Aurora Perfume

Cosmetic Adverts Final Design

            When planning my design for an advert, I worked in a pair with Hattie; we together decided to create an advert based on a perfume. Instead of having just one advert we thought using all the seasons we could make for mini adverts and pull them all together, therefore we had four different perfumes to represent each season. We decided to aim our advert at females aged 16-18. We decided to call it Aurora after our first idea ‘escape’ was already a perfume. Using the name Aurora we incorporated the colours of the Aurora Borealis into each of the mini adverts.

            I mainly worked on the summer and winter advert whilst Hattie did the autumn and spring. For the winter advert I used my friend, Hattie’s twin sister to model. I actually took this picture of her in my bedroom wearing the winter accessories, on Photoshop I then added I different wintery background which I found on the internet to obviously make it fit in withy the theme of winter. I also added a slogan ‘escape the winter blues…’ to make the advert more interesting and to make people believe that they will feel better and happy during the cold, dark winter months. The only reason we decided to put a slogan onto this advert is because it is the last one and it finishes with an ellipses so the buyer has to finish of their story while wearing perfume. Also we thought it was the only one that needed it to make it more interesting also engages the reader into the advert more. We thought it would make the advert look good if the perfume colour also represented the season, so they is a different colour and perfume. This shows the audience that you can use ‘Aurora’ all year round, and there’s a different scent for each one, as there is a different scent for each season. Also the green colour bottle also reflects the name ‘Aurora’ as green is one of the colour included. I think that the advert is mature which females from 16-18 are looking for as they are becoming adults.

            The summer photo was actually taken of me in Spain, but I edited the contrast and the brightness to make it look sunnier like it was shot in a more exotic place. The perfume bottle is a different which represents the Aurora Borealis; also it matches the colour of my shorts. This colour blue makes the audience think of bright blue summer sea which is good as the product is design for summer. At first I was quite worried about having my back to the audience but I edited the colour of the sea to make it purple as it looks like I’m looking out to the sea and the Aurora Borealis is happening and reflecting onto the sea. Therefore it is like I am searching for the perfume. Also the beach is a relaxing place which shows you that when you wear this perfume you will have a relaxing and life, also there isn’t a lot going on, which I think makes the advert appeal to 16-18 year olds as it is laid back and chilled out which most teenagers are. The age of the models reflects the age of the audience. Also the advert it like an adults advert so it is quite sophisticated, which I think females in this age range are looking for.

            Overall I am proud of how this advert turned out and how it all slots together well, and you can tell easily it is each season. I think a real strength in the adverts is the use of colour as it helps represents seasons and the Aurora Borealis. I think you can tell easily the audience of the product is and who it would appeal to. I think to improve the winter advert I should have edited snow into the picture as well to make it look more like a winter wonderland. 

From Script to Screen: The differences between a mainstream and independent film

Independent and mainstream films have a range of differences and normally it is easy to tell which is which. But the films are produced, marketed and distributed differently which can be harder for independent films.

There are a lot of differences between mainstream and independent films for example the companies that make independent films are small, some are even made by one individual. Whereas mainstream films have a massive team including people to role the camera, do computer affects, actors, stunt doubles, set designers and much more which independent films cannot afford. Another feature that makes mainstream films more popular and famous are the a-list actors that are used such as Will Smith, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz and Angelina Jolie. Which independent films can’t afford, so they have to use unknown actors which makes the film less appealing to some because people see a film just because it’s got a certain actor in. But if the characters role is to be mysterious having an unknown actor will help because the audience won’t have any expectations. You can tell if a film is independent by the low budget setting and there are normally no special effects which mainstream might normally include and could do so easily, so films spend most of there money of special effects and graphics.

Another difference between these two are the soundtracks as mainstream films usually use famous, well known songs or songs special made for the film whereas some independent films don’t really use a proper soundtrack, but London to Brighton actually use about 7 songs throughout the film one of which is by Plan B who are quite famous now, but not really in 2006. Another point that can help the production of films is whether it has a Novel, Sequel or an award winning director which normally mainstream films do have one of for example Harry Potter which has all three. Independent doesn’t really have any of these points which can also make it hard to produce.

A major difference between these types of the films is the money. Independent films have a significantly lower budget; some independent films don’t have all the money to make the film at the start and have to borrow throughout making the film. But mainstream films cost a lot more for example Batman: the dark knight reportedly took $185 million to make. Also mainstream are tended to be thought of as blockbusters or Hollywood films which are usually seen first in cinemas whereas independent films are less commercial. The release of mainstream films on DVD’s are usually depends on the popularity of the film but around 3-6 months.

Some independent films to market use the internet by discussing your film on Internet forums or others attend independent film festivals or attend other small filmmakers premiere events. The posters made for independent films are quite basic using a shot of building/character in the location whereas mainstream film posters are usually of the main cast stating all of the actor’s names and have been edited to have a white background or something similar. Mainstream film makes trailers which are shown on T.V or in the cinema and this is how usually people find out about films. But if independent films do have trailers they aren’t that good, but can be scene of the internet. There is actually a magazine dedicated to independent films where posters can be advertised which is a good way to market your film.

            A distributor’s job is to releases a movie to the public either theatrically or for home viewing. Mainstream films usually go into cinemas all over and are distributed by big companies such as 20^th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures or Paramount Pictures. Although independent films are small there are still distributers special for independent films for example Miramax Films before it was acquired by The Walt Disney Company, another is Verve Pictures.

            Overall, independent and mainstream films use different techniques and are very different when finished. Mainstream films are mainly viewed but it doesn’t mean that independent films aren’t as good.

How does Essex Boys use British Signifiers and Thriller Techniques to Establish the Audience Expectations?

This is the first scene in Essex Boys, this scene seems quite neo-noir because the the garage lighting is dark but the lighting outside is bright and harsh, this creates shadows. Which could show that maybe the character has a dark side or that the car is being used for something dark. The cobwebs shows the audience that the car hasn't been used in a long time and him using it must be for something important. The shot to the left and below are dark and mysterious which are techniques used in a lot of thrillers

This shot is after when Billy is wiping the screen. When he is actually wiping the screen you don't expect to see Jason, so this is a shock for the audience. The screen was dark and using the window wipers for him to appear shows how evil and dark he actually is, because you can't see him through the darkness. The bright light behind Jason gives the audience an uncomfortable atmosphere because the light is bright and harsh, it could even make the situation uncomfortable for Billy. What Jason is wearing is a classic Essex/East end shirt and a long leather jacket makes him look like Alfie Moon who is a east end character. A long jacket is also a very noir piece of costume. His costume shows you what type of guy he is and give an idea of which way the film might go.                              

This shot shows Billy and Jason driving into a tunnel, a tunnel is a claustrophobic place which are used in thrillers because there is no where else to go. Them going through the tunnel shows that there's only one way forward and that its too late for Billy to go back. Even the road sign is telling him to 'stay in' the lane and continue forward. 

The bars that reflect onto the car over the characters faces shows that they are both heading for trouble. The bars represent being in prison, behind bars. It looks like Billy seems quite worried about what going to happen. But Jason in the back couldn't care less and he is use to it and he has already been in prison. The light around Jason head could be to show that Billy is actually in fact good but Jason is blocking it.

This scene is taken place is a fish factory, which makes the mise en scene very dirty, smelly and gritty. A fish factory is a manly environment so during the fight there is a lot of male jeering and swearing. Some people might see humour in the scene because it is a weird place to have a fight because there is fish flying around. This shows the audience what sort of trouble Billy is in.

In this shot it is Billy looking into the wing mirror, so we are seeing the story through his eyes. This mean the audience can see and feel clearly how Billy is feeling.

The First thing you notice in this scene is the weather - grey, drizzle and cold. This is typical English weather. Another British signifier is that the characters are driving a white ford transit which is a very English and are stereotyped as 'white van man' who are a bit dodgy and you can't trust every single one. This scene also shows how insignificant they are, it also shows that they are in the middle of no where so the man Jason attacked will not be able to find his way home easily.

Neo-Noir

Conventions of Neo-Noir

Neo-Noir uses certain elements of Film Noir but with updated style, themes and content as Film Noir was created in the 1940’s/50’s, whereas Neo-Noirs are made outside of the Film Noir period. But unlike Film Noir Neo-Noir usually is filmed in coloured instead of black and white, for example Chinatown. It is film in colour but still includes many techniques of film noir such as big cities, costume, crime and the use of props.

Both Sin City and The Black Dahlia include jazz music at the beginning of the opening scenes as this helps set the time era of about 1940’s when film noir was first created. Both of these films use a very important element of film noir which is to be set in big cities, because most cities have big buildings of office to make a person or people to seem insignificant or unimportant, also big cities have side streets and alleys because this is where secrets and lies are kept.

Both of these films start with deception or lies. In Sin City she is lead to believe that the man loves her but in fact he was actually assigned to kill her. The Black Dahlia starts with a man voice over on the radio, and he is saying that the police department has the city under control when they clearly haven’t. I think lies and deception are critical in film noir or neo noir as this how all the crimes start and the beginning of how everything goes wrong.
Another thing these two scenes below have in common is that they are both set at night time as it represents mystery, sadness and danger. But the difference between the shots below is that there is a lot happening in That Black Dahlia unlike in the opening of Sin City because there are only two characters. I think having more characters and a lot happening makes the scene more action like and rushed which isn’t an element of film noir but is used in neo noir.




In film noir and a lot of neo noirs venetian blinds are used a lot. The main character of a noir film is usually a detective or journalist so they have there own office and the blinds gives a feel for this. But also the blinds represent that they are trying to keep the goodness out of the room as they are discussing dark, deficient things. Also the black and white shadows onto their face which shows that the characters have a good and evil side to them.


These shots are both different from each other but both can be used in film noir or neo noir. The shot of the below is from Double Indemnity, the uses of shadows are really effective in neo noir. This shows you that this character has an evil side even though the film hasn’t introduced him yet. Whereas the left shot from The Black Dahlia it shows you that the three men near the window are good, as the high contrast light is shining through the window on them, also all of their suits have an element of white which represents goodness.





It is a very film noir technique for the characters to be wearing suits and this has been carried through into neo noir. The only thing similar in these shots is that both of the main characters are in black which represent that they are dark characters. Both of the main characters from Double Indemnity and The Black Dahlia are both wearing a hat which is very noir. A hat makes the character seem bigger and higher up therefore they have a higher status.
Overall film noir and neo noir are very similar and use some of the same and different techniques but are both genres of film.

Media Studies Student Questionnaire

My name is Holly Kilbourn and my GCSE results are shown below:
Maths: B
Additional Maths: C
Statistics: C
Science: C
Additional Science: C
English: C
English Lit: B
Food: A
French: A
ICT: A
Drama: C
R.E: B

Hobbies and Interests:
My hobbies and interests are listening to music, going to see live music, playing the drums, photography, baking, going on the computer, looking after pets, camping, watching TV, reading, going to the movies, exercising, going to the beach/ into town, volunteering at cubs, juggling and travelling.

Print Media:
I don’t read newspapers on a day to day basis, but if I see something that interests me I will read the article. This is usually in the Diss Mercury or the EDP as these are the newspapers we usually have at home. Articles like local issues, interviews and some celebrity gossip usually interests. But if I find out about something by ear I usually use the news websites as they are easier to find. I Normally read music magazines like Kerrang or NME as I like to read about what bands or artist do, also this helps me do research into other bands that I haven’t heard about, which really interests me. But if there is some celebrity gossip or a film that I like on the front of the magazine that I want to read I would get that for a one off.

Radio Media:
I mostly listen to the radio when I’m in the car which is usually Heart or Radio 1 as they have a wide range of music. Sometimes I put the radio on when I’m on the computer which is usually SYNA radio which my friends do a radio show on which is a mixture of music and information. When I’m getting ready in the mornings I put the radio on on the TV which is usually Kerrang. I generally listen to the radio for entertainment but if there’s an accident on the roads when we are in the car we put on Heart for travel alert.

Music Industry:
I love most sorts of music but my favourites genres are indie, rock, acoustic, pop and alternative. I don’t belong to a band as such, but two of my friends play guitar and I play drums so we get together and play sometimes. Most of my music I either buy from shops or my friends send me songs over the internet. My opinions on illegal downloading are that it is bad for the musicians and their team as they are not getting as much money as they would if people bought the music, so that it a very good reason not to. But illegal downloading is so easy and quick to do and it’s free so it is very appealing. I think its main audience is teenagers as they don’t really care about it being illegal they just want free music. Being a teenager myself I can see were people are coming from downloading illegal music. But some think it is better to have the CD and enjoy the thought of being a good fan buying music. I think that the music industry is a massive influence on how people dress, their attitudes and their aspirations as people admire and idolise musician and producers. I know and think so many people would dream for a job within the music industry whether it’s playing in a band, being a producer, making music videos, working in a venue or even working on tour with a musician. I think mainly because it seems like a really fun, outgoing job. Mainly I think the style of music influence your attitude and how you dress, as people who listen to dark, ‘gothic’ music are most liking going to dress in dark clothes like the musician. I think the genres of music might have become the genre of clothing. Normally when you look at someone by the way there dress or how there hair is you can tell what music they like. So I think the music industry has a huge part on influences on the world and individual lives.

Video Games:
My favourite game is Mario Super Bros which I think anyone can play. The aim of the game is complete each level being Mario defeating creatures and collecting coins. If a game is about cars it is more likely to be a guy’s game than a girls (and vice versa), but to solve this problem you could also add for example girl drivers and cars to make the game appeal to both male and female. But some males would not agree to this as they would think this makes the game not as good.

New Technologies
I think new technologies have helped the ability to communicate with others incredibly easy. As you can call, text, im, email, face book. Also people can communicate on TV e.g. news to tell people what’s happening around the world. In some ways it has helped understanding of the world because anyone can find out about anything or everything using the internet or on the TV. New technologies have help the music industry and access to films hugely because they can advertise on TV, internet, face book, email and on phone. Also you can watch music videos all of the time as there are many music channels alone, also on a sky box you can buy a film to watch when you are at home. The internet lets you order films and music from you home or even on your mobile phone.

Television
My favourite channels are probably channel 4 and e4 as they show many and a range of good programmes that I like, as they do comedy programmes also reality and documentaries. My favourite genre of television is Soap Opera, comedy and game shows because I find comedy and game shows entertaining and funny to watch, I like to watch soap operas and they draw me in and I start to feel like they are real. Some memorable TV programs are The Inbetweeners, Friends and Only Fools and Horses.



Feature film
My favourite genre of film is mostly rom com, musical/dance and action. I think rom com is one of my favourites because there are so many different ones and they all do so well, they always interest me well. A musical because I like the way the characters use song and dance to show their emotion. A film I find outstanding is avatar because it has such an original story line and it’s never been done before, the graphics are amazing especially in 3D, and James Cameron is a very good director as he directed Titanic and many more films. Another film I think is outstanding is Slumdog millionaire because they used local children that actually live in slums to act the characters and paid them, instead of using professional actors. The movie also had a good soundtrack featuring songs by Florence and the Machine and MIA. I think another outstanding film is The Blind Side because it is a true story and it shows the reality if sine people’s lives and it is a very moving film. All of the films together picked up a total of 15 Oscars which proves these are all outstanding films. I prefer to see films at the cinema first rather than on TV because you don’t get the same reaction and experience if it isn’t on the big screen especially if it’s in 3D. My favourite cinema is probably Vue as it shows a lot of in date films; it is also located in the middle of the city so it is easy to get to. The price of tickets are very good value and also you can upgrade to comfier seats for a pound. I prefer to watch films with a group of people because if I don’t understand anything or miss something they can tell me what happened. But I do sometimes watch films by myself.

Media Producer
Friends and I have made a couple of music videos using movie maker and pictures or video that we have filmed. But I haven’t really done anything in the range of radio.

Conclusion
I chose media studies as an option as it looked very interesting and fun to create your own product, film and music video. I think knowing all of the skills will help me later on in life as it is something I’m interested in. A story that really caught my attention was that slavery still continues today. “However modern-day slaves differ from these workers because they are forced to work under extreme violence”. I think the media could have a bigger voice for this article, as it is hugely important and most people do not know. They could stop this by promoting and campaigning against it. There’s not a particular piece of media that has offended me personally, but I know that there are a lot of people who are offended by certain media text. For example, the violence that occurs because of war and discrimination towards different races, cultures and religions. There hasn’t been a certain piece of media text that has changed my opinion of the world but I can see how it has changed others. For example during the last general election friends and I really got into it and it was the first time I actually had. I saw how people and my friends could have different ideas and opinions. I also notice how much responsibility the government has. If I were to make my own media text I would probably develop a short film or maybe a music video about the positive side of the country and community, because what is on the news and in media is usually negative.

Film Noir Presentation

Film noir

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The Boat That Rocked

Media studies presentation

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How Does The Opening of Sin City Use Film Noir Conventions to Establish Themes and Audience Expectations?

This shot is a high angle long shot of the
woman and the city. This shows the film is set in a big urban city at night time which is a good film noir setting. This shot of the big cityscape creates a sense of the woman being lost and her seem powerless, alone, insignificant and vulnerable because everything else in the shot is so big compared to her which gives her a low status. The chiaroscuro emphasises because of the lighting and the night time setting which gives an unsettling atmosphere. Her dress is the only colour in the shot which makes her stand out from the film noir scene. The colour red implies that she is in danger or it is around her. Red suggests love, passion, seduction and blood, all of these meanings are used in the opening scene to sin city. Some themes that are in film noir relates to the meaning of red for example danger, dark romance, crime and murder. This might make the audience expect to see danger and murder or they could easily be deceived and believe that she is a wealthy, important wife.

As soon as the guy emerges from the light there is a sense of moral ambiguity as you don’t know whether he is going to be a good character or a bad one. There is a good use of chiaroscuro to show good and evil. Is he a dark character coming out from the good? Alternatively this could mean he is a good person coming from the party of good people. The shot tries to set the scene of film noir, film noir peek time was around 1940’s – 1950’s. The railings and the door way makes the film seem very 1930ish, also the music is 1930’s jazz, so this sets the film noir feel. Throughout the opening scene of Sin City there aren’t very many different shots. In the first minute there is only about three which gives the impression that this film is quite calm and quiet but also it can make the film seem quite mysterious. I think the audience will expect the film to be quite calm and loving. I think the audience’s first reaction will be that he is a good character.

This is an over the shoulder shot, and a still shot like most of the shots in the opening. The stillness of the shots shows how secretive the location is, nobody can see them clearly or properly. As you can see from what they are wearing it looks like they are at a party as he is wearing a suit and by her dress, so everybody else will be in the party, so they aren’t going to be caught. In the shot the guy is higher which makes him have high status and power over her. The women is a classic femme fatale character because is a mysterious and seductive woman, you can tell this by the way she acts and the red of her dress and lipstick as red is the only colour in the shot, which makes her stand out. Red normally represents blood, death and seduction. Femme fatale characters often lead to dangerous and deadly situations. The audience might think the woman is a bad character as she seems mysterious and she stands out, so the attention is on her. 

This is close up shot which the main focus is her eyes as this is the second and last colour in the opening scene. The green eyes show another femme fatale feature because green shows that she can be evil, envious, jealous and has energy. These emotions are what some femme fatale characters consist of. Her black nails are another important feature in the shot as it represents death, unfairness and sadness. But a lot of deception is used in this scene because of their conversation and the audience wouldn’t expect to see any sadness because they probably wouldn’t notice her nails. The man has a voice over as well throughout the scene, he uses quite a lot of poetic language which makes him seems like he really loves her. “I came her for you” and “I’ve watched you for days” are two snippets of the man speech which have two sides. One is a romantic side which the audience and the women see, but the other it like he has been stalking her and been assigned to kill her.       

Here the directors have decided to invert the shot, which makes the shot looks like a 1930’s comic. This helps make the film noir more distinctive, also because it’s black and white which the main feature for film noir is. The chiaroscuro shows good and bad sides. In the voice over the guy says “That I’ll save her from whatever she is scared of” I think the railings emphasis is important because in the shot because in fact they are going to keep her safer than the guy.

Before this shot there is a close up which is only the second during the opening, this is so he can get the gun ready, without the audience knowing what going on. When he actually does shoot her I don’t think the audience expects it. When she is shot the screen flashes to white, which show surprise and also because she is dying it shows peace and the calmness. This is also an element of film noir because using chiaroscuro the screen flashes to white to show that in fact she was the good character. Also crime/murder is usually a theme of film noir. This shot is an extreme high angle which is like God is looking down on him. He is looking up like he is waiting for God to judge him.  I think it raining in this shot because rain symbolizes cleansing and a new life, which is basically what its happening in the scene.  At the end of this scene the guy says “I’ll cash her cheque in the morning” which shows her unimportant she is to him, and how much it doesn’t bother him killing people. I think the audience wouldn’t have expected him to kill her but for him to love her because throughout the opening scene he seems like a charming, loving and admirable guy the way he uses poetic language and the way he acts shows this.  I think opening uses deception as its biggest theme. It makes the audience and the female character believe something else, but when he kills her it all changes.

Every shot has been still until the camera pulls out and round the building this show how insignificant they are and how unimportant it is that she is dead. This shot shows film noir well as you can see just light, dark, shadows and her red dress of course. Throughout the opening scene of Sin City I think Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller use film noir to display the themes of mainly deception and also crime. I think the audience are greatly deceived during the opening scene because you expect the complete opposite of what happens.