By George Sulaiman

HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE COMBINATION OF YOUR MAIN PRODUCT AND ANCILLARY

TEXTS?

• In my A2 Media Studies advanced portfolio, I decided to produce a horror film trailer followed by two ancillary tasks which are a magazine front cover and a film poster for my horror film. Since my film was a horror genre, therefore I had to use the specific codes and conventions of real life products to my own film trailer. These were the film posters and magazine front covers in which I can design and aim this to real media products to therefore interest and catch the attention of my intended audience.

• Initially, when in the process of making my magazine front cover for my film, I had researched beforehand on popular examples of magazine covers promoting films in relation to the horror genre. I looked into magazines such as Fangoria, Empire and Entertainment Weekly, which have promoted horror films like; Insidious, Scream, etc., which helps me to understand and interpret the general codes and conventions of a magazine front cover in relation to a horror film genre. Having accomplished my research findings and analysis on these specific magazines I recognised and understood the certain codes and conventions, for instance, font types, certain styles/layout, colour schemes and the images used. A magazine cover convention involves the establishment of the main character of the film, as in the Entertainment Weekly magazine front cover there is the image of a person wearing a mask suggesting that this would be the person who causes trouble and disruption (disequilibrium) of the narrative structure and also since the image is in the middle of the page this creates a sense of importance as well as fear for the intended audience in which this film is aimed at.

• Additionally, when in the development and process of the making of my film poster, I had researched previously into real life media products of film posters in relation to the horror genre. I had a look at and came across certain examples such as Prom Night and Scream, the Prom Night film poster helped me to understand the general codes and conventions of horror film posters as to pose to the supernatural and paranormal features. The colour scheme, font and image of the Prom Night film poster articulate concise conventions mirroring a typical horror film and allow the audience to recognise the genre of the film from what is displayed on the film poster itself. The colour scheme had a gradient from black to dark blue so therefore this allowed us to get an idea and knowledge that I can apply to our own film poster which would end up looking more suitable and effective. The font type was very similar to our own font type that I used for both our ancillary tasks which was ‘Optimus Princeps’ however the font type used in the Prom Night film poster is very close to our chosen font type. Also, the image of the Prom Night was a close-up image of a girls face with a split of broken glass or a source of light sparking from different aspects of the film poster, therefore by acknowledging this I understood that it would be best that I used a close-up image of the antagonist (which in this case is the doll) and then I created a more frightening and horrific imagery from the image of the doll that I already had as a sample from the actual film trailer.

• By having both of my ancillary tasks and main product work together I believe that it is very effective. Typically, when a certain film is being promoted before it is distributed, both of the ancillary tasks (Magazine front cover and film poster) are published in an attempt to increase popularity and exhilaration for the imminent film in relation to its specific target market. With both of my ancillary tasks (Magazine front cover and film poster) produced, I tried to make it relatable and significant to my horror film trailer as much as possible which is generally comprehended within current real media products. For my horror film trailer, the antagonist (Villain) is a doll named ‘Norma’ in which she is the main point and who seeks most attention for my intended audience. Since this was established within our film trailer and initial thoughts, this is the main reason why I decided to construct and produce a magazine front cover and a film poster with the doll ‘Norma’ as the main attention, centralised on the front page of both of the two ancillary texts.

• When planning my two ancillary tasks I had made some sketches as to being potential ideas for both of the texts as I had looked at current media products and determining my initial planning and ideas through them. I began with sketching the magazine front cover in which I had knowledge of the general codes and conventions as the main convention is to have the main character of the film used on the front cover (this is the antagonist, Doll, Norma) which would be the main focal point of the cover which would attract the eyes of the intended audience. This was then applied to the film poster as I sketched it with the usual film title and main close-up image of the main character as well as certain characteristics and aspects of the blood being put on view and displayed to the audience connoting danger and death, I have done this through the use of blood with cut lashes of glass emphasising something broken, disordered and chaotic. In order for me to keep the permanence and link between both of the ancillary texts I have produced, I had to use consistent features of codes and conventions for instance, a similar image of the close-up of the main character ‘Norma’ from both ancillary texts as well as colour of both texts by using aspects of the bold, dark and sinister colours of black, grey and red used upon these two ancillary texts with relation to my horror film.

Film Poster planning Film Magazine cover planning

Final - Film Poster Final - Magazine front cover

• As you can see, this has been the progress and development of both of my ancillary texts, since when I started to construct my product within the early stages; I had gathered terminology, knowledge, thoughts through the journey mainly about the codes and conventions of both my ancillary texts in relation to the horror genre and having to apply them during the process, allowing me to end my final product most efficiently and effectively with relation to my intended audience. By having these sketches it has allowed me to develop on my initial idea to the planning of both of the products and took me forward in terms of developing it to a better piece for a final ancillary text. This was processed and developed using an IOS operating system (Macintosh), this was more advanced and sophisticated which allowed me to produce a more effective piece of work designed to impact relationally to my main media product which is a horror film trailer.