My Magazine Review Page

Photoshop Progress

I began to take the image which I took and made it large enough so it fills one whole side of the double page. I gave it a border so the page number and dates can be placed under the photo, then evenly did it the same length round so it looks neat. Lastly, I made a gap for a secondary image so it can be placed there. This will have a white border also like the main image, to stay with the theme and so you can easily see that they are two separate images.

I then placed the other images on. I sized the small image to go in the gap on the large image. Then got another image and put it on the left side of the review page. Rather than just having a normal image I decided on cutting round the protagonist to make it look more interesting and then the text could go around him. I made the images look more old fashioned to go with my film poster theme so I added a black and white effect and lowered the opacity so there is still color on the images slightly. I then added a caption so the audience can understand what he is doing in the images. I used the same font throughout, which was 'Nexa Bold'. This was in my post of finding the correct type faces for my film poster, as I want the same fonts I did not make another post as I wanted to use these fonts still. I made the  'O' larger so the title has some character towards it and this stopped the image upwards which I think looks great. Then I made the rest of Outlaster in smaller text and added the certificate rating next to it in a font called 'Futurist', also on my font post. I made a line to go beneath the title so it makes it stand out compared to any other text. As shown on the screen shot, I used a motion blur for the line which gave it the fading look on each side which I love. Moreover, I used the same effect as the title on my film poster, this was adding a old paper texture to the font and lowering it so it makes the font look great and old. 

Then I outlined the left hand image with a blue line which looks great. I added the same line the other side which connects to a thin line at the bottom. Then I added in the page number, website link and date. Moreover, I began to start with the textual features. This was adding the film information and the plot. I used again 'Nexa Bold' for these.

I was close to finishing my review page. I added the rest of the text into columns of my actual film review. It was very time consuming having images that do not have a straight edge so the text had to go around - which I did manually. However I managed in the end and it came out great. I added a black background to the quote which stands out extremely well on the white background and splits up the text well. I then began to add the verdict which fits perfectly in my position that was on my flat plan. In all I am very satisfied with how it looks and I think it looks extremely professional.

My Images for my Magazine Review Page

These are the 3 chosen images that I have finally decided on using for my review page. I really like the 3 images here and will be perfect. Firstly, the image of him walking on a bridge looks amazing. It looks really worn-down and abandoned so it fits perfectly for the setting in the story line. Moreover, it looks like he is about to enter a gated community which fits for purpose also which is great. The protagonist looks like he is walking so it in fact looks legitimate and not faked for an image. The image of him looking into the distance in the sea is great also. I was lucky enough to take images on a day that was very misty and depressing, therefore it fits the mood perfectly that I was hoping to achieve. The sea has no life to it, looking still and empty. Normally you would see an ocean full of boats and people,  this is brilliant as with my plot there isn't many people that have survived the catastrophe so I am extremely happy with this shot. The image of him looking to the side will be used for my far left image on my review page. There is boats which should not be there so I am going to have to work around that and remove them somehow. The shot is great though, I was making the most of living on an island and using its beautiful scenery. It does look slightly unnatural as it looks like he is posing slightly but I really like this image so I am going to use it anyway. 

Magazine Review Page Flat Plan

This is the basics of my flat plan for my magazine review page. I wanted the idea of a simplistic approach to my review page but also packed with information, so I came up with this. Rather than you being overloaded with text, I wanted more images on my magazine review so I decided on 3 images in total. This will interest the young, target audience who typically reads magazine reviews. I liked the idea when researching of review pages having one large image covering up one side of the review, so I decided to do this also. Furthermore, titles are generally large in the top left hand corner and I liked this position so I decided to stay with the normality. Moreover, I felt like having film information and plot clearly, was very important, so like others I put it first before my written review. I put the written review into columns as this is how it is divided on page reviews so it does not look too overloaded with text. To make it less overwhelmed even more, I split the text up with a quote in the middle and made it large. It just will make it look more appealing to the eye. Page numbers and the date of the magazine are at the bottom corners of the page in smaller text and if you want to subscribe to the magazine the website link is in the middle at the bottom. This is where you normally see these features so I again decided to place them here, and go with normality, so the audience can comprehend where they are easier. Lastly, the verdict will be on the large image as there was no other room for it to go. I will make it white however so it will stand out on the image and the audience can read it effortless as it is still an important feature as it is the overall rating and opinion.

My Written Review

Rarely, we see a short film that engages us all the way through and has such a large impact on us. Outlaster is a short film produced by Oliver Riches, which is his first released production, and may I say what a substantial start for his career. It was featuring Warren Riches, and as expected, an exceptional performance by him and could possibly be one of his best of his time. He delivers a strong and powerful role that displays the mental toll affecting him from the absolute loneliness and suffering he has faced. He fits the part greatly and makes it highly believable, you can believe and imagine  that the scenario is in fact real.

‘I’m Alone, afraid and on the edge of going insane.’

You could say this is a very clichè post-apocalyptic short film as it follows most traits as other short films within this genre. However this is where you are wrong. The story stood out among the rest due to its clever use of filming, dovetailed with a unique style of editing. It felt very realistic, bringing it to recent, real life events involving Trump and his election success. This gave it that tangible, believable angle that keeps the viewer hooked.

The visuality and storytelling is astonishing too. Without any CGI, which is what many post-apocalyptic films rely on, Outlaster uses narrative, many shots and effects to keep you interested. Having various close ups showing his desolate emotions, slow motion to emphasize that life was dull and monotonous. It does not stall at being exciting at all.

Personally I look forward to more work by this young talented filmmaker, one piece of advice would be to ensure he keeps true to his cinematic vision, and not be afraid to push the boundaries and avoid the mainstream mediocrity which has saturated the market.

Verdict

A bold, dramatic and engaging film, you encounter a connection between yourself and the protagonist feeling very sympathetic for him. It will leave you almost certainly intrigued to watch more. This post-apocalyptic film is graphic in the realms of loneliness and isolation and makes a significant film for audiences to deeply relish.

4 Stars

Magazine Review Page Analysis 3

The main image for this takes up just over half the magazine review page, which is slightly more than what the normal size. The image stands out extremely well however, showing the protagonist. His vibrant red colours catches your eye almost immediately when looking at the page. Moreover, the image looks like an action shot due to his body structure and the top and bottom is covered by some creature so it makes us think he is in danger and is very engaging to know more. The title is black and very thick so it stands out exceedingly well on the white background. Just above is a red strip with many one worded reviews and star ratings. There is some great reviews such as 'Must-see' with a 5 star rating however they have also been honest and put a review saying 'Disappointing' with 2 stars. The audience will like this as they are being truthful - not all people like it. Underneath the title is a little plot with a pun to engage the younger audience. It grabs your attention to read on wards for the review.  Furthermore, there is a bold sub title stating 'What's the story' which is a more in depth plot of the film. They have made sure you can see the verdict, covering it with a box and a red strip with the stars on. The verdict overall star rating was 5 stars so they have promoted this to make sure the audience are aware. They started the film review with a well known quote from the film, Spider-Man fans will see this and will appreciate it. They have used terms used with the younger generation such as  'Epic cinematography'. They kept the writing very unsophisticated so it is more relate able for the younger generation - who is most likely to read this review page. Moreover, they used a great sub title saying 'Scenes that will drop jaws and staple them to the multiplex carpet'. This suggests that the scenes will be so surprising and overwhelming your jaw the stay to the ground. It is a very descriptive and effective title that Is great. I need to use a sub title like this to intrigue the viewer. I really like the layout of this film review as I think it looks very professional and is divided well so it does not look overwhelming with text.  The ratings and titles are clear and bold which makes it easy for the reader to comprehend. If anything this is the sort of review page that I hope mine will come out like.

Magazine Review Page Analysis 2

The title is very clear to the viewer as it is behind a simple white background. Having a white background makes everything stand out on top, making it very easy for the reader to comprehend the text. White seems to be the most used colour for a background, so I need to decide whether to follow the generic background or use something else. The title 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' has very distinctive text. It is thick and bold but has lines within it so it also has some character. It is in the middle of the page which is mainly where the title is or it is placed at the top - so the audience looks at it first and knows what film they are reviewing. The overall review page has kept it to minimal colour theme, this is also what most magazine review pages do as well. This one used the colours orange, red and black, with a little yellow. They all match well and stand out on the background.
Moreover, like all review pages the text is in columns so it doesn't look too overwhelming and is appealing to the young audience as they do not like to read a lot. The first letter is in a bold capital, following the same font as the title and also the same colour. They use clear sub titles with a dark background and light capitalized text inside. This makes it clear what the text below is about. They also have clearly put a caption of the large image so we know what is happening within it.
The main image takes up half the page, which is what is typically done. To make the review page more visually appealing, they also added a picture of the protagonist in-between two texts, Johnny Depp. Furthermore, as most of the audience is the younger generation, they like to keep the text engaging and amusing. They added a pun 'Into the depp-end' to maintain the younger audiences interest. They also added an exclusive QnA which the audience love so this will attract more people to read on.

On the other hand, there is not a lot of descriptive text on a review itself. So the audience does not get a lot other than telling us about a plot and a QnA. Moreover, there is no star rating so we do not get a critic's overall rating on the film. Lastly, we do not see any other chacracters within the film other than the protagonist twice and another character, I feel like they could use better images to intrigue the audience.

Magazine Review Page Analysis 1

This review page is about 'Fun With Dick and Jane'. They placed the title at the top of the review page which is almost where they all typically are positioned. They have chosen a simple font that is very simple and sleek. It is simple to read. They haven't chosen any bright colours just black, and some orange. Black does however stand out well on a white background. Moreover, there is a star rating at the bottom right, this gives us a whole rating of the film. Knowing that it is 3 stars, the audience can then decide if that is high enough for them to watch it or not. Having a star rating is very useful. Above the stars is also a short little quoted review to again get a simple conclusion of the whole film itself. This review page doesn't start with a large letter but starts with a quote. This is almost as intriguing as the large letter used. In the top right there is a bright orange box, the only main colour within the page other than the main image. Within this box, there is important information. Having it in a table makes it simple for the reader to devour all the text quickly. It has the plot, cast, release date, director and more. I like this and may use it in my review page. The image is positioned right in the middle of the review page. Grabs your eyes almost immediately. Also there is the caption within the bottom left corner of the image. It seems like this is where the captioned is placed a lot, and also it normally is in white text so it is easy to read. Within the image is most of the characters so you can see who is casting for the film. I think that it is a great shot. The text overall is not completely formal, mainly informal. This is to relate with the targeted audience, being the younger generation. If it is too formal then the younger generation will not find it interesting to read.

However, I think that the overall review page could do with some more colour and features as in general it looks dull, even though simple is great and usually effective, I still think this is too plain. They could of added a coloured title or some of the quotes in the text bold and coloured. Normally there are other images included other than the main as it helps to tell more about the film. This review page only has one which looks more boring as there is too much text on the page. They need to make it look more interesting.

Conventions of a Magazine Review Page

As I have never came across a magazine review page, as I look them up digitally on websites like 'IMDB'. I feel like it will be very helpful to research the conventional layout that they mainly follow. 

Film name and release date
There is almost always a film name at the top so the reader knows what the review is about easily. Also having a release date is also followed, it is great for the audience to know when to expect the film is coming out. 
Quotes
Often a review beings with a quote at the start or at the beginning of another paragraph a couple of times within the review. It is a quote from the actual film or used as a engaging introduction for a paragraph - to lure them into reading. However, you do not usually see quotes in short film reviews as there is nothing key to quote about them.
Introduction and Summary
Normally, the first paragraph within a magazine review page is a short summary of the film. This allows the reader to know the basic plot of the film to see if it interests them or not. This also includes aspects of the timeline, location and the narrative. It is mainly a personal view of the film by the reviewer and not the actual given plot itself.
Aspects
Typically after the introduction and summary of the film, it is followed by aspects. This is a very personal opinion of the production of the film. They focus on mise-en-scene, effects, setting, story or music within the film. It is followed by what they think the negatives of the film are.
Characters
They sometimes also focus on the characters and the strengths and weaknesses of their acting. Likewise to the quotes, in short films you can not talk about characters as such because we see so little of them.
Ratings
Also, than all the text giving a more in depth review, there is also a star rating out of 5. This is a rating from the critic what they think of the film overall as a whole.
Other Minor Conventions
There are also many other minor conventions that are still important as they are always used within review pages. Firstly, you see an increased size for the first letter of the whole review. Page numbers are obviously also included so you can find it through the context. Also, captions for the images so the viewer knows what is happening within the image.

Visual Example:

What Makes a Magazine Review Page

Representational features

• Having a bold headline in capital letters and on a simple background stands out extremely well. It lets the audience know what film is being reviewed easily. In smaller sections the text is set along side it.
• One of the main features visually is the images on the review page. Typically there is a large image of the actor or scene that takes up half the page. Then other scenes are sometimes added around the page. 
• Quotes are usually in a bold and colored font, different color from the other fonts. This gives the viewer an idea of what the text below is about. 
• Photographs are normally captioned so the viewer can understand what is happening in the shot.
• The review is placed into columns so it is simple and easy for the reader to read, and it does not look too overwhelming with text. It looks much neater this way.
• There is the general information about the film listed at the beginning of the text in another box such as writers, actors, directors and others who have worked on th e film.

Linguistic Techniques

• There are many linguistic techniques. Normally the articles are actually quite informally written. This is to target the niche and younger generation who is typically reading the article. Informally written is so that they can relate to them.
• Most review pages there is a verdict in a text box above and an overall summary of the film. Following this is a star rating of the film.

Magazine Review Page

Now I have finished both my short film and one of my preliminary tasks, the film poster, I can now start my next preliminary task - the magazine review page. I am required to plan and produce a magazine review page based on my short film.
Magazine Review pages are very important. They are typically found in film magazines but also can be found in normal magazines. They are important as they are the main review and say of the film overall. People are trusted with their opinion as film critics reveal their opinion. They normally rate it as well, usually up to 5 stars.
The film companies would want the best review and if they do then it is very helpful for them to use this as a selling point and it is marketed easier. It is useful for the audience as well as it will further decide for them to watch it or not.
I am hoping to finish the magazine review page by the end of January. 

Other Types of Film Reviews
Aggregate Sites
There is also very popular methods other than a review within a magazine. Due to the rise of technology, most have access to the internet and choose this rather than a magazine. There are websites such as 'IMDB' or 'Rotten Tomatoes' that combine the film review with the percentage or score the critic feels it deserves. The audience can also leave reviews and this changes the overall score. It is quite an accurate and fair way to review the film. If the film scores over 60% it is considered a film worth watching.

Peer Feedback Response of My Film Poster

I asked a couple of students within my media class  to see their opinion on my film poster as having feedback other than yourself is very important. As not everything I like, others will also like. 

How effective do you think the film poster is overall?
-One student said yes it is effective
-One student said ' It looks gloomy and barren which definitely adds to the tone of your film, it hints towards what it will be about'.
- 'I think it works well as the colour scheme and house style matches the film itself'
Is the picture appropriate for my short film?
-'It shows the protagonist as the remaining character'
-'Fitting for a post-apocalyptic film'
-It is appropriate for my short film
Is the style of my poster appropriate for my short film?
-The style is appropriate for my short film
-'Yes, the location looks quite vast and empty which makes the character isolated and lonely'.
-'It is appropriate
Do you think the poster looks like a legitimate film poster?
-It does look like a legitimate film poster
-'Yes I like the faded effect'
-Yes I like the typeface choice'
Would you change anything on the poster? If so what?
-'Maybe make the character a little more prominent so that the audience can engage with him a bit more'.
-No
-'No, I like the poster as it stands'.

Examples of my responses:

In conclusion, I think the response was very positive. Even though I only questioned a few people I still think it is very helpful. Most of the feedback was extremely positive and there was only one improvement suggested. They said it looks like a legitimate poster and it fits the style and genre of my short film. The only improvement suggested was to make my protagonist larger which I completely agree as he should take up more of the poster. However, I am going to keep it as it is as I am satisfied with it to an extent myself and so are my responses as a whole.

My Film Poster

Film Poster Photoshop

After taking the images I then came to the decision of this one as I think it looked great. I made the photoshop canvass size to a typical film poster of 27'' x 47''. I then dragged the image and sized it to the position I wanted it to be. I felt like that the image was too bright. Therefore, I used the 'Hue and Saturation' effect and made the image darker. Moreover, I still felt like the image was too bright and colourful, so I added the 'Black and White' effect and made it black and white but lowered the opacity on it so it wasn't completely black and white but still made it darker.

I then added some dirt particles to the layer and lowered the opacity on this, to make the poster look old and an abandoned feel towards it. Following this I also added an old piece of paper texture which I got off google. This made it look great and I love the outcome of it.

 

Then, I added the text, which was the typeface 'Porter' from my font post. I felt like the text was great as it stands out a lot but needed some character. Therefore, I googled a paint brush texture and placed it above. Then I made this layer have a clipping mask, which adds this layer within the text. I lowered the opacity and increased the levels to make it seem like it had more particles. I think the outcome was great shown below.

I did the same effect with the cast below. I used the 'Will&Grace' font for this. It looks great and really professional. These were all the people involved within my short film.

This is what the final product looks like. I added the billing block at the bottom which I got off google. Then above I added 'coming soon' and 'In 3D', using the same font as the title, to keep it simple. For these texts I used another style to make them look old. I used the 'distorted' effect and made it look like it had particles.

I really like what my film poster turned out like. It has a very old feel about it which is what I was hoping. I think it fits the genre well and the plot. Also from doing research, I followed many of the same traits than other film posters within the post-apocalyptic genre. Knowing this, I know the audience of this genre will acknowledge my poster and it should appeal to them.

Finding The Correct Typeface

I decided to look for suitable fonts and then analyse the benefits or disadvantages of each one to see which ones are most proficient to use. 

Futura looks great, it is a very large font that stands out well meaning it is perfect for a poster - especially for a title. It is long and has character which I love about it. I may use this for my film poster.

This font is very similar to 'Futura' in fact. It is just less long and more chunkier.  This would also look great as a title text or something that needs to be large. It is more curved and has a happier feel towards it which is not what I am wanting however. So I do not think I am going to use this.

I love these fonts. They are both very similar and I think they both have real potential for my main title. They are both bold, sleek, simple and perfect for a title. You can clearly comprehend them quickly and from a distance which is very important. I am considering these highly for a candidate for the title font.

Like the fonts name 'Futurist' It has a very futuristic feel towards it. This is not what we want however I feel like it would be great to use for an actor font at the top. The font being spaced out from each other makes the font look very lonely which could emphasize the story of the protagonist being very lonely.

Will&Grace would be a great font for the cast or the tagline. It is not bold enough therefore it is not what I'm looking for, for a title. However I feel like I could definitely use this elsewhere for a subordinate feature. 

This font has a lot of character with pointed serifs. It is great being bold and thick which Is why I choose it but the font looks angry which is not the sort of feel I want from a font on my film poster.

In conclusion, I think 'Porter' would look great for a main title as it is so simple, bold and easy to read. All traits you need for a title. Moreover, 'Will&Grace' would be great for a subordinate font as it looks smart and professional and again easy to comprehend. It fits my genre well. I am only going to use two fonts as I do not want my film poster to be too complicated.

The Chosen Image

This is my chosen image that I have decided to be for my film poster. I like it firstly that there is a lot of sky at the top so I can place the title there without interfering with anything below and it will make the title stand out more. The sky looks very dark and grey which is perfect as it adds the setting even more. I want the poster to have a dark feel about it so this was perfect. The protagonist in the photo also looks a lot more genuine compared to most of my other pictures that I took. He looks like he is walking, searching for someone or something. This fits the story line better and also looks more natural than him standing still or posing for an image. The scenery is great, I took advantage of the great views that I live on. The island looks great in the background. There is no boats or people anywhere to be scene so it is perfect as in my short film there is meant to be very limited population. The colours are quite bright, however I can change this in editing. 

Film Poster Images

The Bridge
I think these shots look great, the bridge looks overgrown and abandoned which links to my genre. One of the shots look like he is looking for something, a community perhaps. Which correlates to the short film as he is in search for someone or a community. These are great photos however they will be hard to make a good film poster therefore I am not sure I can use these. The overall mis en scene is great and the setting fits perfectly but I think I prefer my other photographs.

The island and grassland shots
I went to a place near my house and took advantage of the scenery around me. I picked a day where the weather was not very pleasant and it was perfect. The clouds were dark and grey and gives a more depressing and dark feel towards the poster. He is also wearing clothing that he did in the short film which makes it more realistic. In these images he is also carrying a bag so incase he finds any houses with loot in, he can put them in his bag which gives the image more of a story. I like the range of photos that I took as it gives me a lot of choice. I took scenes showing the back of him and also the front which is used continually with post-apocalyptic posters. Some of the photographs seems like he is posing for the image which is not what I want. The other images are him walking so it looks real and genuine which is a lot better. I am going to choose one of those images. I think I prefer the images of him facing with his back to the lonely and bare island/sea.