Producing The Ancillary Tasks- Film Review Research

For one of my ancillary tasks I had to create a Film review. This was to go along-side the Short film myself and Abigail Stafford have created. I want my review to really reflect the work and effort we put into our film and to fully express our proud-ness with the final out come. However before I began to create my Review (in the style of a magazine page), I need to research into reviews and analyse all codes and conventions to ensure mine is realistic and professional. My initial research into reviews was split between magazine layout styling, and the written reviews itself.

Layout/ Styling Research

Here I have collected a range of Film reviews, from some of the most iconic and prestigious film magazines. No matter what genre of the film, a film magazine seems to portray a genre in itself,  from my research above. Linking back to last years magazine house styles, film reviews all seem to have a similar approach to how they review all types of films.
The technique of one feature image, then a few smaller ones seems to occur in nearly all the examples. This is to engage the audience in with a captivating image, portraying the genre or plot of the film, then a few smaller ones to set the tone and to give a wider insight into what the film is about. Also to advertise who is in the film.
The title of the film is also a key element of the examples, all being the largest text, informing the audience on what the page is on.
Columns, a conventional layout for all types of magazines, is also reflected in the reviews. With a featuring quote enlarged, grabbing the readers attention. A tag-line is also used by the writers, to again set the tone of the film, or in some way create humourous irony or wit through a pun or alliteration. It is a clever way of summing up their review in a way that makes the reader want to read all of it.
The colour schemes all seem to be very formal and toned down. With a use of two or three into each example. To create a serious tone on the page, ensuring the reader that the reviewer has took it seriously and will give an accurate and honest review.
Also all include details such as a star rating, release, verdict and  plot summary. Alongside normal magazine conventions such as page numbers, journalists and photographers names, page margins, and mast heads.
Below I have de-constructed two film magazine review layouts.

Written Review Research

As my Short film is a thriller about a kidnap, I have specifically researched into a film review of the film 'Taken'. Also a film about a vulnerable young girl being kidnapped.

Plot
Bryan (Neeson) is a retired government agent, struggling to get back into the life of his teen daughter (Grace). But after she’s kidnapped while holidaying in Paris, Bryan has less than four days to track her down.

Review

Liam Neeson’s ill-judged presence should not cause you to even consider going within 30 feet of a fleapit that’s screening Taken. Here he plays an ex-spy divorcé who’s desperate to make up years of parental neglect to his daughter (an over-aged Maggie Grace). This involves Daddy creepily obsessing over her 17th-birthday present, trying to facilitate her childhood ambition to become “a singer” (this involves saving a pop star imaginatively named ‘Diva’ - Holly Valance, remember her? - from a crazed fan), and agonising over the fact that she wants to spend her summer holidaying in Europe. Terrifying, terrifying Europe.
Yet to Europe - specifically Paris - she goes, where within minutes of landing she and her slutty (read: dead-meat) pal are hoodwinked by a slimy Frenchman and kidnapped by sneering Albanian gangsters whose intention is to hook their victims on skag and sell them to cold-eyed Arabs. Turns out Daddy - paranoid parent and towering xenophobe that he is - was right. If a good little teenaged Caucasian strays even an inch beyond the mighty US of A’s borders, she’s pale prey to every godless, drug pushing foreigner out there. Hell, even Daddy’s ol’ French-spy buddy can’t be relied upon to help; he’s French! “Jean-Claude, I’ll tear down the Eiffel Tower if I have to!” growls Daddy, like a true American. He’s from a land where actions speak louder than words… So cue an hour or so of him brutally pummelling every foreigner who stands in his way, stopping only to torture a few. He even deliberately shoots one utterly innocent bystander. Call it friendly fire. Or rather, don’t. If you took Commando and replaced all its humour (intentional  or otherwise) with snarling hatred, you’d end up with Taken - a risible male-re-empowerment fantasy set in a world where a fatal headshot and rescue from a life of inter-racial rape is the best way to win back your daughter’s heart.
Interestingly, it’s directed by a Frenchman (Pierre Morel) and produced by his longtime accomplice, Luc Besson. On the evidence of this, they’re now either self-hating freedom-fries munchers, or just knowingly manipulating US prejudices in the name of entertainment. We suspect the latter.
Verdict
A venomous little actioner that mistakes bile for adrenaline.

Above, I have highlighted all the features of the review that stand out. Even though this review is swaying to more of a negative on the film, and I plan to make mine positive, I have still looked at techniques the reviewer has used and ways in which they have portrayed the genre. For example using words and phrases such as: adrenaline, torture, victims and venemous little actioner. All these words are associated to the thriller genre, and engage the reader of the films target audience, making them attracted to the film. The thrill seekers want exactly that, therefore selling the film as scary or adrenaline rush-ing, engages them and appeals to them.
I have also high lighted techniques the writer has used, to make the piece interesting to read. Including; 'Terrifying, terrifying Europe'-repetition and alliteration, '(read:dead meat)' and 'Daddy'-humour/wit, 'We suspect the latter'-Short sentence.
Informative things such as having a plot, verdict, actors and directors names also are highlighted.

I now feel confident and know what I need to do within my own review. Of which I can now go on to make.