After producing these designs it is important to reflect on how well they worked as posters.
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| Tree idea |
This poster design has an interesting backdrop with the large tree, which is equally eerie and beautiful. Its long, spindly branches are not uncommon in other horror posters, which means the genre of the film is fairly recognisable at a glance.
The red colour of the title suggests there might be an emphasis on blood in the film- as the colour red is an indicator of blood, violence and death. The fact that it is a different colour and size to the tagline means that it stands out and viewers' gaze is immediately drawn to it. However, there are some negative points to be made about the title though. It is situated over part of the tree, which does make it more difficult to read than if it was against the plain sky.
The tagline is relevant to the story as it is what the main antagonist supposedly says in the story. This provides the viewers with context.
The writing at the bottom of the poster makes the aesthetic of the poster more professional, as this font and type of writing is always seen at the bottom of movie posters.
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| Stone bath idea |
POSTER DESIGN 2
This poster design has a different visual look than the previous poster, which plays to its advantage as it looks like more of a horror than the previous poster design. It is light and has a nice backdrop, which presents a dichotomy to the plot of the film. The plot of the film is quite dark. This fact can both be seen as a positive and a negative, due to the fact that horror films are supposed to be dark and the fact that this is light might put people off.
The inclusion of the stone bath presents a better backdrop than the tree, because, although the tree in the previous poster design has a fairly creepy look, the stone bath is more relevant to the story- as the main antagonist is said to have died in a bath.
The main title and the tagline of the proposed film has been tweaked a little bit from the previous design. The tagline is in a different font (the same font as the title). This creates a little bit more conformity for the title, which, overall, makes it seem more like a proper movie poster title. The word 'dead' has been highlighted in a red colour, which further indicates the fact that there will be both blood and death in the film- both of which are pillars of the horror genre, because they are both expected and essential to the genre. The tagline itself looks more dynamic than before, as the separate lines of the tagline are in different positions, which gives the illusion of movement.
The blurry, faded multiple Graces in the movie poster suggest a supernatural element to her character. I wanted to give the viewers the impression that there was something ethereal to her character to give the viewers some context as to what the film is about.
As with the previous poster, the writing at the bottom of the film poster provides the poster with an overall more professional look than without it.
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| Stone bath with arm idea |
POSTER DESIGN 3
This poster has a completely different feel than the other posters. This different feel as been created by drastically altering the brightness of the poster. This has had the effect of creating a moody, dark-looking poster which better encapsulates the tone of a horror film than the previous posters. The lack of brightness of the poster makes it easily recognisable as a horror film.
Unlike the previous posters, this poster design doesn't explicitly show the main antagonist- instead it shows just an arm. This is both creepy and has the added effect of producing some suspense and, possibly, some fear amongst the viewers of the poster, because they don't know what the main antagonist looks like. The arm coming over the side of the stone bath is a suitably creepy indication of what occurs in the plot. This visual style of the arm coming over the side of an object is not unlike another horror film -'The Ring'. It was an inspiration for the idea of my story.
The dried bloodstains on the side of the bath are very subtle, which creates the notion that something awful happened at the site of this bath. It provides the viewers, again, with some context as to what the plot is about- without giving too much away about what actually happens. This balance is very beneficial to a good movie poster, as it would intrigue viewers enough that they would want to see the film- which is the basic idea behind movie posters.
As with the previous poster, the writing at the bottom of the film poster provides the poster with an overall more professional look than without it.
FILM POSTERS - PEER FEEDBACK
After asking some peers for feedback on the initial posters I've designed so far, I have gained some insight as to what some people may think of my ideas.
POSTER DESIGN 1
A majority of the people I asked about this design, liked the use of the tree as a backdrop. They thought it was suitably creepy for a horror film and hinted at the English countryside setting.
However, people did say that it doesn't really provide much, if any, insight as to what the film is about. This could lead to some confusion as to what the poster advertises.
The tagline of the film received mixed reactions- with some saying it was good and some saying it was too long and doesn't relate to what is going on in the rest of the poster. Overall, people thought the idea behind this poster was good, but they didn't think it worked as an advertisement to my story.
POSTER DESIGN 2
This poster design was better received than the first one. People commented saying that they liked the way in which the tagline and title complemented each other. The inclusion of the bath gives more of an indication as to what the film is about- especially with the tagline. Surprisingly, not that many people recognised the tagline. I know the phrase 'Patience is a virtue, virtue is a grace, Grace is a little girl who wouldn't wash her face' from a children's story I read when I was younger, but not that many people had heard of it before.
People liked the way Grace looks in the poster. It suggests a supernatural element to the story, which was what I was going for.
However, something some people commented on negatively was the light. A lot of people thought that the poster was too light for a horror film and didn't reflect the mood of the proposed film. I will take these suggestions into account when I come to improve these bits of work.
People did think that it was an improvement over the last poster.
POSTER DESIGN 3
In regards to the lighting of the previous posters, people thought that this poster was a significant improvement over the others as the darker light of the poster better represented the mood of the proposed film.
Almost everyone liked the creepiness of the hand coming over the edge of the stone bath. Some people also commented on the bloodstains on the bath. They said this was a nice effect and added to the mood of the poster.
Some constructive criticisms that were mentioned include the following: the vignette (darkness around the edges of the poster) is too dark and not subtle enough and the writing at the bottom is too bright.
People said that the writing at the bottom of the poster made it look more professional- as with all of the poster designs.
FILM POSTERS - PEER ADJUSTMENTS
As part of my peer feedback, some people suggested some adjustments that could be made to improve the posters.
STILLS FROM PROPOSED FILM - SELF REFLECTION
After producing these film stills it is important to reflect on how well they worked.
FILM POSTERS - PEER FEEDBACK
After asking some peers for feedback on the initial posters I've designed so far, I have gained some insight as to what some people may think of my ideas.
POSTER DESIGN 1
A majority of the people I asked about this design, liked the use of the tree as a backdrop. They thought it was suitably creepy for a horror film and hinted at the English countryside setting.However, people did say that it doesn't really provide much, if any, insight as to what the film is about. This could lead to some confusion as to what the poster advertises.
The tagline of the film received mixed reactions- with some saying it was good and some saying it was too long and doesn't relate to what is going on in the rest of the poster. Overall, people thought the idea behind this poster was good, but they didn't think it worked as an advertisement to my story.
POSTER DESIGN 2
This poster design was better received than the first one. People commented saying that they liked the way in which the tagline and title complemented each other. The inclusion of the bath gives more of an indication as to what the film is about- especially with the tagline. Surprisingly, not that many people recognised the tagline. I know the phrase 'Patience is a virtue, virtue is a grace, Grace is a little girl who wouldn't wash her face' from a children's story I read when I was younger, but not that many people had heard of it before.People liked the way Grace looks in the poster. It suggests a supernatural element to the story, which was what I was going for.
However, something some people commented on negatively was the light. A lot of people thought that the poster was too light for a horror film and didn't reflect the mood of the proposed film. I will take these suggestions into account when I come to improve these bits of work.
People did think that it was an improvement over the last poster.
POSTER DESIGN 3In regards to the lighting of the previous posters, people thought that this poster was a significant improvement over the others as the darker light of the poster better represented the mood of the proposed film.
Almost everyone liked the creepiness of the hand coming over the edge of the stone bath. Some people also commented on the bloodstains on the bath. They said this was a nice effect and added to the mood of the poster.
Some constructive criticisms that were mentioned include the following: the vignette (darkness around the edges of the poster) is too dark and not subtle enough and the writing at the bottom is too bright.
People said that the writing at the bottom of the poster made it look more professional- as with all of the poster designs.
FILM POSTERS - PEER ADJUSTMENTS
As part of my peer feedback, some people suggested some adjustments that could be made to improve the posters.
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| Original |
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| With adjustments |
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| Original |
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| With adjustments |
STILLS FROM PROPOSED FILM - SELF REFLECTION
After producing these film stills it is important to reflect on how well they worked.
STILL 1
This film still is of the house that the characters in the story are moving into.
I think that the house has an idyllic quality to it and that it is easy to believe that people would want to move there. At the same time, I think that the aesthetic of the exterior is not unlike that of similar types of houses found in other horror films, making it an ideal location for the concept of my idea.
The trees and other foliage surrounding the house give the impression that the house is in a secluded location that, I think, adds to its visual appeal.
The mist at the bottom of the photograph creates an eerie atmosphere, which complements the tone of the story and the proposed film. It is subtle, which complements the rest of the image well, because, if it was to prominent it would become a focus for the audience. This would detract from the main focus, which is, of course, the house.
In the window, viewers can see Grace faintly. This shows the audience that she has an ominous presence and adds to the image, because the way she is presented in the image is subtle and not the focus of the image. Her not being a focus of the image suggests that she is discreet and, therefore, more of a threat to the characters, as they don't always know she's there.
There are things about this photograph that I dislike, however, including the brightness and the vignette.
In this particular photograph, the vignette around the edges of the photo doesn't work. It isn't subtle enough. The viewers can clearly see it which detracts from the realism of the photograph. I always put a vignette around my photographs, because it usually focuses attention on the centre of the photograph, but this one is too obvious. In order for the vignette to work, the brightness of the sky would have to be darker, so the vignette itself would be less obvious.
This brings me on to my next point- the brightness. The sky is very bright. After having already edited this photo, I can clearly see that the brightness is not concurrent with the tone of the overall story idea.
STILL 2
This photo is of the main characters walking their dog, before they meet Grace.
This is my favourite photo that I have taken for this project.
The fact that this photo has colour is a dichotomy to many of the other photos (with most of the film stills having simple colours, like black, grey, brown, and some green). Lighter greens and a hint of yellow and blue can be seen in this photo, which could be seen to represent the fact that the story is in its early stages at this point, when the characters were still innocent as to what the house really is and before they have met the primary villain of the story.
The colours are reminiscent of the grass, sky, trees and mist are reminiscent of a dewy, misty morning. The mist itself seems to keep mostly to the edges of the photograph, which effectively frames the photograph. This mist and the fog in background by the trees help to remind the viewers that, although this particular photograph is of a seemingly innocent event, the tone of the overall concept is supposed to be a creepy one. Mist is ever-present in all these photographs to act as the constant reminder of the eerie nature of the proposed film idea.
The way the trees are 'burnt' in the background gives the impression to the viewers that they are shrouded in fog- aided by the brightness of the areas surrounding the trees. Fog has a ghostly quality to it which could be seen to mirror Grace- as she is supposed to be a spirit herself.
STILL 3
This photograph is supposed to represent the first moment in the story when Grace reveals herself to the main characters and starts becoming violent.
The photograph is similar to one of the previous film posters, however it isn't as bright as the poster. I think that the film poster's darkness complements the tone of the story better and works better as an image, than this particular photograph. Despite that, this photo still emulates the eerie quality that is present throughout the story- through the use of mist to emphasise the main focus of the picture (the bath) and to create a creepy atmosphere. The addition of mist to the photograph adds to the visual aesthetic of the photograph.
The bloodstains on the side of the bath are suitably subtle enough to create a feeling that something dreadful happened at the site of the bath.
The sky doesn't look quite right. It's a bit too light compared to the bottom of the picture, which looks darker. This makes the photograph look slightly uneven. Something that also looks uneven is the way that I 'burnt' the sky in Photoshop. This will have to be adjusted accordingly.
STILL 4
This is a photo of the main characters discovering a lone grave on their property, which belongs to a girl called Grace.
Although this moment would be quite important in the proposed film, it appears quite drab in photographic form. There isn't a lot happening in this photograph.
The text on the gravestone isn't very visible. The photo would have to be zoomed in to see the writing. Although I wanted the text to be subtle, I didn't want it to be too subtle as to make it invisible.
In order to make this photograph a little more interesting, I added the mist to, again, create an eerie quality to the photo and to act as a reminder to the creepy nature of the film- even in moments when Grace isn't around.
I think this is the weakest photo I have taken for this project.
STILL 5
This photograph acts as a representation of one of the occasions that Grace attacks the main characters.
The setting for this photo was a path in Polesden Lacey surrounding by trees that seemed to loom over the path, creating a tunnel-like appearance. I thought this would be a good location for a chase scene in the proposed film. Trees looming over the path creates a feeling of hostility, as it almost seems like the trees are staring at you and warding back. The is would be an almost perfect atmosphere to match the tone of the story.
The mist in this photo is very subtle, just visible at the bottom of the image and at the top. It frames the action in this photo.
I wanted the villain, Grace, to be more visible in this photo, but, after several attempt at taking the photograph to this effect, I realised that this was very hard to achieve. With the characters running, there was a slight irritation in the making of this photograph in the form of blurriness. There were several instances in the making of this photo where I took several unusable photographs- due to the fact that the people in it were blurred.
STILL 6
This is a photo of the moment when the characters finally defeat Grace at the end of the proposed film story.
The statue, for me, provokes images of a graveyard, which would be fitting as the villain has been defeated- effectively dying. It also provides a solemn atmosphere, accentuated by the characters looking down at Grace. It appears to almost be a sombre, sad photograph- despite the fact that this should be a happy moment in the story. I think this works well to create an image that has is visually appealing.
The fact that photograph was taken on a small hill gives the feeling that the characters are slightly raised. This, in turn, gives the impression that Grace is rising up- accentuated by the various faded images of Grace rising up from her dead body. Although it is hardly noticeable, Grace's body is slightly distorted by a watery effect, which is fitting because, according to the story, the event that caused Grace being turned into a supernatural spirit was her death by drowning.
The mist used in this photo appears to be wrapping around the hill the scene is set on, and, therefore, appears to encircle the centre of the photo. This makes the centre of the photograph the focus of the picture.
The vignette in this photograph can be seen a little bit at the top of the image, which detracts a bit from the main focus of the photograph, but I don't think this is an issue in this photo as the trees at the top of the photo obscure the vignette slightly. I think the vignette works well to frame the photo and to mark the centre as the focus of the viewers' attention.
STILL IMAGES FROM PROPOSED FILM - PEER FEEDBACK
After asking several of my peers and friends about my film stills, I am better equipped to adjust and improve my designs.
STILL 1
After asking some people about this photo, I found out some interesting thoughts about it.
The majority of people liked the location and the visual aesthetic of the house. Some people mentioned that the ivy on the front of the house makes it seem more creepy than it actually is.
One person made an interesting comment about the shape of the house, which nobody else picked up on. They said that the spikes and the pointed, jagged shape of the house gave it an imposing shape that seemed to create some hostility to the picture.
I received mixed feelings about the inclusion of Grace in the picture. Some people said she seemed a bit out of place, but others said she added to the creepiness of the photograph. However, most people agreed that she needed to be a bit darker and more faded, to accentuate the ghostly quality to her.
Another point that most people agreed upon (myself included) was the fact that the picture was too bright. The majority of people I asked commented on the sky being too light and, in order to better match the tone of the story, suggested that it should be darkened.
STILL 2
This photo was well-received by most people I asked.
Most people said that they liked the aesthetic and feel of the photograph, stating that the atmosphere created by the mist and fog really captured the eerie quality that I was going for.
Most people also liked the way that created the mist and fog surrounding the trees. They said that the darkened trees really bring them out and makes them easier to see.
After explaining the story in relation to this picture, a few people did argue that this picture wasn't really relevant to the story. Almost everyone did say that they liked, nonetheless.
STILL 3
The majority of people liked this photo, due to the creepy, horror-like quality that the hand coming over the edge of the bath induces.
Most people liked the way that the mist at the bottom was more prominent than previous photos. However, on the other hand, most people did notice that I had been using the same mist in all the film stills.
After comparing this photo to the film poster I created using a similar image, some people noticed that there were less trees in the background of this photo than the poster. They liked that it cleared up the background a bit and made the focus more on the bath.
Some negative points mentioned include:
- The sky is a little too bright
- The vignette is too noticeable
STILL 4
After showing some people this photo, the majority agreed that, compared to previous photos, this photo was a little lacking in creativity. Many people said that it was a little boring.
A few people commented on the appearance of the mist again. Some people said that, in this instance, it wasn't needed and perhaps I was using it a bit too often. They said that the appearance of the gravestone made it sufficiently creepy without the mist.
However, there were some positive thoughts to take from their feedback. Some people said that they liked the darkness surrounding the characters and the location.
STILL 5
The majority of people I asked liked the setting and the idea behind this photo.
In this instance, people liked the way the mist complemented the photo and added to the visual feel of the photo.
Some people said that the blood on the characters' clothes didn't look right. Having been told this, it does look a bit too bright. Some adjustments should be made accordingly.
STILL 6
The majority of people liked this photo. They said that the location really complemented the look of the photo.
They liked that the mist was more subtle than in previous film stills. Some people also noticed that Grace's body was similar to that of one of the film posters, in which her body had multiple faded versions around to give the impression she was ghostly. Those who noticed this said they liked the way I've done her dead body the same way. It gives a sense of continuity throughout all the photos.
No one commented on the vignette, which was commented on negatively in previous photos.
STILLS FROM PROPOSED FILM - ADJUSTMENTS
After reviewing the self reflection and the peer feedback, it is clear that in order to improve my photographs some adjustments should be made.
QUESTIONNAIRE TEMPLATE
When asking people for feedback regarding the film poster designs, I mostly just asked them what they thought generally, which can sometimes not be helpful for the person trying to give feedback as they might not know what to say. Realising that I could prompt the people I ask for feedback into giving more efficient answers, I created a short questionnaire that people could answer when giving me feedback for the film stills. I had hoped that this would enable them to give me good feedback for my film stills.
STILLS FROM PROPOSED FILM - ADJUSTMENTS
After reviewing the self reflection and the peer feedback, it is clear that in order to improve my photographs some adjustments should be made.
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| Original |
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| With adjustments |
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| Original |
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| With adjustments |
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| Original |
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| With adjustments |
QUESTIONNAIRE TEMPLATE
When asking people for feedback regarding the film poster designs, I mostly just asked them what they thought generally, which can sometimes not be helpful for the person trying to give feedback as they might not know what to say. Realising that I could prompt the people I ask for feedback into giving more efficient answers, I created a short questionnaire that people could answer when giving me feedback for the film stills. I had hoped that this would enable them to give me good feedback for my film stills.
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| This is an example of the template I used for the questionnaire. It includes a brief description of the story that people can refer to when giving feedback on the photographs. |
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