P5

Creating the Poster

Step 1:                                                                                                                           

I created a new document with the dimensions 24 by 36. I then used the pen tool to create an area in the shape of a Polaroid and filled it in white.

By adding the border to make the photo look like it is a Polaroid, the meaning of the poster changes to tell the viewer that the person who committed the murder is a photographer and likes to take photos of his killings. By him doing this it suggests that he likes to keep proof of them almost like they are trophies for his achievements.

Step 2:

I imported the image, banner, and shadow I had created for the mocks and then tilted the Polaroid and adjusted it until I was satisfied with the angle. After that, I used the gradient tool to make a vignette around the image in the Polaroid 

Having the banner in the photo connects it to the title of the movie - Graduation Night - and therefore helps to tell the viewer what the movie is about.

Step 3:

Next, I added a Bevel and Emboss as well as a Gradient Overlay to the Polaroid shape to make it look more realistic. 

Step 4:

I then increased the saturation of the image to make the red of the axe stand out more.

Step 5:

I decided to experiment with the idea of having the poster take place in a dark room with the murderer developing the photo to further expand on the idea of him being a photographer. So, I got a tray and filled it with water and then printed off the photo and took multiple photos to create a mock-up. After adding the photo to a new Photoshop document. I added a red overlay to the photo as well as a vignette to darken the image and make it more realistic as it is supposed to be in a 'dark' room where red lights are used. I then added the text I had previously used in the mockups to the poster. After experimenting with the placement of the text, I decided on the layout in the final picture. Also, I chose not to have the director's and actors' names as they are not well known.

Step 6:

After researching dark rooms I found that a lot of the photos that are developed have a white border around them. So, I took the black and white version of the image with only the red of the axe and blood in colour that I had made during the mockups and I made a new Photoshop document with it in. I then used the banner I had made for the mockups and also put that into the document. After, I made a white border around the area of the image I wanted and then cropped the entire image using the crop tool.

Step 7:

I printed off the photo with the border and then set it up as I had when experimenting. I took lots of pictures but this is the one I decided to go with because it is a high angle close up, allowing you to clearly see the photo.

Step 8:

I created a new Photoshop document with the dimensions from before (24 x 36) and imported the photo. I then created an overlay layer to create a vignette around the image. After, I imported the text I had made in the mockups and resized it. I then added another vignette to further darken the image edges.

Step 9:

I added another overlay layer but this time used a red gradient to give the impression the photo was taken in a dark room. After that, I deleted the release date and tagline in favour of adding a director and some films they had made. I chose James Wan because he has directed some famous horror films and so this will help to attract the target audience. I got rid of the tagline as the poster was getting too busy with so much text on it and it became unnecessary once I added the director. 

Step 10:

I decided to add a border to the poster to help make it stand out more. I chose pink as it is a light colour representing happiness and so ties in with what you should be feeling on graduation day and therefore juxtaposes the gory image within the poster, emphasising it's horror as well as making the poster stand out. I made multiple versions of the border but decided on the thickest one as I felt it made the poster stand out the most. 

I also increased the photo's brightness and contrast so that you could better see it.

Step 11:

I slightly adjusted the tone of the border to help it better fit in with the colour scheme. I then realised I had made a spelling mistake in the title so I corrected that.

Step 12:

I decided to make the image larger as I thought there was too much empty space around it as well as to help make the axe stand out more. I then edited the credit block to accommodate the change in the director to James Wan. I also lightened the area of the banner with the text so that you could better see it as it was quite difficult to read.

Step 12:

Lastly, I added a white rectangular outline within the border to make it more interesting and further help make it stand out.

Final Result:

Street view:

Evaluation

My initial idea was to just have the photo with the saturation increased and a vignette around it with the text on top. I then came up with the idea of making the photo look like a polaroid to insinuate that the murder was a photographer and liked to keep photos of what he had done as 'trophies'. Developing that idea further, I decided to print off the photo I had taken and made it look as though it was being developed in a dark room by the murderer. I chose to make the photo black and white but have the red of the axe and the blood in colour and over-saturated to make them stand out. Finally, I added a border to help make the poster stand out more. I chose pink as it fits within the colour scheme but also contrasts with the darkness in the photo.