain a clearer idea about this magazine I studied the background information for Sight & Sound to give me a clearer idea of when and how they first transpired. This included looking into the history of the magazine and discovering more about the influences they had on the Film Industry. I then looked into the different genres they review and discovered that they include a range of distinct genres and diverging audiences including both high-budget films, and smaller art-house films. To analyse the target audience I had to read some of the reviews and look at the different language and style use and see how this may be indicative of the audience they are trying to attract. For example, for the film review of 'Joy' (2016 ) includes sophisticated language, possibly attracting an older, educated, and highly intelligent audience. The review, however, also included a list of films that the two main, well-known actors had previously been in, thus drawing an audience of fans from their work. In this presentation, I also gave an example of a low-budget film entitled 'Catfish' (2010) and remarked upon how the film was distributed as to reach a wide audience, this resulted in the film becoming more popular than anticipated and can now be streamed via 'Netflix'. Finally I discussed the magazine and publisher's 'aims', specifically focusing on the October 2015 issue highlighting the inequality between male and female directors and attempting to rectify this misrepresentation through a whole issue dedicated to the appreciation of undervalued female directors.
Sight & Sound
As part of my research into film reviews I had an in-depth look at the infamous film magazine 'Sight & Sound' a magazine popular for its film reviews and polls, publishing monthly under the BFI (British Film Institute). To obtain a clearer idea about this magazine I studied the background information for Sight & Sound to give me a clearer idea of when and how they first transpired. This included looking into the history of the magazine and discovering more about the influences they had on the Film Industry. I then looked into the different genres they review and discovered that they include a range of distinct genres and diverging audiences including both high-budget films, and smaller art-house films. To analyse the target audience I had to read some of the reviews and look at the different language and style use and see how this may be indicative of the audience they are trying to attract. For example, for the film review of 'Joy' (2016 ) includes sophisticated language, possibly attracting an older, educated, and highly intelligent audience. The review, however, also included a list of films that the two main, well-known actors had previously been in, thus drawing an audience of fans from their work. In this presentation, I also gave an example of a low-budget film entitled 'Catfish' (2010) and remarked upon how the film was distributed as to reach a wide audience, this resulted in the film becoming more popular than anticipated and can now be streamed via 'Netflix'. Finally I discussed the magazine and publisher's 'aims', specifically focusing on the October 2015 issue highlighting the inequality between male and female directors and attempting to rectify this misrepresentation through a whole issue dedicated to the appreciation of undervalued female directors.
Sight & Sound Research from ellaponting
Empire Magazine
I also constructed some research based on the magazine 'Empire' which is currently one of the largest magazines in the United Kingdom, circulating 145,117 print and digital editions from ABC July - December in 2013. I had a look at Wikipedia and other people's research about 'Empire' to discover more about this magazine, this included looking at the history of the magazine and how it became as popular as it is in the modern day. I also read the magazine's online website to see how they presented their magazine, however this may contain bias as it is the role of the magazine and publishers to sell the magazine and portray it in the best light possible. I also reviewed the key features of the magazine including their 'Classic Scene', 'Re. View', 'How Much is a Pint of Milk?' and 'Spine Quotes' all adding a sense of originality and uniqueness to an otherwise mainstream, widely read magazine. After reading up about 'Empire' I discovered that they also host the annual 'Empire Awards' in which the readers of the magazine vote for stars they consider to be the 'Best Actor', 'Best Director' etc. This award ceremony has taken place every year since 1996 and is sponsored by 'Jameson Irish Whisky'. I also learned about their publisher 'Bauer Media Group' a wide scale publishing company, originating from a small family firm in Hamberg, Germany. I also discovered more about the other magazines, TV and radio they have been involved in which indicated to me just how well-known they are in the media industry. Whilst I couldn't find much research on the genres of film 'Empire' discusses/reviews I did manage to find out that the majority of films analysed are mostly large, Hollywood blockbusters, as shown on most of the covers of their magazine. I also identified the other areas of film they tend to explore, citing famous 'Classic Scenes' in film history to acknowledge the origins of film and the conventions used that make these films so special. The target audience of the magazine has been subject to a lot of controversy over the years, 'Empire' predominantly appeals to a male-oriented audience, which can largely be shown in 'Empire's' magazine covers showing mainly hyper-masculine men from action/thriller films and hyper-sexualised women, if depicted at all. This was backed up by the statistics of the percentage of audience who are male (as shown on slide 8 of presentation). Finally, I attempted to discover more about the sole purpose of the magazine in terms of it's aims and prior accomplishments . From this, I ascertained that the use of social media plays a large part in the promotion and endorsement of their magazine. They use sites such as Facebook to post things such as 'Spine Quotes' competitions and have their own magazine app which can be downloaded and used to access other special features such as online interviews.
The Little White Lies
My final piece of magazine research was conducted on 'Little White Lies' - a bimonthly movie magazine. They are currently published under 'TCOLondon', which is a London-based media marketing company. During my research I gave a brief overview of the magazine and it's origins, as well as the opportunities the magazine has led to such as the book 'What I Love About Movies'. This book is dedicated to famous cinematic figures recounting what made them enter this field of work and what they especially are attracted to about films. Actors included in this book features Carey Mulligan, Mila Kunis and Joseph Gordon Levitt as well as film makers such as Tsai Ming-Liang and Spike Jonze. I also discovered more about the company 'TCOLondon' and the other clients they have held, on top of their other magazine such as 'huck' and '71A'. I also read some of their articles as to find out more about the different genres of film they write about (primarily independent art-house films) as well as the target audience and core demographic of the magazine and their marketing company. The company 'TCOLondon's core demographic normally appeals young people who TCO define as 'urban trendsetters' for those who are interested in topics outside the mainstream culture. However I also did find reviews on some new non-independent films with well known actors such as the film 'Dirty Grandpa' (2016) starring Zac Efron and Robert De Niro. Finally I sought the main purposes and aims of 'Little White Lies' magazine and 'TCOLondon' marketing company and how this linked to the promotion and advertising of their film reviews.
Empire Magazine
I also constructed some research based on the magazine 'Empire' which is currently one of the largest magazines in the United Kingdom, circulating 145,117 print and digital editions from ABC July - December in 2013. I had a look at Wikipedia and other people's research about 'Empire' to discover more about this magazine, this included looking at the history of the magazine and how it became as popular as it is in the modern day. I also read the magazine's online website to see how they presented their magazine, however this may contain bias as it is the role of the magazine and publishers to sell the magazine and portray it in the best light possible. I also reviewed the key features of the magazine including their 'Classic Scene', 'Re. View', 'How Much is a Pint of Milk?' and 'Spine Quotes' all adding a sense of originality and uniqueness to an otherwise mainstream, widely read magazine. After reading up about 'Empire' I discovered that they also host the annual 'Empire Awards' in which the readers of the magazine vote for stars they consider to be the 'Best Actor', 'Best Director' etc. This award ceremony has taken place every year since 1996 and is sponsored by 'Jameson Irish Whisky'. I also learned about their publisher 'Bauer Media Group' a wide scale publishing company, originating from a small family firm in Hamberg, Germany. I also discovered more about the other magazines, TV and radio they have been involved in which indicated to me just how well-known they are in the media industry. Whilst I couldn't find much research on the genres of film 'Empire' discusses/reviews I did manage to find out that the majority of films analysed are mostly large, Hollywood blockbusters, as shown on most of the covers of their magazine. I also identified the other areas of film they tend to explore, citing famous 'Classic Scenes' in film history to acknowledge the origins of film and the conventions used that make these films so special. The target audience of the magazine has been subject to a lot of controversy over the years, 'Empire' predominantly appeals to a male-oriented audience, which can largely be shown in 'Empire's' magazine covers showing mainly hyper-masculine men from action/thriller films and hyper-sexualised women, if depicted at all. This was backed up by the statistics of the percentage of audience who are male (as shown on slide 8 of presentation). Finally, I attempted to discover more about the sole purpose of the magazine in terms of it's aims and prior accomplishments . From this, I ascertained that the use of social media plays a large part in the promotion and endorsement of their magazine. They use sites such as Facebook to post things such as 'Spine Quotes' competitions and have their own magazine app which can be downloaded and used to access other special features such as online interviews.
The Little White Lies
My final piece of magazine research was conducted on 'Little White Lies' - a bimonthly movie magazine. They are currently published under 'TCOLondon', which is a London-based media marketing company. During my research I gave a brief overview of the magazine and it's origins, as well as the opportunities the magazine has led to such as the book 'What I Love About Movies'. This book is dedicated to famous cinematic figures recounting what made them enter this field of work and what they especially are attracted to about films. Actors included in this book features Carey Mulligan, Mila Kunis and Joseph Gordon Levitt as well as film makers such as Tsai Ming-Liang and Spike Jonze. I also discovered more about the company 'TCOLondon' and the other clients they have held, on top of their other magazine such as 'huck' and '71A'. I also read some of their articles as to find out more about the different genres of film they write about (primarily independent art-house films) as well as the target audience and core demographic of the magazine and their marketing company. The company 'TCOLondon's core demographic normally appeals young people who TCO define as 'urban trendsetters' for those who are interested in topics outside the mainstream culture. However I also did find reviews on some new non-independent films with well known actors such as the film 'Dirty Grandpa' (2016) starring Zac Efron and Robert De Niro. Finally I sought the main purposes and aims of 'Little White Lies' magazine and 'TCOLondon' marketing company and how this linked to the promotion and advertising of their film reviews.
Little White Lies Research from ellaponting
Film Review Codes & Conventions and Analysis
For this piece of research, I tasked myself with discovering the different codes and conventions used in most film reviews, most notably from the review of 'Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1' by EMPIRE Magazine. This involved drawing upon the Film name and release date, quotes/tagline, images, introduction/plot summary, verdict/rating, positive and negative aspects and the characters and actors. I then discussed each convention and why it is incorporated into film reviews as well as why this specific review has used it, and to what effect this creates. For the 'Film name and release date' I noted the positive impact this convention can have on promoting the film, so fans and the general public know when to see it. I related it to the large Harry Potter franchise where the release date can be transmitted across a range of different social media platforms such as 'Facebook' and 'Twitter' as well as in film reviews to reach a multitude of different audiences. The aim of this would be to gross a huge amount of money and to ultimately lead to more people watching, buying and streaming the film. The next convention I talked about is the 'Quotes/tagline'. Firstly, I included a brief definition of 'tagline' as it wasn't a term I hadn't heard of prior to my piece of research and then went on to discuss it in the context of film reviews. The quotes/tagline will often include a witty/profound statement from the reviewer about the film, relating it to the content if the film. This acts as a good introduction to the piece or can be used in bold lettering embedded into the review such as in 'Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1'. This can break up the review and provide an eye-catching appeal, drawing more attention to a succinct and intelligent sentence. I then analysed the quotes used in the 'Harry Potter' review and analysed the lexicon choice. The review incorporates a chatty and informal tone, thus colloquialisms and made up words are inserted for a comedic effect. A convention that all film reviews use are 'Images' to back up the review's content and to provide exciting, interesting screenshots from the film to engage the readers to read the review. The most prominent picture in the review is the Close-Up of the protagonist, immediately telling the audience that he is going to be the main focus of the review. I then analysed the effect each of the images creates based on the sizes, who is in the image, the camera angles and facial expressions.
Arguably, the 'Introduction/Plot Summary' is one of the most important sections of a film review as it briefly introduces the film before the readers establish whether or not to read on. Thus, the plot summary has to be short and punchy, briefly introducing main characters and the journey of the protagonist. A description of the film often occurs in film reviews, however as I discovered, the best film reviews are those that embed the plot line into the evaluation of the film, rather than splitting the review into several sections. The introduction also serves to give the reader an idea on the reviewer's personal stance on the film, which is reflected through the language choice and tone used in his descriptions of the film. In contrast, the 'Verdict/Rating' occurs towards the end of the film summing up the reviewer's overall view of the film this is often incorporated alongside a rating, with one star being the worst score and five stars being the best score. The rating system is commonly recognised amongst reviewers and the public thus it is a sufficient system to use. The appearance of the stars also draws the reader's attention towards it, rather than just stating it in plain black and white font and are useful for those who will read the rating quickly before making a judgement whether or not to watch a film. For a successful evaluation of a film, you have to weigh up the 'Positive and Negative Aspects' before making an overall judgement. I discussed how typically these aspects would be discussed based on the film's plot, cinematography etc as well as how they were balanced out in the review of 'Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1'. Personally, I don't believe that the reviewer weighed out the positive and negative aspects enough, naturally the review is biased and has formed their own subjective views about the film. Despite this, the reviewer does mention a positive aspect of the film briefly to break up the negative tone of the review. Lastly I mentioned the 'Characters and Actors' noted in the review and the impact this has on the review's audience by mentioning this. Due to 'Harry Potter' having such a large fan base and including some very well known actors, not only the 3 protagonists but names like 'Alan Rickman' who may appeal to an older audience too is important to include in promoting the film. The mention of characters in the review is also important as it tells the readers how significant that character is in the film and tells us who the focus of the film is on.
Where are film reviews typically found?
To gain a better understanding of film reviews, where they are found and the target audience I decided to conduct some research. I investigated the aggregate sites 'Rotten Tomatoes', 'Metacritic' and 'IMDb' as well as several newspapers including 'The Guardian', 'The Sun' and 'The Observer'. I tried to pick sites and newspapers that differed from one another in both political stance and the content they produce. For example. whilst 'The Sun' is very much a conservative newspaper, 'The Guardian' provides a stark contrast, publishing most reviews from a more central-left perspective. The aggregate sites, whilst very similar did differ from one another. Whilst 'Rotten Tomatoes' primarily focuses on film and TV reviews, 'Metacritic' is best known by the video-gaming community for their reviews on games.
After learning more about where film reviews are typically found, I have decided to produce my review as part of a site that produces reviews primarily on short and independent films. I have named this 'Beyond The Vision' and have used the website-maker wix.com to construct this. Our short film 'Incubus' would also be produced via print media under the film section of 'The Guardian' so as to increase distribution and film promotion. Modern forms of promotion would also include using social media to reach a wider audience e.g Twitter, Facebook page and Instagram. As social media is predominantly dominated by young people, using social media to promote our film would be essential, thus sites such as 'Twitter', 'Facebook' and 'Instagram' would prove very useful.
An extreme close-up of our protagonist shedding a tear, taken from our outtakes will be incorporated into our review. The forlorn expression on the protagonist's face and the tears welling in her eyes connotes pain and anguish - subtly indicating the traumatic journey the protagonist will embark on. I decided to edit the original image to make it seem more dark and dramatic. I altered the lighting and shadows to create shadows around the protagonist's eyes. This suggests sleep deprivation, which matches our film's topic. I also altered the picture so the two primary colours are black and white. Black and white photography is often used to avoid the colours distracting the overall image. Thus, this convention was essential to draw the audience's attention towards the protagonist's facial expression and tear drop.
Low-Angle shot of Demon:
I decided to include this screenshot from our film as it was one of our most powerful and gripping shots from our demo scene. The character stares directly into the camera, thus engaging with the audience and adding a sinister element to our film. This gives the readers a clue about the sort of danger Hayle will have to overcome and gives people an insight into the demons' appearance. I decided not to edit this photo as I wanted to keep the image as authentic as possible.
Writing the Review
Conventions Checklist:
Images - YES
I have chosen several images to back up my review - both the header picture, a screenshot of a demon from the actual film and a screenshot of an outtake of of our film where our protagonist sheds a tear.
Page numbers - NO
Due to the blog format of the review I decided it would be best to leave out the page numbers, this convention would apply to film reviews published as part of print media e.g newspapers and magazines.
Name of writer and publisher - YES
The name of the film review site/publisher is located in bold lettering at the top of the website, titled 'BEYOND THE VISION'. My name, as the writer, is located underneath the review itself in navy coloured letters, as to stand out from the review, rather than to be seen as a continuation of it.
Index of other reviews/articles - NO
As previously mentioned, my film review's layout is unusual as it hasn't been published as part of a print magazine or newspaper. Thus, incorporating conventions such as an index would appear abnormal in a blogger/website format.
Increased size of the first letter for the review - YES
This convention is very typical of a film review, it adds an elevated sense of drama to the opening line of the review and draws the reader's attention towards it. As 'Incubus' is a highly suspenseful psychological thriller, I deemed it appropriate to include a bold first letter into my review.
Ratings - YES
I included a rating of the film at the top of film review alongside the header image to appeal to readers who have a range of different knowledges about film. The 5 star rating system is universal, and commonly understood by most avid film watchers, as well as people who may be less inclined to watch films or to read the whole review.
Positive and negative aspects - YES
On the whole, the review is very positive about our film, however I separated the review into two paragraphs to discuss the positive and negative aspects of our film. This highlights clearly the two separate points. Despite this, I evaluated both positive and negative aspects throughout to bring to attention other people's interpretations of the film.
Characters/ Actors - YES
I included this convention consistently throughout the review, in particular at the start. This was included to introduce the readers to the characters and to give recognition to the cast members of our film. I also included the names of the directors (myself, Sara and Monisha). Some of the more sophisticated film reviews I researched mentioned the names of directors etc and commented on the cinematography as well as the acting and plot-line.
Introduction/ plot summary - YES
Whilst I didn't include an introduction, at the very top of the review alongside the header image I summed up the plot in a few sentences. Often the introduction will similarly do this, however I used the actual review to take the reader through each event, evaluating the positive and negative aspects as I went along.
Quotes - YES
Several quotes from the review that were strong, short and dogmatic were added to the review. To make these quotes stand out and resonate more with the readers, I italicised them and put them in bold.
Release Date - YES
Placed within the header image - this was done to allow the readers to know when the film comes out and can go to watch it.
Running Time - YES
Also included in the header image - this is useful for letting the audience know whether the film is short or long and thus tells them whether the film is within the time-frame where they can watch it.
INCUBUS REVIEW 1ST DRAFT
My second draft is longer than the first; my media teacher Mr Budd informed me that reviews should be approximately a page or 500 words, thus I needed to write an extra 150 words to meet this goal. I also referenced several films such as 'Thirteen' and included a comment from a BuzzFeed article from a sleep paralysis victim. Despite this, I have decided to also give my second draft to my parents to proof read and find words, phrases and grammatical errors that need to be rectified. The image below shows the second draft before the process of proof reading, thus errors will be inevitable.
INCUBUS REVIEW FORTH DRAFT
Film Review Codes & Conventions and Analysis
For this piece of research, I tasked myself with discovering the different codes and conventions used in most film reviews, most notably from the review of 'Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1' by EMPIRE Magazine. This involved drawing upon the Film name and release date, quotes/tagline, images, introduction/plot summary, verdict/rating, positive and negative aspects and the characters and actors. I then discussed each convention and why it is incorporated into film reviews as well as why this specific review has used it, and to what effect this creates. For the 'Film name and release date' I noted the positive impact this convention can have on promoting the film, so fans and the general public know when to see it. I related it to the large Harry Potter franchise where the release date can be transmitted across a range of different social media platforms such as 'Facebook' and 'Twitter' as well as in film reviews to reach a multitude of different audiences. The aim of this would be to gross a huge amount of money and to ultimately lead to more people watching, buying and streaming the film. The next convention I talked about is the 'Quotes/tagline'. Firstly, I included a brief definition of 'tagline' as it wasn't a term I hadn't heard of prior to my piece of research and then went on to discuss it in the context of film reviews. The quotes/tagline will often include a witty/profound statement from the reviewer about the film, relating it to the content if the film. This acts as a good introduction to the piece or can be used in bold lettering embedded into the review such as in 'Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1'. This can break up the review and provide an eye-catching appeal, drawing more attention to a succinct and intelligent sentence. I then analysed the quotes used in the 'Harry Potter' review and analysed the lexicon choice. The review incorporates a chatty and informal tone, thus colloquialisms and made up words are inserted for a comedic effect. A convention that all film reviews use are 'Images' to back up the review's content and to provide exciting, interesting screenshots from the film to engage the readers to read the review. The most prominent picture in the review is the Close-Up of the protagonist, immediately telling the audience that he is going to be the main focus of the review. I then analysed the effect each of the images creates based on the sizes, who is in the image, the camera angles and facial expressions.
Arguably, the 'Introduction/Plot Summary' is one of the most important sections of a film review as it briefly introduces the film before the readers establish whether or not to read on. Thus, the plot summary has to be short and punchy, briefly introducing main characters and the journey of the protagonist. A description of the film often occurs in film reviews, however as I discovered, the best film reviews are those that embed the plot line into the evaluation of the film, rather than splitting the review into several sections. The introduction also serves to give the reader an idea on the reviewer's personal stance on the film, which is reflected through the language choice and tone used in his descriptions of the film. In contrast, the 'Verdict/Rating' occurs towards the end of the film summing up the reviewer's overall view of the film this is often incorporated alongside a rating, with one star being the worst score and five stars being the best score. The rating system is commonly recognised amongst reviewers and the public thus it is a sufficient system to use. The appearance of the stars also draws the reader's attention towards it, rather than just stating it in plain black and white font and are useful for those who will read the rating quickly before making a judgement whether or not to watch a film. For a successful evaluation of a film, you have to weigh up the 'Positive and Negative Aspects' before making an overall judgement. I discussed how typically these aspects would be discussed based on the film's plot, cinematography etc as well as how they were balanced out in the review of 'Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1'. Personally, I don't believe that the reviewer weighed out the positive and negative aspects enough, naturally the review is biased and has formed their own subjective views about the film. Despite this, the reviewer does mention a positive aspect of the film briefly to break up the negative tone of the review. Lastly I mentioned the 'Characters and Actors' noted in the review and the impact this has on the review's audience by mentioning this. Due to 'Harry Potter' having such a large fan base and including some very well known actors, not only the 3 protagonists but names like 'Alan Rickman' who may appeal to an older audience too is important to include in promoting the film. The mention of characters in the review is also important as it tells the readers how significant that character is in the film and tells us who the focus of the film is on.
Where are film reviews typically found?
To gain a better understanding of film reviews, where they are found and the target audience I decided to conduct some research. I investigated the aggregate sites 'Rotten Tomatoes', 'Metacritic' and 'IMDb' as well as several newspapers including 'The Guardian', 'The Sun' and 'The Observer'. I tried to pick sites and newspapers that differed from one another in both political stance and the content they produce. For example. whilst 'The Sun' is very much a conservative newspaper, 'The Guardian' provides a stark contrast, publishing most reviews from a more central-left perspective. The aggregate sites, whilst very similar did differ from one another. Whilst 'Rotten Tomatoes' primarily focuses on film and TV reviews, 'Metacritic' is best known by the video-gaming community for their reviews on games.
After learning more about where film reviews are typically found, I have decided to produce my review as part of a site that produces reviews primarily on short and independent films. I have named this 'Beyond The Vision' and have used the website-maker wix.com to construct this. Our short film 'Incubus' would also be produced via print media under the film section of 'The Guardian' so as to increase distribution and film promotion. Modern forms of promotion would also include using social media to reach a wider audience e.g Twitter, Facebook page and Instagram. As social media is predominantly dominated by young people, using social media to promote our film would be essential, thus sites such as 'Twitter', 'Facebook' and 'Instagram' would prove very useful.
Construction Stage - Ella Ponting (EP)
Film Review Images
Header image:
Prior to starting my Film Review, I have decided to edit several pictures from the outtakes of our film to include alongside the review. During my research stage I analysed the codes and conventions typically used in film reviews, one of the most regularly occurring features being the use of images. Whilst most of the reviews I delved into consisted of screenshots from the film, we had a substantial amount of footage we didn't manage to use. Thus, I thought it may work well to embed stills from unused footage into my review, amongst several other images that were taken from our film. This was done to achieve variety in pictures and to giving the readers an idea about how the film may transpire, without giving away too much of the plot. I primarily used 'Adobe Photoshop CS6' for this which proved difficult having not used it before, however I eventually improved and created a header/introduction for the review, as seen below.
De-constructed:
To include both the background, text and other images I had to use several layers so that each feature compliments one another. This involved different layers for the star images that I superimposed onto the background as well as the pieces of text that were used. I also had to darken the background by adjusting the 'Brightness' setting on Adobe Photoshop CS6 so that the text really stands out. I decided to use this hazy, partially blurred image as the background subjects aren't well defined, thereby allowing the text to be the focus point of the image. This gives a sense of intrigue and mystery surrounding the plot and the character's appearance, compelling the audience to read on.
I have also included several star ratings from two newspapers and a magazine, followed by a (made up) quote. I chose 'The Observer' and 'The New York Times' as they are both well respected newspapers with a large circulation. I also included 'EMPIRE Magazine' to add more of a variety from the responses to our film. 'EMPIRE Magazine' is a renowned film magazine, recognised by most film critics and avid film watchers, therefore their input highlights how well our film has been distributed. I also included the 5 star rating system, as it is recognised by most people and encourages people to make a quick judgement about how good the film is and whether or not it is worth going to see.
I used the font 'Helvetica Neue' for both the title of our film and for the rest of the text on the header image. I included basic details about the film such as the release date, plot summary, directors, certificate, cast and running time. Often a film review will include a box with brief details about the film in it; this lets the readers know more about the film before they read on and decide whether or not they want to watch the film.
extreme
Close-Up of Protagonist:Header image:
Prior to starting my Film Review, I have decided to edit several pictures from the outtakes of our film to include alongside the review. During my research stage I analysed the codes and conventions typically used in film reviews, one of the most regularly occurring features being the use of images. Whilst most of the reviews I delved into consisted of screenshots from the film, we had a substantial amount of footage we didn't manage to use. Thus, I thought it may work well to embed stills from unused footage into my review, amongst several other images that were taken from our film. This was done to achieve variety in pictures and to giving the readers an idea about how the film may transpire, without giving away too much of the plot. I primarily used 'Adobe Photoshop CS6' for this which proved difficult having not used it before, however I eventually improved and created a header/introduction for the review, as seen below.
De-constructed:
To include both the background, text and other images I had to use several layers so that each feature compliments one another. This involved different layers for the star images that I superimposed onto the background as well as the pieces of text that were used. I also had to darken the background by adjusting the 'Brightness' setting on Adobe Photoshop CS6 so that the text really stands out. I decided to use this hazy, partially blurred image as the background subjects aren't well defined, thereby allowing the text to be the focus point of the image. This gives a sense of intrigue and mystery surrounding the plot and the character's appearance, compelling the audience to read on.
I have also included several star ratings from two newspapers and a magazine, followed by a (made up) quote. I chose 'The Observer' and 'The New York Times' as they are both well respected newspapers with a large circulation. I also included 'EMPIRE Magazine' to add more of a variety from the responses to our film. 'EMPIRE Magazine' is a renowned film magazine, recognised by most film critics and avid film watchers, therefore their input highlights how well our film has been distributed. I also included the 5 star rating system, as it is recognised by most people and encourages people to make a quick judgement about how good the film is and whether or not it is worth going to see.
 |
| Original Image |
 |
| Final edited Image |
I decided to include this screenshot from our film as it was one of our most powerful and gripping shots from our demo scene. The character stares directly into the camera, thus engaging with the audience and adding a sinister element to our film. This gives the readers a clue about the sort of danger Hayle will have to overcome and gives people an insight into the demons' appearance. I decided not to edit this photo as I wanted to keep the image as authentic as possible.
Writing the Review
Conventions Checklist:
Images - YES
I have chosen several images to back up my review - both the header picture, a screenshot of a demon from the actual film and a screenshot of an outtake of of our film where our protagonist sheds a tear.
Page numbers - NO
Due to the blog format of the review I decided it would be best to leave out the page numbers, this convention would apply to film reviews published as part of print media e.g newspapers and magazines.
Name of writer and publisher - YES
The name of the film review site/publisher is located in bold lettering at the top of the website, titled 'BEYOND THE VISION'. My name, as the writer, is located underneath the review itself in navy coloured letters, as to stand out from the review, rather than to be seen as a continuation of it.
Index of other reviews/articles - NO
As previously mentioned, my film review's layout is unusual as it hasn't been published as part of a print magazine or newspaper. Thus, incorporating conventions such as an index would appear abnormal in a blogger/website format.
Increased size of the first letter for the review - YES
This convention is very typical of a film review, it adds an elevated sense of drama to the opening line of the review and draws the reader's attention towards it. As 'Incubus' is a highly suspenseful psychological thriller, I deemed it appropriate to include a bold first letter into my review.
Ratings - YES
I included a rating of the film at the top of film review alongside the header image to appeal to readers who have a range of different knowledges about film. The 5 star rating system is universal, and commonly understood by most avid film watchers, as well as people who may be less inclined to watch films or to read the whole review.
Positive and negative aspects - YES
On the whole, the review is very positive about our film, however I separated the review into two paragraphs to discuss the positive and negative aspects of our film. This highlights clearly the two separate points. Despite this, I evaluated both positive and negative aspects throughout to bring to attention other people's interpretations of the film.
Characters/ Actors - YES
I included this convention consistently throughout the review, in particular at the start. This was included to introduce the readers to the characters and to give recognition to the cast members of our film. I also included the names of the directors (myself, Sara and Monisha). Some of the more sophisticated film reviews I researched mentioned the names of directors etc and commented on the cinematography as well as the acting and plot-line.
Introduction/ plot summary - YES
Whilst I didn't include an introduction, at the very top of the review alongside the header image I summed up the plot in a few sentences. Often the introduction will similarly do this, however I used the actual review to take the reader through each event, evaluating the positive and negative aspects as I went along.
Quotes - YES
Several quotes from the review that were strong, short and dogmatic were added to the review. To make these quotes stand out and resonate more with the readers, I italicised them and put them in bold.
Release Date - YES
Placed within the header image - this was done to allow the readers to know when the film comes out and can go to watch it.
Running Time - YES
Also included in the header image - this is useful for letting the audience know whether the film is short or long and thus tells them whether the film is within the time-frame where they can watch it.
First Draft:
The passage below shows the first draft of my 'Incubus' film review. Before adding it to my film review website, I decided to write the first few drafts on 'Microsoft Word'. The first draft only shows approximately two thirds of the amount I should have written; before continuing to finish writing I decided to consult my media teacher to see whether he had any constructive comments to make. One convention I hadn't noted during my research phase was referencing the film you are reviewing to other films. Therefore this draft is so far too short and needs to include references to other films and quotes from other critics, to make it a more compelling and balanced review.INCUBUS REVIEW 1ST DRAFT
Ominous music
jumpstarts the protagonist’s turbulent journey. A studious looking counsellor
(Helen Beech) appears on-screen, casting a worried glance at her recipient. In
typical fashion, Ponting, Avramovska and Roy forge a well-composed flashback
sequence, reconstructing Hayle’s (Han-sun Nkumu) restless night. The depiction
of mental illnesses amongst young people is rarely delved into across Hollywood
Films. Despite this, the directors rebuff this through their authentic
portrayal of the common, yet barely discussed, condition of ‘Sleep Paralysis’. The
counsellor patiently describes the protagonist’s condition to a resistant
Hayle. Beech consistently fulfils the role of a counsellor to a high standard.
She emulates a similar tone to a concerned parent/carer and portrays a genuine interest
in Hayle’s wellbeing. Soon, we are transported to a realm of chaos and disorder
as we embark on a night of sleep paralysis. Hayle’s voiceover adds substance to
the plot line. We instantaneously like her and sympathise with her pain. Nkumu
convincingly portrays a blend of vulnerability and defiance through her
depiction of an angst-ridden teenager. Working with a low budget, the directors
successfully capture a veracious account of a night with sleep paralysis. Although
the settings are primitive for a film set, this captures the realism of a
genuine home setting, rather than the false grandeur of homes on Hollywood
movie sets.
As the night
progresses Hayle grows weary and fatigued, but rather than drifting off to
sleep peacefully, a hoard of shadowy figures encroach around her. The specious
appearance of demons, however, may have been overemphasised. Artistic licence
has evidently contributed to the demons’ appearances. An elevated sense of
paranoia recurs throughout, truly captivating the fear of those horrific night
demons. Overall the screenwriters have captured a veracious account of sleep
paralysis, with only the demons’ costumes to be faulted.
VERDICT: An
intense, captivating short film encapsulating the trepidation of sleep and
night demons.
Second Draft:
My second draft is longer than the first; my media teacher Mr Budd informed me that reviews should be approximately a page or 500 words, thus I needed to write an extra 150 words to meet this goal. I also referenced several films such as 'Thirteen' and included a comment from a BuzzFeed article from a sleep paralysis victim. Despite this, I have decided to also give my second draft to my parents to proof read and find words, phrases and grammatical errors that need to be rectified. The image below shows the second draft before the process of proof reading, thus errors will be inevitable.
INCUBUS REVIEW 2ND DRAFT
Ominous music
jumpstarts the protagonist’s turbulent journey. A studious looking counsellor
(Helen Beech) appears on-screen, casting a worried glance at her recipient. In
typical fashion, Ponting, Avramovska and Roy forge a well-composed flashback
sequence, reconstructing Hayle’s (Han-sun Nkumu) restless night. The depiction
of mental illnesses amongst young people is rarely delved into across Hollywood
Films. Despite this, the directors rebuff this through their authentic
portrayal of the common, yet barely discussed, condition of ‘Sleep Paralysis’. The
counsellor patiently describes the protagonist’s condition to a resistant
Hayle. Beech consistently fulfils the role of a counsellor to a high standard.
She emulates a similar tone to a concerned parent/carer and portrays a genuine interest
in Hayle’s wellbeing. Soon, we are transported to a realm of chaos and disorder
as we embark on a night of sleep paralysis. Hayle’s voiceover adds substance to
the plot line. We instantaneously like her and sympathise with her pain. Nkumu
convincingly portrays a blend of vulnerability and defiance through her
depiction of an angst-ridden teenager. Working with a low budget, the directors
successfully capture a veracious account of a night with sleep paralysis. Although
the settings are primitive for a film set, this captures the realism of a
genuine home setting, rather than the false grandeur of homes on Hollywood
movie sets. Unlike ‘The Nightmare’ (2015), ‘Incubus’ reimagines the experiences
of an individual, conveyed in a fictional, yet feasible semi-biopic thriller. Whilst
it fails to discuss the means of treating this sleep disorder, it thrives at
capturing the true essence of these night terrors.
As the night
progresses Hayle grows weary and fatigued, but rather than drifting off to
sleep peacefully, a hoard of shadowy figures encroach around her. A predictable
outcome for the protagonist, though tastefully executed. Atypical of thriller
blockbusters like ‘Black Swan’ and ‘Se7en’, ‘Incubus’ avails through the use of
natural lighting combined with a de-saturated effect. This is reminiscent of
the acclaimed semi-autobiographical coming of age drama ‘Thirteen’ that equally
uses a de-saturated ‘glowy’ effect as the protagonist’s life begins to spiral.
We are then thrust into a short, intense episode of sleep paralysis. The demons
(Baylon, Avramovska and Roy) evoke the pure unadulterated terror that this
condition creates. The specious appearance of demons, however, may have been
overemphasised. Artistic licence has evidently contributed to the demons’
appearances. Most only see a “shadow of a dark figure” (J Clayton) during their
sleep paralysis episode, whilst the demons depicted in ‘Incubus’ remain
horrifyingly vivid. An elevated sense of paranoia recurs throughout, truly
captivating the fear of those horrific night demons. Overall the screenwriters
have captured a veracious account of sleep paralysis, with only the demons’ costumes
to be faulted.
VERDICT: An
intense, captivating short film encapsulating the trepidation of sleep and
night demons.
Third Draft:
After getting my Mom to proof read my work, I decided to make several changes. Whilst I did use a lot of sophisticated language in my piece, it was often used in the wrong context. Thus, to simplify this I had to change some of the words and sentences so my review made more sense and would be understandable to a wider audience. My Mom also pointed out that I had repeated a sentence twice which would make most sense to use once to conclude the piece. However we decided to keep it in and get somebody else to proof read too to make sure this correction would be suitable. I have included the third draft below, displaying these new corrections:
INCUBUS REVIEW THIRD DRAFT
Ominous music announces
the protagonist’s turbulent journey. A studious looking counsellor (Helen
Beech) appears on-screen, casting a worried glance at her client. In typical
fashion; Ponting, Avramovska and Roy have forged a well-composed flashback
sequence, reconstructing Hayle’s (Han-sun Nkumu) restless night. The depiction
of mental illnesses amongst young people is rarely explored into by Hollywood
Film Makers. Bucking the trend, the Directors explore this through their
authentic portrayal of the common, yet barely discussed, condition of ‘Sleep
Paralysis’. The counsellor patiently describes the protagonist’s condition to a
resistant Hayle. Beech consistently fulfils the role of a counsellor to a high
standard. She adopts a similar tone with a concerned
parent/carer and portrays a genuine interest in Hayle’s wellbeing. Soon we are
transported to a realm of chaos and disorder as we embark on a night of sleep
paralysis. Hayle’s voiceover adds substance to the plot line. We instantly like
her and sympathise with her pain. Nkumu convincingly portrays a blend of
vulnerability and defiance through her depiction of an angst-ridden teenager.
Working with a
low budget, the directors successfully capture a veracious account of a night
with sleep paralysis. Although the settings are understated for a film set,
this captures the realism of a genuine home setting, rather than the false
grandeur of homes on Hollywood movie sets. Unlike ‘The Nightmare’ (2015),
‘Incubus’ reimagines the experiences of an individual, conveyed in a fictional,
yet realistic semi-biopic thriller. Whilst it fails to discuss the means of
treating this sleep disorder, it excels at capturing the true essence of these
night terrors.
As the night
progresses Hayle grows weary and fatigued, but rather than drifting off to
sleep peacefully, a hoard of shadowy figures encroach around her. A predictable
outcome for the protagonist, though tastefully executed. Atypical of thriller
blockbusters like ‘Black Swan’ and ‘Se7en’, ‘Incubus’ succeeds through the use
of natural lighting combined with a de-saturated effect. This is reminiscent of
the acclaimed semi-autobiographical coming of age drama ‘Thirteen’ that equally
uses a de-saturated ‘glowy’ effect as the protagonist’s life begins to spiral
downwards. We are then thrust into a short, intense episode of sleep paralysis.
The demons (Baylon, Avramovska and Roy) evoke the pure unadulterated terror
that this condition creates. However, the physical appearance of the demons may
have been exaggerated. Artistic licence has evidently contributed to the
demons’ appearances. Most sufferers of this condition only see a “shadow of a
dark figure” (J Clayton) during their sleep paralysis episode, whilst the
demons depicted in ‘Incubus’ remain horrifyingly vivid. Heightened paranoia is
sustained throughout, truly capturing the fear of those horrific night demons.
Overall the screenwriters have captured a veracious account of sleep paralysis,
with only the demons’ costumes to be faulted.
VERDICT: An
intense, captivating short film encapsulating the sheer terror of sleep and
night demons.
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