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Film Website Analysis

To discover more about the websites homepages used to promote modern Western films, we analysed some. We used the list from IMDB to choose "current" films, because many films, after a certain period of time, have their websites removed, or may be limited to just a write-up on the distributor's website. What also made this difficult is there has been a general decline in the popularity of Western films over the past 20 years, in favour of other genres such as Sci-Fi and Action. The first home page we analysed is the promotional site for "3:10 to Yuma".

Upon first navigating to this website, you are greeted with this. "3:10 to Yuma" is in bold red letters at the top, and below is written "FROM THE DIRECTOR OF WALK THE LINE". The audience may not know the director's name, but are more likely to know his previous works. The background of the site looks old and worn, like parchment. It fades to black at the edges, and looks scratched, emphasising the old, worn effect, and also giving the effect of a widescreen film. The film is no longer showing in cinemas, so this website is, in fact, advertising the film's release on DVD/ Blu-Ray. I think it is likely that, due to the website's address

(http://www.310toyumafilm.com/), the website probably started off advertising the film's cinema release.

On the left is a large picture of the film's DVD cover. The construction of the image is very similar to the poster for "The Proposition", with close-ups of the film's two main characters- an outlaw in custody and a farmer, seeking justice, placed in opposite halves of the cover, a diagonal line seperating them, giving a disorientating effect; the line is sudden, cutting straight through the characters like a knife. Both characters hold firearms, symbolising conflict. The same image is also used on the film's poster.

On the right of this image are some more images of the film's main characters. Here, the images are layered on top of each other in a way which produces an almost-3D effect. They have also had the contrast increased, a grainy filter has been added, and it has been saturated, to produce a worn, dusty and stylised effect. The two main characters from the DVD cover are the largest, to draw attention to them. Their images are also the same size, symbolising equality.  The supporting characters are placed in the background and, again. are the same size. The outlaw's expression is cool, calm and unworried. The farmer's expression is the opposite: he is on edge, worried, possibly surprised. He clutches a rifle The man to the left of him appears to be reaching for something, maybe a weapon. He is on edge, nervous, and looking to the left, as if expecting something, a threat. The lady on the left has her arms folded, a symbol of strength of character. She doesn't look lke the typical damsel in distress.Below this is the film's US age rating, plus links to "additional rating info". The film's distributor, "Lionsgate", which is also a link.

If you wait a few seconds, the screen changes to this. The image of the film's characters is replaced by a trailer for the film. This is analysed seperately in the "Teaser Trailer Research" section.

Once the trailer has finished, the page becomes this.Now the special features are listed, a common convention found on most modern DVD releases. "Special" is used to give these features value, and entice the viewer in to buying the DVD.

 Clicking "Enter Site" brings up the film's general release site, which we assume was used before the film was released on DVD, as "Now Playing" is stated at the bottom.

It shares features with the DVD site, such as the trailer, but looks at the film itself in more detail, with sections such as "Cast & Crew", and "Downloads". This site features only the two main characters, and they stand side by side, looking into the horizon . The contrast has been increased and the colour has been desaturated, so both their faces and the shadows are highlighted, giving the image an edgy look.

After closing the trailer, wait a few seconds, and you see this: critical reviews, which "fade" into focus. What's interesting here is the film gets compared to "Unforgiven"; Bruce Westbrook of the Houston Chronicle says "The best Western since "Unforgiven!" Unforgiven seems to be the benchmark of modern Westerns, as evidenced by its 5th place in the IMDB list of top-rated Westerns; the only Western from the last 20 years to be in the top 10.

This website seems a lot closer to what we plan to make, as the website will be made to advertise the film's general release, not its release on DVD.