for my advanced media coursework portfolio. In this I evaluate how effectively my three media products work together- one main video and two printed media texts

1. Robert
Henderson
QUESTION 2- HOW
EFFECTIVE IS THE
COMBINATION OF YOUR
MAIN PRODUCT AND
ANCILLARY TEXTS?

2. The main video production I made with my production team this year was an
action teaser trailer. Alongside this I also created a magazine front cover and
a theatrical poster to promote this film. Because of this, I intended to
maintain a similar style in between these different media products to make
sure that they’re recognisable if you’ve seen one of the other products
before. Media companies who wish to successfully promote their film tried to
make all products surrounding it recognisable and attachable to the main
media product to make them more inclined to buy it. Techniques and things I
considered while making all three of these media texts include: trying to
keep a consistent style; have it so all products suggest the action genre; the
mise-en-scene are similar and have it so each one promotes each other.
INTRODUCTION

3. One of the ways I ensured that these media products in combination was successful was through
maintaining a similar style from one to the other. I based the house style for both of my ancillary
tasks on the general colour grading seen in the teaser trailer. The teaser trailer is quite dark with
lots of contrasts, with colours such as greys and blues featured. I tried to maintain this dark house
style in the movie poster by having the background as smoke, which can also been seen in the final
title card of the teaser trailer, as this background has also got smoke. However, I did not include a
similar looking type of font within the poster when compared to the main production which was a
mistake from my part, so if I was to improve upon this poster, I would change the font so it’s more
in style with this End Process logo. However, we did include a bold font within our video, which is in
the ‘coming soon’ title card, which somewhat justifies this font, but I believe that the font in the
poster is ultimately not similar enough which means that I was not too effective on maintaining a
consistent style in the poster, but I did capture the essence of the style with the colour scheme and
background.
For the magazine front cover, I did deviate more from the style of the film, as magazines are
independent of the film, so they are instead trying to promote the magazine, rather than the film.
Because of this, I did include a bold red to make it stand out more, but I believe that even with this
bold choice, the essence of the colour scheme of the teaser trailer is still captured in the bass
colours, which is navy blue, black and white. This shade of blue is seen on things such as the car
within our film, and the black and white reflect the harsh contrast of colouring and low -key lighting
we decided to use in our media production. There could have been a better shade of red which
would of suited the style of the video better, but I believe that a more bold colour worked more
effectively. Additionally, the red is also seen within the film poster, so these two are linked too. I
also captured the original font used in the video too within the magazine cover, as they’re both
more Serif style fonts. Because of these reasons, I believe that my magazine cover ties in well with
the other two media texts, but a couple tweaks could have been made to the colouring to really
confirm the link between them all.
CONSISTENT STYLE

5. As I created an action teaser trailer for my video production this year, I tried to embellish
the look of an action film within all of my products. I decided this was necessary in
successfully promoting a film as it meant the audience would know what exactly the genre
of the film is without having any previous knowledge of it. In the poster, I made the
conventions of the action genre quite apparent to make it more conventional and so they
can linked together easier. Firstly the use of red in my colour scheme suggests mystery and
violence, which are common elements of the action genre. The use of my font too is quite a
bold in your face font, which is seen in other action movie trailer posters to make the
poster stand out more. The use of having only an image of the main character and an
overall minimal design ties in well with suggesting the action genre, as this is very common
within other more professional posters such as the James Bond ones. Finally, I also include
a gun, which is common prop within the action genre. Overall I believe that my poster ties
in very well with my teaser trailer as they’re both clearly apart of the action genre.
For the magazine cover, I didn’t have as many genre links to the main product, which is a
large downfall on my part for this product. However, it does still include a somewhat
minimal design which works well in portraying the action genre. The main anchorage is also
featured in the dead centre, looking emotionless and wearing a suit. These hardened
attributes are common themes in main protagonist in action films, meaning that these link.
Additionally, the red, just like in the film poster, suggests the action genre. However, not
much else particularly ties in with the action genre as much. The thumbnails at the bottom
or any other magazine cover features (text and puff/pug) don’t really suggest the action
genre, but it could be argued that this magazine producers don’t have to completely link
back to the genre of the main anchorage as they’re also promoting the other films that are
featured in the magazine. Overall, I believe that I was quite effective in suggesting the
genre in the magazine cover, but I might have been able to include some extra detail in
every aspect of the magazine so everything therefore ties with the action genre.
SUGGEST GENRE

7. I intended to use similar mise-en-scene in all of my media texts to make
sure that they’re all recognisable as similar products from first glance. In
both of the ancillary tasks, I included the main protagonist wearing his
suit, which is what he’s seen wearing throughout the teaser trailer.
Because he’s wearing the same costume in all products, the character is
instantly recognisable. I believe that using the same costume in all the
products worked very well in making them all work together effectively.
Another things from the mise-en-scene which I included were both in the
movie poster. The smoke background, as mentioned earlier, appears in
the end process title card at the end of the teaser trailer, which is similar
mise-en-scene in terms of setting. The other one included was the use of
a gun as a prop. As this was also featured in the film, people will be able
to draw a connection between the two tying the connection between the
video and the poster in further. In hindsight, I could of included more
mise-en-scene features in my magazine cover too, such as the gun, as
this would make my use of mise-en-scene in all three really strong, but I
believe that the use of the main anchorage costumes make them all
connect enough anyway, it just would help if more mise-en-scene was
included.
MISE-EN-SCENE

9. In turn with making all the products work with each other, I also
tried to make them all promote the main product and create
interest for it. One of the ways I did this was through the use of a
mysterious and interesting main character. All of the products
present our main protagonist as quite emotionless, which would
create interest within the audience as they would want to know
what happens in the main theatrical narrative. I therefore included
him as the main anchorage in both of my ancillary tasks and have
him the focus in the teaser trailer.
Unfortunately, in terms of my cross promotion featured within my
three media texts, I included very little except for the same name
and character. I could of included things such as social media
URL’s in all 3 or at least 2 of my tasks so people will know where
to go to find information about End Process. Including a slogan
would of helped create interest too but I foolishly missed both of
these out. If I had to improve upon these three media texts I would
make these connections stronger so the promotion for the main
product is more successful.
PROMOTION/CREATING INTEREST

11. Overall I believe that I mostly made sure that all my tasks work
together and that they’re recognisable to be in the same style
and promoting the same product. However, there could have
been more done to ensure this. Within my target audience
research, no one brought up issue with this issue when asked
about if they work with the main production as a whole,
therefore concluding that there are no glaring issues with it.
Upon further evaluation from myself however, there are issues
that I could of noticed which could of not only made them work
together, but also more conventional to their respective
mediums. If I were to do this again I would make sure that the
links are a lot more stronger between the three, rather than
approaching it as three completely separate products. I still do
believe that if was still mostly successful in my execution and
that they do overall work together.
CONCLUSION