CONSTRCTION: BBFC CERTIFCATE

 As our film/film opening is a British film we created a BBFC certificate which shows the age rating for our film. We went on the BBFC website and we looked at the requirements that make a film age rating 15. The list below shows these requirements.

Age rating 15

• Dangerous behaviour - Dangerous behaviour (for example, suicide, self-harming and asphyxiation) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Whether the depiction of easily accessible weapons is acceptable will depend on factors such as realism, context and setting.
• Discrimination - The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour, although there may be racist, homophobic or other discriminatory themes and language.
• Language - There may be strong language. Very strong language may be permitted, depending on the manner in which it is used, who is using the language, its frequency within the work as a whole and any special contextual justification.
• Nudity - There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context. Sexual nudity may be permitted but strong detail is likely to be brief or presented in a comic context.
• Sex - Sexual activity may be portrayed, but usually without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour. Repeated very strong references, particularly those using pornographic language, are unlikely to be acceptable. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal are unacceptable.
• Sexual violence and sexual threat - There may be strong verbal references to sexual violence but any depiction of the stronger forms of sexual violence, including rape, must not be detailed or prolonged. A strong and sustained focus on sexual threat is unacceptable.
• Threat and horror - There may be strong threat and horror. A sustained focus on sadistic threat is unlikely to be acceptable.
• Violence - Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. 

From this list we created our own BBFC certificate which stated the age ratings and what subjects will be shown in our film (which is strong nudity, violence and language).

CONSTRUCTION: QR CODE

I decided that I would create a QR code to put on my film poster. This is because it would allow people to scan the QR code and be taken to our website and social media pages where they can find out more information about our film, as well as behind the scenes exclusives. 

How to make a QR code

Step 1: Select a QR code generator 

There are a number of QR code generators available on the internet. Some of the most popular include Kaywa,  QR Stuff , Visualead, GOQR.me. I will be using QR Creator. Things to look for when choosing a QR code generator are whether you can design a code that is unique to your brand, if you can analyse the performance or whether it is compatible with popular and common QR code readers e.g phones and iPads. 

Step 2: Design and linking it up

A number of these QR code generators allow you to create your QR code into a logo for your brand. You can change the colours of the QR code to reflect the theme of your website. I've selected  QR Creator  one of the QR generators mentioned above.  This shows how easy it is to create a QR code for our product and company. 

1. Select the type of content you want your consumer to be sent to when they scan your QR code. For example for a URL you'd do this 

2. Insert the content (URL for this) 

3. View the preview and customise as you choose

With this QR generator I could change the size of my code and the colour scheme of it. 

Step 3: Test the QR code 

You should remember to check if the QR code you have just created will work. You can do this on most phones by opening the camera and scanning the QR code. If the code is correct it will come up saying 'open in browser', by clicking on it  you will be taken to the website or the social media pages which are in the QR code. 

Step 4: Track and analyse performance

This will allow you to see how consumers are interacting with your brand. You want to be able to see how much traffic the QR code is pushing towards your website and social media pages. Monitoring this can help increase the amount of people that will see your production which could make them want to go and see it when it is released. 

QR Code Best Practises: Some Important Do's and Don'ts

After creating your QR code it is now time to talk about some practices which will allow for your QR code to be actually used. 

QR Code Do's 

1) Put QR codes where it is easy to scan and so that consumers have enough time to properly scan the code so that they can access your content. Whilst it is sometimes interesting to see QR codes on TV adverts or on billboards they are not very user friendly locations. You will need to place your QR codes where consumers have enough time to scan the code and where there is enough Wi-Fi and phone service that will allow them to easily access your content. 

2) Do optimise mobile performance. This is because most people will be scanning the code with their phones so where you are sending them should be best suited for mobile phone usage. Which will give them the best possible experience. 

3) Do offer a call-to-action (CTA). This will tell people what they are supposed to do when they open they scan the code. Some people will not know what exactly a QR code does and some will not know want to scan unless they think that there is a good reason to scan. 

QR Code Don'ts

1) Make sure that your code does not require a special scanner. The QR code should be app-agnostic so everyone can scan your QR code without any issues. A lower entry barrier allows for success for both you and the user to occur. 

2) Don't use QR codes just because you can. It is often common for companies to include QR codes as they feel that they can get more online traffic and more attention to their brand. However, sometimes this is not the case as some of the content that companies try and use a QR code for can provide the user with a negative experience. QR codes should be used and designed so that they fit mobile platforms. 

CONSTRUCTION: SMASH CUT

Beech town High Disco by Ross Morrison

PLANNING: MY PROMO PACK

Made with Visme Infographic Maker

PLANNING: MY TARGET AUDIENCE

 I needed to understand how I could plan my film to appeal to my identified target audience. I researched gender, age, social classes and ethnicities of people who watch horror/thriller films, particularly those who watch slasher horror. I also needed to research audience theory to gain a better understanding as to the types of audience that there are. I found Blumer and Katz theory whilst I was conducting my research. Blumer and Katz stated that audiences use media to gratify their needs (uses and gratifications model). This model allowed me to understand how we should target our films marketing campaign towards the particular type of audience we want to attract. Our target audience is likely to enjoy TV long form drama like London Kills and thriller films like Happy Death Day which offer escapism, diversion and entertainment. Our films narrative involves the classic ingredients of a thriller such as kidnapping by a serial killer, murder mysteries and a determined detective.  Another audience need which will be gratified by our film trailer is audiences need for surveillance: police procedurals offer fascinating insight into the detection process as well as sometimes the chance to see inside the criminal mind.  Finally, our film offers in the character of detective Wright a character for whom our target audience will feel keen sympathy and interest because of his personal tragedy and the admirably determined way in which he pursues justice. 

David Bradford (London Kills) pictured next to Detective Wright

An active audience also means that the audience interacts with media texts to create meaning. The Encoding-decoding model was created by Stuart Hall, who says that producers construct text which will be interpreted by the viewers. He says the process of decoding is where the audience reads, interprets and understands the text. Active audiences are critical thinkers who pay full attention to media text and create their own opinions. Audiences in our film may well decode the character of detective Wright in the way that we intended: He is a stereotype or visual shortcut with his suit, calm face and intelligent expressions of a stereotypical lead detective. For Hall, stereotypes build audience empathy quickly and signpost audiences through the narrative. Our detective hero is seen to be adept at noticing significant tell-tale details and is driven by both professional determination and private grief.

I have also found out the importance of media demographics and psychographics in audience analysis. Film companies use demographics to identify their target audience. They section the adult population into six groups which are mainly based on income and status. The letter code system helped me understand what characters in my film would fall into what category. The detective in my film would be in group C1/C2 working class. In our opinion, this makes him very relatable to the target audience and it mirrors the kind of casting found in police procedures for example Line of Duty. 

With the use of psychographics, film companies can identify their target audiences by looking at the personality and behavioural traits of the members. Psychographics make assessments about a persons viewing and spending habits and labels them. This made it easier for me to work out how to make my film more appealing  to my identified target audience. 

After researching a number of different distribution techniques I focused on ones that had been successful in reaching their target audience. Distributors study the current trends in media and look at how different brands create their own audience profiles. A large amount of brands use social media, websites and adverts to reach their target audience. When distributing my film I will create Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages as-well as a website. 

I profiled my audience and asked "Why they liked this genre? why would they want to watch my film? What makes my film different to others of this genre? How will my film appeal to the needs of my target audience?" I asked these in my audience questionnaire. 

PLANNING: STEREOTYPES AND SOCIAL ISSUES

Stereotypes and Social Groups

Stuart Hall, when stereotypes appear in the media such as in films like ours, they reinforce stereotypes. Audiences may decode the messages embedded in the stereotypes differently; however, genre conventions tend to repeat and reinforce specific stereotypes. 

Stereotypes are used by filmmakers like ourselves for various reasons. They can provide visual shortcuts, for example, through clothing codes, that help our audience to understand our characters. In our film, the character of Dan Clifton, the runner dresses in as a typical young athlete in trainers and shorts portraying an image that most people would be able to relate to. Stereotypes also help our audience to build character reliability: for instance, the character of Dan's girlfriend is strong and independent, which could be seen as an anti stereotype and should appeal to our target audience of young women, as will the athletic likeable character of Dan. Genre stereotypes also signpost audiences by the use of certain stock characters and the predictability of certain narratives. An example of where stereotypes will occur in our film is through the detective. The detective follows the stereotype of being intelligent, stubborn, determined and experienced. Another example of a stereotype in our film is the serial killer. We have made the serial killer fit the stereotype of a mentally unstable psychopath.  

Social Issues:

There are many social issues that are present in the 21st century.  The mind map below highlights some of them. After discussion we thought it would be best to focus on one aspect of the social issues highlighted and we decided to concentrate on the area that relates to mental health as this is a very large social issue especially at the moment. 

In our film the serial killer has faced many social issues in his past and therefore the state of his mental health is the focus of his character. His mental issues have been brought on by feelings of inadequacy. As his sporting records have been taken from him and his girlfriend has chosen to be with the current record holder he is filled with anger and hatred and wants vengeance on Dan who he sees as the root of his unhappiness. 

I created Pinterests that show different interpretations of social issues and stereotypes and social groups which we will include in our film.