Review Analysis - Caroline

This is a break down of the different elements of our review in regard to the different elements and function fo a review as mentioned below.

Introduction and contextual information

Plot Summary and evaluation

Conclusion and overall summary

The Four Functions of a Film Review - Caroline

There are four functions to a film review:

• Journalism
• Advertising
• Criticism
• Rhetoric (writing)

When it comes to Journalism there are two types -

• Journalism of opinion which presents a considered opinion on the film backed up with arguments and contentual information
• Jounalism of taste in which the journalist simly gives an evaluation of the film. 

As advertising, a film review usually acts to publicise and promote a film, in order to encourage the audience to watch the film, however the opposite is also true in a negative review.

As criticism, a review involves the description, analysis, and evaluation of films. 

As writing, reviews are in essay form and may be read for entertainment and inromation. They are also read simply on their literary merit. 

Film reviews usually contain

• A condensed plot synopsis

• Background information (see film Glossary in text)

• A set of abbreviated arguments about the film

• An evaluation

What reviewers tend to look for when they evaluate a film:

• The motivation of what happens in a film

• Entertainment value

• Social value

Review Design 5 - Caroline

Review Design 3 - Caroline

I have changed some font sizes and style in this design, and added a page number and information box.

After asking for public opinion and taking into account our personal opinion, we have decided that we prefer this image on the review and therefore this is the design that we are going to use in our final piece.

It has been modelled on this 'Little White Lies' review:

In researching 'Little White Lie's' reviews, the profile that we gained was as follows:

http://www.littlewhitelies.co.uk/theatrical-reviews - this website was helpful in researching the house style of the magazine's reviews.

Target Audience

• Young
• Student
• Educated
• Multi-gender

Language Style

• Complex Nouns and Verbs
• Puns
• Metaphors
• Similes
• Restricted Code
• Elaborate Description
• References to other film texts and literary sources.
• Evaluative comments, opinion.
• Plot description

Function: To inform, entertain and outline their audience.

Layout

•  Simplistic theme

• Writer in bold at end of article

• First letter bold and same colour as title

• Image rounded at the corner

• Indented paragraphs

• 5-6 parargraphs

• Justify paragraphs on both right and left

• Information box under title stating, Director, Starring and Released (in regular text, the information in italics)

• Summary box underneath article stating Anticipation, Enjoyment and In Retrospect (only justifed left and in italics) with information in regular text style

• Each summary category has a rating our of 5 and this rating is in same colour as title

• Each summary category is split with a double black line

• 3 collumns of text

The two reviews used for these exampes were:

This video was also helpful in deciding how to match the house style:

Poster Draft 3 - Caroline

This is the third design for our film poster. In connection with the other designs we decided to tone it down a bit and have less text and make the whole design less busy in order to simplify and make the poster more eye catching. By doing this we cut the text that was not needed, such as the 'director of 'Seventh Sense'.


In doing this design, there are three options as to where to put the age certificate, as I cannot decide where looks most professional.


option 1 : (as above)


option 2:

option 3:

Review Design 2 - Caroline

Review Design 1 - Caroline

This is  the first draft of the review of our short film. After looking at the layout and format of 'Little White Lies' magazine, in the bottom right hand corner by the page number is often included a logo of the main film being featured. I chose to use 'The Iron Lady' as the film being featured in this version. With this in mind I tried to photoshop a ballot box into the bottom right hand corner to represent the film, and Margaret Thatcher. This is the image I was going to use:

The image's style was effective becuase it had the cartoon, drawn style that 'Little White Lies' magazine seems to use. However, I could not use this image in the final design as the digital imagery technology at college was not specialised enough to enable it to be placed without looking out of place as the background couldn't be made to match and blend sufficiently.