Creative Critical Reflective Task 2 -How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?

Target Audiences

We wanted are target audience to be from older teens to young adults, people who have levels of high educations as this are the types of people who would watch psychological and understand them. The psychological thriller that have done well in media at the moment are the Nordic Noir such as 'girl with the Dragon tattoo'. Which Scandinavian films which are released on streaming sites that them go viral in the western world. We think A void is similar to this but the different is our is set in English and has more of an English culture and more western than other Nordic Noir films. 

Moments in the opening sequence that we like 

A moment in the sequence that we like and hint to the plot are the empty pills packet. By having a close up on her nails tracing over the empty packet suggests she takes pills everyday. This is show later in the film where the pills she takes stops her from memoring and by her not having any is why she has the flashback and hasn't had one before. This makes an audience acknowledge that she is taking pills which is common for a teen girl. This creates a engagment to what type of pills they are and why is she taken them. Making an audience question and leaves them waiting to see what happens nexts. 

One moment that i thought was really engaging to our target audience is, when Jules are main character is opening the pink trinket box and it cuts to the fake mother walking. The sounds of the footsteps and compare to the quiet bird in the background creates a tension and helps make the audience wonder if Jules should be looking a the trinket box? or has she done something wrong? It makes an audience question what is happening and what she is doing and builds a tension which is what would be expected in a psychological thriller. 

Another moment is the flashback, the mise en scene of the colours of the room and location. In the flashback we are surrounded by a cold colour suggesting its a not welcoming place as well as the background not being modern or that new/ clean creates an image that the flashback is from a poorer/ unsafe background. The darkness of the room is the opposite of what the bedroom of Jules which is warm and bright. As well as the action of the mother running towards the camera in a state of panic, create a tension and makes the audience question who the women is and what is she saying and why is she saying. Blummer and Katz theory, the dramaticness of the flashback peeks an audience interest as they want to entertained and the drama for the flashback makes it interesting to watch. 

After the flashback there is a sound of a heartbeat over the top of everything, the heart beat gets louder making it feel more intense and more paniced. It's Jules heart beat so we know she is on edge. The camera ends with an extreme close up on her eyes as they close, and then the ends of the opening. This is the first extreme close up in the film and it's there to show the panic in her eyes and face. This makes the audience question what just happen to her, is she okay?, who was the person in the flashback? This is makes an question what happen and what is going to happen next. This make the opening more griping to watch as we want to find out more about what is happening. Which what a psychology thriller fan would want to watch something that is gripping and make their heart beat fast as they question what is going to happen next. This is part of Blummers and Katz theory of use and gratification. The dramatic heart beating straight after the flashback takes the audience to this new story, which is entertainment as well as it's an escape to a new character world and interesting story from our own lives, leaving viewer wanting to watch what happens to Jules after her dramatic flashback and on cliff hanger which makes the audience inclinded to watch more. 

Did i engage my audience? 

I would like to think we were successful in engaging in our audience but i still believe that we could of engaged them more. I think that we should of shorten the amount of time to get to the flashback. I feel we could of done more shots of Jules getting ready but edit them very short together to build a pace up. Which an audience wouldn't find slow and boring. Then have a moment of slowness and slower cut when she looks at the box and necklace which then causes the audience to focus on the necklace. Then have the fake mother walking and cutting between Jules then into the flashback. 

The Poster   

(image found on Pinterest https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/725572189980081573/)

I edited the image to be more blurry and to be lighter to appear more vibrate and copped it to more portrait to fit into a poster.

Hinting in our Poster 

The poster hints at girl/ person surrounded by smoke. Or some kind of water, with their hand near their throat and their eyes closed it makes it seem like she is struggling. The picture hints that something has happen to this girl and she is not awake and almost fading away. This suggest there is some sort of danger to the the girl in the film or she is having some sort of hallucination either way it is not normal/ uncomforting image to look at so these makes the view of the poster is interested. 

why the poster would help sell the film 

The poster would help the film sell due to its image. The image looks like a hallucination, which is intriguing to a viewer and make them more inclined to watch it. And by it looking like some sort of hallucination that makes an audience of psychogcial thriller fans interested. Also the 4 star rating from a newspaper is impressive for a small film, by the film having a good rating it helps the viewer see that others who have watch the film have enjoy it and it's not a waste of their time to watch the film.  The age certifcation is not too high so more marketable to a younger teen, so group of teenagers could go watch together.  Also the released date is not in the middle of exams which tend to be in end of May/June and not in the summer/ Christmas/ halloween slot so not competing with big blockbusters films. It's a boring time of year where the weather is cold so people are more inclinded to stay inside and watch a film. 

studio that could distribute you film 

A studio that is of a smaller scale that is good with releasing independent films. Something like Belstone pictures, the film doesn't need a huge budget like a Marvel film as the film does not have big a list stars and a lot of special affects on screen. We also need a studio that is okay with the film being released to streaming sites and that the main way it's released and that is good marketing at for streaming sites. 

Marketing campaign 

I think the film would be bested marketed by being on streaming sites. We would have smaller trailers on the streaming sites with large posters and adds on the streaming site to watch it. Also to create a trailer and releases to different youtube channels such a the studio that distributing it as well as the streaming site its on channel. Also reaction channels on youtube. I would have no physical media marketing and all online, due to it being cheaper and with the view is already online see a advert then could just click to the streaming site and start watching. Also have any cast who is in the film, put it on their social media like instagram for word of mouth. Even though the actor will not have the largest following, it still will appear to a bigger audience and people will be inclined to watch it. The aim for the film would to be able to have it be  released on Netflix and have it in the section of top 10 watches today on the home page. As when in the top 10 even more people view the film and this spreads to a wider audience. But realistly the film would be great on 'shudder' or some sort of smaller scale streaming site that is made for psychological thriller so the product is shown to the right audience