1. How effective is the combination of
your main product and ancillary
texts?
By Kenny Musa

2. A similarity which lies within all of our finished
products would be the idea that they all convey
the same dark unaware colour effect towards
the audience. The idea that our film was based
on a gloomy drugs situation meant our colour
scheme had to be emphasised in the right way
through all three of our made products. The
use of the colour black throughout our
poster, magazine cover and teaser trailer was a
typical convention which was shown
throughout the genre of action made films
through the products. I was able to gain this
idea throughout our research where I was able
to see a majority of films posters and magazine
covers that were action based all used the
typical black background to emphasis the
suspense trying to be conveyed to the
audience involving and interpreting the film.
Beneath is two examples of a magazine cover
and poster which conveys the same type of
colour theme that we were trying to portray
through our ancillary texts.
Even though Our group was able to distinguish
the idea that black backgrounds were typically
used in posters and magazine covers, we were
also able to understand that this was being
portrayed to me through the element of the
‘dull’ and ‘boring’ colours which tend to be
used.
Colour Scheme
Throughout our products, we were able to decide on a colour scheme that would be portrayed
through out products. This was a ‘ Red, black and white’. These colours are all shown in the
typical products that we had done in some past research. The black that was used as the
background in the poster and magazine cover would represent
sadness, unawareness, suspense and deception.
The black background
allows the audience to
try and feel some sort
of emotion reflecting
through the sense of
their unawareness
The idea that only the
background is black
allows you to contrast
from focusing straight to
the main image to trying
to figure out why such a
basic background theme
was chosen and why!
The colour red would connate fear, danger, blood and power. This colour was portrayed
throughout our ancillary texts through aspects of the title, background and subtitles.
The background of
the magazine having
a little money being
shown was conveyed
through both the
poster and magazine
cover so that it would
be something that
would be forgotten
about!
The use of money being
shown in the background
was another element that
we used due to the idea
that It allowed the
background to add a little
detail and focus to what
was being shown.
The colour white would connate happiness, purity, truth and loyalty. This colour was portrayed
throughout our ancillary texts.

3. Mise –en-scene
A similarity which lies within both of our
Through our ancillary texts, We found it important make sure the research we had one, was to done to a
ancillary texts would be the idea that they both
very high standard. When looked at other magazines covers and posters we were able to see that the
use the main character ( the protagonist)
main actor/ actress was used for both but portrayed in different ways through differing poses and
‘Jason’ as the main and front image of the film
camera shots for example the magazine of a film may have been a close up of the main actor and the
being promoted. This allows the audience to
magazine cover may have a been a medium shot.
feel familiar with the use of actors that is going
to be shown in the film and allows them to gain
opinion on wherever they like the main actor
or not. We knew from previous knowledge
that the main actor in a film is what Is normally
We were able to
Both of the main
used in promoting a film as it tends to be quite
notice the idea that
images that were
the magazine covers
used in the
a general well know actor/actress. This was
had shots which
magazine covers
very useful for the task as we knew that our
were a bit more
were of the main
main actor that was used for the film was quite
close up to the main
character ( the
popular student so it would allow friends to
image
protagonist)
feel more convinced to want to watch the film.
The main actor that was used in both of the
magazine cover and poster was wearing a
The idea that in both the magazine cover and the poster the protagonist is conveying the same sort of
brown jacket which was attached to a grey
non emotion face expression allows the audience to feel some sort of enigma due to the idea it is
hood. He was wearing a brown dark jacket.
shown but it doesn't allow the audience to understand immediately why he is pulling this sort of face.
When using the main character as the main
image of the ancillary texts, we did a lot of
research which allowed us to see how they
were used.
We decided to make
The use of the
the protagonist a
main actor
medium shot poster as
wearing a
it is a convention of an
stereotypical
action film to see the
simple causal
magazine cover to have
outfit suggests the
an ECU or CU whilst the
target market of
poster would be a LS or
the film is for
MS
teens and above.
The magazine and poster allowed our group to
see how the main image was used and how
they were placed. We were able to see the
main image was used in both the ancillary texts
but in different ways through image, setting
and colour etc.
The setting of the poster and the magazine stays the same throughout as it allows the audience to
have a bit more of an understanding to what the film may be about. The money is used in setting to
signify the way it is being used by who ever may be using it. Our group was also able to notice that a
majority of the magazine covers that was promoting or advertising action films was done by EMPIRE
magazine. Both the magazine cover and poster shown above allow you to see real life comparisons
to a high standard film allowing you to compare it to our finishing product.

4. A similarity which lies within all of our finished
products would be the idea that they show a
variety of different camera shots through all
pieces of work. When doing some research our
group was able view what type of camera shots
were used in magazine covers and posters. This
allowed our group to have a range of
knowledge of what not to do and what to do.
The camera shots we were going to use was
very important due to the idea that the
branding relied a lot on the shots. As we were
aware a lot of the audience would remember
the film by the shot of the image used to
promote it , we found It very important that
the audience would find what ever shot used
beneficial in a way that they would remember
the film. From our research I was able to
understand that the shots that were used by
industry's through their marketing campaign
generally would be taken from a part of their
teaser trailer to use for the poster of the film.
We decided to do this for our poster so that
the audience would be able to have a little
insight into the plot of story and setting. Also it
would give the audience ideas of what the film
may be about.
Above is an example of a magazine cover and
poster advertising the same film but using
different camera shots for the particular media
it is using. You are able to see the difference
between the close up used and the medium
shot used between the two different ancillary
Camera Shots
The camera shots which was shown upon a magazine cover and a poster soon showed me
something which was in common with a majority of them which would be down the use of close
ups and medium shots that which was used for the particular product. In a majority of posters and
magazine covers, when promoting a particular film, the use of the shot would change for instance
the Magazine cover would be a close up shot of the main image whilst the poster would be more of
a long shot of the main character; mainly using the protagonist. I valued this as a convention due to
the idea that it was shown in a majority of the analysis text that I had a look at.
The close up of the
magazine cover
allows the audience
to view the main
image in more detail
to get a sense of
understanding of the
emotion trying to be
conveyed.
We were able to
notice the idea that
the magazine covers
had shots which
were a bit more
close up to the main
image
The main image of the magazine cover is the protagonist which is a medium/close up image. We
used the same type of magazine ‘EMPIRE’. They were one particular type of magazine which used
the particular shots for their magazine covers. The film ‘ Sherlock Holmes’ is also in some sense a
action film so we were really able to use the close up image to its full potential. I believe the use
of the camera shots was very good with the branding due to the aspect that it was the same
person being used to promote the film ( Jason who played the protagonist). This allowed the
audience to feel aware of who the main actor or actress is. As it is two different images of the
protagonist being used, it allows the audience to see a different image of him maybe portraying
something else of the story.
The long shots
went with the
branding of our
products due to
the similarity
between all of
them with the
use of
props, miss-enscene and
This poster is promoting the
same film but has a different
use of image.
This image is a long
shot/medium shot which
allows the audience to have a
better view of him allowing
them have a little more
understanding of what type of
person he may be playing.

5. Reviews
Titles
The reviews that we used were used
for both the magazine cover and the
poster. The reviews that were used
were quoted from the EMPIRE
magazine and SIGHT and SOUND. These
are both magazine company's. The
reviews allowed the audience to gain
and understanding of what the film is
about and allowed them to feel more
intrigued into watching it due to the
positive feedback it was given. The
reviews helped create a buzz to the
audience.
TagLines
The taglines were very effective in the sense that it enabled the audience to have a
repetitive sentence that they knew would refer to the film. In our magazine cover
, poster and teaser trailer the sentence ‘When the price is high , what will be the
cost? Was used. This tagline allowed the audience the identify some sort of
suspense and enigma due to the idea that the sentence was not answered
straightaway. It allowed the audience to feel compelled and intrigued to what may
take place later on the film.
The titles were very effective due to the idea that
‘BLACKMAIL’ was used to promote the film in all of the created
sources. I was able to identify the typical convention of the
type of font that would be used for an action based film.
When doing my research I was able to see what sort of
font/size and that was particularly used for this film genre of
action
When looking at other real media magazine covers and posters
, I was able to identify the use of the title through not only the
appearance but also the position. I noticed that a convention of
the titles would be In the similarity hat they all were
bold, capital letters and white.