Websites from my Analysis of Films - The Firm, The Departed & American Gangster

As part of our project we also as well making a trailer and poster, we need to create a website too. I have created a websites before when i used to do ICT. But it's been a long time since i have. But i know that the layout and structure of a website and how it flows, is important as we dont want our website to be confusing for our audience, as they won't visit our website. We also need to make it interesting including BOLD and EYE CATCHING words and images, with also maybe putting some music on it as well, with of corse our trailer and poster which we will be creating, even a few games which are always on website to make people re-visit.

First I'm going to look at the website of the films i have anaylsed, starting with the film, ' The American Gangster.'

This is the front page of the American Gangster Website. I like this opening page for their website, because they've kept the same kind of image from their own movie poster. Keeping the colours the same, which need to be done on our own website page.

We got the main two character either side, and then in the middle we have the trailer playing, which also after the trailer has been played has clips of behind the scene of the movie as well. I think having the trailer straight in front of you, middle, centre is a good idea as we want people to watch the trailer to get an idea of our movie. Also re-visiting and watching the trailer made me think of the music, because i love the music that goes behind the trailer. It is a typical urban, genre gangster song, by jay z, and it fits in really well. This has made me think and to also relate to my group, to think of some type of music that will fit well within our own trailer.

At the bottom of the page, like any other normal website we have the links, that nagivate us around the website, which we also need to allocate onto our website too.

Entering the site there is voice overs from the films and then plays the song from the film. So we need to definetly consider the type of genre for the music that will fit well within our moive trailer. When entering the site we are brought straight to the main characters which we can click on and to find out more about each character. In the bottom left corner, we have the title of the film, again the titles i think is like a logo for the film. In the top right hand corner there is a little square box which when u hover over bring out the links, navigation buttons...

The links shown bellow >

The links include; Home, The Story, Notes,Cast & Crew, Video, Images and Downloads. All of which we can include within our own webiste.

When i clicked onto a link the music changed and took me to another place. This website work really well and was simple and easy to use.

The Departed

This is the website opening page for The Departed.I prefer The American Gangster's website compared to this one because it had great art work and also the trailer was larger and mid center making it more appealing. As well with the link to navigate to another page, are really small as well with red onto black can't really see the text either. But from analysing websites so far i have found that each website has an opening page. To starts the opening of the website needs to be a clear and approachable layout.

Apart from the opening page, i like this layout. A large photo of the character DiCaprio and about his character he is playing. I also like how the colours are suttle together, and works well. There is no music through out this website but i prefer it with because it gives it more character and more of an effort to the website.

The Firm

The opening page for this website is just the poster of the film, with Enter Site. It hasnt got the trailer on the front opening page like the other two websites. I suppose this way people will click into the website straight away to look for the trailer. But i think i would prefer the trailer to be within the website and then a really good image to welcome the audience into the website, just like this one.

Clicking in to ENTER SITE, it loads up but what i like about this is that its really simple. Getting the audience to know when the film is out, mainly the only piece of text on this page, as well of corse with the title, but makes people remember the date, getting people to go and watch the film when it is in cinema.

The image above, is the full active page to The Firm website. From the other two website pages this website i prefer the most because it is BOLD, full of some colour and also they had music that linked to the 80s era that the film is based in. Song of the eighties, 'Tainted Love' - Soft Cell, 'Get Down On It' - Kool and The Gang. All classic songs that people remember and can relate to well which would also make this a good website just for the fact to listen back to snipits of songs. As well as these songs are within the film the firm also. So it not just a random pick of song it all link within the film.

Next to the sounds of the eighties there is also a pacman game that is linked up to the site. Again another little bonus to the website. Making it more exciting and also like the song the game is a 80s classic that people will be fond of, visiting the website for the game as well, so will get people visiting the site some more than what they would.

On the website, there are no links, either because of the set up of the computer i am using i can't scroll down to find the links. But either way i think that having links on the page is the most important thing because it holds different pages to hold information on the film. They are good because it makes people become more interested into the website, giving them great information about the film.

- Karis Hammond