NOTES FOR PITCH

NOTES FOR PITCH

‘Time Stood Still’ - FACTUAL/ROMANCE GENRE:

I was thinking about how we are living now and thought I would use the Coronavirus as a film basis for a short film showing the story of a young couple.

The film would follow a couple who have recently met at university and are enjoying the freedom of university life and the freedom to be able to do whatever they want. The lockdown is imminent and as they are originally from London and Cornwall therefore the pandemic throws a curveball at the young, dynamic couple. They both study at the University of Bath therefore as this is a new relationship, distance is the centerpoint of this film.

This is a story of how the pandemic evolves over weeks and moves their relationship to a different level almost immediately as they are now together 24 hours a day. 

I thought the film could be shown in independent cinemas to show limited screenings of the film. Afterwards, the film can be broadcasted on TV and released on DVD several months after the theatrical release.

The posters can be stuck outside the cinemas or even online using social media. Perhaps as well in local communities, bus stops, local press and perhaps libraries. It could also be in colleges as the target audience starts at 18. 

DVD COVER IDEAS:

MEDIA LANGUAGE:

• The front cover of the DVD will show an image of the central characters and replicate the colour scheme of the posters, suggesting they are from the same marketing campaign
• The coronavirus will be placed above their heads as it looms over their relationship, and highlights their relationship will either break or last during this pandemic 
• The tag line, ‘A complex story of love during a pandemic,’ gives clues to the narrative
• This is further reinforced in the promotional blurb on the back cover, which refers to the narrative and suggests the areas of conflict and possible resolution provided by the love interest within the film
• An image of the main characters will also feature on the back cover. They both will have an indirect mode of address suggesting their quirky relationship
• As this is a low - budget, independent film, the focus of the marketing will be the sub - genre, the characters and the narrative, as there are no high - profile stars to draw the attention of the audience
• The DVD also includes a range of other conventional features, including industry information, the production company logo and the age certification

REPRESENTATION:

• The DVD cover and the film poster will construct representations of ‘confused’ young people
• The visual codes of clothing, gesture and expression combined with the narrative blurb will reinforce the idea that these are more realistic representations of youth than in other more mainstream films
• There will also be the social and cultural representation of 2020 Britain highlighted
• The blurb will suggest that there are issues related to the young people of the time and the pandemic will be represented in the film. This is also suggested by the film’s tagline as these issues are transferable to the target audience of 18 - 34 year olds 

AUDIENCE:

• The language included on the film poster will help persuade an audience to go and see the film and suggests emotional engagement
• Setting the film in the 2020s, may attract a nostalgic audience who remember their own adolescence or life at the time
• This DVD will be a ‘collector’s edition’ suggesting its exclusivity to the audience and attracting the fan base for this genre of film which is factual/romance
• The ‘special features’ included may also attract an audience to buy this particular edition of the DVD

INDUSTRY:

'Time Stood Still’ was made by the independent film company BBC Films, known for making innovative films based on factual information

THEATRICAL POSTER IDEAS:

• The ‘Time Stood Still’ film poster will draw specific attention to its eye - catching title, controversially split over three lines into three different colours
• The three primary colours are each very different and contrasting. My idea behind it is essentially, the higher the contrast the more likely it is that something will pop off the page and grab someone's attention. This is also an example of how I am trying to keep brand continuity as all the same colours will appear on each different marketing release. The differing colours also represent the different feelings running through the teens mind at this extremely stressful and overwhelming time in their life and how emotions can flip from one to the another in a split second
• Again, the primary yellow and red colours will run throughout with the review being in red, the most visually heavy colour, to emphasise the positive comments
• Another aspect to this poster is there will be a map, with pinpoints on Cornwall, London and Bath which will cover approximately a third of the page. This highlights the distance between them and whether they will stay together during this pandemic or drift apart. In addition to this, it helps the production blurb stand out against the bottom of the image
• Furthermore, the inclusion of the film review and five star rating at the very top of the poster, again in the bold stand out red colour, gives this factual/romantic film a well needed reference to its outstanding critical praise reassuring a new audience (18 - 34 year olds) of the films overall quality and why they should watch it
• The photograph used as the main feature is the image focus and embodies the main protagonists and their constant worried and shocked expressions that they carry with them throughout the film; it is a personality defining portrait of them both. Both their expressions also makes them look vulnerable, naïve and consequently likeable introducing them as genuine characters who we will probably find ourselves rooting for
• As well as this, above the production blurb there will be the directors name capitalized and in bright yellow which is a vital convention of any film poster. A more optional feature is the list of starring actors which in this poster I have chosen not to include because it’s produced by a British independent film company, BBC Films, where many of the actors are pretty much unknown by many and this film is acting as a vehicle to get them recognised

TEASER POSTER IDEAS:

• The main colour scheme of the poster is red, white and blue, as these colours are associated with the Union Jack and this links to the films subject of the effect coronavirus had on the UK 
• There would be the main characters in the middle of the poster which would draw attention to the audience (18 - 34 year olds) because they would be surrounded by the coronavirus cells in the shape of a love heart, highlighting the factual and romantic genre throughout the film
• The title of the film will be put in a different colour than the colour scheme so that it stands out. It will also be in the biggest font on the poster amplifying its importance 
• The list of actors will be at the bottom of the poster, mainly so that they can be credited for the work they have done but also so that the viewers can recognise and identify the actors/actresses

PODCAST IDEAS:

• There will be a creation of a jingle as this will highlight it is a well - known show and might make people tune in more as the jingle adds its own unique twist on the show which signifies the brand identity
• We can introduce the topic which would be talking and asking questions to one of the actors about the new film
• As well as this, it can also be an exclusive interview which could draw the listeners in as the interview is not available anywhere else and makes it more personal
• We can plug the film and tell the audience when it is out to entice the audience and make sure people go and watch the film
• There needs to be a direct mode of address which involves the listener and establishes the theme for the following discussion as well as, raising questions which will be answered during the course of the show
• The film itself and other movie trends will be explored in detail. As well as this, there will be the ability to manage the discussion to keep it lively and entertaining. There will be links to put points together and this will offer enthusiastic reactions to further position the listeners
• The fact that the characters in the film will be discussed brings the audience in and helps them understand the characters more and the reasoning behind them
• In closing the programme, we can sum up the discussion of the film and the podcast will end with one last plug for the film, entailing when it is coming out in cinemas and also the jingle will once again be used to show the brand identity
• The complex language and intertextual references used throughout will also suggest an older audience, whilst the references to digital culture and social media will suggest a culturally sophisticated and technologically aware modern audience
• Overall, the podcast will highlight that the people on the podcast have their own opinions and can insert them whenever they feel necessary to make it feel more personal and have a more chatty atmosphere which will be emphasised through the laughter they have
• What makes the podcast more personal, is the fact that they shouldn't be afraid to talk about their own experiences which may have made them think about the film they are discussing - this also adds to the idea of an exclusive interview as some things discussed in this interview might not have been discussed anywhere else

FEEDBACK:

• Remember for the print products there needs to be a minimum of 9 images overall in 2 different locations and with 3 different actors 
• For the central image of the coronavirus I need to think about how/what I would construct as it is a print product - I need to create my own (possibly an animation)
• Remember for the podcast there needs to be a director and it has to be shot in 2 different locations (possibly a panel interview and a premiere)
• The podcast doesn't have to feature your voice at all, if you don't want to