StopMotion Inspiration: DRUG BRAIN DELIRIUM

I have decided to analyse a StopMotion Animation short film, due to the fact that the one of the main findings from speaking with our peers, tutors and target audience was that the ending scene, where Sophie purchases the drugs from the drug dealer, is one of the weakest scenes of the entire production. One idea to change this is to implement an aspect of StopMotion animation. StopMotion animation is a way of taking many still frames one after the other, and aligning them closely together to give a sense of a video production.

I chose to analyse this short film in particular as it seems to feature many of the same themes as my own production: drug culture, and urban setting, all with a slightly surreal touch. From doing so I hope to gain inspiration for 'Flight's' new style of the drug exchange sequence. The beginning of the short film is the weakest aspect of the entire production. This is because of the repetition of the title - 'Delirium' being shown to the audience repeatedly. This bored me and took away from the overall feel of the film, despite the surreal aspect that it offered. This shows that using text in a StopMotion sequence may not be effective as it makes it either too difficult to read or it becomes dull. If I do choose to use this method of filming within 'Flight', then I will ensure that it does not involve text. The fact that the short film is shot in black and white is visually appealing, as it offers a grainy effect. Mixed with the StopMotion element, it adds a surreal tone to the film, which hints at the effects of drug-use on the individual. Due to the fact that StopMotion and dark colours seem to compliment each other well, I will consider using a toned-down theme in my own StopMotion sequence. The latter half of my production is already filmed in the natural dark-evening light, which will compliment the StopMotion technique well. Some of the key shots within 'Drug Brain Delirium' include the shot of the syringe going into the character's arm, and the pupil of the individual widening. The animation effect lessens the impact of an otherwise graphic scene, which I feel enhances the message that the film is trying to portray. If the scene was shown explicitly, without the use of the animation technique, I personally feel that it would be too graphic. As 'Flight's target audience is teenagers and young adults (with a certificate of '15'), we want to keep the film accessible to younger audiences to raise awareness about the dangers of drug-use. From looking at this short production, it is clear that StopMotion is a useful tool to lessen uncomfortable scenes. Although in our script and shot list it is outlined that Sophie is not shown taking the drug, this technique could be used for some of the high tension scenes within our film. The point of view scene when the character descends the stair-case, although using StopMotion effectively, seems to become repetitive. The coloured tint on screen in some of the scenes if also effect, as it adds another element to the film. Overall, I feel that this production harnesses StopMotion well, although due to the linear structure and point of view perspective, aspects become repetitive.

Advantages of using StopMotion:

• It can effectively portray short ellipsis' of time, as the footage does not have to flow in a linear, strict progression.
• StopMotion adds another element to the film, as opposed to regular filming. This keeps the film interesting and fresh to the audience.
• It hints at elements of distortion and surrealism, which is a key element when trying to effectively portray the dangerous effects of slipping into the drug culture.
• It can combine many different shots together without distorting the audience too much. 
• It can add a surreal feel to high-tension scenes which makes the film easier to watch.
  

Disadvantages of using StopMotion:

• The footage taken can be too 'shaky', if the images which are captured are not too similar to the ones which are shown previously, the shaky effect can make the film unenjoyable to watch.
• If it is not used correctly, it can make the film look unprofessional.
• When mixed with regular footage, it may look out of place if the scenes towards the beginning of the production are not linked. It may seem like an unnecessary add-on. 
• Issues with consistency in lighting may arise that cannot be scene until the animation is pieced together. A lack of consistency will take away from the professional feel of the film and will lessen the impact of the message it is trying to convey.

Final Poster Choice - with feedback

Above is the final choice of poster design to advertise our short film 'Flight'.

We altered Leanne's design of the poster to ensure that it was effective at gaining the attention of our desired target audience. The logo now blends in with the rest of the poster, as previously the colour behind the word 'Flight' did not match the colour of the rest of the still. We also added awards that the film has won, due to the fact that this seemed to be a reoccurring theme when we analysed posters which dealt with similar themes as our own production. Overall, I am very happy with how our final poster turned out, as I feel it incorporates a good summary of what the narrative of 'Flight' is about. The fact that Sophie, the protagonist, is a sillhouette portrays the surreal aspects of the film, and how distant her character is from dominant ideology within society. A large bulk of the poster is shown to be nature, which is also very important within the narrative, as Sophie is shown to be continuously contemplating her actions in regards to drug use, and while she does so she views nature with a thoughtful eye. 

I decided to ask members that are following my progress on the social networking/blogging site Tumblr what their opinions were of the poster. To do this I firstly posted a link to the film and asked them to leave a message in my inbox with thoughts and feelings about it. I also visited many professional blogs on Tumblr which focused on media products, and left a series of questions in their ask-boxes. This was to gain a view on the poster product which could be beneficial to the production. The questions which were asked can be seen in the screen shot below.

I also asked the same questions to my followers on the website. I have collected the responses from both followers on Tumblr and from media blogs to my questions in the form of a series of graphs.

As you can see from the results shown above, the strongest aspect of the poster is widely regarded as being the colours which were used. The second highest response was the image of Sophie. I agree with the response which was given, as the mise-en-scene which was used looks visually appealing.

The vast majority of responses shows that most people feel as though the poster does reflect the genre that is within 'Flight'. Only one person was 'Unsure', meaning that the poster was generally successful. 

Nine out of ten people found that the poster looked to be visually appealing. I questioned the person that said 'No' via the social networking site Tumblr. They said that the image was too blurry which deducted from the general feel and effect that the poster is trying to connote.

Most people said brighter colours should perhaps be used to show meaning. I agree with the response as the vast majority of the poster is the colour black, which could potentially be quite dull. However, the colour of black connotes the dark themes (regarding drug use) that reside within the narrative of 'Flight'. Other suggestions included a high quality image, which could be beneficial and a bigger logo, which could be used to grab people's attention.

The clear result of this question was that the poster connoted the 'Social realist' genre, which is exactly what I hoped to achieve from creating this poster. Drama, Fantasy and Horror genres had two responses each, suggesting other themes which were not intentional lay within the poster. To combat this issue I will have to ensure that my magazine review play clearly shows the social realist genre.

'The Red Machine' Poster Analysis

I decided to analyse the poster for the film 'The Red Machine', as it falls within the drama genre. Although my short film 'Flight' is a social realist film, the drama genre closely links to this. This is because they share many of the same themes. Therefore, from analysing this poster, I should be able to produce the most effective-looking poster as possible. 

The first thing that grabbed my eye upon viewing this media product was the use of colour. The dark colours, primarily brown and black, hold connotations of the drama genre and the dark connotations which may lay within the film. I feel that this is a very effective method of communicating with the viewer of the poster, as before they have even viewed the film, they will have a vague idea as to what themes that the film product may focus on. This is likely to mean that the poster will entice the viewer to go and see the film which is, after all, the main intention of a poster in the first place. The positioning of the images within the poster are also very effective. This is because the viewer can clearly see the protagonist of the film, meaning that they are able to understand with whom they are expected to connect with within the narrative. The light shining onto the character also emphasises this point, as it is a lighter colour compared with the rest of the image. However, one weakness of the poster is the tag-line. I feel that the tag-line reduces to overall effect that the poster has on the viewer. The text 'How do you steal a thing without really stealing it?' is in a similar colour to the background it is written on. This means that it is not very eye-catching and that the audience can not easily see it. On the other hand, the fact that the tag-line is a question means that it is inviting the viewer to think and connect with the film. This means that they are then likely to view the film at the cinema. If I wanted to create a tag-line on my own product, it would mean that I would consider using a question to invite the audiences to think about the themes within the film. The logo of the film 'The Red Machine' is written in an eye-catching colour which holds connotations of danger. I will pay close attention to the logo of my own film when I create my poster ancillary product to ensure that it grabs the attention of the viewer effectively. I also feel that the mirrored image of the logo underneath the one shown is effective, as it shows themes of dual lifestyles. The awards placed at the top of the poster show that the film is professional and is academically acclaimed by the film industry. They too are eye-catching and tempt the viewer to see the film. 

Poster for 'Flight'

As a group, we each decided to choose a still from our film which could be used as a poster design. Each of us then chose one to focus on individually. When we chose the poster that we felt was most appropriate for our film, and then worked further on developing the idea and design further as a team, to ensure that it is as effective as it could possibly be.

My poster design:

I decided to use this shot for my poster design as I feel that it is a pivotal moment within the narrative of 'Flight'. The shadows of the blinds on Sophie's chest portray how trapped and enclosed she is feeling, which emphasises the pressures she has of being a struggling dancer. Sophie is also wondering whether to go through with purchasing the drug or not. These two ideas are further shown by the emotions which can be seen on Sophie's face. Because of these reasons, and the fact that the shot itself is visually appealing, I decided to use this shot to promote my short film. Also, having a shot of the protagonist of a film is quite typical of the drama genre, as can be seen from my research into film posters. I decided to stick to the stereotype which was expected of the genre, so that people are able to know which drama the film is likely to fall into. 

Hannah's poster design:

Leanne's poster design: