Final Costume Choices

There have been changes to the ideas suggested in the original concept phase for the costumes of the characters, Rhys, Lucy and Kathy. Both Kathy and Lucy do not wear necklaces in the actual short film as the risk of them catching on the rope would have been high and it would break health and safety guidelines. The style of clothing has also been changed. Previously both Lucy and Rhys were wearing formal clothing, but in order to create more impact it was decided that they should wear more casual items as it would help the audience relate but also add to the horror aspect of the piece because the danger they are in could faced by anyone. It also strengthens the bond between the audience and the social genre that the short film “two” is also classified under. The social genre explores humanity and its boundaries and by wearing casual, widely found clothes it represents the fact that the difficulty in making decisions can affect society as a whole. These changes were all implemented in order to produce a successful film that the audience can relate to easily and flows consistently. It was also implemented in order for the comfort and safety of the actors involved. Cost of replicating the outfitted planned also played a small part in the development of the costumes.

The costume worn by Kathy Miller (played by Saskia Brett) consists of a dark blue and green dress. The colours used in the costume are consistent with the original idea put forward. It represents an inversion of the traits traditionally associated with these colours. Kathy is not a trust worthy character or reliable as these tones represent. The fact that the dress consists of muted colours conveys the difficulty that Kathy faces in feeling emotion. The consistent use of a dress symbolizes her femininity and allows for a variety of audiences to interact with her. The wearing of her hair down emphasises this point of her appearance.  The style of the dress can signify to the audience the privileged background that Kathy comes from. The cut of the dress highlights the fact that though Kathy cares about her appearance, the femininity and the attention often derived from fitted dresses are not important to her. The dark tone of this dress represents the danger they are in and the horror genre of the piece. It also conveys the cold and empty nature of the room. Kathy’s hair is another factor that conveys femininity. The curls in her hair and the colour help to make her more flamboyant and approachable than someone with straight hair. It is another feature used to represent her rebellious nature.

Kathy’s boots are used in order to detail that her individuality is important to her. The colour of the boots remained brown in order to contrast the colours of her costume with her personality; a theme that is continued with her contrast to the traditional female stereotype. The style of the boot focuses her youth in the audiences mind and makes her an easier character to form a connection with, as her lack of emotions may otherwise hinder the process. The style of the shoe shows that Kathy rates comfort higher than aesthetics, contrasting with both Lucy and Rhys in this factor. It reinforces the fact that Kathy does not hold a profession that requires formal dress. Her individuality is a key feature to this outfit. By wearing these two items together is shows Kathy as a blend of stereotypes.

Lucy Morgan as portrayed by Emily Smith has the most significant change of costume of any of the characters. Originally her costume was going to portray the professional aspect of her personality but after careful consideration I decided to change her costume into a more casual style. After reviewing other films and discussing the idea with my peers, I felt a developed costume would make her more human and approachable and that casual clothes would do this. Her demeanour and language would still portray her as a professional but her clothing would strength the human aspect of her personality and the audience would be able to relate to her as a mother, friend and partner instead of just a worker.

 The long sleeve top, Lucy wears signifies her modesty and maturity compared to Kathy whose style of clothing represents her youth. The colour white was carried across from the original concept of costume. It represents her cleanliness and the fact she takes large amounts of pride in her appearance. Other connotations that are attached to the colour white are the belief of perfection, a trait that would be important to Lucy for her to get as far professionally as she has. The blue stripes that are found horizontally on the t-shirt are portraying her confidence and approachability. These are two factors that are normally found in Lucy’s personality, but are missing in the crisis when panic takes over. The blue also represents the same mystery and unknown that the colour purple represented in the first idea. The style of top that Lucy wears is a symbol of youth but also of the emotional development that Lucy has. Much like with the inversion of messages in Kathy’s profile, the colours and style are used to represent the equilibrium of the characters and how they would normally react.

The jeans that Lucy wears are also symbolic of this fact. Instead of wearing a skirt as previously stated, trousers were chosen in order to protect Emily from the cool conditions of the location but also as a strong contrast between the two women (Kathy and Lucy). Lucy’s hair is straight for this piece in order to convey the professional tone of her work and personality. It also represents her femininity that is not often portrayed as openly in her costume.

The final character is Rhys Miller, played by Baz Cloud, who like the character of Lucy has had his costume edited dramatically from the first idea. I felt it would add more emotion to the piece for them to be dressed in casual clothes which allows the audience to relate to them more easily.  One feature that was kept from my first plan for Rhys is the colour of his shirt. Rhys is wearing a white v-necked t-shirt. The style of the t-shirt represents his youth and is one of the personal touches in his costume. The choice of white as the colour was because it represents the flawlessness nature of Rhys’ personality. It also is interpreted as a key to the profession he holds and the importance of always looking fresh and presentable. The style of shirt is also common and could be described as being a feature of a stereotypical males outfit. This helps Rhys blend into his surroundings as he is not recognisable, a feature that was essential in the first concept.  Rhys’ hairstyle is also important. It is one of the only features that show a part of his individuality. It also has the ability to be restyled into a professional appearance, which would be crucial in Rhys compartmentalised life. The trousers that Rhys wears are also an example of the view of normality and equilibrium that exists within the characters live before they were captured.

Ancillary Task - Film Review Example

Film reviews include a variety of aspects and traits that make them recognisable and simple to understand. The conventions used within a film review offer the chance to not only incite interest but portray the content of the film and its production. It also creates a range of views and interpretations that allow the audience to develop their connection with the film, raising debates and questions that previously may not have been considered.  Film reviews are also designed to entertain and give basic knowledge about the film e.g. genre, director, cast/crew. Below is an example film review that I have written previously. It contains some of the features expected within a film review and offers room for development and basic features that a review on the short film “two” should contain.

Alice in Wonderland - Tim Burton

Why is a raven like a writing desk? The answer to the riddle eludes us all and continues to in Tim Burton’s new imagining of Lewis Carroll’s highly acclaimed series.  Alice returns to Underland aged nineteen and finds the world in disarray under the rule of the Red Queen. The narrative offers an exciting and thrilling insight into the world of Alice Kingsley and her attempt to liberate her new found allies. The stunning visual imagery conveys the importance of mise-en – scene to the director, and what a perfect story it is for his world renowned style.

Mia Wasikowska plays the imaginative and stubborn young girl, who breaks all of society’s norms, refusing to wear stocking and her corset, forging a strong connection with a modern day audience. She is confident, cautious and dubious at her surroundings, rejecting everything a high class society would have expected of her. These features are crucial to her success in Underland, standing up against the Bandersnatch repeating with confidence that this is her dream.

The Hatter, mad eccentric but naive with his desires, is her kindest ally and offers a chance for the audience to engage in the passion of Underland and most importantly conveys the human need for friendship and familiarity. The moral and the most importantly concept of self discovery are represented by the bond created by Alice and The Hatter. With his vibrant red hair, and ever changing accent, Johnny Depp’s interpretation is the embodiment of Underland and the unique tones it creates.  A never ending friendship helps to bond the two realities together. The Dormouse, Cheshire cat and Absolem; Barbara Windsor, Stephen Fry and Alan Rickman respectively, add to the theme of friendship and the importance of casting within the film; continuing the Burton tradition of British casting.

The production of the film was shot using predominantly green screen. This allowed the changes of reality and to connote the importance of the characters and locations. Without this technology the content of the film would not be as vibrant or as stylised as they are. Green screen also had the chance to add depth and reality to the film, an important aspect of Burton’s new vision.

Although some may question the “muchness” of the film compared with the other recognisable styles in Burton’s previous work. The pataphysical state of Underland and the perversion of normal boundaries certainly connect strongly with his other films such as Beetlejuice. The Fantasy genre that the film possesses, allows the mise-en-scene to be in control of the film, also with the importance of the unusual and yet with the use of verisimilitude, relatable characters. The film culminates with the battle between Alice and the Jabberwocky, the long shot used as a classic image of victory for women and Underland.  In the words of the Hatter “You would have to be half mad to dream me up” and with this triumph, it shows that Burton had the vision to succeed with this challenge.

Ancillary Task - Typography for Poster

Typography is an important feature in representing the genre and the themes of a film. It is also important that the font is memorable as this is one of the most iconic features and is crucial for accurate representation of the film and its advertising. Legible and clear writing are also important for the information to be communicated effectively.The Font is one of the most important factors of a poster and should be considered in great detail.

Font

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Music within two

Sound is an important feature of any film. It helps the audience to connect with a piece and reinforces the information already known through visual imagery. It supports the content that the audience have just witnessed and helps them to suspend belief and adds to the possible interpretation of realism in the plot. Sound be it non diegetic or diegetic adds an extra dimension to a film and often helps to make it a success. In the case of a short film in which the director isn’t able to explore information about the characters and themes of the film as in depth as a feature length would, the music is a strong representation of emotion and conventions of the genre. As short films are artistic by their nature it also conveys the importance of showing the audience information subtly.

The music used within my production was found at http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/ and is royalty free which means it can be used. The pieces I have chosen are from Kevin MacLeod and were chosen due to the tone that exists within them and the fact that they would focus upon the surreal and yet dangerous situation that the characters are in.

A soundtrack is used throughout my short film. It creates an extra dimension to the film and explores the narrative and the emotions that the characters feel. A non diegetic track named “Private Reflection” is played over the film from the beginning till the point of Rhys making his decision. It helps to bridge all of the different scenes and reactions together. The tone of this piece of music is ethereal and strengthens the danger, darkness; as the situation the characters are in is completely unnatural. The base of the music ties all of the voices together, a symbolic gesture of the decision that has to be made. The lone voice that makes up the lead of the piece and performs as a solo for the majority is a representation of the lone choice that Rhys has to make and the fact his decision is the entire premise of the film.

The final track that is being used is “Touching moments three” The soft piano is melodic and is representational of the love that is hidden by both Kathy and Rhys. The simple melody creates strong emotions of sadness which signifies the intense sensations that Rhys is exposed to after having decided his sister’s death. The two tracks are edited so that they link together and portray the contrast of emotion.

Diegetic sound is also crucial to a successful and realistic production, so that the audience can connect to it. Within the production of “two” diegetic sound is found in the dialogue and movement of the characters. An example of this is the friction of rope against skin and the trap door opening. This sound effect is not shown with synchronous action but instead is played over the top of black screen. During the mixing process it will be insure that a balance is correctly found between the diegetic and the non diegetic sound. The soundtrack does not have as much sound perspective as the diegetic actions.

The last piece of sound that is used within “two” is the non diegetic voice over of Lance (The Villain); and at the end of the film Rhys Miller’s. The dialogue at the start conveys Lance’s perverse pleasure about his actions but also highlights the power he has, as he is not required to be at the scene. To the audience this represents the danger and the insanity as well as the choice that they may have to come to terms with. The voice over in the epilogue from both Rhys and Lace conveys the contrast between characters. Lance shows enjoyment and pleasure where as Rhys is broken and dejected. It reinforces the moral message about the difficulty in making decisions, but it also signifies the social genre of the piece. It leaves the audience unsettled by the amalgamation of the soundtrack.

Overall, the soundtrack is used in order to strength the emotions and themes of the film for the audience. The music within itself also acts as a method of advertising, if it features a memorable motif. Within the short film “two” the music is in place to support the action but also to reinforce to the audience the horror of the choice between life and death.

Filming Day One

Before filming began it was important to survey the location that was my friend’s cellar. This allowed me to find the angles and features of the room that were not suitable representations of my narrative and would cause problems during filming; an example of this was the window. Another feature that was important was securing the rope and testing it to make sure that it was the safe. The same needed to be done for the person tied to the chair. All pieces of rope used quick release knots in the sections that had to be tied, so they would break under pressure. Knots were only tied in the necessary places. The rest of the rope was just tucked in or sat on so there was no tension in it and the actors could control it. The aim for the first day of filming was to achieve the majority of camera shots planned and to cover all of the dialogue. This was undertaken in order to have consistent light and positions of the camera and the actors. It also meant that it portrayed important pieces that needed to be reshot due to a variety of factors; such as background noise, not being framed correctly and faults in the delivery of lines.  In order to assist the actors of the piece, the lines were read aloud before and they had to read them, due to the time constraints when learning a script.

Short Film Script - Second Draft

Shot opens with a black/blank screen with narration from the villain (Lance) over the top

                                                                        (Prologue)

Lance: (Cold, emotionless) who decides humanities survival? Who plays the God in our lives?  I worship every breath, every tear, and drop of blood that beats within wasted souls. I decide who lives and dies. It’s(loud, angry) my (momentary pause) choice! I’ll make sure you welcome the silence and yet wish it never came.  

                                                                    (End of Prologue)

An abrupt flash of light bridges the two scenes. It’s a dark screen; a close upshot to the inside of a bag. The sounds of heavy breathing and frantic scrabbling are heard over the top.

Rhys: (Heavy breathing) what?
(Whispers) Kathy? Lucy?

Lucy: (Sobbing) you have two minutes to decide. Follow the human flaw and choose. Think carefully for one of them must die (Breath hitch) don’t dare to defy me; I designed every detail. You have two minutes to decide. Enjoy my game Mr Miller. Good luck! (Crying)

Rhys: Kathy? Lucy? Are you alright? Are you hurt?

Lucy: (Highly emotional) Oh god! I can’t (Sob)

Kathy:  (Sarcastic) Of course! Having the time of my life!

Rhys: (Angry, weary) Now is not the time Kathy! (Confident, assured, masking fear)  You’ll be fine. I promise! Both of you!

Lucy: (Whisper) Please, Help me!

Rhys: (Assured tone) Kathy, move gradually to the right.... Don’t put any tension on the chord

Lucy: (Screams as the noose pulls tighter around her neck)

Rhys: (Angry, confidence slipping) STOP, Just Stop! (Directed at Kathy) I’m sorry! I’m so sorry (whispers to them both)

 Kathy: (pause, before continuing quietly) Rhys, I’m nothing to you! Always a disappointment, always kept as the dark secret. It’s painless isn’t it; like choosing between heaven and hell.

Lucy: Please no! That’s not right (Whispers to self) (Pause)  

(Directed at Rhys) Promise me you’ll make sure Ben and Amy are cared for. Help them deal with this. Help them get over me (Voice steady, though still crying)

Rhys: (Serious tone) I’m meant to protect both of you. I can’t.... (Looks at both of them, eyes not focusing)
(Turns to Kathy) I always taught you it was wrong to make promises that you can’t keep

Kathy: (Voice calm) Promises are there to be broken. Mother taught me that.

Lucy: (realisation. Anger) What! No! Rhys you can’t do this. This isn’t what we agreed! This isn’t how it’s supposed to go.

Kathy: (Calmly, Confidently) don’t resent him. His biggest fault is he cares too deeply. He couldn’t live knowing he’d orphaned two children. He’s too generous for that.

Lucy: (Yells angrily) Shit!

Rhys: (sadly) I love you, Kath.

Kathy: (First time with emotion) I know.

(Dialogue stops. Reaction shots of Rhys and the decision he has had to make. Final shot a close up of Rhys’ eye as he blinks. Sound of the trap door opening on the black screen)

                                                                       (Epilogue)

Lance: (Simultaneously, Gleeful full of pleasure) and then everything stopped counting

Rhys: (Simultaneously, cold and emotionless) and then everything stopped counting

                                                                  (End of Epilogue)

 

Props Facts and List

Prop’s List:
- Rope
- Chair
- Wedding Ring
- Ear Piece

There are only a small number of props required within the production of this short film. This is largely because the tension is created by the dialogue, narrative and location as well as in the acting. It is also an important feature because of the minimal number of locations used. All the characters within the short film are immobile; Rhys tied to the chair, Lucy and Kathy by the nooses around their neck reinforcing the fact that they cannot interact with a large majority of objects. It represents to the audience that this is a location emotionally unconnected with any character due to the lack of personal content, connoting the danger the characters are in.

Due to the fact there are only minimal props within the piece means that each item needs to imply a crucial fact about the characters behaviour. The ear piece is a central point within the film. It is the only connection within the main structure of the film to Lance, the villain, who is holding them in the location. The ear piece while crucial for communication also represents the importance of technology and the modern era that the short film is based in. It also conveys the only piece of technology in the film, contrasting with the traditional roles and methods used, reflecting the danger and conflicting nature of Lance’s personality.

The wedding ring is a crucial statement about supporting the character and her background to Lucy. Lucy’s ring represents that she is married and has a family, supporting Rhys’ decision to save her. Lucy represents a traditional role and character, with simple and stereotypical roles. Despite the fact that her position and career represent her as serious and intelligent, when faced with danger, she portrays a variety of conventions of a damsel in distress. Her ring reinforces her partial dependence when compared to Kathy.

The rope and chair are the most important props within the short film. They are the construction of restraint and danger within the piece. These props symbolise the peril that the characters face. Being bound in the chair with rope is not only a physical restraint but is a symbolic restraint of Rhys’ mental choice. He has been forced into this decision and cannot choose otherwise. The rope that creates the noose upon the necks of Kathy and Lucy is literally a line between life and death. This metaphor is commonly understood for dying and this acts as a visual representation. Rope is also a dangerous object and conveys the inevitable passing of one of the characters.

Audience Questionnaire - Results

The first question asked was used in order to find out and classify the gender that is most interested in short films.  It is important to know the target audience as varying genders and audiences based upon stereotypes have different ideas and opinions on films content. Establishing the most predominant gender also is important as viewing the answers of the questionnaire influences the overall content. The questionnaire highlighted that the largest proportion of the audience are female, with the ratio 7:6. This information also details that males are also a predominant part in the viewing of short films. With this knowledge, the content and themes of my short film can be based around the female stereotype in order for them to relate to the film successfully. These results must also be kept in context as only twelve people carried out the questionnaire and the films audience is statistically much larger than this.

Age is an important feature to consider when producing a media production, especially a short film in which the content and themes are crucial to its success. Age is also a representative of how a product should be advertised and marketed.  Nine out of the twelve people who answered my questionnaire are aged 16-25 signifying that this is the most important age category to consider. It reinforces the form of marketing that could be undertaken. An example of this is advertising online, on websites popular with this age group.  Twitter, Facebook, Livejournal are all forms of websites that could successfully market the film. It is also an important concept to consider the life experiences and interests of an audience. Taking this information into account by product will quick cut with interesting shots and narrative in order to keep them involved with the film.

In order to find out the preferred genre of a short film, the questionnaire used a multiple choice answer system but allowed those partaking to rate them on a scale of 1-10. This allowed a fair perception to be created and detailed how effective and important certain genres are to an audience. The most popular genre was drama; this is a stereotypical choice for females but is also a broad genre. The boundaries used within the drama genre are flexible and reinforce the importance of creating a thrilling narrative and content. The second most popular genre was action.  Along with the drama genre it enforces the importance of movement, tension and strong emotions within a piece.  The third genre is order of popularity was horror. Horror is stereotypically a genre related to masculinity. This also represents the development of gender and how stereotypes are not always correct. Horror has basic concepts of needing tension, a threat and a protagonist and it also works in tangent with other genres an example being supernatural. These results show the importance of featuring these genre’s within my work as well as the conventions from each form that a vital in order to make this short film successful. It also represents genres that are not popular such as comedy that are not important to my target audience.

Discovering which is the most popular method of viewing a short film is important in the advertising process of the piece as well as making it sure it is uploaded to the location most likely to be viewed. The standard method for watching a short film is to view it via a computer using sites such as Youtube and Vimeo. Viewing films in this format allows them to be seen by a large proportion of people globally as well as offering the chance for repeat viewings due to no fee being exchanged. This makes the film more accessible for the audience. The second most popular answer was other. When asked to specify, the response showed that viewing short films through mobile devices was common, examples given included mobile phones, iPod’s/mp3’s and tablet devices. Making a short film for this format means it would require the ability to be downloadable in formats used by these devices as well as being of a high quality format so that visual content is not lost if it needs to be converted. Taking these factors into account during the production of my short film, will mean that it is accessible to the audience it is focused on as well as allowing it to be viewed simply.

The question “Are you aware of the conventions of a short film” is crucial in establishing how the audience interact and understand the content they are viewing. It is also representational of the quantity of short films the audience may have seen before, if they recognise the codes used within them. The results from the questionnaire revealed that over half of the twelve people asked did understand and could recall some of the codes used in a short film. Knowing this information allows for the codes to be used subtly or developed within my production. It also conveys the fact that the audience have previous knowledge of the style of a short film and will understand the methods used within it.

The final question asked was about how often they view short films. Knowing this information meant that it would represent exactly the audience for a short film. The questionnaire detailed that a large majority of teenagers have previously seen a short film, which is important as it supports the category I decided to make this short film for. The most popular choice was that they view a short film occasionally. This means that the production would be viewed by the age group it targeted. The second most popular answer was watching a short film at least once a week. Though this in enforces that short films may not be watched as frequently as the feature length counter parts but that they are an integral part of people’s viewing and that there is an interest in their production.

The fifth question asked within the survey was in place in order to discover what other interests the audience hold. The genre’s and themes of the programmes they watch may not always necessarily be linked but it gives a representation of their social class, their education and passions which are important to take into consideration when producing a short film.  It also means that an intertextual references that could be made, are in formats that the audience would recognise. The following are some of the answers to the question posed.  The similarities highlight the important concepts and traits that my short film should posses if it is to interact and interest the audience.  The results from the questionnaire cannot be deemed accurate for this question as some participants named more television shows and films than others.

Television:

-          Waking the Dead

-          Silent Witness (x3)

-          Criminal Minds

-          Bones (x2)

-          Blackpool

-          Sherlock (x6)

-          Doctor Who (x9)

-          Torchwood (x6)

-          Being Human (x3)

-          House (x4)

-          QI (x7)

-          Only Connect (x3)

-          Have I got news for you (x5)

-          Miranda (x4)

-          Being Human (x3)

-          Mock the Week (x5)

              Film:

-          Secret Window (x2)
-          Harry Potter Series (x7)
-          Inception (x5)
-          Saw Franchise (x2)
-          Sweeney Todd: The demon barber of fleet street
-          Nightmare on elm street (x2)
-          Donnie Darko (x5)
-          Severance
-          Edward Scissorhands
-          From Hell
-          The wizard of Oz
-          The sword and the stone
-          Coraline
-           Atonement
-          Psycho (x2)
-          Dracula
-          Sherlock Holmes
-          House of Wax
-          A clockwork orange

Storyboard - Part Two

Ancillary Task - Film Review Layout

Film magazine reviews

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After analysing the layout of magazine reviews the next step was to consider the importance of the content and the conventions that exist. Reading reviews in popular and successful magazines such as Empire, Total film and SFX and in a variety of genre’s revealed the traits that a review should contain.  Reviews often have details on how the films adhere to narrative theories and how they may break the expected conventions. Another feature is discussion about key characters and an analysis of their behaviour and the representation they have been chosen to portray and how this affects the moral message. Genre and themes are also a common component of film reviews. The significance of theme and how it is conveyed as well as how the genre may or may not adhere to what is expected is a vital point in discussion, in order to convey whether a film has been successful in its aims or not. An important factor that is not a pivotal point but is relevant in explaining the films interpretation and style is the director and the crew. Each director has a personal style. Technical codes are also commonly discussed. The codes are what construct the film and by reviewing them it conveys the effect and impact they may have on the audience. Overall, one of the final points is about the wider picture. The context details the reason behind the approach taken by the films crew. A successful film review also depicts the opinion and view of the reviewer to the film. By including these features within a review it reinforces the conventions and expectations whilst intriguing the audience and highlighting the positives and negatives of the production.

Ancillary Task - Poster Designs

The first poster is of simple design. Two nooses are hanging from the top of the poster which is representational of the beam. It is on a plain black background. The basis of this design is that it conveys the moral message and theme to the audience, as well as detailing the importance of creativity. These factors are common conventions of short films and therefore are crucial within a poster design. The black background conveys the importance of the central image, making it the focal point of the poster. The colour black is representational of fear and death both of which are key themes of the films narrative but are also central to the horror genre. Dark imagery is also an important element of the genre. The image of the two nooses represents a key and memorable feature of the mise-en-scene and the narrative of the film, making the concept and moral easier to understand and remember. The use of nooses is an ambiguous element and consequently does not suggest the narrative to an audience before watching the film. The number of nooses is also important. The fact that there are two conveys the two characters of the film, the two minutes that Rhys has to decide as well as the two decisions that have to be made. It connotes this information subtlety to an audience and allows them to interact with the piece on a variety of different levels. The main text of the poster is at the top so it does not detract from the focal point. This feature is found commonly in both short and feature length films posters. The information at the top of the poster details facts such as director and cast to the audience without dominating the lay out. The film’s title “two” is placed directly under the image, so that the eye tilts down towards it. The title of the piece is representing the narrative, but upon the poster is not the main feature of representation of the films moral or genre.

The second poster design relies much more on the actual danger present. The image on this poster is of two pairs of legs belonging to Lucy and Kathy upon the trapdoor that is keeping them alive as well as representing the threat of death. The image at the top of the poster is shot in colour, so it contrasts with theme of danger and death in the bottom ¾ of the poster. The information about the film is then underneath this image upon a simple black background connoting the fact that this is being kept back from the two characters in the darkness of one of their deaths. Compared to the first poster this design gives more information away about the narrative of the film, although crucial details and factors are not shown.  The fact that the two characters are shown is a common feature of posters using a key character to advertise the film. By only showing their legs it uses this factor but manipulates it in a more creative and stylised approached suited to short films. The danger and death aspect as well as the two lives that are potentially at risk reinforces the genre (social and horror) to the audience. The reason behind showing two pairs of legs is that once again it relates to the importance of “two” within the film highlighting the two choices that have to be made. This aspect only becomes clear after studying the narrative, allowing the poster to be used in varying interpretations.  The title is the second element of the poster to be seen, conveying the importance and relevance of it, as the middle of the poster is commonly were attention is drawn first. The information about the film is at the bottom of the poster so not to detract from the themes in the image. This is found commonly in all film posters.

The third design creates a focus at the centre of the page. The two eyes in the middle are those of Rhys who the narrative of the film is based around. By keeping the focal point of the design at the core of the poster it helps to create an eye catching and memorable design for the audience. The choice behind the two eyes is that it helps to portray the importance of characterisation within the film. It also reinforces the importance of humanity and emotion in the plots moral message. Rhys’ eyes are used because he is the character in which the narrative is hinged upon; he has the important decision to make.  The image is once again on a black background; by using the colour black it reinforces the darkness and horror aspect of the genre.  It also helps to generate an ethereal tone to the image of the eyes which unsettles the audience which is representational of the social genre. The poster design was kept simple so it did not detract from the important information and message it creates for the audience. The title is underneath the eyes so that the information and image are connect and retained by the audience. Also by placing this information here it links the two the concepts together. Basic film information is placed at the bottom of the design as it a common location on film posters for this information. It also displays the information in an accessible manner without distracting from the focal point of the image.

The fourth image was inspired by the poster design and the trailer for The National Theatre’s production of Frankenstein. The image uses superimposition of both Katy and Lucy at the centre of the page to represent the strong connection, similarities and differences between them. This notion was created by the blurring and repetition of Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller as their respective characters on the poster; as well as by the editing used on the trailer. The image of Kathy and Lucy takes up the majority of the poster space and focuses upon them as being the important characters of the plot. This concept is true as they are the decision for life that Rhys is facing. The fact that two of them are shown together and joined, links back to the importance of the number two within the narrative.  They are the two difficult decisions that Rhys has to make. The design like all of those previous is on a black background; this not only creates a stylised and professional appearance, but is representation of the dark themes of the narrative and does not draw attention away from the main image. The title is placed at the top of the poster in order to detail its importance to the film and what is represents. It helps to engage with the audience on different levels. After the main image of the two women, this is the next most important piece of information and by placing it at the top it reinforces the title helping to advertise the film more effectively. Once again the film information is at the bottom of the poster, but in this design it is overlaid upon the focal image. It shows the importance of the information and it also helps to make it a clear connection between the actors of the film, its narrative and those who worked on the film during its production.

This is the poster that inspired the fourth design for the advertisng poster for the short film "two".

The fifth and final poster design is a variation of the image used in design three. The central image of this piece is two sets of eyes appearing out of the darkness. Unlike in design three, the eyes used within the shot are never specified and are ambiguous in order to allow the audience to draw their own interpretation of the poster, allowing it to interact on a variety of levels. The fact that there are two pairs of eyes connotes back to the theme of two, and can depict the variety of relationships that could exist between the three lead characters.  The eyes are in the middle of the design in order to attract the attention and become the focus point. By doing this it allows factual information such as the title to be communicated and understood effectively. Eyes are an important concept to the moral of the short film as they are believed to represent a window into the human soul, and the message of the film is all about the flaws and imperfections of humanity. This design like those before it is based on a black background. It helps to create the sense of danger and death of the film and communicates this to the audience in a subtle format. The title of this design is just above the top of the image but not at the top of the page. This can indicate the often common use of the location but show it as developed in a more artistic style. It also helps to create a link between the image and the title of the piece. The film information is at the bottom of this piece in order not to detract from the message of the eyes, also for the reason that it helps to make the information easier to read.

Each of the designs above helps to advertise and portray vital information to the audience about the short film “two”. The artistic style and tone of the poster are important as they are the first contact with the film that a perspective audience may have. They also offer the ability to subtlety represent key traits and conventions such as the genre to them.  All of the poster designs above convey the central  themes of the film but designs two and four convey unique and artistic designs that could be developed into a successful representation and form of advertising for the film.