Improvements to my poster

Due to the negative feedback I received about the institutional information on my poster, I have taken it into consideration and made some improvements. Here is my final poster:

Ideas brainstorm for soundtrack

Lucinda is the main person in charge of the soundtrack, but I have been brainstorming a few ideas:

1. One idea is to have a soundtrack inspired by traditional Victorian ballroom music; I have found a few videos online which give examples of this: (e.g.)

The only problem with these is that the ballroom music tends to be quite uplifting, which would contrast with our slightly dark storyline.

2. Another idea is to simply resort to sound effects on GarageBand; there are several short soundtracks and instrumentals that fit in with out genre.

3. Finally, after asking around, I have been told to ask someone who is experienced at composing and playing pieces of piano music, as, if we gave him an idea of the sort of thing we wanted, he could help us to come up with something.

Find My Past copyright

We have decided that the ideal website to film, if possible, would be Find My Past, as its layout is clear and its headings such as "Discover Your Ancestors" would convey that part of the storyline to the audience quite easily. We have therefore contacted Find My Past in order to get their permission to film the front page of their website; if we were to film it without getting permission, we would be breaching copyright, so it was essential that we got consent. Fortunately, Find My Past replied with the email below, giving us permission to film the website:

Ancestry website

We have decided that an effective way of demonstrating that Sarah is researching her ancestors is to have a shot of an ancestry website. Websites we could look into include:

• www.findmypast.co.uk  

• www.ancestry.co.uk 

• www.genesreunited 

•  www.genealogy.org

New addition to storyline

We have been concerned about the fact that our storyline is still a little vague, so we have created a few new elements to it which we believe have improved it dramatically, and made the overall plot a lot more exciting. This is the new storyline:

• A girl in the 21st century decides to research her ancestors, and finds out about the life of her great great grandmother, who lived in a stately home and was a woman of nobility (close-up of ancestry website)
• She reads a newspaper cutting with a headline explaining that a Lord has been killed in an "accidental fire" which also damaged the stately home where he was staying (her great great grandmother's house)
• She then reads a contemporary newspaper cutting, with a headline explaining that the house has been restored to its original state with government funds
• She goes to the house and finds letters that were previously undiscovered, and are between her great great grandmother and two different men, one a poor butler and one a Lord (who was killed in the fire)
• Through these letters she discovers the dark romance she had with each of these men, which resulted in a turbulent love triangle between the three of them, born of jealous and bitterness. Such a thing would be scandalous beyond belief in the 19th century.
• She also discovers a dark secret that her great great grandmother kept to the grave: the jealousy and confrontation between the men, as well as their attempts to hide their own secret love, cause the butler to burn down the lady of nobility's stately home, in which the rich man is residing; this has always been believed to be an accident until the discovery of the letters.
• The lady of nobility, however, manages to escape the fire, and runs away with the butler, throwing away her title and creating an uproar of scandal. 
• The 21st century girl is shocked and upset to discover these dark family secrets, and the fact that her great great grandfather is a murderer. 

This kind of narrative is a lot less vague and a lot more complex, which is more conventional to typical period dramas, which can be full of twists involving scandal. This will also mean that our trailer will look a lot more dramatic, as we will be including shots of fire. We plan to do this with simply quick shots of a match being dropped and paper burning, as this will be of the least risk and will also look effective spliced up in our trailer. We will also be making a modern and an old newspaper cutting.

Text in trailer

In terms of the text we are going to be using in the trailer, we have decided to have a combination of modern and old text (in modern and old fonts); the modern text will give information about the plot, and the old text will be more atmospheric and will fade in and out, superimposed on a few of the shots. We think that this will create synergy between the modern and old themes of the trailer, and will look atmospheric and effective.

Filming drunken scene

We have now filmed the drunken scene. As we had not already used the maid's outfit we decided to change our idea slightly and make it so that a maid (Lucinda) approached Peter to flirt with him, only for him to push her away emphasising the regret he would feel if he was involved with two women. The fact that he is drunk shows isolation, as well as the fact that there is no one else around. The darkness will also give off connotations of loneliness. We used an empty bottle of wine for Peter to drop, and as it was one that did not break easily it meant we could get him to drop it several times without a problem. If it had broken we did have a spare bottle we could use.

Drunken scene

We have decided to film the drunken scene outside my house, as it is surrounded my tall stone walls that would look authentic and effective in the shot. We have asked Peter to come in the same clothing he was wearing when we filmed at Aske and Kiplin Hall, so as to create continuity and authenticity, and Lucinda will also be dressing up as a maid, as we feel that a shot of a maid flirting with the poor man (and him then rejecting her) shows that he is very emotionally attached to the lady of nobility.

Font of text in trailer

After watching lots of trailers for period dramas, films set in the 19th century or simply films based on classic novels, one of the main things we noticed was that, in the past few years, modern interpretations of such films tend to include a fairly modern font for the text used in the trailer and title. This has become a recent trend, and, in our opinion, is extremely effective.

The 2011 adaption of Wuthering Heights (see above), for example, includes a title font that is written in an extremely modern typeface. This is to make the film (which, as an adaption of a classic novel set and written in the 1800s, may not appeal to a large target audience) more accessible to a larger range of viewers, and helps to encourage a younger audience to go and see the film. Furthermore, aesthetically, it looks a lot more dramatic than if an older-looking, fancier font was used. This is demonstrated in the poster, which is consequently a beautiful poster, and incredibly persuasive towards a younger audience to watch the film.


This is also true of the font used in the 2011 adaption of Jane Eyre (see above), and (to an extent) in the extremely popular period drama, Downton Abbey (see below). The font used in the title and opening credits of Downton Abbey is, despite being made to almost resemble a typewriter font quite modern. As Downton Abbey has started to become quite popular with a younger audience as well as an older one, this could be a contributing factor.





We have therefore decided to use a modern font for the title of our film, as well as for the text in the trailer. This will help it appeal to a younger target audience, and, as our film is essentially a flashback into the past from the modern day, it will relate to the modern protagonist as well.

Constructing my new and improved promotional poster

This is my finished poster:


Here is a slideshow explaining how I made it:
Constructing my film poster

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Constructing my magazine front cover

This is my final magazine:

Here is a slideshow explaining how I made it:

Constructing the front cover of a film magazine

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Market research: Magazine tagline

Here is a survey I have created to help me decide which tagline to use for my magazine:

Magazine tagline market research

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Useful Photoshop tutorials

Here are some Photoshop tutorials that may be useful in terms of improving my knowledge of Photoshop, and may also help me construct my promotional poster and magazine cover.

Taking inspiration from the video above, I have practiced my manipulation and image merging techniques, as seen below:

Although this has been done very quickly and therefore looks quite amateur as a result, it is a mere example of a technique that I may use in my poster or magazine cover; this involves creating two layers, each containing different images, and then creating a vector mask of the top layer and adjusting its opacity. Then, using a black paintbrush to paint around the edges of the bottom image, different textures, colours and details from the top image can be printed on to it.

Results from magazine name market research

Film magazine name market research

Here is a poll I have made and shared on Facebook to help me decide which name to call my film magazine:

Market research: Poster tagline market research

Here is some market research I have carried out regarding the tagline for my poster:

Poster tagline survey

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Poster re-think

I have decided that I am not happy with my poster so far, and have therefore decided to have a re-think and start again. My reasons for this are that I don't think it conforms well enough with typical 'flashback' film posters, such as, for example, Letters to Juliet (I will analyse this poster in a future post). It is not eye-catching enough, and doesn't really give the audience the information they need to know; there is no indication of the plot, and I feel that if I stick to my existing poster layout, this will not become any clearer. However, this is all part of the learning process, and I want my poster to be as professional-looking as possible.

Analysis of Empire magazine front cover

Poster so far

Taking inspiration from the Atonement poster, I have started working on my poster by creating a divide across the middle, and having the modern image of Sarah at the top, and the old image at the bottom. This creates the sense that Sarah is looking down at the people from her great great grandmother's past, therefore creating synergy between the two images. I also made, using Photoshop and after following tutorials, a dark, cloudy background on for the top half of the poster, which helps to reflect the dark themes of the film. It obviously still needs a lot of work doing to it, such as I need to separate the image of Sarah from the background properly. I will go through the whole process of how I constructed my poster in another post.

Photos from photoshoot

Analysis of Atonement poster

Atonement poster analysis

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Results from market research

Here are the results from the market research I did on my target audience's expectations for a promotional film poster:

Expectations for a promotional film poster

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These results will help me to abide by conventions when I make my film poster.

Market research - expectations of a promotional film poster

Here is a survey that I have also posted on Facebook to find out what my target audience expect from a film poster:

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Editing process so far

We have divided our editing between the three of us, each focusing on the shots that we individually filmed so that we can stick to our original visions of how we wanted them to turn out. However, we have made sure to never just have one person editing at one time, so that we can discuss things as a group. We have also made a rule to save any edited versions of our footage as a new document, so that if any mistakes are made, or we wish to revert back to a previous draft, we will always have a more raw footage available to work with. Although we have so far had a technical difficulty in importing the footage onto the Apple Macs (the only way to retain the sound files of our footage is to import them seperately on a memory stick, which means that we are unable to save them onto the Apple Macs), this has not been too much of a problem as there are only a couple of sounds, such as the chiming of a clock in one scene, that we want to keep. We have been told by the technicians that we should be able to add these after we have finished editing the video footage. Apart from this minor problem, editing so far has gone fairly smoothly; we are extremely pleased with the footage, as the actors, acting, costumes and locations have all come together very well. We have cut out all parts of the footage that we don't need, and are currently working on transitions and the order and speed of each shot. We still need to work on a soundtrack, which we will need to further research beforehand.

Footage without sound

Production Company Market Research

Here is the market research we have done in order to see which name people prefer for a production company: Click here to take survey

Garageband tutorials

Although Lucinda is the group member in charge of the soundtrack, Charlotte and I have watched some Garageband tutorials to help give us a better grasp of how it works. This means that if Lucinda encounters any problems with Garageband and making the sountrack, we will be able to offer her help.

Final Cut Pro tutorials

As I haven't really used Final Cut Pro much before, and only for very basic use, I have watched some tutorials such as the ones below to help improve my knowledge of it:

Filming at Kiplin Hall

The filming today has gone extremely well as we got all of the shots finished within three hours. Like at Aske Hall, the storyboard, some of the shots and the order of shots has been changed due to wanting to make the most of the location and having to adapt the contents of our shots when necessary. Here are some photos from the day:

Filming at Aske Hall

We met our actors in the centre of Richmond, apart from Peter who we met at the entrance to Aske Hall. The costumes and film equipment took longer to organise and put in the car than initially anticipated, but as they cannot be kept in the car overnight due to potential damage from the damp, we will have to get everything ready and packed in the car a lot further in advance next time. Because of this, we were delayed slightly in arriving, and when we did arrive the hair, makeup and getting into costume also took a while; this left us with only a couple of hours to film in, which turned out not to be a problem as we managed to shoot:
-The confrontation scene
-The shame scene
-The "flirting" scene
-A couple of other shots that we felt would be suitable and effective in the setting, such as Frances running down some stone steps with wind blowing her hair; this created a dramatic shot which looks very good on camera.
Due to the amount we managed to get film in couple of hours, he have decided that we will only need one day to film at Kiplin Hall. We have contacted Dawn to tell her this, which doesn't pose a problem for her.

Here are some of the "on set" photos:

On set photos on Prezi

Film makeup

After doing research into Victorian makeup I realised that it would also be a good idea to research professional filming makeup tips, as the makeup applied has to be adapted to the lighting when filming. If this isn't done correctly, our trailer could end up less professional. Here is a link to a website which covers the essentials of film makeup: www.cybercollege.com/makeup.htm
I will try to stick to this as much as possible when applying the makeup, and I'll upload photos of the finished effect.

Organisation of filming

We have decided to film at Aske Hall on Tuesday 25th, and at Kiplin Hall on Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th, which will give us plenty of time to film. We have arranged with our actors to meet in the centre of Richmond at 11:30, where my mum will pick them up to take them to our locations. Unfortunately, having looked at the weather forecast it looks like it will rain and be quite overcast on all three of these days. At Kiplin Hall this won't be a problem as we will be filming inside, but at Aske Hall where we will be filming outside, this could affect our filming. However, the weather could also add to the atmosphere of the trailer by creating "pathetic fallacy" of the dark theme of scandal running through it.
In terms of the equipment we will be using, we have booked out:

-a Sony Handycam DCR-SX53 Charlotte is going to be filming us taking on our different roles)

-a Sony Cybershot (to take photos)

-a Sony Handycam DCR-VX2200 (to film with)

-a tripod
-a camera mic, external mic and boom pole

Planning photoshoot

I have decided that, like in the Letters to Juliet poster, I am going to create my poster with images from the 19th century period of our film, and then images from the modern period, to create contrast but also the sense of a connection between the two. I will therefore need to take the images set in the 19th century with the actors in costume, and preferably at one of our two locations (Aske and Kiplin Hall). After visiting Aske Hall and being given a tour of the grounds, to me one of the most striking views was one from the top of the stone steps in the gardens, looking down onto the Hall. I have therefore decided to plan my 19th century photoshoot around this view, as I think it would make an impressive and dramatic set of photos. As I will have to shoot outside, I may need to use a type of basic reflector to reflect the light off the camera and onto the subject of the shoot, so I will make sure to bring some white card or a white umbrella to use as a reflector, just in case.

Here are the mock-ups of my photoshoots:



I plan to take the photos of Sarah outside on a windy day, so that her hair will blow about and make the image look dramatic. I have taken inspiration for this from conventional film posters such as these:

As images such as the ones in these posters are generally taken inside with a wind machine or a fan, but as I have neither, I think that doing my photoshoot outside is the next best option.

Analysis of Letters to Juliet poster

Letters to Juliet is a film that came out in 2010 and is based on the book "Letters to Juliet", about letters written to Shakespeare's most famous romantic heroine.



The reason I have chosen to analyse this particular poster is because it has a similar 'flashback' and 'letters' plotline to our trailer, and I am hoping to emulate some of the ideas in the poster. The way that the protagonist's face is the main focus of the poster, and the fact that the letter she is holding that ties in with the theme of the film, would work well on my own poster. Furthermore, the image of the couple inside the letter would be a good place to put an image of the three protagonists from the flashback in our trailer.

Risk Assessment

We have had to analyse the risks that may be involved in our filming. These may include tripping up on the old steps at Aske Hall, or knocking over an expensive antique at Kiplin Hall. Here are the final risk assessments:

Meeting with Lord Ronaldshay at Aske Hall

Today we went to Aske Hall to meet Lord Ronaldshay, look round the grounds, and see whether we would be able to film there. He was very helpful, and took us on a thorough tour of the grounds. We also found out that there is a 19th century chapel on the grounds; this is extremely good news as it means we don't have to go inquiring into using another church to film the "shame" scene in, particularly as this chapel is from the exact era we are setting our trailer in. Overall, the hall and grounds were very picturesque and will be an ideal location to film from outside. For the interior, we will use Kiplin Hall.

Here are some photos of Aske Hall that we took when we went to visit. Unfortunately they aren't of a brilliant quality because of the resolution of the camera that we took with us.

Photos of aske hall 1

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Visit to Kiplin Hall

Yesterday evening we had a meeting with someone at Kiplin Hall, regarding using it as our main location to film in. The woman we spoke to was very interested in what we were doing, and was extremely helpful and enthusiastic about letting us film there. She was able to talk us through the history of the house and rooms, and which period each piece of furniture was from; apart from a couple of rooms that we won't be filming in, the rooms all have Victorian or Georgian furnishings and are ideal for what we will be filming. The inside is lit mostly by chandeliers and is quite dark; however this was due to blinds shut over the windows to protect them from rain, which we will open when we go to film, so hopefully dim lighting won't be a problem. Here are some photos of and information about the house and grounds:

Here are some of the recce shots we took (unfortunately the camera we used was not of a brilliant quality, as we had hoped, so the photos haven't come out very well):

Recce Shots

More PowerPoint presentations from Charlotte Booth

We also did some filming of the outside of the house and grounds:

Footage when looking around Kiplin Hall on Prezi

Victorian hair styles

Here are some Victorian hair styles that Lucinda has researched and practiced on herself, which she will then do on Frances when we film:

This is an elaborate style with a diamond hair piece

This is a much simpler hairstyle

Reply from Kiplin Hall

We have just received this reply from Kiplin Hall:



This is great news as Kiplin Hall would be an ideal place to film. A leaflet I have on it describes it as "a fine example of a Victorian country house at the close of the 19th century, which also retains characteristics of its Jacobean beginnings." This is exactly the era we have set our trailer in, and all the furniture from that time remains in the house. There are also beautiful gardens and grounds which we could use for the confrontation scene and any other outdoor scenes.
Here are some photos of it which I have taken off http://www.kiplinhall.co.uk/:

Costumes are now organised!

Today I had a meeting with someone from R.A.D.S about costumes, who had asked that our whole group went together as well as our actors. Unfortunately Lucinda and Charlotte were on an English trip and the only actor that could come with me was Frances. However, this turned out not to be a problem as I had the other actors' measurements with me, and the only things that really needed trying on were the dresses. Despite having been told that there might not be enough costumes, or not all of the ones we were looking for, there turned out to be everything we needed, which was a big relief as it means that we won't have to buy much (or anything) else, and we won't have to ask for a bursury or fundraise as we only had to pay a £10 donation to hire out the costumes. Furthermore, the member of staff I met there was extremely knowledgable on fashion from different eras, and was able to talk me through which types of clothing people of different class would wear for different occasions in the 19th century; for example, depending on what duties a maid had they wore different types of apron.
The costumes and accessories we have hired out are:
-A ball gown (Frances)
-A day dress and shawl (Frances - these are black, as in Victorian times black clothing was very fashionable, and not just for mourning)
-A pearl bead necklace (Frances)
-An outdoor cloak (Jon)
-An outdoor scarf (Jon)
-An outdoor hat (Jon)
-A dinner suit (Jon)
-A floppy bow tie (Jon - only extremely high class men wore floppy bow ties)
-A footman's tailcoat (Peter)
-Two footman's bow ties in black or white (Peter)
-Waistcoats (Peter and Jon)
-Two serving maid's skirts in black and grey (Charlotte)
-A serving maid's blouse (Charlotte)
-A seving maid's apron (Charlotte)
-A seving maid's cap (Charlotte)

Research into Victorian makeup

As I will be doing the makeup for our actors, I have decided to do a post on Victorian makeup. I have done some research and found out that in the 1800s makeup was thought of as a taboo, and was simply not spoken about. Although a lot of women wore it, it would be scandalous for them to admit it. However, when it was worn it was pale and natural-looking. From the website www.erasofelegance.com/fashion/makeup.html:

"During the Victorian era, cosmetics were considered the devil's making, associated with prostitutes and women of questionable morals. When makeup regained acceptance in the late 19th century, it was with natural tones so that the healthy, pink-cheeked look could be achieved without giving in to the moral decadence of full makeup, which was still seen as sinful."



This is a link to an article I found very interesting and helpful: http://uhapibeauty.com/tag/victorian-makeup/

As Frances and Jon both have slightly tanned skin, this will meant that I'll have to use fairly pale makeup so as to lighten their skin tone a bit (but pale makeup would be used anyway, as this was the trend in that era). Makeup would have been necessary for the actors anyway, but the colour will depend on the lighting at the time of filming.

Reply from Aske Hall

Yesterday evening we received this reply from Aske Hall:

Dear Charlotte
I’m not sure how much we are going to be able to help you with this….

The inside of Aske Hall is not really an option – particularly that week. There are other buildings which we may be able to utilise, such as the Coach House, Estate Office and Chapel – although they are not necessarily traditionally furnished.

Please can you explain a little more what your storyline involves and how you envisage filming it. Would it be filmed predominantly outdoors?

If Lord Ronaldshay thinks that we may be able to accommodate your plans, I’ll arrange for a meeting with him so that you can discuss this further.

This is obviously quite frustrating, as Aske Hall would have been an ideal location for us to film at. We could still use the gardens to film the Confrontation Scene, but unless Lord Ronaldshay agrees to letting us film inside we are going to have to find another location. As of yet we have not received any replies from any of the other locations we are looking at, but I have suggested asking at Kiplin Hall, as it is nearby and fits our specifications.

Jane Eyre trailer analysis (2011)

• Close-up of young Jane
• Name repeated often - lets audience know that she is the protagonist
• Background info of her childhood – first bit of text clarifies this: “from a loveless past”
• No music at first, but sound effects which build up - echoing effects which help to create tension
• When music starts it juxtaposes the images on screen - xylophone - usually associated with uplifting music
Music then changes to string instruments, which fits in more with what is happening on screen
• The way the transition from the young Jane to the older Jane is accompanied by the sound of thunder and lightning is quite effective – dramatic
• Establishing shot of house and woman talking about it – introduces major location in film
• Editing: quick fade into bright light, which then fades into a new image with text. All fades.
• Text is modern

This trailer is a good example of how a character's past is explained in a trailer, which links in with the flashback theme of our trailer. It also gives an insight into the four key areas used in period films, which will be useful to bear in mind for ours.

Final location choices

After discussing the pros and cons, our final location choices are:
-Treasurer's House (York)
-Aske Hall (near Richmond)
-Beninbrough Hall and Gardens (York)
-Nunnington Hall (Nunnington near York)
-Castle Howard (York)
Despite most of them being in York, my mum has offered to drive us, and we feel that these are the best locations by far.
Here is an example of one of the emails Charlotte sent to inquire:



So far we have not had any replies, but I will post again as soon as anyone gets back to us.

Costume rental

As R.A.D.S might not be able to provide us with a dress for the protagonist in our trailer, I have been doing some research into costume rental so as to ensure it looks authentic and of a professional quality. The best company I have found so far is The Haslemere Wardrobe. In their section Ladies' Victorian Costumes there are several dresses that would be perfect for the party scene. Another good website is which also hires out Victorian day dresses, and is a company often used for TV productions. However, as the overall price for hiring out these costumes would be quite expensive, I am going to contact the school Trustees to ask them for a bursury to contribute towards this. If we can't get the funding this way, then we may hold a fundraising event to raise the money.

Film name survey

This market research survey will help us to decide which name to use for our film:

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

We have also shared it on Facebook and asked people to take it, using Web 2.0 to our advantage.

Update on locations and costumes

Yesterday Charlotte received a reply from Treasurer's House, telling her that unfortunately we won't be able to film there during half term as it is a very busy time for the house in terms of visitors. As this is the place we would most like to film at, we were very disappointed.



However, we have just recieved this email from Aske Hall:


This hopefully means that we will be able to secure a location to film the vast majority of scenes, and as Aske Hall is the nearest of all of our final location choices, it would be a lot more practical.
This is what Charlotte replied:



As for costumes, R.A.D.S have got in touch and told me that they can lend us (all from the Victorian era):
-Maid outfits
-Men's suits for the party scene
But did not really have any:
-Footman's outfit for the poor man
-Ballgown/upper-class party dress
However, she told us that these two things shouldn't be too difficult to create out of clothes from charity shops and existing costumes.
We have organised to meet at R.A.D.S at 12:30 on Wednesday, as unfortunately she is going on holiday next week and this is the only time available to her. Preferably, she would like Lucinda, Charlotte and I to all go so we can discuss the costumes together, and also all of our actors as it would be a lot easier for her to make sure the costumes fit. However, Lucinda and Charlotte will be on an English trip and I still have to ask if any of the actors will be able to make it. If worst comes to worst and it is just me, we have taken measuements of our three main actors.

Possible locations

As Charlotte is in charge of locations, she has done a lot of research into old country houses, halls manors, pubs etc, from or older than the era we are setting our trailer in. Here are some of the possibilities:

Possible locations

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We found out about the vast majority of these places via the National Trust website.

Analysis of a promotional package: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Analysis of a promotional package harry potter

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Trailer analysis: Letters to Juliet

 Here is my analysis of the trailer above, Letters to Juliet. As a group we all agreed that this would be a good film trailer to analyse due to the film's similar themes to our own trailer, such as finding letters from the past, as well as the theme of modern and old.


letters to juliet analysis by EmyRoo

Victorian fashion

As I am in charge of costumes, I thought it would be important to do a post on Victorian fashion so as to make sure we abide by the trends of the time. Because of the industrial revolution, more clothes were able to be produced. The invention of the sewing machine meant that sewing at home or in boutiques was made considerabely easier and quicker. At this point in time new materials were starting to be introduced, so clothing such mackintoshes began to appear.
Black was very fashionable for all occasions, and wasn't worn simply for mourning.
The era our trailer is going to be set in is the 1870s; at this point corsets became less common as uncorseted tea gowns began to appear for informal entertaining. As the party scene will be more of a formal event, these tea gowns won't be the kind of things we are looking for, but may be appropriate in other scenes such as Bustles were used to hold skirts up. Here is a guide of how long skirts were expected to be in the Victorian age:


For men, three-piece suits became popular, as well as patterned fabric for shirts. Neck-ties, sack-coats and frock-coats were worn, but the coats were shorter than previous decades.
As for Victorian lifestyle and manners, "One simply did not speak publicly about sex, childbirth, and such matters, at least in the respectable middle and upper classes. However, as is well known, discretion covered a multitude of sins." This is extremely relevant in terms of the topic of our trailer, as it will confront some of these issues, creating a "scandal."

Another small change in the storyline

We have decided that, as this will be easier and less hassle to film as well as being less confusing, instead of filming an elderly woman finding a diary that belonged to her great grandmother in her attic, we will instead film a young girl going to her great great grandmother's stately home and discovering the diary there. As Sarah Brewitt was good in the auditions, and also looks very modern and contemporary, we have decided to cast her for this role.

Change in our target audience

As our trailer is now going to be a lot more focused on a flashback into the past from the modern day, our target audience will have dramatically changed. The fact that Sarah, the actor we have cast to play the modern character, is so contempory-looking (for example, her blue hair, piercings, eye-catching clothes) means that the film will now appeal to a much younger audience, and might put off an older one. Bearing this in mind, and the fact that, as I mentioned in a previous post, Downton Abbey has resulted in period dramas becoming a lot more popular among young people, we have therefore decided to aim our film at a much younger target audience of late teens to late twenties. This conforms with the target audience for films such as Letters to Juliet (also a film centred around letters from and flashbacks into the past.

Change of storyline and name

After doing some research we have come across a problem with our trailer; after looking at existing films set in this era, we realised that there were none we could think of that weren't based on novels or historical events. We talked about this together and did some additional research, which resulted in us deciding on adding an extra scene at the beginning of the trailer. This will be an establishing shot of an elderly woman (Charlotte's grandma could potentially play her) looking through boxes in an attic and finding a diary. There will then be a close-up of the diary, in particular of the date: 12th August 1872, which is around when our trailer will be set. This takes inspiration from films such as "Letters to Juliet", in which the protagonist finds letters written between lovers from several decades before, and sets out to explore their past. This technique of flashbacks is also used in the following successful films, so we know that it wouldn't be a risky decision for ours:
-The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
-Betrayal
-Saving Private Ryan
-Open Your Eyes/Vanilla Sky
-Atonement
-Shutter Island
-Inception
The use of flashbacks can be quite effective, and we can use it to our benefit to create juxtaposition between the current, and nineteenth century, era: modern and old, traditions, what is accepted now that might not have been accepted back then. It will also help to attract our target audience, as our trailer will now have an extra dimension; instead of simply being a period film (which some people dismiss simply because they cannot relate to it), it will now be relatable to a modern day audience, and may leave people questionning, and even exploring, their descendants and the lives they may have led.

Here is the new storyboard:

Another problem we have encountered is the name of our film; after researching it more thoroughly we have discovered that "Ménage à trois" does not mean what we thought it did...! Consequently, we are doing more research so as to come up with several different names that might be fitting for our trailer. We will then do some more market research to help us decide which name to use.

Costume hunt

Trailer analysis: The Piano

We were told to watch the trailer for the film 'The Piano', as it was of a similar genre to our trailer, and also included a few shots in which a man looks through a keyhole and sees his wife embracing another man. This is very similar to the keyhole scene we are going to include in our trailer, so it was helpful to take note of the ways the four key areas were used in this trailer.

Trailer analysis of the piano

View more PowerPoint from Emily Scott

Research into BBFC film ratings and guidelines

These BBFC guidelines will give us more of an idea of what guidelines and boudaries we will have to stick to for our trailer:


Universal - Suitable for all.
"It is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. But a ‘U’ film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. ‘U’ films should be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.
If a work is particularly suitable for a pre-school child to view alone, this will be indicated in the Consumer Advice."

Discrimination No discriminatory language or behaviour unless clearly disapproved of.
Drugs No references to illegal drugs or drug misuse unless they are infrequent and innocuous, or there is a clear educational purpose or anti-drug message suitable for young children.
Horror Scary sequences should be mild, brief and unlikely to cause undue anxiety to young children. The outcome should be reassuring.
Imitable behaviour No potentially dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copy. No emphasis on realistic or easily accessible weapons.
Language Infrequent use only of very mild bad language.
Nudity Occasional natural nudity, with no sexual context.
Sex Mild sexual behaviour (for example, kissing) and references only (for example, to ‘making love’).
Theme While problematic themes may be present, their treatment must be sensitive and appropriate for young children.
Violence Mild violence only. Occasional mild threat or menace only.



PG - Parental Guidance.General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children.
Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children.


Discrimination Discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly disapproved of or in an educational or historical context. Discrimination by a character with which children can readily identify is unlikely to be acceptable.
Drugs References to illegal drugs or drug misuse must be innocuous or carry a suitable anti-drug message.
Horror Frightening sequences should not be prolonged or intense. Fantasy settings may be a mitigating factor.
Imitable behaviour No detail of potentially dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copy. No glamorisation of realistic or easily accessible weapons.
Language Mild bad language only.
Nudity Natural nudity, with no sexual context.
Sex Sexual activity may be implied, but should be discreet and infrequent. Mild sex references and innuendo only.
Theme Where more serious issues are featured (for example, domestic violence) nothing in their treatment should condone unacceptable behaviour.
Violence Moderate violence, without detail, may be allowed, if justified by its context (for example, history, comedy or fantasy.




12 -12A - Suitable for 12 years and over
Exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them.
The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult, and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult.
The ‘12’ category exists only for video works. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a ‘12’ rated video work.

DiscriminationDiscriminatory language or behaviour must not be endorsed by the work as a whole. Aggressive discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly condemned.

Drugs Any misuse of drugs must be infrequent and should not be glamorised or give instructional detail.

Horror Moderate physical and psychological threat may be permitted, provided disturbing sequences are not frequent or sustained.

Imitable behaviour Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied, or appear pain or harm free. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.

Language Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.

Nudity Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.

Sex Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.

Theme Mature themes are acceptable, but their treatment must be suitable for young teenagers.

Violence Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.



15 - Suitable only for 15 years and older
No one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.

Discrimination The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour.
Drugs Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.
Horror Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.

Imitable behaviour Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.
Language There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.
Nudity Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.

Sex Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.

Theme No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds.
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 or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual justification.




18 - Suitable only for adults
No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema.
No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video.
In line with the consistent findings of the BBFC’s public consultations and The Human Rights Act 1998, at ‘18’ the BBFC’s guideline concerns will not normally override the principle that adults should be free to choose their own entertainment. Exceptions are most likely in the following areas:
■where the material is in breach of the criminal law, or has been created through the commission of a criminal offence
■where material or treatment appears to the BBFC to risk harm to individuals or, through their behaviour, to society – for example, any detailed portrayal of violent or dangerous acts, or of illegal drug use, which may cause harm to public health or morals. This may include portrayals of sexual or sexualised violence which might, for example, eroticise or endorse sexual assault
■where there are more explicit images of sexual activity which cannot be justified by context. Such images may be appropriate in ‘R18’ works, and in ‘sex works’ (see below) would normally be confined to that category.
In the case of video works (including video games), which may be more accessible to younger viewers, intervention may be more frequent than for cinema films.

Sex education at ‘18’
Where sex material genuinely seeks to inform and educate in matters such as human sexuality, safer sex and health, explicit images of sexual activity may be permitted.

Sex works at ‘18’
Sex works are works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation. Sex works containing only material which may be simulated are generally passed ‘18’. Sex works containing clear images of real sex, strong fetish material, sexually explicit animated images, or other very strong sexual images will be confined to the ‘R18’ category. Material which is unacceptable in a sex work at ‘R18’ is also unacceptable in a sex work at ‘18’.

All information is taken from the BBFC website:

BBFC research

Actors chosen

Here is a video explaining which actors we chose out of the five that auditioned: So, to confirm we have cast Frances Allison as the lady of nobility, Jon Addison as the rich man and Peter Heslop as the poor man.

Genre and target audience of our trailer

As our trailer is going to be set in the 19th century and is therefore a period drama, we have based its target audience on films and TV dramas of a similar genre, such as Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice and Downton Abbey. These are all aimed at families and people in their thirties. However, as Downton Abbey incorportates quite modern themes, such as scenes of homosexuality, it started to become extremely popular with a much wider, younger audience, and period dramas have become a lot more popular with people in their late teens and twenties as a result. Despite this, we feel that it would be better to conform to the typical target audience of period films, and have therefore set out target audience as people in their late twenties to mid-thirties.

Auditions

To let people know that we needed actors to audition, we put up signs around our sixth form. Several people responded, so we then organised times over a period of three days so that we could auditon them all. The problem we had then was how to go about auditioning people; in the end we decided on getting the auditionees to act out the "keyhole scene", the "drunken scene" and the flirting part of the "party/dancing scene." This is what was given to the auditionees beforehand:

Script

Females:

You are a rich girl who lives in the 1800’s, and you are in your late teens.

1: Imagine you are spying on someone through a keyhole and you see something shocking.

2: Imagine you are being watched by a judgemental group of people and you have to pretend to be upset about something.

3: Improvisation

Males:

You are a man in his early twenties and you live in the 1800’s.

1: Pretend you are getting drunk in an alley. You drop the bottle and it smashes.

2: Imagine that you are flirting with someone, but in a subtle way.

3: Improvisation

 The improvisation was to see how each of the auditionees interpreted the character they were auditioning for. We then filmed the auditions so that we could watch them back and decide which person would be best for which role. Unfortunately, we are unable to put the audition videos on our blogs, as the I.T technicians responsible for converting the tape somehow managed to lose it, despite the fact that it was correctly labelled. Fortunately, we had already decided which actors to cast after watching the tape back on the camera, which I will go into in another post.