Case Study: Sex and the City

Film Magazine

Sex and the City is an American situation comedy which ran for 6 series. In addition, after the series 2 films were made where the lives of the 4 girls which star in the series were shown and how their lives have moved on from the series. Sex and the City follows the romance of the girls and fashion places a huge part in how the girls develop as characters.

After much research into magazine covers for my chosen genre, i found that there arent many film magazines that cover the theme of romance. However I did find one poster which is from the Turkish Total Film magazine. The image shows Sarah Jessica Parker,who plays the main female, Carrie Bradshaw, within Sex and the City. She is seen to be looking very provactive and it is not clear that Sex and the City would be revolved around romance. She is clearly dressed is a stylish way, sporting a 'little black dress', this item of clothing seen as a must have in any females wardrobe. As this front cover is pretty simple and bland, the fact that Sarah is posing in a stong way, adds depth to the magazine and would make the audience wonder what the films are about. Also the colours of green do not show the girlyness of the actual film. So this representation of the film is not very clear.

However i was not happy with just analysing this magazine cover as this does not show the true beauty of what Sex and the City is about. So after some more research into magazine covers I found one that shows some more feminine traits especially as it uses the colour pink.The aspect of fashion is clearly shown in this magazine cover as they girls are all dressed up, all in similar colours but all have completly different styles. This shows the difference in characters and personalities between the girls. Sarah Jessica Parker is more prominent within this poster than the other girls, showing that she is the main character, just as on the other cover. However this cover has pink within it showing the more girly side to the film. The theme of romance still cannot be seen in this magazine cover, I think maybe you have to have seen the series to understand the romance aspect of the film.

Glamour is definatly something that can be seen within this magazine cover and I think this is something that may help with the selling of the magazine especially with females as they may feel as if they can relate to at least one of the women.

The huge letters of 'Sex and the City' will clearly show to the audience who is featuring within the magazine and the sub headlines show that the whole magazine front cover has been dedicated to 'Sex and the City'. Meaning that fans of the show will definatly buy it.

Film Poster

The movie posters for 'Sex and the City' have a completely different style to them compared to that of the magazine covers. It has a lot more pink and glamour to the poster, showing the feminine traits to the film. The sparkly letters make up the words Sex and the City, this taking up over half of the poster. However even though the poster is simple the colour and glamour that is added within the poster compensates for the fact that their isnt much detail to the poster. Clearly from the poster and colours within the poster show that this film is aimed at women. The pink and glamour will attract any girly girls eye and also those who are fans of the series of SATC. As a girl myself I love this film and couldnt wait for the second one to come out.

Again the theme of romance can not be seen within this promotion of the film, we just see a very happy Carrie dressed in pink, walking in a very content manner. We see Carrie dressed in a very stylish way and has been made up to look extremely glamorous. 'Get Carried Away' This play on words incorperates the name of Carrie and is a very catchy slogan to add to the film. As the film is mainly based on the character of Carrie, this is made clear as she is the only female and the only character to appear on the poster. However their are 3 other girls which are crucial to the whole SATC film but they are not shown within the poster. Also after analysing this poster i realised that the producers of this poster hasnt used the actress's names. So anyone that isnt a fan of SATC may not get the whole 'get carried away' pun that has been incorporated within this poster.

 

Trailer

An opening establishing shot shows exactly where the movie is filmed. New York City is easily identifiable when watching films and this one is no exception. Panning shots of New York lit up at night shows a bit of glamour as is seen in the posters and film magazine covers.

The next shot shows Carrie and Mr Big kissing, this is the first glimpse of the theme of romance that is shown throughout the magazine covers, film poster and the trailer. The words 'last single girl kiss' show that the couple are about to unite in marriage which ties in with what happens at the end of the SATC series. The trailer then moves on to show a shot of the 4 girls looking glammed up and walking down the street, an iconic thing as it shows the girls reunited after the series finished.

Clips of the girls are then shown, all looking happy and each looking 'loved up' in their own little family, each extremely different. The most distinct word that stood out to me whilst watching this part of the trailer was the word 'Fairytale'. This gives the idea of the girls living happily ever after and how the princess in the fairytales fall in love with Prince Charming!

We then see on the eve of Carries and Mr Bigs wedding night, all the girls are sitting around reminicising about past events that have happened between the girls and their love life.

However the happiness theme of the trailer turns around and the words 'but real life... always has a twist' This pushing out the theme of fairytales and showing that they dont believe in 'happily ever afters'.

A statement then fades into the shot to describe something that happens in each of the girl life throughout the film. This adding to the suspenseof the trailer making the audience want to go and see the move at the cinema or buy when released on DVD.

The high key lighting keeps an upbeat theme to the film, even though some dark goings on happen in through the film. The colouring of the trailer is mainly pink or very girly colours, this being the only consistent and continual thing that stays through the movie poster, trailer and magazine cover.

The iconic SATC theme tune is also used through the trailer, any fan of the show will recognise the SATC film by just hearing this tune.

Sex and the city (2008) official trailer

Trailer Research: The Dark Knight

Micro Features

The start of this trailer is totally different to that of the trailer to High School Musical 3. This trailer starts with the makers of the film, the iconic 'Warner Bros' and then 'Legendary Pictures' sign appear and then fade to black. This instantly giving the trailer a dark and thriller type theme. As Warner Brothers is a big franchise and is known for its good films, by showing this in the trailer, the audience may instantly be attracted to go and watch the film.

Many panning and tracking shots are used to show locations and characters within those locations. This giving the audience a sense of what type of city the famous 'Gotham City' actually is. The many shots of different locations that are used give the trailer a faster pace compared to that of High School Musical 3. Even though some snippets of the High School Musical 3 trailer are fast paced and add excitement, the tension and excitement built up in this trailer is different to that of the HSM3 trailer.

The lighting throughout this trailer is very low key and having watched the film myself I know that this carries on throughout the whole film thus adding much more tension.

Camera angles show the status of the different characters also. When the character of Batman is shown, he is shown to be more powerful and many of the shots throughout this trailer that show Batman are high angle whereas when the Joker is shown, the angle of the camera is low which usually shows vulnerability but in this case it shows him as the antagonist.

Macro Features

Even though the big scale setting of 'The Dark Knight' is Gotham City, there are different locations such as Batmans home, a car park and back streets that are used within this trailer. Throughout the trailer there are many different locations used just within a 2 minute trailer.

Dark colours are used throughout the trailer and throughout the whole of the film. Thus immieditatly showing the theme of action thriller.

However even though the themes are very prominent all the way through the trailer, the context in which the joker is shown adds comedy to the film, his costume and make up also helping with the comedy theme. The make up which the joker wear shows him to have a huge smile painted across his face. Also the Joker has a very run down costume even though his role throughout the film is very important his costume does not have the wow factor at all. However Batman has the iconic black all in one suit and cape. This equalling to Batman clearly standing out more than the Joker and his role of the more proffessional hero is shown.

Within the trailer a shot of an explosion is shown, this being the hook of the trailer and will persuade the audience to go and watch the film or buy it on DVD. Lots of rhettorical questions may be asked whilst watching the film e.g. Why the explosions? Is the Joker bad? Does Batman get revenge? All of the beforesaid questions will need to be answered, this meaning the audience goes to watch the film.

The trailer of The Dark Knight which I have analysed

Trailer Research - High School Musical 3

Micro Features:

Dark establishing shots open of various locations where the film is located start this trailer off. As this is the leaving year of the students, the slow pace of the start of the trailer creates a sad and emotional atmosphere. However as the lighting becomes brighter the pace becomes faster adding excitement and wanting the audience to see more of the film. As this is a trailer not much detail as to what happens in the film is revealed.

The collection of high school musical films belong to the media conglomerate of Disney. Disney is usually associated with children's films, including bright colours and a cheerful atmosphere within the film and this trailer defiantly lives up to the usual expectations of Disney film viewers. As the trailer moves on the lighting becomes very high key and the emotion that was felt at the start of the trailer is changed to happy and cheerful rather than that of negative emotion.

This trailer is very visual based and the actions on screen contribute more to the trailer than that of the speech of the characters. There are many songs played throughout this trailer, all of which belong to the films soundtrack. The songs which are in all of the 'HSM's' make the film more appealing to any music fan. So as there are many upbeat songs within this 1 minute 43 second trailer, it will appeal to musical fans as well as fans of the actors.

Macro features:

Within this trailer even though it lasts less than 2 minutes there are numerous locations that are involved within the trailer, each location being just a snippet of the action within the film. The main setting to the whole film is within a high school and the locations are mainly within the school. E.g. the gym or auditorium. Both of these locations playing a huge part in how the charcter of 'Troy' develops. 'Troy' played by Zac Efron has become a huge star since the first 'High School Musical' film was released on Disney Channel and he is also a role model to many male tweens. Also having a huge female fan base, mainly for his acting skills, singing ability and attractive looks. As this is filmed in a school, it is aimed at a tween audience, however if they watch such films with their parents they may also enjoy the film. 

There is a lot of singing and dancing within High School Musical 3 which gives the movie a definate theme of being a musical. Including the release of a soundtrack for all 3 of the 'High School Musical' films. This meaning that it has become a huge franchise. This isnt unusual for a Disney film as many of their films become a huge hit and will then release merchandise to promote the film. Merchandise such as stationery, barbie type dolls of the characters, DVDs and even a 'High School Musical' tour which saw audiences watching a stage version of the movie.

The english version of High School Musical 3 which i analysed.



Case Study 4: Film Magazine: Charlie and the chocolate factory

'Grab your golden ticket'

From one quick look at this magazine cover it was clear that it was to promote Charlie and the chocolate factory and the actor who plays him Johnny Depp. The character or Willy Wonka is very distinct in this magazine cover and is easily identifiable. This is by the colours he is wearing and the costume that he is dressed in. The colour purple is very popular within the film of Charlie and the chocolate factory and the fact that his eyes are shown to be purple shows intensity within the magazine cover and draws you in. As this is a remake of the film which was originally called 'Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory'. The film was filmed and released in the 70's during the Vietnam war under the name of 'Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory' rather than 'Charlie and the chocolate factory' and during this time 'Charlie' was a code name when radioing through to soliders so it was thought that if the film was released under the name 'Charlie and the chocolate factory' then people may have thought that they were promoting communism.

'Grab your golden ticket, JOHNNY DEPP IS WILLY WONKA'

Throughout the film a golden ticket is very important to the plot. So the audience of this magazine will immiediatly associate the theme of having a golden ticket to the film of Willy Wonka. Also having the words JOHNNY DEPP IS WILLY WONKA, helps the audience to recognise who infact plays Willy Wonka. As Johnny Depp is a huge film star he is easily recognisable. In the 1971 version of this film, huge actor Gene Wilder played Willy Wonka.

2005 Version



1971 Version



The colour on this film magazine are not as shocking and dont stand out as much as they should. The film Charlie and the chocolate factory itself is very colourful and action packed. So the fact that this film cover as just a small range of colours, most being white or dull doesnt do much justice for the promotion of the film within this magazine cover. This is very different to the film poster for this movie. The film poster is extremely colourful with a range of colours blending in together to equal to a very distinct aray of colour and detail. This magazine is similar in colour and lack of detail to that of the film poster for the 1971 version of this film. The 1971 film poster is very bland with little range of colour meaning that it doesnt stand out and will not necessarily catch an audiences eye straight away. This being in complete contrast to the film poster of the 2005 version.

This film magazine front cover also promotes other films and have competitive titles such as 'Ultimate Summer Preview' and 'Every new film and dvd reviewed'. When looking at a range of film magazine and deciding which one to choose to buy, having strong words such as 'Ultimate' and 'Every' will be more persuasive than words such as 'good' or 'some'.

Case Study 3: Film Magazine: The Dark Knight

'He's a cold-blooded mass murdering clown'

At first glance, this magazines cover has extremely catchy colours. So when looking at magazines on a shelf, this one would stand out the most. The character who is featured on the front of the magazine is the 'Joker' from 'The Dark Knight', the joker has very dull colours on but the surroundings fonts and colours make him stand out the most.

This is in complete contrast to the film poster for 'The Dark Knight'. Also as the 'Joker' is played by the huge actor Heath Ledger, the magazine has a huge selling point. Also when filming 'the Dark Knight', Heath passed away so this may also sell the magazine.

The cover of the magazine seems to be comical with a sense of horror, if the 'Joker' wasn't smiling then the sense of horror would disappear! There is also a lot of text on the front of the magazine, telling us what articles are inside. 'World Exclusive'. These words attract attention when looking at this magazine because it keeps the audience thinking as to what this world exclusive may actually be.

The words 'Joker' are shown to be in illuminous green, the colour of which the 'Joker' wears throughout the film.

Empire film magazine chose to produce two front covers for this film so the audience could choose which one to pick. The other cover is very intense and the theme of comedy has been taken away and more horror has been added.


Click here to go to 'Empire Magazine' online..

Case Study 2: Film Poster - 10 Things I Hate About You

10 Things I Hate About You


'How Do I Loathe Thee? Let Me Count The Ways'.. 'Romeo, Oh Romeo, Get Out Of My Face'

The film poster for '10 Things I Hate About You' is very minimal with some slogans that stand out. 'How Do I Loathe Thee? Let Me Count The Ways'. As '10 things i hate about you' is based around the Shakespeare text, 'The taming of the shrew'. By having this slogan on the film poster leaves the audience in suspense as to what this may mean. Is it just a rewrite of Shakespeare or something along totally different lines? Also the slogan of 'Romeo, Oh Romeo, Get Out Of My Face' also may give away the fact that this is based around a shakespeare text.

The title of the female comes from the female lead of the film 'Kat' when she writes a poem about the things she hates about her bittersweet romance with the main male 'Patrick'.

I think this film is definatly aimed at teenagers and maybe mainly females. This is because on the film poster there are a group of teenagers with good looking males within the group. The film also stars big actors who have a repuatation of starring in successful films. Also the producer of this film has made sure that there are an even number of males and females, not singling out any gender. This then fits in with the theme of femanism in the film as men and women here are definatly equal.

Minimal colour and scenery is used for this poster and this could work in two ways. The audience may see this as boring and uninventive and it may put them off going to watch or buy this film. However simple can also be effective and in my opinion, there is minimal text and pictures on the poster but this makes it stand out more and the text that the poster actually contains attracts more attention than if the poster was full of action. As this is a love story there arent many connotations on the film poster of it being a romance at all. The word 'hate' may make the audience think the complete opposite.

This video is a clip from the film and it contains the poem '10 things i hate about you', where the films title actually came from.

Case Study 1: Film Poster - 'The Notebook'

The Notebook

'Behind every great love comes a great story'

The film poster to 'The Notebook' does not give anything away about the story of the film. As there is not much detail and words on this poster I think it leaves the audience in suspense as to what the film will actually be about. Having watched the film myself, this poster does not represnt even a tenth of what goes on in the film.

The rain pelting down on the couple adds extra romance, so when looking at this poster, it could be seen as a 'typical' romance film.

The pale colours used in this poster give nothing away about 'The Notebook'. As the colours are rather plain and unexciting, it could put a viewer off the film or not give a very good first impression. However when the audience watches the film, their opinion will definatly be changed. Also the film poster contains the main female and the male lead. Even though they may look totally in love it doesnt comapre to the love action within the film. These beings the connatations of a romance film.

I think that this film is definatly targeted at a female or teenage audience as it belongs to the romantic genre and typically it is women that tend to watch this type of film. I feel that the producer of this poster has targeted its audience in a systematic way because it is very to the point and has enough detail to want the audience to go and watch the film to find out the story behind this couple.

'Behind every great love comes a story'. Along with the title of the film, these are the only words that appear on the film poster. This proves at the film is obviously a love story and quite literally has a story to it. As this is quite a powerful quote, it may touch the heart of a female or teenage who may be interested in watching the film.

From watching the trailor of 'The Notebook', not much is given away about the story within the 2 minutes that the trailor lasts. This leaving the audience in suspense as to what happens and also makes the appeal to buy or watch the film at the cinema more appealing.