WEBSITE
The Website Can Be Viewed HERE
I really wanted to utilise the moving drone shots filmed at the original Claremont site which dates back to 1709 for the website. The footage clearly takes you to a time and a place so it made good sense to use them as a bed for the entire scrolling home page. I graded them to black and white to add an eerie/haunting mood from which to build the feel of the site and clearly demonstrate the genre. I edited the drone shots in a loop for continual movement for as long as the home page was looked at.
The use of the 'Charlotte' title is 'Times New Roman' in a bright red colour with an insertion of blood on the letter E to give instantly clarity on the genre being presented. The released date is in white bold text with a drop shadow meaning that it is clearly visible for site visitors. I wanted the title and the subtitle to slowly fade on to the moving bed of the site to add to the mystery. Introducing the option to view the trailer pretty early on was key to ensuring audience engagement with the film and the website from the start.
The trailers are both accessible via large red buttons just below the main film title also demonstrating further cohesion with the red symbolising blood. I chose a scroll down method for my website so the viewing would be equally as accessible for mobile users who are more likely to click off sooner due to the ease of mobile navigation, which is a further reason why the trailer buttons are displayed at the very top.
“Today is Charlotte Birthday. Everyone is Invited…
Arrive at Any Time. But Don't Expect to Leave”
The header of the website contains all the different navigation tools, together with social media icons such as Instagram and Twitter.
The font for the entire site is displayed in 'Roboto Thin'. It is sharp, slick and a readable text which ties in with the production companies ‘New Generation of Film Makers” statement. As you progress down the continually moving homepage, you meet the cast, filmmakers and are invited to find out more with buttons and other interactive widgets on the website – this information has been added with the strip option from Wix. I wanted to create a sense of movement throughout the site. The strips laid on top are punctuated by film reviews. There is also an opportunity to go behind the scenes with other images of the cast, crew and shoot itself.
The footer which runs throughout the website gives contact details and social media access. It also has a dedicated page for film festivals with a cinema themed background to show relevance. Throughout the site, the main colour way consists of red, black and white to give consistency and a sharp professional feel.
It was also important that I use as many images as possible. We live in a visual world and like the trailer, I wanted the visuals to tell the story as opposed to lots of text.
Kezia Williams is a Managing Director, UK, Film at Entertainment One at Entertainment One. She has over 17 years in the film industry and she provided me with knowledge about making a movie stand out from others giving it a unique edge. Kezia Williams explained that, in a congested marketplace, a distributors aim was to position a film in a way that it stood out for its target audiences.Similarly, Chris Besseling offered me a series of insights into how distributors market a film's USP (Unique Selling Point) such as its star cast, its provenance (such as literary adaptation or biopic credentials), its awards and good reviews. I watched a presentation by Kezia Williams, where she explains how distributors work to create a successful marketing campaign for each film. We investigated the aspects of a marketing campaign for a specific recent film such as:
Matt Smith of the FDA tells us that spend m digital has increased enormously. For instance, trailers are now cut to portrait viewing on smart phones. Digital includes all social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc) that work as a synergistic whole in promoting a product. Matt Smith also refers to paid-for marketing as distinct from the free publicity. Social media can generate viral marketing-free publicity.
I primarily use Youtube for entertainment purposes. However, I also am able to use it to increase my knowledge on different topics. For example, I occasionally watch top 10 lists of different topics. It is also extremely useful when viewing film trailers. I visit Youtube when searching for a film trailer as I am able to view multiple different variations of the film giving me the best insight possible. I believe Youtube to be my primary source on entertainment as I use the website/app on a daily basis. Youtube is one of the most popular websites on the internet used by 2 billion users.
I use iTunes little to none. In my opinion, iTunes is slowly becoming obsolete due to the more convenient alternatives. Movie watchers would rather have a Netflix subscription than pay per movie. People now use Spotify instead of purchasing albums too. However, I do have one use for iTunes, I occasionally use it to maintenance my phone. It is extremely useful when dong this as I am able to keep/transfer data from phone to phone or back up the data in case of emergency.
Excellent account of how you designed and constructed your film website, after very good research that offers a well-reasoned account of your use of internet sites. Interesting personal insights. You offer an articulate, knowledgeable account of your choices of font, colour and camerawork (such as the key importance of the drone cam shots). You show solid evidence of how to engage audiences, from your cast bios, persuasive accolades, festival screening details, social media convergent links, trailers and posters. Sophisticated top-level technically and artistically.
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