Cross Media Campaign

Cross media campaigns is when the film is promoted across through different types of media so for example, tv, posters/billboards, print. I have looked at how they are advertised through teaser trailers, film poster and magazine covers. When a film is being promoted in this way, they tend to use the same conventions, styles in each media to keep them the same so they are recognised more. For example in Friday the 13th, they have used the same font for the title in the magazine cover and the film poster.

 

                   (FILM POSTER)                                                                                (MAGAZINE COVER)

 As you can see the fonts are basically the same except the magazine cover has used a glow around the text and the layout is different. This gives the film a logo which for viewers makes it more recognisable. It is a good advertising technique as the more they see the same title, the more they think about the film and then end up going to see it.

Another way they have done this is in the image. The photo used is very similar, just with different backgrounds.

 

                      (FILM POSTER)                                                  (MAGAZINE COVER)

This image is of the character in the film, so he becomes a main figure which people associate with the film. The costume in the image and the way he stands with his props also portrays the genre of the film. As viewers will see the character through all three media's, they will link each other up and find out more from each one, going from film poster to trailer to the article in the magazine until they go and see the film.

Friday the 13th Film Poster

 

This poster is quite similar to the cover of Fangoria. There is a lot of dark colours used, almost close to black. these colours can easily be associated with evil and make you feel quite scared. There is a bit of white light coming from behind, which sets the setting as you are able to see slightly the trees and the water in front. Also there is smoke around making it a strange, creepy setting. The red in the title signifies the evil, blood and horror of the film. as this is a remake of an original, people would recognise the mask and know who he is and what sort of character he is. But the mask isn't the only thing you would use to work out what kind of character he is as you also have the weapon to base your thoughts on. The messages in this poster are mainly visual as there isn't much informative text. There is the title, producers, release date and the tag line, none of which will give you an idea about what happens in the film. The tag line is "Welcome to Crystal Lake". You can imagine this being creepy as the lake doesn't look that appealing in the poster. The line that tells you which producers have produced this film tells you what type of film it will be and the quality of it as they put the name of another film they have produced: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

I think young adults and above would be attracted to this poster, and generally anyone that are fans of horror films. also possibly fans of the The Texas Chainsaw Massacre might be attracted to see that the same people have produced it.

As this is a horror film they have used a lot of dark colours which straight away lets you know that its not going to be a light hearted, love film or anything similar to that. Also the settings they have used of being in the middle of the woods with a lake in front of them. They have made it look scary and spooky with the dramatic lack of light and the smoke crowding the silhouette figure of Jason.

The title of this film 'Friday the 13th', everyone associates with the old superstition of it being bad luck on that day, so to title a film with that audiences will understand what kind of genre it will be. The poster doesn't include any cast names but I think one of the unique selling points they have used is putting the name of another film that has being produced by the same producers. Audiences can then compare and decide on whether they want to see the film depending on how they rated that film if they had seen it. This poster promises you fear, fright and tension, which is what everyone wants in a good horror film.

Overall I think this is a really good poster because as not much is given away with the lack of informative text, the image and fear given out is enough to make you want to go and see the film. As it is a remake, if people had seen the original they will be able to see the difference and changes in quality just by looking at the posters. Even though they haven't included any cast names, showing what other films the producers have worked with is good for the audience intended. you can tell from the poster that going to see it you will be getting good quality out of it.

Fangoria Friday the 13th Cover

 

Fangoria is an American film magazine specific to horror films. I have decided to research the cross campaign advertisement of the film Friday the 13th. The image used in this cover is similar to the poster. A long shot showing the whole body so that your able to see the dirty white t-shirt, mask and a the large weapon being held in his right hand. His head takes the placement of the 'o' in Fangoria, as if it represents it for that issue. A light from above has been used so that it hits his head, therefore creating harsher shadows for the rest of his face and body. It creates a sense of fear and this will make readers feel uneasy as you cant see who the person is, due to shadows and the mask, but you know that he is a dangerous character as there is enough light coming from the bottom left to show off the weapon. The main colour you will see in this cover is red. From the top left corner you see what looks like a pool/drops of blood. this is simply because of the horror genre its specificated to, and the colour red signifies blood. There is main use of red yellow and white throughout this cover. As the red and yellow are quite clashing colours it makes you feel slightly uneasy or a bit nervous, which is similar to how you feel when watching a horror film. For example the red side bar on the left side is very bold, but the text consists of yellow and white text. The bold colours are good fora selling point because they are very eye catching and calls for your attention with the excessive use. The darkness of the main image also scares you and automatically makes you think of him as an evil character, which he is. 

The text for Friday the 13th is central to the image used, positioned about 3/4 of the way down. It is written in all capitals and in red, making it look more dramatic and the use of red to signify for blood and horror. The caption 'Jason's new slays' is also in capitals but in the clashing colour of yellow, slanted towards the feet of Jason's body. The text on this cover isn't consistent with size and font, it changes a lot. If you look at the side bar there are nearly 6 different fonts used. It is good to show variation but i think a bit of consistency in the same article story should be used.

Little White Lies Cover Analysis

Little White Lies is usually recognised by its animated covers. Again this image is animated, and is central, with an arm coming from out of the shot.This arm is very random to the image, as is the creature coming out of the mouth. The cartoon has been made to look scruffy with long hair that covers his eyes so much so that we cant even see his eyes. This scruffy look goes with the title of the issue: 'Where The Wild Things Are'.  There is a lot of space in this image, but the random arm disrupts this. The colours are very flat, there is no tones or shading. The black background is plain, but in most of Little White Lies covers the background is plain, mainly so that the image stands out the most and no attention is drawn away from it.
Alike the Empire issue, the text is very minimal in this issue. The title of the magazine is its consistent style: white circle in the top center of the magazine. The title of the issue has been put in a font that looks like messy handwriting, which goes along with the theme of 'wild' and random. There is one word per line, all to the left of the image. There are no feature articles or images to go with the main image on this cover. It has a more simplistic look to it which would appeal to younger audiences, and as it looks quite indirect, you can tell that it isn't going to be a formal magazine.

Total Film Cover Analysis

 

Total Film has used Sherlock Holmes as their main article in this issue, so the main image is of Sherlock Holmes himself. In this image he is central, with his head in front of the title. There is a smokey background, where you can only just make out the shapes of buildings behind him in the distance. He has a serious expression with a bit of a smirk, which portrays his character. the shot has been taken as a mid shot so the top half of the body is shown. The main colours are an icy blue and white, which makes you feel cold, but also makes it look quite mysterious, and also a dark blue used with his clothing. This also ties in with the smokey background, as you cant see the setting. It looks quite eery and spooky, which makes the reader wonder what it is about if they haven't already seen the film. The colours are quite harmonising and work well together as none of the emotions produced by them are uncomfortable or uneasy. The lighting is slightly harsh but isn't too dramatic as the main character blocks it. a fill light has been used from behind Sherlock Holmes, which is also quite central. This causes a dark fade around the edges, and especially towards the top of the magazine. Unlike the Empire magazine, there is a lot of text on this cover. The text advertising the Sherlock Holmes article has been positioned in the centre of his body in blocks. The first line says 'WORLD EXCLUSIVE' in a blue box, this is a unique selling point because for readers choosing which magazine they should buy, that would make the magazine stand out more compared to others. Then the title of the film and name of the character is in a bigger font size, in both white and blue in capital letters. This is the most eye catching part of the text. the text has been placed like a pyramid, with the title the largest and most important. underneath that is, in a smaller font, a description of what you'll find out about when reading this article. The feature text has been placed around the main image and above it. the titles are all icy blue in capitals followed by a '!' making it seem more dramatic.

Empire Cover Analysis

 

This issue of the Empire magazine is a first special of using a 3D effect. In person you would see that the center of the cover is mounted up, also with the magazine title and the informative circle on the left. They use the image as the whole cover as it is a special edition. this cover is based on The Hulk breaking through a wall. This image is good to use for the first edition of 3D covers. In the image you can see the Hulk with the typical angry expression on his face which is obviously what the Hulk is known for, his rage. He is breaking through either a wall or something that looks like a lift, but either way shows the Hulk's incredible strength. He is central to the cover, and his green colour contrasts with the dark colours surrounding him so your eyes are immediately focused on him. This is good because as it is a promotional issue for the Hulk so your focus really needs to be on him. Also the image fades around the edges, which makes your eyes draw into the center where you find the Hulk. The image is slightly animated but also photographically represented. It is animated because of the 3D effect, and also enhancement and make up is used to create the Hulk effect. The colours and the expression on his face are all codes and signals of the Hulk so readers automatically know what the issue is about and what kind of things you will expect to find inside.
The lighting used is a spotlight - focusing on the hulk, causing the faded edges. The lighting is quite harsh on him, causing dramatic shadows, making him look even scarier and creating a sense of fear in the readers. It would also excite the readers, as this working with the 3D effect makes it all the more thrilling.
The main colours used are green and white to go along with the main theme of the magazine - The Hulk. The black and grey set the setting and also contrast with the colour of the Hulk making him stand out more.
There isn't much text included on the cover due to the special edition. the article title is 'THE HULK UNLEASHED!' which corresponds with the image used, as he is breaking through a wall, as if trying to escape. This adds to the exciting feeling you get when looking at this cover.
The title of the magazine is in red, as it is in the majority of their covers. But in this issue it follows the theme, and doesn't cover the image, but works along with it. As the Hulk is breaking through the wall, he is also breaking up the title. The P is split up and you can see little parts of it flying between the two parts. All the letters of 'EMPIRE' are tilted and jumbled to emphasise the action that's going on. All of this gives a sense of movement and it is good for the 3D effect and very effective. They have also put in a circle to the left that it is the worlds first 3D cover, which is a selling point because it automatically makes it all the more interesting for first time readers of Empire.

Shutter Island Poster Analysis

The very first thing you notice about this poster is the red that floods the poster. The excessive use of this colour signifies that maybe he is an evil character, or there is danger involved as it could be a symbol for blood. Another main colour is black, which also ties in that maybe he is an evil character. The dark shadows take the edges of his face away making him a 'sketchy' character. As this isn't a sequel to any films, there is no foreknowledge needed, so everything you see in the poster will make you question what it has to do with the film.
The main figure in this poster is clearly the medium close up of Leonardo DiCaprio. They have framed this so that the camera is positioned more to the left, showing the background. the background consists of water and a cliff with a lighthouse shining. This could suggest that Leonardo DiCaprio is on the run from someone or has escaped, and that people are out looking for him. This adds to the questioning of what type of character he is and whether he is good or bad. I would say that this image is represented more photographically. I think they have used Photoshop to add the red fill ins and enhance the dark shadows on his face. These shadows are quite harsh, and you gradually lose the edge of his face.
The messages in the poster are mainly visual as there isn't much text apart from the title of the film, cast name and production companies. This is clearly an early poster as even the release date isn't confirmed yet. I think a mixed gender or audience would be attracted by this poster. I think males would be attracted by the genre it is portraying, and females because of the main star, Leonardo DiCaprio. I think the age limits would be aimed higher from young adults and above starting at around 17.
Genre conventions used to portray its genre of drama is the expression on the main characters face. He looks serious and quite intense. He also has a plaster on his forehead which makes you question what happens to him for him to need that plaster. Also the cliff in the background has some significance as to his where abouts and whether he is in hiding.
The use of Leonardo DiCaprio's face being the main image is a huge selling point as he is a big star and easily recognised. As there isn't much else on the poster that counts for being the only unique selling point. You can expect that from this film you will get dramatic scenes and story lines with thrill and tension. I find this mainly from the expression shown on his face. It grabs your attention because it makes you wonder and puts questions in your mind .
Overall I think this is a good poster because it is very eye catching, and the fact that it isn't straight forward or a sequel to another film makes you want to see it even more to answer all the questions its put into your head. There isn't much communication with this poster as it doesn't give away anything, which in a way is good because its another reason to go and see the film so you can try to work it out for yourself.


DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWN

108,004 IMDb users have given a weighted average vote of 8.0 / 10

Demographic breakdowns are shown below.

Votes	Percentage	Rating
24,221	22.4%	10
27,448	25.4%	9
29,303	27.1%	8
14,988	13.9%	7
5,950	5.5%	6
2,362	2.2%	5
1,192	1.1%	4
724	0.7%	3
524	0.5%	2
1,292	1.2%	1

Arithmetic mean = 8.2.  Median = 8
Ranked #250 in the top 250

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1130884/ratings