Blurb for DVD Cover

Shireen (Christina O’Connor) is a forty year old divorcee living with her son, Thomas (Kameron
O’Connor). With a job she enjoys and friends that care, Shireen leads a perfectly content life - according
to her at least. However, her view of the world around her begins to change, upon the simple realisation
that she’s never made a new year’s resolution. Before December ends, Shireen decides to find a
worthwhile and meaningful promise for the future, while remaining oblivious to the problems the people
closest to her face in the present. The Resolution explores the idea that there's always the opportunity to
do the things you want in life, even if feels like time is running out.

Print Product Drafts

Print Products Drafts

Radio Script

About 2:07

Barry: Hello and welcome to our film segment here on Radio Sterling,

Jingle for ‘Lights, Camera, Satisfaction!’

Barry: We’re incredibly lucky to have one of the most talented directors of this generation with us
today, so I’d like to welcome Olivia Bell to the studio! Really glad you could make it.

applause/cheering

Olivia: Thanks Barry, I’m happy to be here!

Barry: To start off, could you tell us about your most recent film, ‘The Resolution’? Where’d
you get the inspiration for it from?

Olivia: Ah well you see, the idea actually came around in a pretty roundabout way.

Barry: Oh really?

Olivia: Yeah, one night I couldn’t sleep since there were fireworks going off outside non-stop. The fireworks weren’t even for New Years but it was all that came to mind, and that was when I realised, ‘Oh, I’ve never really cared for New Year’s resolutions before, have I?

Barry: What about the inspiration for the location?

Olivia: Oh, I chose the area because it was where I grew up. The scenes that take place at the school
with Thomas were definitely the most special to me since I was pretty similar to him when I was
younger. The way Kameron portrayed his character was perfect, I couldn’t have asked for more. 

Barry: Huh, I didn’t think the whole process would be so personal.

Olivia: Honestly, I feel that having a personal element to the story and setting lets you connect more to
the directing process.

Barry: Speaking of personal elements, I don’t think ‘The Resolution’ would have been the same
without the decision to cast both Christina and Kameron O’Connor. 

Olivia: Oh, yeah for sure. Without the spark between them both and how well they connected as
actors, I can’t imagine what the film would have been like at all.

Barry: Actually, we can ask about that right now! Over to Elise on the red carpet.

Background noise; some applause, talking.

Elise: Thank you, Barry. I’m currently joined by Christina O’Connor who plays Shireen in ‘The
Resolution’. Tell me, Christina, how did you feel about working with your son throughout the
production of the film?

Christina: Oh, it was definitely a unique experience. I often used to think about being able to act with my son, so when I received the news I was ecstatic. 

Elise: What do you think was the most notable part of acting with Kameron?

Christina: I’d say the way the interactions turned out. The scenes in ‘The Resolution’ where Shireen
talks to Thomas feel so much more real, since I could honestly see myself saying those lines to him in real life!

Elise: Lastly, apart from that, was there any other aspect of 'The Resolution' you felt was relatable? 

Christina: I think the general feeling of not having enough time that Shireen experiences was relatable to not just myself but a lot of the people watching it. Approaching your forties and fifties can be quite daunting, so I believe having a movie where that worry is explored can let people feel better about it, in a way. 

Elise: Thank you for that Christina. Back to you, Barry. 

Barry: Thanks Elise! Today's segment has been fun, but unfortunately we've run out of time. It was a
pleasure to interview both you and Christina, and once again thank you so much for being able to
make it out here. 

Olivia: It's been a great time.

Still Alice

  

Comparisons to Still Alice

For 'The Resolution', I aim to feature a woman in her 30s/40s as the main character. On the portrait poster, I'm going to position her to look like she's thinking about something, while staring into the distance, away from the camera. To show the genre of the film, she wouldn't be smiling, but appear more serious, in order to show the film isn't a comedy, but a drama instead. The shot will be a mid-shot, similar to the one on the Still Alice portrait film poster.

On the banner poster to recreate the layout, I will use a close up shot of the main character looking directly into the camera. However, she probably won't be smiling. I'm not sure why the lady on the banner poster for Still Alice is, considering the film's genre. In order to replicate this poster, I will utilise photoshop to blur the woman and title out of the background and replace her with my actor and the film's title instead.

On my dvd cover, the four thumbnail images on the back will show locations (bedroom, maybe a restaurant) as well as interaction between two or more of the characters (friends or an ex maybe) If I can take a photo of fireworks that would be pretty good as either the main image for the back of the cover, or as a thumbnail image.
                                                                   

Skyfall (Columbia)

Skyfall

Media Language

The banner poster for Skyfall is predominantly monochromatic, utilising only black and white for the background and clothes. This gives the effect of appearing striking as a poster, making it eye-catching without the need for it to be colourful. The white background allows for the things in front of it to appear bolder, such as the iconography of the 007, as well as the main cast themselves due to being dressed in mostly black, and this therefore creates contrast, heightening visibility. Furthermore, while almost half of the 007 is obscured by the cast standing in front of it, it remains recognisable to the audience due to the specific positioning of the actors and the general iconicity of the logo itself. Also, arguably the most recognisable part of the logo, the add-on that forms the gun with the 7, isn't obscured at all and fills the empty space above the film title. Therefore this means that even at a glance Skyfall can be recognised as a Bond film.

Representation


Three out of the four actors that appear on this poster are white, with Naomie Harris being the only person of colour featured. However, it does have an equal amount of men to women, with their positioning on the poster not connoting any obvious hierarchy of significance. Craig is dressed in a suit, portraying Bond the way he does in every movie, smart and professional. His posture indicates a certain readiness, further exemplified by the gun in his right hand. Severine, played by Marlohe is posed in a confident and purposefully alluring way, with the dress she is wearing accentuating her figure. This can be seen through the semi transparent material used on the sides of her legs and torso, as well as the absence of material at all on her upper chest. Through this, Severine is constructed to be a target of the male gaze, especially due to her role in the movie being the Bond girl. Conversely, Harris is dressed in a shirt, jacket and black trousers, which doesn't sexualise her the way Marlohe has been. Her stance is similar to that of Bond's, suggesting she could act as a counterpart to him within the film. Bardem plays Raoul Silva, the primary antagonist of the movie, and is dressed more casually than Bond, with black trousers, a jumper and a leather trench coat. Because he is faced directly towards the camera, a direct mode of address is utilised in order to make him appear more menacing. It is also important to note that all the characters carry a gun save for Severine, which could paint her as a stereotypical weaker female character, or one that needs to be saved by others. 

Audience

As the film's main genre is spy/thriller, its target audience would consist of predominantly men. This is due to the main character, Bond, encompassing stereotypically ideal male traits such as seriousness, bravery and athleticism. This audience is also targeted through the inclusion of the Bond girl. While her role usually varies from film to film, the Bond girl is always conventionally attractive and usually about 10 years younger to Bond. This can be attributed to the uses and gratifications theory, as men will seek out Bond films to attempt to project onto Bond, while viewing the Bond girl, Severine in this case, as simply eye candy.

Industry

Skyfall was produced by Columbia, Eon, B23 and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer productions, and was distributed by Sony Pictures. It was directed by Sam Mendes, who has received multiple significant awards for his work in the film industry. He was also ranked as one of the most influential people on British culture, and therefore this reputation could encourage more people to view the film.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (Universal)

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again - Banner Poster Analysis

The main feature of this poster is that it makes good use of the space it has as a result of its banner format, and is able to fit all of the main cast without seeming too crowded. On the left is the main cast from the first movie, with Meryl Streep closest to the centre. Because of this, the poster appears more eye-catching to people viewing it, as she is arguably the audiences fan favourite due to being the main character of the last movie. On the right is the new cast for this movie, the younger counterparts of the original main cast. Reflecting this, they are positioned so that they mirror each other, so that even with the differing poses, clothes and appearances it is easy for the audience to understand the roles the new actors are meant to be playing. While this isn't the case towards each end of the line up, it could be excused with the fact that Donna's friends within the movie are too iconic, meaning they don't need the assistance of certain positioning to be recognised. It could also be argued that their posing does this instead, as both Tanyas and Rosies appear in similar poses, making them more recognisable. To the far ends are the new cast members for this sequel with no equivalents from the last movie. While the position of these characters suggest their significance in the movie, the addition of Cher to the cast is likely to draw in a bigger audience, especially those of an older age group. 

In the background the sky is seen to be bright accompanied by a calm, blue ocean. This reflects the general atmosphere of the film, as it's main genre is comedy/romcom, while also being a musical. The deck the main cast is positioned on is also a light colour, adding to the initial point of reflecting the film's mood, while also creating contrast with the darker colour clothes the actors are dressed in. This contrast causes the actors to appear more vibrant. Furthermore, with her smile, pose and positioning with the Sun behind her, Seyfried herself is presented to be radiant both literally and personality-wise, with the bright rays highlighting her status as the main character. The same could be said for James to a lesser extent, as her pose and the way the rays are set up in the background also cause her to be highlighted by the Sun, indicating her status in the movie as joint protagonist. 

The tagline, 'THE FEEL-GOOD CINEMA EVENT RETURNS' makes it clear that even with the absence of the film's title in the poster, the sheer popularity of the original movie makes it immediately recognisable as a sequel to 'Mamma Mia!'. Using the words 'feel-good' draws links to the genre of the film, while also being a way of drawing in an audience with the promise of an enjoyable experience. This can also be seen through the use of the word 'event', as it paints 'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again' as something of importance, making it unmissable in the eyes of the audience.

The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal)

The Bourne Ultimatum

Media Language

To begin with, the DVD cover for ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’ clearly establishes the genre of the film.

The explosion in the background immediately alerts the audience that the film is possibly an action/thriller,
due to it being a clear trope of many movies of this genre. Also, the bright orange of the explosion clearly
contrasts with the darker colours surrounding it, predominantly being dark blue or black which creates 
contrast. This causes the DVD cover to appear instantly recognisable as an action/thriller to fans of the 
genre, due to how eye-catching it is. Other signs of damage in the background also help to establish the 
genre, such as the upturned car. Another signifier is the gun in Damon's hand which can be seen in the 
bottom left, which most importantly establishes the kind of character he plays within the movie. By being in possession of a gun, it is suggested that Jason Bourne is serious about his aim within the movie, due to the 
gun carrying connotations of violence and death, as well as crime. In addition to this, Damon is seen to be 
wearing a watch, which could indicate that time is an important aspect of the film, such as time running out. To add to this sense of seriousness, blood can be seen on Damon's head, neck and hand. The way this blood is positioned could be described as subtle, as it is easy to miss on first glance. This along with Damon's
confident posture could suggest Damon portrays Bourne as a character able to remain unfazed by injury, for the sake of a specific objective.

Representation

The only character featured on both the front, back and spine of the DVD cover is Jason Bourne, the 
eponymous protagonist of the film. Bourne is played by Matt Damon, who is a white man who appears to be in his late twenties or early thirties, of over average build. On the front of the DVD, he is shown to look 
bold due to his open stance, whereas on the back he is presented to be active and athletic, due to the shot of him about to run just after getting off a motorbike. Because of this it can be argued that Bourne is portrayed as the ideal for men or white men more specifically, by being in good shape, conventionally attractive and 
having a serious disposition.

Audience

Due to what Bourne represents as a character, it can be inferred that the target audience for this film is
specifically white men from the ages of late twenties to thirties. Because this group is one of the main 
target audiences for the action/thriller genre, it is almost guaranteed that The Bourne Ultimatum would be a successful film due to it's large potential audience. Conversely, it could also be argued that a portion of the
target audience would be women in a similar age range, as the conventional attractiveness of Bourne could
be a draw for heterosexual women.

Industry

This film was produced by MP BETA Productions, the Kennedy/Marshall Company and Ludlum
entertainment and was distributed by Universal Pictures. The Bourne Ultimatum was directed by Paul 
Greengrass, who has been noted as one of the most influential people in British culture, as well as having 
received a British Film Institute Fellowship. Because of this popularity, The Bourne Ultimatum would 
attract those who are fans of Greengrass' other works, leading to more success for the film.