Preliminaries

Magazine

For our first preliminary task we made a front cover and contents page for a college magazine. Our magazine was an awareness magazine which informed students on the effects and consequences of drugs and drinking. First we decided to photograph a front cover and decided on using one which represented one of the consequences of drugs and drinking. So we positioned our model so it looked as if they had fallen down unconscious on the floor with props such as beer bottles around her to suggest she is drunk. We then used Photoshop to edit the colours and make them seem bright and unusual so it seems like you are looking through the eyes of someone who has taken drugs or been drinking. We called the magazine ‘College Intoxicated’ to relate to the audience (college students) and to illustrate the subject of our magazine; effects and consequences of being intoxicated. We also used subheadings around the model on the photograph showing what else features in the magazine, for example “Quit Smoking Today!”. All these factors together display the purpose of our magazine and inform the students that consuming drugs and alcohol has a negative impact on people.

Film

For our next preliminary task we created a two minute long continuous film which made use of match on action. We decided to make a ‘mafia’ style film and changed the effect to black and white rather than full colour to make the film seem vintage, like it was old. Our opening scenes consisted of the main character Tony smoking to make him seem like the bad guy due to the connotations linked with smoking, for example it is bad. There are also props such as beer bottles on the table as well as cards (they are having a poker game) and a lot of notes which we use close up shots on to demonstrate their importance. There is another close up shot of a gun in the shoe of another character, Ivana, which shows it is also important in the scene. When Ivana points the gun at Tony he knocks it away and the poker dealer is shot instead, we then used a down shot of him on the floor to show that he is now dead and not an important character. Finally, a mid shot of the two characters running out the door, then a long shot is used to show Ivana escaping into the distance. Tony then shakes his fist to indicate he is angry about the situation.