PRE-PRODUCTION: Advertising & Promotional Material

Now that I have created the branding and posters for the series and had some imagery to work with, I have made some promotional material. This has been the most enjoyable aspect of the package so far, and I really enjoyed working with photoshop to bring the branding to life and document it in this way. I decided that I wanted to create some billboard adverts, of different sizes and variations that would demonstrate what the branding would look like in this format.

Billboards

Title Billboard

Billboards are a really effective way of promoting a television series or film as they tend to be very large in size and placed above busy motorways/freeways or in cities. A billboard should always have large text on it so that people can easily read it and should include a few small details regarding when the series will be released and what the broadcasting channel is. With these factors in mind, I went about using some of my branding material to create some billboard advertisements for Motherhood.
The first one here has the simplest design and just incorporates the title card.
The title card includes the cracked black wall background and the title itself. The other text I chose to include was the Netflix logo which is directly underneath in bold red lettering, contrasting with the black background. Other details include the Netflix Original label which is essential as this element is key and when the episodes are released so that audiences know when to look for it. I quite like this billboard even though there is no imagery on it as I think that simplicity can be effective, especially in advertising.

Mother Billboard

Simplistic Billboard

Other Billboards I have created include a portrait one which is of the Mother character poster that I have created. I really like this one and think that it the use of imagery is really effective because its still simple and not overly fussy or complicated. I also think that audiences will connect with this one as opposed to the title billboard as her pain and suffering is apparent on her face. Audiences should respond to this which will hopefully entice them to watch the series. The simplistic billboard has a more contemporary branding approach. Here I simplified the image of Phoebe Tonkin's profile to a two toned image. Although, I don't think that this poster is as fitting for the series as the others I have made, I think this one looks quite effective as a billboard. The fact that you cannot see her face in detail adds an air of mystery, which should attract audiences due to its contemporary appearance.

Public Transport

As well as the billboard adverts, I wanted to experiment with other platforms for advertising and decided to create some imagery for public transport adverts. Here I have photoshopped the Mother character poster onto a Bus stop. Bus stops will often have poster adverts, which are very effective as they will be seen by many people and should get people talking about it. As the broadcasting channel for this production is Netflix, I wanted the advertising to be widespread and be across several different platforms.

I have also photoshopped the poster including both Vivian and Thomas onto a bus. Busses tend to have very wide adverts due to the shape of the transport. Therefore, it was suitable to add this poster to this form of public transport as the dimensions were better fitted than the singular poster of Vivian. Overall, I am pleased with the promotional material I have created for the series and think that it is the right form of advertising to suit Netflix, who have used billboard advertising previously.

PRE-PRODUCTION: Branding on Netflix Platform

After creating some of the branding and posters for the production, I wanted to add the series to the broadcasting channel format so that I can demonstrate what it would look like to audiences at home when they look at the Netflix Homepage. As Netflix is an online platform, the programmes do not appear on a typical television guide. As a result, they have their own channel which has its own guide, displaying all of the material on it. It was important as part of my branding to create a page for Motherhood on the platform to a professional standard. I wanted to explore what it would look like visually so I could assess how well it suited the platform and the other material on there.

To create the image, I took the photoshopped image of Vivian's house that I had created for some of the poster branding and placed it within the rectangle below the series listings. The image was not wide enough to sustain the rectangle, therefore I looked at some of the other Netflix examples for inspiration. I noticed they often use a blurring technique or just fade the image out to the colour of the background before placing text on top. Following this premise, I added a path blur effect and dragged this across the edge up to a black box I had made which worked seamlessly. I copied all of the original Netflix icons including the 'play' button and season information so that it would have the same layout. I then returned all of these layers and added the title, a brief pitch of the synopsis and the title card which I added to the list of series at the top of the menu.

Overall, I really enjoyed creating this branding image and am very pleased with the results. Having looked at some of the other original series' on the platform, I decided the house poster would be the best option to not give away any of the characters and build up a sense of mystery and the unknown. I think that the branding here fits the branding used for other original series and displays its suitability to the channel.

PRE-PRODUCTION: Motherhood Opening Script (First Draft) & Package Change

An addition to my Pre-Production package is the opening script which is the first 10 pages. I had made the decision to write a script instead of doing the Opening Title sequence as the focus of my package changed. I felt like I had been focussing all of my time into the contents of the book and the planning process for the Opening Titles was beginning to become an after thought. I didn't want to leave the Opening Titles until the end of writing the book as I felt like this would not do the titles justice. I voiced to Simon about my concerns that the book had become very text heavy and was much more about the written content as opposed to visual imagery. Therefore, it made logical sense to me to focus my remaining time on an opening script instead. I felt interested in challenging my creative writing skills and attempting to write the first 10 pages of the pilot episode which should set up the episode. The series begins with the abduction of Elise and leads on from there. I found writing the first draft challenging but am pleased with the outcome of it.

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

Page 6

Page 7

Page 8

Page 9

Page 10

PRE-PRODUCTION: Final Episodes Synopsis

Since making some final changes to the second draft of the episodes synopsis, I have now completed the third and final draft which will be put into the book. The story has remained the same but I have moved some of the events around and given more detail to certain aspects to dramatise the scenes a little more. Although I found it difficult to keep each episode to a minimum amount of words, I allowed a higher word count for the pilot episode. I decided to do this to incorporate more of background to the episode and give the reader more insight to the series at the beginning. Other changes I made included giving some of the other characters more detailed scenes and input to the story so that the overall story had more complexity to it.

The ending is something that I spent a long time deliberating over whether to change it, however, I finally decided that I thought a tragic ending for Vivian was the right ending. Given her decisions throughout the series, I felt like the most realistic outcome was to have her institutionalised at the end, whilst still resolving the changes to her life and the way she feels about those changes. As I have now placed the synopses into book from word, I have included the screenshots from them in their final form. 

Episode 1

Episodes 2 & 3

Episodes 4 & 5

Episode 6

PRE-PRODUCTION: Branding Research & Creation

The branding for Motherhood began with some initial ideas regarding the colour scheme and font. It has been a slow but creative process and I am pleased with the final imagery that I have produced for the series. Every aspect of the branding has been carefully thought out in terms of how it will be received by audiences and the overall impression of the series regarding tone and the central themes.

13 Reasons Why

13 Reasons Why Poster

13 Reasons Why Title Card

To be able to explore some ideas for the branding, I needed to research some of the branding styles used for Netflix Originals. As Netflix is the broadcasting channel for this production, it was essential that the branding reflected the previous material on the channel and was suitable for the platform and the intended audience. The intended audience for this production is young adults and adults between the ages of 21-45, therefore the branding had to be appealing to this demographic.
Looking at some existing Netflix Originals, I came across some advertising for the series 13 Reasons Why, this series revolves around a young woman - Hannah, who takes her own life and leaves a box of recordings that explain why she chose to commit suicide. The series has some really tragic themes and these are reflected I think in the branding and advertising of the series. As seen here, the colour palette is very dark with tones of black and dark blues. The text is white which is prominent against the dark backgrounds and there are hints of red in the fonts, which connotes themes of violence and anger. I think that given some of the themes and plot of this series, it was important that the branding in particular was suitable. For example if they had chosen to use bright, lively colours and garish fonts and imagery, it would not be in keeping with the tone of the series. In terms of these influences on Motherhood, which also has some dark themes of loss and abduction, I have taken inspiration from this series' branding. I decided at an early stage that I wanted the colour palette to be largely monotone. Reasons for this included wanting to convey the serious tone of the production and reflect some of the locations and characters of the series. In terms of fonts and imagery, I am influenced by the first poster and would like to create some imagery with Phoebe Tonkin as the Mother to demonstrate the importance of her character in the series. I think it is important to choose branding that is going to represent the content of the production as well as the broadcasting channel and staying within their style guide.

Punisher Poster

The Punisher
The Punisher is a 2017 American web series created for Netflix by Steve Lightfoot and based on the Marvel comics. The series revolves around the character Frank Castle, who uses lethal methods to fight crime as 'The Punisher'. During, my research, looking at Netflix series in particular, I came across this series. Although, I haven't watched it, I was extremely taken by the branding which interested me. Like, 13 Reasons Why they have chosen a very dark, blackened colour palette. The image is almost entirely black with the only accents being a an image of Jon Bernthal's face who plays the title character and the bold, white font. In terms of inspiration for this production, I was predominately inspired by the font of the title. It looks as if its been spray painted onto the background, giving it this really earthy, cracked and dishevelled appearance. When thinking about the font for the title, I wanted it to have a cracked, decaying appearance, similar to the design used here. Other elements of the poster are simple and typical of the Netflix style guide. A short slogan of 'The truth must be taken' has been added underneath the title and the release date and Netflix logo are just beneath that. When designing the layout for some of my branding imagery, I thought carefully about the placement of all of the text to ensure it reflected the Netflix layout and style.

Motherhood Branding
I have spoken about the font development previously, so will be analysing my choices for the visual branding largely here. For the title card, I made several adjustments from my previous developments. I decided that a black background was more suitable for the genre and tone of the series, as well as reflecting some of the colour palette choices of the series I was inspired by. Rather than a plain background, I wanted to add to the cracked font I had chosen and emphasis this theme. I found some imagery of a real cracked wall, and made several adjustments to it on Photoshop to get the right colour and level of contrast in the cracks. In terms of the layout, I had previously looked at some of the Netflix title cards and poster layouts and decided to be quite limited with the text used. I simply added the Netflix logo to the image, either above or below the title and included the release date and stated that it was a Netflix Original Series. After developing these significantly from my early concepts for the title card, I am very pleased with the final outcomes and think that they are suitable for the production and for the broadcasting channel.

Title Card

Title Card Poster Variation

Character Posters

For the poster advertising, I wanted to experiment with imagery of Phoebe Tonkin who I have cast as the Mother Vivian in the series. The series is focussed around her completely and her life choices, therefore it was important to produce some branding that featured her alone. The initial character poster entailed finding an image of Phoebe Tonkin, I chose a profile angle. I think used photoshop to change the threshold and make it into a two toned image, blending the hair and features into the background colour. I then added text to tell audiences what the title and broadcasting channel was. Although, I liked this initial branding, I decided I wanted to complicate it a bit more and add detail. Therefore, I began by sourcing another image of her online. Out of all of the images I found, I liked this one the most as her facial expression looks serious. I also liked how the position of her body was facing away from the audience, but her head is turned so you look straight at her eyes. To edit the image, I added some darkness using the paint tool around her eyes to make her look tired and worn. I also changed the colour of her dress, keeping the colours dark to reflect the tone and keep a blackened colour palette. I then enhanced the background, creating more contrast between it and her so that there was more shadowing. The final step was to add the text including the series title and the Netflix branding. For the portrait addition, I added the tag line of the series to give the audience more insight as to what the series will be about, without revealing too much. For the last poster in this series, I added the character of Thomas. I think that this is fitting as he is also a main character in the series. However, the series is not actually about him and so I think that the portrait character poster is more suitable for the production branding. 

Simplified Character Poster

Character Poster 

Character Poster Variation

Character Poster Variation

House Poster

For another poster that I had in mind for using on the Netflix menu guide, I sourced an image for the chalet house that Vivian would be living in. This was the same image that I have used for the locations, however, I made some adjustments on Photoshop to fit the branding style I have chosen. I first made it greyscale and the added a posterising effect that gave it a slightly animated appearance that was more simplified than the original image. I also made changes to the background, making the sky look as if it were night to reflect the genre of the production and make it appear more harrowing. Final touches included adding a black silhouette in the foreground who I imagine to be Vivian. However, is it very subtle, adding to the mystery of it. Lastly, like the other branding imagery, I added the title and Netflix logos to give the audience more information about the production. 

Overall, I am pleased with the branding creations for this production and think that through the research I found regarding other Netflix series, I have been able to develop some imagery that is suitable for the series and reflects the key themes and tone, as well as having suitability for the broadcasting platform which was really important. 

PRE-PRODUCTION: Visual Style Research & Choices

The visual style is what makes a Film or Television series unique and signature to that piece of work. It adds a cinematic quality to the work and enhances the appearance on screen as well as the storytelling process. Not only can certain aesthetics act as a visual aid on screen and amplify the creativity, it can also evoke a range of emotions for the audience and help to tell the story. The visual style entails a number of aspects from the lighting/colouring which are the most obvious elements, to the cinematography, music, costumes, props and sets. All of which can determine the themes and tone of the work and give it a personal signature.

The Director of the production has the most control over the visual style, with some Directors choosing to focus on the Actors, whereas others will plan out every single detail of the visual aspects to put a really personal stamp on their work and set it apart from others.
I intend on focussing predominately on the lighting/colouring and the cinematography for the visual style of Motherhood as I think that these aspects are the most important. I have also covered sets and costume design in locations and characters so intend on focussing on other elements for the visual style.

Some of the visual themes for this production include dark, low key lighting, with a blackened colour palette. It will have a modern feel to it as it is set at present day but the rural town should have a really gritty appearance to it.


Lighting/Colouring

Influences for the lighting and colouring include Tim Burton who is an American Film Director and Producer, known for his critically acclaimed work including Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and animated film Frankenweenie. Burton is widely recognised for his gothic, eccentric style that is evident through costumes, sets, props but also largely through the lighting and colouring choices he makes. He often uses a blackened colour palette, bringing the saturation right down to achieve a very subdued but also very dark, gothic appearance. This can be seen in the image below from Sweeney Todd. For Motherhood, I would like to use a similar blackened colour palette to highlight the rural town setting and really set off the dark, dingy tone of the series. This will become even more apparent towards the second half of the series when the audience begins to see Vivian's demise and the town's setting will reflect her struggles.

For colouring, I have looked at the colouring used in Canadian Science Fiction Thriller television series Orphan Black. I wanted to look at this series in terms of its visual stye because the use of lighting and colour has a very signature style and helps to set the tone. The mood board shown below seems to have a recurring theme of a blue-green coloured tint which is apparent in a lot of the visual imagery. Other visual signatures of this series include lens flare and spot lighting. Both of these techniques work really well with the colouring, adding to the Thriller genre and setting the series apart from others. In terms of colouring for Motherhood, the blue coloured tint used her as seen in Orphan Black is really interesting and would suit the dark, contrasting lighting I intend to incorporate. I also think that the use of the colour blue will evoke negative emotions of pain and despair that Vivian would be feeling.

Framing/Shot Types
In terms of framing and shot types used in Orphan Black, I have noticed that there are a lot of high and low angle shots that are used to create a sense of dominance and threat for the character of Sarah in the series. These are importance as they hint to the audience of potential danger. I have also noticed the use of focus pulling in the series that can dramatise some of the more action filled scenes and make them appear more harsh and enthralling. The cinematographer has then also used a softer focus pull for softer moments to give the audience breathing space and create more contrast.

I imagine the use of establishing shots will be important to set each location and give the audience some really lasting impressions. I also think that these will create huge contrast between the setting of the secluded neighbourhood to the hectic environment of Downtown Greenville. 

I would also like to incorporate a number of close up shots that show the point of view of the characters and intensify some of emotions during scenes of suspense or sadness. The use of high and low angle shots will also be useful during tense and dramatic moments. These types of shots are often used by film Director David Fincher. 

PRE-PRODUCTION: Crew Selections

The Crew for any production are just as important if not more so than the Cast. It is necessary to have the right crew selection that will deliver the intended style, and themes for the series but above all else, convey the story to the audience in the most creative and thought provoking way possible. A suitable Screenwriter, Director, 

Cinematographer, Editor and Composer have all been selected for this production based on their own working styles and history in the industry. 

Director - John Fawcett

A Director of film and television will direct the making of the film and bring the screenplay to life. A Director will bring their visual style and personal signature to the production, which is why choosing the right Director is very important. 

John Fawcett

The Director I have chosen to direct Motherhood is John Fawcett. He is a Canadian Director and Producer, working in Film and Television. He is most known for his work on BBC America’s series ‘Orphan Black’.

The decision to crew him to direct the series was based on the visual side of it more than anything else, and his distinct style that he would bring to the project. He is also suitable as he has worked in Television predominately, including productions of similar genres/themes, and would therefore be able to convey the story to audiences in a creative, dynamic way. Fawcett’s visual style in Orphan Black was a significant influence for the visuals in this production, and so would be ideal to deliver the appropriate lighting/colour and framing decisions to suit these creative choices.

Screenwriter - Chris Chibnall

Chris Chibnall

Chris Chibnall is an English Screenwriter best known for his Science Fiction series Torchwood, a spin off of Doctor Who and for writing the Crime Drama series Broadchurch. Choosing the right Screenwriter for a Television series could make or break the story and the way it is received by audiences. Therefore it is important to choose someone with the right background of work to assess their suitability. Having worked on some heavily action-packed series including Doctor Who which is full of monsters and jaw dropping moments, Chibnall has the right level of creativity. Motherhood also handles the theme of child abduction and the process of losing a child. The script he wrote for Broadchurch not only told those moments in a really emotive way, connecting to audiences but stayed true to the realities of it which is really important for this series.

Cinematographer - Jeff Cronenweth

Jeff Cronenweth

Jeff Cronenweth is an American Cinematographer, known for his work as DoP alongside David Fincher in Fight Club and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He is suitable for this role as he is renowned for his lighting choices, often working with dimly lit, low-key lighting to emphasise shadowing, obscuring the imagery and creating a cinematic, dynamic result. The shot types used in Fight Club including high and low angle close ups has influenced the framing decision and shot types for Motherhood, which Cronenweth will be able to replicate. Based on his work and the work of the Director chosen for this production, their visual styles compliment each other, which should make working together harmonious.

Editor - Dean Zimmerman

Dean Zimmerman

Dean Zimmerman is an American Editor, who has worked on numerous Films and Television series including Stranger Things and The Internship. He is the son of Don Zimmerman who is an Academy Award nominee for his editing work on the film Coming Home. The choice to crew Zimmerman as the Editor for this production was largely based on his work in Stranger Things. His timing of cutting the clips fits with the mood and tone of the scene with long, slow cuts for calmer scenes, and sharp, quick cuts for more lively, action based scenes. This is really effective in Stranger Things and is ideal for this production as it would require the editing style to set the mood for the scenes, evoking lots of contrasting emotions.

Composer - Bear McCreary

The Composer for the series’ soundtrack will be Bear McCreary who is an American Composer. He is best known for his work on The Walking Dead and Outlander. 

Bear McCreary

His choices for the Walking Dead soundtrack in particular reflect the mood of the series and create tension and drama. The opening title sequence for the Walking Dead has some really simple imagery just of the sets used for the series. However, the soundtrack is fast paced, almost having a suspenseful element to it, dramatising the otherwise simple imagery.

For Motherhood, the soundtrack should have energy as it is a thriller series, however, it should have an unnerving quality to it that keeps the audience on their toes. McCreary’s work on 10 Cloverfield Lane which is a Psychological Thriller has a soundtrack that competently reflects the balance of energy and harrowing suspense.

Production Designer - Diane Lederman

Diane Lederman is a Production Designer, most known for working on The Americans and 13 Reasons Why. She states research as the key to good production design, often utilizing the cast members to find out what’s most suitable. Rather than use an image of her, the examples below show some of her set design on 13 Reasons Why, showing a bedroom and a high school hallway. When describing what it was like to dress the bedroom sets, she said that it was essential to get the opinions of the cast as to what their characters rooms would look like to make them feel like it is their own. The interiors of both Vivian’s house and the Adams’ house are key elements to convey the right message of the series, and enhance the visual style. The hallway here would be ideal for the looming hallways at the Police Department. 

13 Reasons Why Bedroom Set

13 Reasons Why Hallway Set

PRE-PRODUCTION: Episodes Synopsis (Second Draft)

Given the feedback from Simon regarding the first draft of the episodes synopsis, I have made some rather substantial changes. He suggested that the pilot episode was a little dull, taking far too long to reach the triggering event where Elise is abducted, recommending that I start the first episode with this incident instead. Moving this event forward meant that everything else in the first draft was moved forward also. This actually ended up being a very positive thing as the events of the second half of the series felt very rushed and all happened extremely suddenly. I have decided to give more light to certain characters also and embellish on events like the supermarket scene, choosing to publicly shame her, alienating her from the neighbourhood. I think there are still some alterations to be made regarding the level of detail and paying more attention to this in some of the scenes in particular.

Episode 1

Episodes 2 & 3

Episodes 4 & 5

Episode 6

PRE-PRODUCTION: Locations Research & Imagery Selected

A key part of my pre-production package is the locations I would intend on using for the production and the kind of imagery I have in mind for some of the sets. The series is set in Greenville which is an existing city in the state of Kentucky, USA. Not only is the series American, it would be made and shot in Kentucky and be based around locations that are specific to the US. When I spoke to Simon during a tutorial, he suggested that I think carefully about the buildings and housing in particular to achieve some really accurate location settings for the series and give it the right feel.

The biggest location for this production is the rural neighbourhood in which the characters live. It is very different from the central city entitled 'Downtown Greenville', which is typically traffic ridden and chaotic. I wanted there to be a huge contrast between the two sides of the city so that there could be some really dynamic Establishing shots.

Greenville, Kentucky.

As I cannot go to Kentucky myself to obtain some primary research for the locations, I have to rely on stock imagery from the internet of potential locations and set ideas. Although it was challenging to find lots of imagery of Greenville itself, I have managed to find some imagery of the housing and local services that will be featured in the production.

Welcome to Greenville sign

Greenville Street View

Street View

Street View

Housing

Vivian's Chalet House

Jill and Gregory's House

Adam's Family House

Local Church (Francesca's Workplace)

Housing Interiors

Vivian's House Interior

Vivian's Work space

Adam's Family Lounge

Adam's Family Kitchen Interior

It was a very important visual aspect for the series that there is a huge contrast between Vivian's house and the Adam's household. The Adam's house reflects perfection in every sense of the word, the decor is contemporary and expensive, and every piece of furniture has its place. The importance of this was to accentuate the traits that Vivian lacks as a Mother. The series focusses around her obsession with perfection and of trying to prove herself worthy of her title. Therefore, I wanted certain locations to reflect her weaknesses in particular.

St. Andrews Park

Maple Hill Park 'Dead Children's Playground', Huntsville 

Downtown Greenville 

Establishing Shot 

South Main Street

It is important that the imagery of Downtown Greenville shows the differences in environment to the rural town of Greenville. I would like to have some interesting Establishing shots of the locations that would show the contrasting nature of the locations. 

Supermarket/Grocery Store

Publix Food & Pharmacy

Publix Interiors

 Downtown Greenville Police Station

Greenville Police Department

Police Station Hallway

Police Station - Interrogation Room

Huddle House Diner

Huddle House Exterior

Huddle House Interior

All of the imagery I have selected is of locations that feature in the Episodes synopsis of the series. To obtain the location settings, I thought carefully about what I was looking for in terms of style and appearance, as well as ensuring that each location reflected the rural parts of the town as well as the busy locations in Downtown Greenville. I think that all of my chosen locations are fitting for the production and the genre of it, as I think some really creepy imagery could be obtained from the neighbourhood locations. I think that there would be lots of contrast between those locations and the  city centre locations which would create a good balance and make the sets really diverse and visually pleasing.