Magazine Cover

This is my finished magazine front cover. I have used pictures of the characters both together and on their own, to suggest things about their characters personality and their individual personality, as actors. I used a fairly simple layout design because I wanted to keep the magazine cover simple yet effective in the way it is presented to the target audience. I also wanted to create a gossip effect, because that is the kind of article and magazine cover that will appeal an catch the attention of the target audience, teenagers. It is colourful with minimal writing, just small amounts that advertise the soap and what is included in the magazine. I thought exclusive interviews would allow the target audience to not only find out so much more about this new soap, but also find out much more about the characters and their actors. The cover gives little away about the soap so it is intriguing, thus encouraging the target audience to buy the magazine. I decided to keep the price low because the target audience are more likely to buy a listings magazine that is cheap and appeals to them. In comparison, not many teenagers will buy the Radio Times for example, because it is not aimed at them or consists of articles that will appeal to them, as well as the price being considerably higher.

Behind the Scenes film!

This is the behind the scenes video that I have made as part of an extras piece of footage.

Another Update!

I am currently editing some of the footage that I have filmed, from the Karate scenes to make a short behind the scenes film. At the weekend I will be taking more photos of the characters to add to my magazine cover, and hopefully get that finished.

Location film!

This is a video of the main locations.

Poster

As I said in a previous post I wanted to change the writing at the bottom of the poster from the directors name to a quote or tag line. I had two choices that I liked that I came up with:
1) When you can't win, when you can't quit, can you break even?
2) You can't win, you can't quit, but you can break even, can't you?

I have chosen the 2nd one, because I think it is a better rhetorical question and suggests more about the soap. It implies that they will be involved in something together or that something will happen compared to the first quote.

This is the final poster:

Magazine cover

I've been fiddling about trying to make my magazine front cover, but I'm struggling to get it right. I think this is beacuse the pictures dont say enough about the characters. For example, I think I need the characters in a different location and to use some props that suggest more about the characters personality. For example, one character could be seen with a Guitar, another with a cigarette in their hand and wearing hat. I need to show a side that the first set of pictures didn't imply. I also think it would make the magazine more gossip like as it should be and by showing more personality of the characters, the soap as a whole will become more appealing to the target audience.

I am going to try and regroup everyone this weekend to get more photos so I can get the magazine cover finished.

Mood board

This is a mood board showing the equipment and resources that I have used so far or will be using in the near future.

Do to list!

Here is a list of things I need to do before January:

• Finish filming
• Begin to edit the footage
• Take some more character pictures
• Finish and upload my magazine front cover
• Film the characters together, for a small behind the scenes piece of footage
• Find some music for my film
• Upload the first draft of the behind the scenes film of the karate filming to youtube and then my blog
• Upload the location filming and add a voice over

Dilemma!!

Looking back at my posters, I'm starting to wonder if I really need the director on it? Becuase directors of soaps aren't that famous really, but then again, I put it there to attract the target audience. However, maybe a slogan or line should be on the poster instead, of course it wont be well known as its a new soap but it could be relevant to the story or relate to a character or be something that is said or certainly becomes a well known line in the soap. I think it will be a rhetorical question or something that relates to the story. I'll have a think!

Poster!

These are my 5 posters that I designed. I really liked the portrait black and white photo of the group, but despite this I have chosen the 2nd poster down as my final one. This is because I think that for a modern day soap a poster will not be in black and white, it will be in colour and what the target audience will expect as well as being appealing to them. There is not too much information or too little, it tells the vital information, such as the name, channel and time which is what is needed to advertise a soap.

Locations!

Its taken me a while to upload these and sort through them and choose which ones were best as I took so many, but here they are! And again, the pictures have upload in a slightly funny order, they move around when I publish my post and I can't understand why!
These are my location pictures at which different scenes will be shot. For example, the ones just to the left and slightly above are of the shop that Laura will be seen in, stacking shelves. The pictures of the roads are where shots of the car driving will be filmed and the shots of the field are where shots of the characters walking will be taken. Other pictures are of the hall where the Karate scene will be and the other pictures of the road will be where Laura is filmed walking back from work.

Character Pictures!!

I have had alot of trouble trying to upload the pictures, what with different formats and the layout on the page so I am going to write about them here! I would like each picture to suggest different things about the character, but they will be interpreted differently by different people. For all of the photographs I have used a range of shots, close ups, mid shots, long shots and low angle shots.

The first two pictures are of Dan, a long shot from a low angle and then a mid shot. I would like the pictures to imply him as an individual who looks normal, relaxed and casual but suggest there may be another side to him. His costume is casual clothes, suggesting he is relaxed and level headed. His facial expressions are trouble-free and the lighting makes the photos look natural and warm, suggesting he is a warm and trusting character.

The next one down is of Kelly and Laura. The lighting is much darker due to shadows. I would like this to suggest that there may be something about these two characters, or their relationship that is hidden or secretive. Their costumes again are fairly normal and every day clothes, suggestng they are probably students and their casual stance suggests they are relaxed characters.

The next three pictures are of the whole group, implying that they all know one another. The way that they are standing, for example the couples standing together is suggesting their relationship with each other to the target audience. The last picture is a long shot of the characters, showing their costumes and general looks. The fact that their costumes are so different shows that they all have their own style and individuality even though they are part of a close group. Phil's stance makes him look rather protective of Kelly whereas Will looks far more relaxed alongside his 'girlfriend'. They all look relaxed in all the photographs suggesting they are comfortable around each other and there is no conflict within the group.

There are then pictures of Will and Dan and then of the 3 boys. There is a range of shots, long and mid shots. The pictures show their costumes and relaxed stances around one another.

There are pictures of Will and Laura and Phil and Kelly. These show their relationship to the target audience and suggest that both couples have a strong relationship with their partner because of they way that they are looking at one another as well as the way that they are standing closely together.

Soap clips

Coronation Street



This is a clip from Coronation Street. From watching this, I can see that soaps have many scenes in pubs, family homes and other settings relevant to the storyline, in the case of this clip from Corrie, a court. Similarly, the clip from Eastenders below also shows the pub, 'The Queen Vic', a place where many characters visit on a regular basis, making it one of the main settings and a name associated with the soap. There are many camera shots used in this clip from Corrie, to make the scenes more dramatic and to create atmosphere. For example, when tension is being created many close up shots are used to show facial expressions and emotions. As well as close ups mid and long shots are used to express body language and stance which make the scene more dramatic and tense. The scenes are filled with more emotion and the way in which the characters are presented make the audience either like them or not, and when something happens with the characters, e.g. a fight or someone gets hurt, the audience feel more emotionally involved with the characters if they like the character, thus creating a bigger overall effect on the audience.


Eastenders



This link is for the Eastenders Christmas special trailer. It doesn't advertise the soap as a new programme, but it advertises a storyline and the fact that it is a Christmas Special. I thought that it was a good clip for me to look at because it would give me ideas of what to put into my soap trailer and any things that I should look at differently on my storyboard. For example, there are a range of camera shots in this particular clip, such as close ups which show the characters emotions; as well as over the shoulder shots which allows the audience to see a close up of one characters face and also let the audience get a feel for the other characters body language and emotion without seeing their face. For example in this clip the male character is concerned and the female is very upset which is shown by the camera shots. The way his head and shoulder shakes slightly alongside his dialogue - "Who did this to you?".
Each edit, of fade to black, puts a sense of closure on each individual clip, suggesting that each character has something that they are going to do. The characters is each clip are doing something different and mysterious, for example, Peggy emerges out from behind a dark bush, and the blonde haired female turns her head quickly looking around her, implying she is scared as a male can be seen approaching her from the street behind. The lighting in some of the clips, for example the clip of Peggy, also creates an uneasy and eerie atmosphere. This is because only parts or half of the characters face are in the light, for example the eyes, and a lot can be seen from looking at someones eyes because they show plenty of feeling, i.e. anger or hurt. By only showing part of the characters face, different facial expressions can be interpreted in various ways by the audience which leaves the trailer open ended and on a cliffhanger to draw the audience in to watch it to find out what happens.

Name!

I am trying to think of a name for my soap and have come up with a few ideas. These are:
Chasing Hearts
By heart
Break Even
Breaking Even
Teenage Dreams
Teenage Kicks

I thought of naming the soap after the place it was set but I wanted to be different and create a different affect by the name to make it more dramatic and imply a different meaning. For example, if I was to call the soap Church Street, I think the name would imply something to do with a Church and even religion. I also thought it sounded to similar to current soaps, such as Coronation Street. However, a name such as Teenage Kicks connotes rebellious teenagers, drama, and stereotypical teenage behavior when the characters may be the opposite. I didn't like the idea so much of naming it after the place and wanted to be different, so it may appeal to the target audience more if it has many connotations.

To decide on a name I produced a questionnaire and asked the target audience which they preferred of the names listed above. This is my questionnaire:


Which of these names do you prefer for a soap? Please Circle.

Chasing Hearts
By Heart
Break Even
Breaking Even
Teenage Dreams
Teenage Kicks

(By heart – connoting that the characters know each other ‘By heart’)


The results showed that Breaking Even was the most popular name for a soap amoung the target audience so that is what I will be calling my soap.

Update!

On Sunday, I will be taking all of my character pictures so I can begin to design my poster and listings magazine front cover. As well as this I have photographs of most of my locations (I will get the last two on sunday also) as well as a film shot of panning around the area. I am going to upload the pictures for both locations and characters soon and then put bits of film that I made at the locations into a short video with a voice over explaing why I have chosen those locations and what will be happening there. For example, I will say something like "this is the hall where the karate scene will be. I have chosen this location because..." I have not filmed at every location, only the main ones that are significant in the trailer but I will have photographs of them all.

Also, as soon as my photographs are done, the poster and the magazine front cover I am going to start filming my trailer!

Storyboard

This is my storyboard for my trailer. It is slightly unclear in the way in which it has uploaded, so it starts at the top right and zig-zags down.

Costumes

The costume a character wears is very important becuase it will portray what type of person they are and indicate what their personality is like as well as their class/social status. Costumes are generally chosen based on sterotypes of what it is belived people of a certain class or personality would be like. For example, a villain in a film isn't going to be wearing bright clothes, they are likely to be wearing darker clothes that imply they are a bit sly. Despite this generalisation, sometimes characters are made to look quite ordinary, so they may be associated as a family person with good morals for example, but this may be to make the story more exciting and they may actually be the person that is up to no good.

Some more examples that are more related to soaps are:

A character that is always seen wearing smart suits and has a briefcase is going to be associated as someone with a high social status and who earns alot of money as a business man/woman. They may be thought of as a family person with a house and all of this inforamtion can be gained from the characters costume alone. In contrast, a character who wears very scruffy and dirty clothes and carries a bag with them is going to be portrayed as homeless or at least very poor - a low social status. They aren't likely to have a job or a family and possibly be associated with drugs and alochol as that is the general sterotype of a scruffy and homeless individual.

A working or middle class individual is likely to be wearing jeans and a t-shirt, a more smart casual look. They would have a work uniform or smarter clothes for work and would be associated with an average paid job not something that is as well paid as one would expect a man in a suit to be earning.

Below are some picture examples of different costumes that suggest the type of person they are.


Business man


The second picture is an example of people that are associated to be middle class or working class and their costumes suggest the type of job they are doing.


The third picture is a sterotype of a homeless person - they have all their belongings which is what expected if someone is homeless and very poor. This individual has scruffy clothes and the grafitti in on the wall implies that the area is poor and rough and possibly dangerous which means they would struggle to survive.


These characters below are the cast of the TV Drama Gavin and Stacey, and are wearing fairly 'normal' or 'everyday' clothes. This implies that they are probably working/middle class citizens, they are young so they are unlikely to have very good jobs at this stage and probably don't have very much money. They are not necessarily going to have families of their own and may still be living at home. They all appear to be 'good' characters as their costume doesn't suggest they are of a bad nature - like a villian.

Film posters and Soap posters

The fact that I have not found much information about posters for advertising Soaps, I have decided to look at some film posters to try and gather further understanding of what the poster should include to promote the soap. The main posters that are seen for soaps advertise storylines rather than the actual soap itself because the storylines are constantly changing and evolving. However, only big storyline's are normally advertised, for example, the "Who killed Archie?" story on Eastenders was heavily advertised with posters as well as trailers because it was such a big storyline for the Christmas special and a way of gaining many more viewers and promoting Eastenders.


This is a poster advertising the film Trainspotting. It shows the characters and gives a small indication as to who they are/ what they are like. The name of the film, Trainspotting, is boldly displayed across the front of the poster. There is some more information at the bottom of the psoter, telling the viewer looking at the poster more about the age certificate and the actors and who made the film etc. However, this is a poster for a film and not a soap so I don't think that this kind of information would be on a poster for a soap. The actors might be named on the poster and the channel it is broadcast on, but not information about who produced the soap. I think this would be too much information for a soap opera, whereas for a film it is more important because of promotion for all the companies involved and companies that distribute and exhibit the film.


This poster is advertising The Dark Knight and it is in my opinion much simpler than the Trainspotting one. This poster has the actors at the top, a large picture of one character and then the name of the film at the bottom. It doesn't have a release date but simply says "Coming soon". The image suggests that it is going to be an action film, and the fact that the character on the poster is holding a gun implies that it will be aimed at an older audience. From this, I can see that certain props will imply the age of the target audience and that the nature of the picture will imply a storyline. I think that the poster for my soap will need to have a picture of a character or a couple of the characters together, either doing something that implies a storyline or simply together as two characters with the name of the soap boldly underneath the image. The Dark Knight poster still has companies and a website at the bottom, again to promote the companies. This reinforces that the poster, although its for a soap, will need to have the channel that it is broadcast on at the bottom.


This is a poster advertising Love Actually. I have chosen to look at a Love Actually poster because it is near to the kind of storylines of a soap. In a soap there are alot of relationship's and different problems arise revolving around peoples relationships with other people. The poster says that it is a Romantic Comedy so the viewer knows what to expect, that it will be about relationships between different people. By the amount of characters shown on the poster, it is suggesting that there are alot of people in the film, which can be the same for a soap. The poster could display alot of the characters or only one or two, like I have looked at in the previous posters. I think that by having more characters on the poster, the target audience can work out alot more about the soap as it gives that much more away. The colours and pictures on this poster connote love, happiness and Christmas, a time of showing your love for others.
Similarly to the other posters that I have looked at, the name of the film, Love Actually, is boldly printed at the bottom along with other information about the film, such as its release date, its certificate rating and the companies that have distributed and produced the film. The fact that the actor's name's are on the poster also has an effect, as if a member of the target audience like that actor, they are more likely to pay attention to the poster and want to watch the trailer to find out more.


I have chosen to look at this poster because it is very different to the ones I have already looked at, in the way that it looks and how the information is presented. The shape in its self attracts the target audience, and to understand the shape it requires one to look at the poster and therefore read the information. To make a poster similar to this for a soap would be difficult but effective in the way that it would connote and suggest to the target audience what the soap is about, like this poster does by its shape along with the name of the film. The information about the film, like the main actors, director, producer, and the companies that funded, distributed and produced the film are on the poster, so I think that some similar details are needed on the poster for my soap however I don't think that it is necessary for as much information to be there as there is on a film poster because a soap has less companies and people involved in the actual making and putting money into it, so less companies want there name advertised on the poster and trailer.

From looking at all of the posters, I think that the necessary information to have on a poster advertising a soap is minimal compared to a film poster, possibly the names of the actors if they are already well known but it is less important for a soap. The channel it is broadcast on is needed for definite and the time it will be shown to suggest the target audience it is aimed at need to be on the poster along with the date it will be released. A picture of one or more characters and the name of the soap boldly written on poster is needed. What the picture shows is important because not only will it suggest what type of characters they are but also set an atmosphere and expectations from the soap itself.