In this years media course, our task is to produce a film trailer or teaser trailer, a film poster and a film magazine cover. After a month of researching the chosen genre that my group have chosen to make (horror) I have a better understanding of what is needed in this genre. The other research I have done is into film trailers and what they should include therefore I need to apply the following to the trailer I will be producing in the upcoming months.
Some typical trailer conventions include:
-Montage
-Release Date
-Name of the film
-Titles/ Voice over
-Production Company
-Sometimes the Film Certificate
This is the trailer for 'House at the End of the Street' (2012) this is an example of a trailer that I cannot create due to effects used within the trailer such as the rug moving by itself. For this movie they would have access to various locations e.g. a big creepy house with a basement whereas I will only be able to use an average sized house which can't be redecorated for the look that I would want for our film.
This is the trailer for 'Paranormal Activity 2' after watching this trailer I feel that I would be able to recreate a film trailer to a standard such as this. Therefore this is an example of a trailer that I could create, the effects are average and not too advanced and the footage isn't filmed on a high quality camera as it is trying to create a realistic look. Even though this trailer doesn't have as many special effects as the one above, I think it is still effective as it manages to scare the audience which is the main aim of a horror film.
Thursday, 27 September 2012
Research and Planning: Questionnaire Graphs
This questionnaire has allowed me to see what I need to include within my trailer:
- A villain who is not revealed would be interesting as we then don't have to show the gender of the stalker/villain, this could be a potential twist in the film as the audience may expect a certain gender but then be shocked when they find out its a different gender than they thought.
- Close ups as they are effective.
- The majority of our research answers shown that they would prefer the trailer to be filmed handheld from the stalkers view.
-Potentially locations that have been highlighted from research are The woods, college, shopping centre, house or an underground car park.
-We found that more people prefer titles being shown than voice overs for this type of genre (Horror/Thriller).
Research and Planning: Questionnaire
My group have came up with eight questions which we feel will help us throughout the following year when producing/making our film trailer. I think this research has benefited me as it has given me vital audience research for what they expect to see from our trailer. We asked questions about sound, mise-en-scene, cinematography and editing as it helps us to get a better idea of what our audience think should be involved in the trailer. This has given me ideas about what we should include in the trailer which I didn't previously have.
These are the eight questions eight questions that we have come up with.
This is one of the questionnaires a research audience person had filled out, I have uploaded this one as I thought these answers were particularly interesting and relevant.
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Research and Planning: The Meeting
Today my group had the first serious meeting about the film trailer we are going to produce and discussed the ideas. I am working in a group of three with Bethan O' Rourke and Alice Jones. I have taken the role of Mise-en-Scene which means I shall be dealing with setting, props, costumes and make up as well as lighting. Alice Jones has taken the role of Cinematography so she will be focusing on shot types, angles and distances. Bethan O'Rourke has taken the role of Editing which means she will be editing the footage after we have filmed it and making sure the transitions work smoothly. We have the split the role of Sound between the three of us where we will focus on diegetic and non diegetic sound and sound effects for the trailer.
We have decided as group that we are going to go with first plot idea featured on our pitch to create a horror/thriller about a stalker.
We have decided as group that we are going to go with first plot idea featured on our pitch to create a horror/thriller about a stalker.
Research and Planning: IMDb Film Research
I have taken a print screen of the ten most popular thriller films according to IMDb, I think this is a modern list which shows the most popular modern films that are either showing in cinemas or coming soon to cinemas.
I also took print screens of the highest rated horror films and the top US grossing horror titles, I think this is important research as it allows me to see what people think are the top horror films and which make a bigger impact on the audience.
Monday, 24 September 2012
Research and Planning: Audience Theories
The Hypodermic Needle Theory
The Hypodermic Needle Theory suggests that mass media has a powerful influence and direct effects on the audience. Messages from the media are 'injected' directly into the audiences mind and is received and accepted by the audience who are immediately influenced by the message.
The Cultivation Theory
The Cultivation Theory suggests TV programmes has the power to give people certain points of views and mindsets which is the same as the programmes. The more we watch the TV the more we believe the world is a certain way.
Desensitisation Theory
The Desensitisation Theory suggests that audiences reactions are growing poorer according to the level and amount of exposure they receive to violence, death and sex. Audiences seem more tolerate to certain behaviours.
Modelling or Copycat Theory
The Copycat Theory gains a lot of negative attention in the media. This is when the audience view films and video games and copy what they see which could possibly cause trouble in society. For example, if they see violence in a film they will act out in the same violent way in society.
Uses and Gratifications Theory
The Uses and Gratifications Theory assumes that the audience take from the film/media what we want and disregard what we don't want. It suggests that the audience are intelligent enough to not be influenced to copy the actions.
The Cultivation Theory
Desensitisation Theory
Modelling or Copycat Theory
Uses and Gratifications Theory
Thursday, 20 September 2012
Research and Planning: Trailer Ideas
I have seen a part of this trailer that I think is really effective in a stalker film. I like the part where the camera flashes with images of the family as it is fast pace and shows how obsessive and creepy the man is.
A film called 'Demons Never Die' came on sky premiere this Friday so I decided to watch it and find interesting parts that can help me when i'm thinking about ideas for my trailer.
Parts I thought were effective;
- I liked how the character called Archie has a flashback into childhood which helps to enlighten or hint to the audience why the character has mental issues/problems later in life.
-The dark lighting reflected the dark thoughts of the character and created a dark mood/atmosphere.
-Establishing shots that shown the area in this case it created a glum and dismal image.
-A scene with a character walking through a graveyard, this is a great setting as it provides a sense of foreboding and it eerie.
-In terms of sound, I thought the heavy breathing and footsteps were interesting as it makes both the audience and character in the film feel paranoid so you participate in the film.
-A good part of mise en scene I saw was the villain in a black hoodie which hid his identity in a black room with newspaper clippings
Research and Planning: Idea Change
After getting feedback off our target audience and doing further research into the type of film we want to make, I think it would be best to change our film genre to Thriller/Horror as both of these genres overlap. As we are thinking of making a stalker film, I feel the stalker plot fits more under the thriller genre but I'd still like elements of horror within.
Research and Planning: Trailer Analysis Two
Prom Night Trailer (2008)
The second trailer I am going to analyze is Prom Night which is a certificate 15 and is classed as a horror/thriller. The film was directed by Nelson McCormick; I have decided to analyze this trailer as it has effective horror elements and it will help me understand the language used in horror films.
Genre
The genre of this film is shown in the plot of the trailer as a mysterious man who is obsessed in one of his students got arrested then escaped from jail. He then goes after the female student called Donna on her prom night but he will kill anyone who gets in his way including her friends. The jump cuts throughout the film makes the audience jumpy, as when we least expect it the killer appears and takes another victim. I think Carol Clover's ' the Final Girl will be terrorized throughout the film' theory applies to this film. The final girl theory is when a series of victims are killed one by one by the killer which increases the terror for the audience and then it comes down to a climax where the killer goes after the last surviving female in this case it is Donna who either gets away or kills the killer. In this trailer we are unable to see the ending as this would ruin the film for the audience so this way we want to know what happens in the film as the suspense is increased throughout.
Representation
I think this trailer stereotypes teenagers as they seem to be not concerned about anything apart from the way they look and everything superficial in the beginning of the prom. I think the police force are badly represented in the trailer as there seems to be one detective trying to catch the killer, the seem to be understaffed and incapable of catching the killer in the beginning thus making them seem unprofessional and unorganized. I think Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory only fits in slightly here as it doesn't seem to be a prominent feature throughout, I think the male gaze only is shown at points such as when Donna is walking down the stairs in her dress and her boyfriend is admiring her however this is seen as normal.
Narrative
From the trailer we can see that the killer was the students teacher in the past but he got put in jail when he became obsessed with one of his female students (Donna). He then seems to have escaped prison and comes after her at the prom but he is killing who ever gets in his way, including her friends. I think an appropriate narrative theory for this trailer is Levi Strauss & Roland Barthes 'Binary Opposites' which are between the young female student Donna and older male teacher who is both a stalker and a killer. There are many binary opposites between these two characters but the main one is that Donna is innocent and good whereas the killer is guilty and bad.
Audience
I think the audience for this film are young adults/ older teenagers as it doesn't have too much of a complex plot, and the characters all seem to be young therefore they will relate to the characters more than an adult audience will. I think this film is more aimed at a specific gender of females as it is about prom night and a girl who has been stalked therefore I think it would be enjoyed more by females than males as in the beginning of the trailer it shows a lot of content about the girls getting ready and dressed up for prom and could be said that is is 'girly' it is only in the second half that the action/ killings begin. As this film is a thriller/horror I think the audience do have to stay quite active as the man obviously has a past history with the female student Donna and there is a reason he is killing people and a reason he is trying to get to her. I think the audience would have to be at least fifteen years old as there seem to be some intense jumpy/graphic scenes when the killings happen or the victims are found.
Media Language
Mise en Scene:
- The trailer begins with the main female character in the hairdressers this is a usual girly innocent activity which helps to lure the audience into a false sense of security as everything seems normal in the first half of the trailer.
-The girls are all in prom gowns which makes them seem vulnerable
-The party begins in the limo where all the students are on their way to prom, they all look like they are enjoying themselves through their facial expressions which show them to be happy and their body language which shows them to be relaxed and at ease.
-The main setting where the prom is being held is at a hotel which seems a safe place as it is full of people and isn't usually a place where murders take place.
-Every time their is a murder or about to be a murder the low key lighting appears, this hints that something sinister or scary is to appear.
-The villain/stalker is also in a suit which helps him blend in with the people at prom which makes people less suspecting of him but he also wears a cap which acts a a disguise from the students however this points him out to the audience of being creepy.
- The detective is in a suit which is a professional attire which makes him seem efficient.
Sound:
-The non diegetic sound of music creates a happy atmosphere in the first half of the trailer but as soon as the room goes dark the diegetic sound of screams begins and so does the incidental music which sounds like a heartbeat this highlights the fact that people are about to be killed and there heartbeat is about to stop.
-The sound is synchronous when the stalker is heavy breathing and the diegetic sound of footsteps is used, this makes the action seem in the same room as the audience sat.
Cinematography:
-In the beginning of the trailer the use of long shots and medium close ups are used to help establish the scene to the audience and introduce the characters.
-I think the close up of the main girl and her boyfriend happily dancing is important as it shows they are relaxed and comfortable so when the lights go out we begin to see a different reaction from characters.
-There are then straight cuts which show medium close ups of the victims before they are killed it is as if they are prey being watched before they are killed.
-The extreme close up shot shows the eye of the girl (Lisa) who is looking through a hole at the killer, it builds anticipation and we know see is about to die.
-The point of view shot we recieve from the main character of the girl who is being stalked is effective as we see the killer/stalkers feet appear as she does and the audience will put themselves in her shoes and may also feel panicked.
-The camera tilts to feet at the top of a flight of stairs which builds suspense as the audience are curious to know who it is at the top of the stairs as it could be the killer or someone who will help.
Editing:
-The trailer begins with a montage of happy memories from the high school students this lures the audience into a false pretense and makes the film seem a genre such as comedy or romance however when the light goes out the horror genre is shown.
-In the trailer there are jump cuts between the characters which makes it seem like all the events are happening at the same time and the highlights the reaction to the events happening from each characters perspective.
-The editing is fast pace but picks up even more speed towards the end of the trailer which shows its reaching a climax in the film, this editing is full of straight cuts which helps quicken the editing.
Research and Planning: Trailer Analysis One
Obsessed Film Trailer (2009)
For my first analysis I have decided the film 'Obsessed' would be a good choice and would help me as this film plot is like one of the plots on my pitch. This film is under the genre of thriller and is certificate 12A therefore I don't think the violence will be too extreme. The film director is Steve Shill and only got rated 4.6 out of 10 on the IMDb site.
Genre
Obsessed is a thriller, we can see this through the trailers construction which is fast pace with lots of jump cuts this helps to add suspense and shows you have to be active when watching the film to keep up with what is happening in the content. Andrew Sarris's theory on genre is that 'genre is the idea that is has recognizable style that draws on an existing audience.' I think this is true in this trailer as it has the typical conventions of a thriller film trailer from the powerful close ups to the creepy non diegetic sound in the background of the trailer. The genre is hinted at through the narrative of a woman becoming obsessed with a man and doing strange things to his family and how she imagines a whole relationship in her head which isn't really true showing she is mentally unstable.
Representation
Laura Mulvey's theory for representation is the 'Male Gaze' which is a term that was coined by Mulvey in 1975, she believes that in film the audience have to view characters from a males perspective. I think this trailer supports this theory as the camera lingers on the females curves and presents it from the males view. The women is objectified and comes across with sexuality and the events shown are from the males reaction to what the female is doing. I think a few stereotypes are shown in this trailer too, as it shows the blonde woman as being a 'bunny boiler' wanting to ruin a mans family life, she is shown as being obsessive and dangerous in pursuit of this innocent man. I think that this is a typical stereotype as it is a woman seducing a man and the blame is often put on just the woman, in this trailer the man comes across as innocently flirting but knows the limit as he says 'Stop'. I think that the mans wife (Beyonce) isn't stereotypical as she is not represented as being weak and vulnerable, she is in fact a protective figure who faces the situation in a strong and fighting manner.
Narrative
I think Todorov's theory comes is highlighted; in terms of this trailer it begins with an equilibrium where everything is balanced and then the new temp worker comes to the office which is disruption to usual events and this sets off a chain of events where she begins to act irrationally and attempts to commit suicide. This problem seems to be solved at the end of the trailer as there is a showdown between the stalker and the wife, however we do not see the result of this showdown in the trailer this is because they want to entice the audience into seeing the film at cinemas or buying the movie on DVD. Within this narrative there seems to be three very active characters - The blonde stalker woman, the man who she is stalking and the mans wife, this trio is like a love trio. The narrative starts by introducing the new temp worker at the office but switches between scenes between the man and his wife and the man and his stalker so it is like he lives a double life, it is when the wife and the stalker come into contact that the real action starts to begin.
Audience
The target audience for this is 12A as it only contains moderate physical and psychological threat and the disturbing sequences are not frequent. I think this film appeals to both genders as it has scenes a main male characters and two leading female characters, as it is a thriller is isn't aimed at a specific gender as this genre is quite widely aimed at audiences. I think the audience will have interests in subjects such as psychology as the woman obviously has a mental disorder and this would interest students in that specific subject, I think they would have to like active films as you have to keep concentrated on what is happening within the film.
Media Language
Mise en Scene:
- There are many different locations included in this trailer. The underground car park is an isolated place which has a sinister feel towards it with its low key lighting it builds tension for something to happen. There is the typical american house where they live and a city office where he works which is busy both of these locations are familiar places and where most people feel safe and comfortable however both these places are violated and intruded on by the stalker so there is no where to feel safe. The other location is the hospital which is a bare setting with high key lighting.
-The outfits/costumes in this trailer are stylish and up to date which shows the film is set in modern day. An outfit that stands out in the trailer is the stalker in her long red dress this could show her passion but reflects to the audience a sense of danger and hints at what she is capable of.
-In the beginning of the trailer the stalker acts friendly and most of her facial expressions consist of smiling however this changes as the trailer goes on as she becomes more nasty and angry in her facial expressions especially when she doesn't get what she wants. Whereas the wife's body language is very stand off when around the stalker which shows she doesn't trust her.
-The wife and man are always positioned tightly in the frame which shows they love each other and the feelings are reciprocated. However the wife and the stalker always have distance in the frame as they clearly dislike each other.
-There is low key lighting when the stalker is on her on in a few of the scenes e.g. in the little boys room and when she is swirling around the hotel room this could reflect her dark thoughts and show her as shady. The lighting is high key whenever the stalker and man are in public together which shows the relationship as being innocent.
Sound:
- There is a mixture of diegetic and non diegetic sound throughout, the diegetic sounds consists of dialogue and sounds made by objects in the story such as the phone ringing.
-Whereas the non diegetic sound is that of the mood music which flows throughout the trailer, the mood music is sharp and adds a dramatic effect to the trailer when the music speeds up we know its reaching a climax in the storyline. However, the music changes as at the start it is sharp and punctuates certain points of the narrative e.g. when the man and female first meet at work, the music changes as the wife begins to get involved in the narrative to a more sinister sound which builds up to the fight.
-Part of the dialogue when the stalker says 'Derek' is slow and hazy this enables the audience to see something has happened and something negative is going to happen.
Cinematography:
- The film trailer begins with an extreme long shot which helps to establish the scene and then cuts to a birds eye which is a shot from directly above. Both of these shots are to introduce the scene and surroundings to the audience, the shots show the city buildings and the cars on the road, this helps to show the time in which the film is set (modern day) and what life the characters have.
-When the female stalker is in the office environment there are mid shots and close ups of her but I think the most interesting shots of her are the long shots as they show what she is wearing and she seems to wear sexy office clothes that are intentionally worn to seduce the men in the office and make her 'wanted'
-The birds eye shot of the female stalker lay on his bed wearing nothing but his top puts a lot of distance between her and the audience and shows the different mindsets of people, she is crazy and we see her from a more stable and superior view
-The point of view shot from the mans perspective shows the emails coming through on his computer and the picture that she keeps sending him, she is obviously obsessed and the situation is getting out of control. As we see this from his perspective we feel as shocked as he is when he observes what is going on.
-After the scene with her attempting to seduce him at the office party there is a medium close up of the man in the elevator so we get an idea of how he is feeling just before the doors shut therefore we are not fully enabled to see his overall reaction to the events. It then cuts to a pan of his house this shows us that he may be feeling guilty about what just happened as it is taking us to a place where he has responsibilities. This idea is further shown with a close up of his wife looking through the window, she has a suspicious and worried look on her face which makes her seem very intelligent as she seems to guess what is happening behind her back.
-The film trailer ends on the fight scene between stalker and wife and there are quick cuts to a worms eye shot showing the wife is higher up than the stalker and the frame shows the way the audience feels. We feel more sympathy for the innocent wife and we want her to win the fight so she is superior in the moral hierarchy. The camera tilts to show the stalker hanging from the ceiling with only the wife holding on to her, she literally has her life in the hands of the woman whose husband she is trying to steal.
-Throughout the trailer are two shots of wife and husband where they are positioned tight in the framing showing them to be comfortable which contrasts with the two shots of the man and his female temp woman (stalker) where when they are close he looks uncomfortable but usually they have some distance.
Editing:
-The editing for this trailer is very fast paced which builds tension for the audience and emphasises the film genre of Thriller.
-There are fades from titles in the trailer back into the images of the film, this looks very effective as it doesn't disturb the footage.
-The shot reverse shots are between the people talking, these are very important in this trailer as it allows you gauge the reaction of the character from what has been said to them for example the scene when they are in the car together she says 'I almost went insane today I had to pretend I was concentrating on work when all I could think about..' he then replies with a shocked look 'LISA!' he is trying to discourage her obsession with him.
-Within the trailer is a short montage when the wife rings a colleague asking where her husband is, it then starts the short montage of the stalker stripping off, to being unconscious in bed and then in a hospital bed this allows the audience to keep up with whats happening in the film without spoiling it.
-There are straight cuts throughout the trailer which helps to keep the trailer fast and tense.
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
Research and Planning: Trailer Analysis Ideas
I decided to ask for help off the social network site facebook for which trailers I should analyse I think this will give me a clearer idea of what films people class as the horror genre.
I have looked through all the suggestions from the people on facebook and then went on to watch the trailers of them all on youtube. I decided to analyse 'Prom Night' and 'Obsessed' as I feel these two trailers would benefit me more in terms of my own film trailer that I will soon be producing.
Monday, 17 September 2012
Research and Planning: Regulation and Censorship
As I have decided that the genre for my film trailer will be horror, I need to consider what certificate my film will be and what certificate I will make the trailer. I may put my film trailer at a certificate 15 as it will be shown to a broader audience and adverts could be shown at earlier times rather than just at night. When I visited the British Board of Film Classification site, I learnt what content can be shown at a 15 within horror content, it stated "Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised." this will help me when planning out my film trailer. When making the film trailer it will be important to stay within the BBFC guidelines for that specific certificate so I will carefully select which clips will be appropriate and which won't.
A certificate 18 may seem too high for the horror film trailer I'm creating, I think if we go with the first plot in our group pitch about a stalker it may be best to keep the certificate at a 15 however if we decide on the second plot about the massacre I think it should be an 18 due to the violent nature/gore.
Research and Planning: Stalker Films
I have made this post to show different plot types for stalker films, I think this was important for me to do as it will help me when I am constructing my storyboard etc as I need to think of a plot that is viable and interesting. By looking at similar plots, I can see parts that I think would help make a good film and apply parts of it to mine.
Fatal Attraction (1987) is about a married man who has a weekend affair with a female colleague while his family are out of town but what he never expected was that the woman would begin to stalk him and his family. This film is a certificate 18 as there is violence with knives, guns and hand to hand combat as well as the horror stalker nature of the film.
Fear (1996) is a certificate 18 that is under the genre of Horror, Thriller and Drama. Fear is about a young girl of sixteen years old (Nicole) who is innocent but rebels against her father, so when she meets a guy (David) she decides to go out with him as her father disapproves. Her father does a check on his daughters new boyfriend and finds that he isn't all he appears to be. Nicole later finds out how possessive he really is as he will do anything to be with her even beating himself and falsely accusing others.
Single White Female (1992) is about a girl who advertises in the paper for a 'single white female' to share rent with her in a new room, she woman she chooses seems to be normal however she has a past that haunts her. Her new room mate begins to copy everything about her like the way she dresses and even copies her hairstyle so they are almost identical. She finds out the background of her new room mate and she isn't who she says she is after all, in fact she has a shady history where she killed the last woman she chose to copy so now it is a race against time. The is also a certificate 18 and is also classed as a thriller, I think if my group decide on doing a plot about a stalker that we need our genre to be horror/thriller in order for it to be as effective.
Sleeping with the Enemy (1991) is about a woman who fakes her own death in order to avoid the terrible marriage she is in but her obsessive and abusive husband won't be kicked out of her life that easily, and if he cannot have her then nobody can. This film unlike the three above is a certificate 15 this could be as it isn't as violent/sexual.
Thursday, 13 September 2012
Research and Planning: Photoshop Challenge
Today we were set the photoshop challenge task which was the see what we could remember about photoshop since we've not used it since before the summer holidays. We were told to take an image and make a film poster which is the same genre of the film trailer we plan to make for coursework this year; in my case the genre is horror.
I have looked at the typical codes and conventions of film posters and have tried to apply most of them to my photoshop challenge film poster. The codes and conventions are:
- A tagline for the film.
- A date for the release of the film or 'Coming Soon'.
- The films title.
- An image of something that relates to what the film is about and what it includes.
- Logos for who made the film etc.
- Usually includes actors names in a larger font somewhere on the poster, usually when they are popular actors as this helps to promote the film.
- Some posters include a certificate but not all.
- The film credits.
- The colour and lighting should hint at the genre of the film
As this was a quick challenge to just show what we remember I haven't used as many tools as I did in AS media. I got the image of the woman off the internet and opened the image up in photoshop then I decided to highlight the most creepy parts of the photo. I used the brush tool to draw red eyes and to paint red in her hair and around her fingertips, I also branded a faint 'mark' on her left shoulder. For these to look effective I had to change the brush size and brush opacity so it highlights some parts more than others e.g. I made the red blood near her fingers a brighter red than the mark on her back. I then used the blur tool for the black around her eyes to increase the scary look of the woman, I wanted it to look as if the black was spreading; like the evil is slowly taking over. I downloaded two fonts - the first was 'October Crow' which was a horror font which helps to portray the genre and 'Steel Tongs' to write the film credits which gives it a professional look.
Tuesday, 11 September 2012
Research and Planning: Target Audience
I have copied and pasted the Top Rated Horror Titles off IMDb where the public have rated their
favourite horror films. I have found that the majority are from 1900's and the minority are from
20th century upwards. This could possibly be as our the 1900's generation had more fears of the
unknown whereas the current generation seem to be desensitized to horror and violence. I would
have expected more modern films to be featured as technology is more advanced nowadays and
special effects have allowed scenes to look more real. These films have been around longer than
modern films such as 'Zombieland' so it could be that they may not be the most popular; the 1900's
films may have the advantage of being voted for since they came out.
I have copied and pasted the most searched for Horror Titles in the last 7 days off IMDb as I
think this will give me a more accurate view of what the audience wants as this is a modern
vote that enables me to view what modern viewers are most likely to search for and want to
watch. Many of these searches seem to have a fantasy element to the horror genre such as
Vampire Diaries that deal with mystical beings/legends such as vampires, witches and werewolves
this showing me that people are possibly more afraid of things that can't be proved to be real.
The top search at number one is the film 'Cabin in the Wood's which has a similar plot to a plot
I created for the pitch of a group of friends going somewhere they feel safe e.g. a house and
then it going terribly wrong where people start to get murdered. Therefore it is interesting to
know people are interested in this sort of plot.
Research and Planning: Target Research Audience Interviews
After coming up with our groups interview questions, we went around college and asked the students the questions about what they expect from this genre of film; horror. This was ideal as the students are aged 15 to 18 years old which is what rating our film will be therefore they are our perfect target audience. Their feedback will help us when producing the film trailer and the comments made will be taken into consideration when making decisions.
When asked about what sound effects would be most suitable for a stalker film, he replied 'footsteps and breathing' I think this is a good idea as it helps to create an eerie atmosphere so not only is the person being stalked scared, the audience will also feel what it is liked to be stalked and will prey on their fears. For Mise en Scene purposes we asked what colours are most suitable for a horror and he responded with 'Red and Black' this was said by three of our interviewees which shows they expect a certain colour scheme for this genre therefore I think when thinking about props, setting, costume we should include dark colours as it is more creepy.
Our second interviewee said the best horror films were the ones that created suspense which I agree is an important feature within this genre, by thinking about sound and character for the trailer I think we can create suspense. Interestingly, she feels that the villain/killer in the film should be a female as it would be more twisted, I think in films the majority of villains are males so it would be a different to have a female as the villain in our horror.
When asked about what makes the best horror films, he said 'violence' I think this is an important part in horror as sometimes it can help to pick up the pace of the film and enables action rather than it being suspense and the same pace throughout. I think we need to include action in our trailer as it intrigued the audience and makes them want to know what happens after the encounter between victim and villain/killer.
Research and Planning: Interview Questions
These questions are going to be asked to our film trailers target audience which is people between the ages of 15 years old and 18 years old. Today we will be interviewing people within our college as they fit the category. I hope that the answers will help to determine what sort of horror film people want to see and also what things people expect to see in the horror genre.
Target Audience Research Questionnaire:
Target Audience Research Questionnaire:
1. What Plot would you
prefer? Our plot with a Stalker or Our plot with a massacre? And why?
2. What would be the best
location for this?
3. What sort of sound
effects should be in a horror film?
4. What makes the best
horror film?
5. What colours do you
associate with this genre?
6. What do you expect to
see in a horror film?
7. Would you prefer a male
or female villain? And what makes a good killer/villain?
8. What type of music would
you expect in this genre of film?
Research and Planning: Pitch
This is our groups pitch for our film trailer. Both of these plots are of the horror genre as we have decided this is the genre we definitely want to do however our two plots are totally different from each other as one explores the stalker type of film such as 'Prom Night' and 'Obsessed' whereas the other explores the massacre horror films such as 'Sorority Row'. This has helped to create some ideas for the film trailer we are going to produce however things such as music and locations still need to be thought into.
Tuesday, 4 September 2012
Research and Planning: Chase Sequence
Sound
It was decided to stick with the diegetic sounds of the scene as it created a realistic effect. We wanted the chase to be quite a scary chase and decided to use the film genre of horror. In horror they usually use minimal sounds as the natural sound is much more effective. This is why we kept the background noise of the wind in the chase as it makes it creepier.
Cinematography
It was decided to use a range of shots but not use too many different shots in such a short time period as it would look jumpy and not flow properly. The cinematography could be improved vastly as a lot of the shots were taken on bad angles and the camera was often turned around from vertical to horizontal shots so the scene doesn't make as much sense however in some respects it worked in our favour as the choppiness and weirdness suits the genre and could be used to represent the villains state of mind. We used a mixture of close up shots and long shots as it helps to show the facial expressions and in turn their reaction e.g. fear and the long shot distances the characters from each other to show that a chase is taking place. Both low angle and high angle shots were used e.g a low angle shot of the scared girl running down the stairs but we also used a high angle shot of the girl running down the stairs the use of both shots creates the impression even more that you are being watched from everywhere. The high angle shot of the villain shows her power as she is chasing the other girl and she appears just after showing she is right behind her.
Editing
The main transitions that I used were straight cuts as it helps to keep up the speed of the film and fits with the genre as horror trailers usually are fast pace to cover a lot of footage in a short amount of time which interests the audience whilst scaring them. I think one of the most effective straight cuts was between the cabinet rattling and the reaction of the girl. I decided to fade the scenes in which the villain were shown by changing the brightness and exposure, this showed a clear difference between the two people in the film. I used jump cuts on the villain walking up the stairs as it quickens up the pace and gets rid of parts that aren't needed to be shown as it still presents the change over time. When the girl is stood at the top of the stairs I rotated the footage back and forth between her being vertical and her being horizontal which made the scene more creepy. I zoomed in and out of the girl who was hid in the corner the zoom out shown a long shot of her cowering in a corner and the zoom in shown a close up of the girls reaction.
Mise En Scene
We were limited in terms of Mise en scene as we had to film the chase in college however this didn't look very horror like so we decided to find areas of college that looked like a derelict building. We found a 'CCTV in operation' sign and used a close up of the sign to start the video, thus creating the impression that wherever you are you are being watched. We found a rusting gate that looked old and creepy that led down to a basement looking area and a cabinet that we rattled from the inside to create the impression of either someone being locked in or someone escaping. There were two sets of stairs that we used, on set was inside in and enclosed corridor which made it is to flick the lights on and off and create a scary effect as it as if the villain is doing it by herself. The second set of stairs were on the outside of the building the green bars contrast against the brick wall it is attached to, I think the old rustic look is quite effective.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)