Ancillary Task - Poster - Development

I started this poster by selecting this image from several that I had taken after one filming session to use for this poster

After this I separated the image into two layers one containing the couple and the other containing the background. I then took the background layer and applied a combination of a paint brush filter and a glass filter to give the background a more blurred effect

Then I added the text into the poster starting with the main poster text

I experimented with both Black and White text both of which could have worked. However due to the darkness of the background when viewed from further away the black text was less visible. In addition to this the white text would mean that it was consistent with the text used in the film itself which would increase the similarities between the two products something that I wanted to do as much as possible to make sure they worked together

Finally I added the two cast members names underneith the text as this framed the couple nicely with the text. I then created a series of Awards for the poster one of which is too the left. Finally I added the billing block in a simple billing block text and kept it small so as to avoid it drawing focus from the main header of the poster containing the title

Ancillary Tasks - Two Page - Photos

Below are the photos that I decided to include in my double page spread as part of my ancillary tasks.

Ancillary Tasks - Two Page - Text

Audience Comments Final Edit

I showed the final edit of the film to a group of friends and they have several comments about the piece

Several of them had watched the earlier edits and commented on how much of a difference the colour grading made as it made the whole film feel cohesive as a whole which is definitely a plus.

Several people who had not seen the film before commented as many people have about how much they liked the chemistry between the two leads and this made the story seem more realalistic and helped to draw them into the story. In addition to this several people actually laughed at the moments of humour in the film which is great as I was nervous that the overall tone of the film would mean that these comedic moments wouldn't land

A number of people commented on the sound design in particular the final track before the credits which they said made the scenes much more emotional and gave an effective end to the film. Another person also said that they liked the way that the scenes transitioned from one another and particularly liked the sound bridge of the door slam.

One person did say that they felt that the script was a bit rushed. I believe that this was caused by the cuts that I made removing the other conversations between other couples that were present in the original script. These were removed due to time constraints and were meant to break up the action and provide a point of conflict between Sam and Danny but their removal did harm the piece slightly

Music Final Thoughts

Track 1
The opening track has been through a couple iterations and these iterations were used as other tracks throughout the piece namely the final end credits track. This development took place on electronic music software and it was this process that shaped the whole of the music used in the film which is something I definitely did not expect to happen

I am very happy with this track as I think it immediately draws the viewer into the world that the film takes place in and gives the opening a sense of energy and movement that is really useful in establishing the tone of the film.

Track 2

This track was designed to compliment the earlier track and to keep the party atmosphere going in the background of the scene and I think it did this well and gave a sense that the music was a part of the world being played from a speaker actually at the party which added to the realism of the piece

However it was also meant to increase the tension in  the piece somewhat as the ex couple begin fighting  and I think this wasn't as effective as I would have liked. This may be due to the fact that after sound mixing the music isn't as loud as initially planned or it might be due to the fact that there is no significant increase in tempo but time restraints meant that while it could have been better I think it worked to a limited degree.

Track 3

This track was the last track to be created and was inspired by audience comments made about the ending of the piece with people mentioning how it felt odd that the final scene was played out with no backing track when the earlier scenes had a continual beat. After creating the track this was definitely the right call as it heightened the emotional weight of the scene immensely

This is the one track of the four that is recorded using a live instrument in this case a simple piano. This was inspired by other movies and soundtracks that use similar instruments to create a sense of melancholy and sadness in the viewer. I think that this change of instrument gave the track a really nice bit of contrast from the other tracks and this helped to further highlight the change in tone in the third scene of the film

Track 4

This final track as shown from the inspiration I posted was originally designed to follow the influences of pop and rock music along the lines of bands like two door cinema club and the arctic monkeys. However unintentionally when working on the music for the first time. I began to experiment with some synth and electric bass work. I really liked the tune I was created and so explored it further eventually adding the loud drums into the mix to drive the beat forward and it is this track that I eventually decided would be good to play out over the end credits.

This track was always intended to create a feeling of nostalgia in the listener. Originally this was going to be a more youthful track with lots of energy and this sudden energy is what I planned would create the nostalgia. However when I began creating these tracks I moved away from an indie rock style and focused more on a synth based ending which I think worked very well

Second Background Music

Ending Music