Media Pitch

Overview
For my A2 Media coursework, I have decided to do a film trailer, a theatrical poster, and a magazine cover featuring the said film. I have decided to do the trailer in the style of a conventional British crime drama, taking inspiration from films such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (Dir. Guy Ritchie, 1998) and, Snatch (Dir. Guy Ritchie, 2000).

 

Plot

The basic plot of the trailer would follow a man who works for the local organised crime syndicate. It would show him preparing for a kill, cutting from him to his victim several times throughout. During the scenes with the killer, I plan on having a low-angle shot, with the camera being slightly tilted upwards to show his superiority. With the victim I plan on having a high-angle shot, slightly tilted down to show that the current situation is out of his control.

 

 Film Poster

 I have looked at several posters that I have drawn my influence from. The first poster I have looked at is from ‘Eastern Promises’. It shows the hands of Viggo Mortensen’s character Nikolai, covered in tattoos. The poster gives an awe of mystery about the character and raises questions about who he is and what the tattoos signify. The tagline of the poster also hints towards the fact that the tattoos play a, somewhat, role in the film. The idea that ‘every sin leaves a mark’ is a direct link to the traditions of the Russian Mafia as every criminal act they perform gets recorded on their body.

 

Character Outlines

 For the costumes of the characters I have taken inspiration from several films/texts of this genre e.g. “Get Carter”, “The Long Good Friday”, and “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”. I also like how most of the characters in the HBO show “The Sopranos” wear expensive tracksuits (so even when they’re dressed casual, they’re still ‘flaunting’ the fact that they have a lot of money)

For the main character I want him to be dressed as a conventional gangster, wearing things such as a smart suit, smart shoes etc. Like many other gangster films, I’d like him to be wearing religious iconography, implying that he has some sort of moral grounds.

For the other character(s) in the trailer, I want them to be dressed less ‘glamorise’ than the main character, to highlight his importance and wealth. Their costumes would probably be unkempt and have a mix of dark and light colours.

 

Magazine Cover

For the magazine cover I have looked at several film magazines (namely “Empire” and “Total Film”) that I think are enjoyable.

The centre image of the magazine cover would be the main character of the trailer with the title of the film layered over the top, across his chest. I’d want the colour of the tie to be intensified so that it’s the main focal point of the cover.