Shot List

On the left is a shot list.

We decided to produce a range of different shots to use within our trailer to incorporate a better result. We included various shots, angles, and movements, this overall will support use when filming as we have a set plan and should be fairly straight forward as it wont be out of proportion, nor will we be confused. However we may come to a stage where we may not put forward various shots.

To reinforce our ideas on the horror genre I researched films and watched trailers to help identify the best shots, angles and editing techniques to include in our production. One horror film I researched into was the uninvited, however I researched the poster on the horror film. In the trailer of the univited however http:///www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqZpkxKPFQk I noticed that there were a number of fade to blacks which sets the genre of horror to the audience. These shots were very dependant at the beginning of the trailer which sets the mood for the audience. For this reason I will focus on using such techniques within my horror trailer. I noticed a significant number of close up and medium shots which contributes to the genre of the film as people are in more suspense and affraid of whats to happen next, close up shots help signify emotion and expression. I also noticed a strong low angle shot which also makes the audience question themselves about what is looking up at the character. The various shots and angles overall made the trailer more appealing and interesting to the audience, so including such techniques within my own trailer is very important as I aim to face the needs of the audience.

Location

Presentation

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The first location shown on the slideshow above is Parkhall Academy. We chose to film in our school as the setting is a mental institution and I believe it doesnt look like a hospital put pulls of a institution look, mainly from the outside. The shots we intend to take are also in some forms isolated which relate to an institutional view and the storyline also revolves around a girl being isolated from peers and the wider world. As our trailer is a genre of horror the school is an ideal place and the closest location we could film in as a hospital would not be appropriate for medical reasons. The location is good for us to portray images and clips of isolation and a girl trying to escape, large wide windows with no possibility of opening helps our trailer create this image.

Questionnaire and Results

Our results came to show very useful opinions from different people, at different ages, we were able to listen to these opinions and take action when producing our trailer. The graph below asks the question 'who do you prefer to see in your trailer' the majority of respondants answeres the main character which is understandable as the majority of respondants would prefer to see the main character which is why they are likely to view the film. We supported there opinion as the film is produced to target a audience and therefore we will include the main actress within the trailer.

The pie chart on the left asks the question ' what do you enjoy about film trailers?' The majority of respondants enjoy trailers because it builds up an insight about the film so therefore encourages them to watch the film in full. As a group we will aim to produce a trailer with a clear storyline however one that doesnt give all away, we will also aim to make is exciting as this contributes to building up insights about the film as the audience are likely to question about it.

This chart asks the question 'do you prefer fast pace or slow pace trailers?' the majority answered fast over slow which is recognisable as the film is targeted towards young adults/ teenagers and these groups prefer excitment. Fast pace helps build up excitment. From different peoples opinion we aim to include a lot of fast pace which also helps build up excitment, however there will be slow pace also for the audience to understand whats happening in certain shots.

Another question asked is 'How much of the narrative do you prefer to see?' Many respondants answered 50%, this means half of the storyline to be shown which is a significant amount of the story. However the audience would want to know what they are going to watch. We will use peoples opinion to help support our trailer to help it become successful, we will include a strong narrative so the audience understand what the film is going to be about and if it is there type of film they are likely to watch it, however we dont intend to include the full narrative as this gives away the film and less people are likely to go ahead and watch it as they feel they have already seen the majority.

The picture on the left is one of the questionnaires a member of the audience filled out. The results from the questionnaires showed that the most common places the audience would prefer to watch new released films are on the internet and cinemas. From these results I believe the best platform to release my product through will be through the internet and cinemas too, however to widen the availability to watch my product I will also release my product on DVD in near future and technology such as iphone apps etc. Through the results of my questionnaire I also noticed that the majority of respondants of all ages enjoy watching film trailers to gather an insight about the film and too see future releases and also to see when there favourite actor will next be staring. This then encourages the audience to pay to see the full viewing of the movie in public places such as the cinemas or by it in future on DVD. This has a positive knock on effect on the audience when a popular or well known star is in film as it creates a fan base and a buzz amongst the vast majority of the audience. My questionnaire also suggests that the audience prefer to see 50% of the narrative in the trailer so they know what the basis of the film is going to be about, the genre and style however does also allow some of the film to be a suprise when they go to watch the full version. The trailer also allows you to see a diverse range of locations and actors which makes the film seem more appealing towards the audience. This is important when producing a storyline because you have to appreciate using a restricted narrative in the trailer which will create interest and enigma. In contrast to this, respondants also felt that the use of titles in a trailer are just as important, this is because it allows important information to be transferred across such as the title of the film, the release date and the main characters. Out of the complete 12 questionnaires, 8 people said that they prefer fast pace trailers in addition to slow pace, this builds up more excitment and drive to take further actions to watching the film in full, they also stated that they prefer to see the main character in the trailer, subtitles and a range of different locations as this also sets the mood and genre of the film. The information the audience expected to see from a trailer is the basic narrative outline, the genre of the film and additional information such as the release date.

Conventions of a Horror

Above are different conventions of a horror genre which as a group we are highly likely to use. There are several possibilities we could use, however we may only choose to use a few, for example one or two settings.

Target Audience.

Horror films are usually typically aimed at teenagers and young adults. The audience of horror films are mostly interested in feeling an adrenaline rush from being fearful, fear is built up from thrills scary music, setting and costume. This helps build up excitement for the audience and the significant number of people watching these horrors are young adults/teenagers. Although horror films are viewed in a negative light they sell very well as young people tend to find them appealing whereas critics find them disturbing and view them more negatively. Because of this assumption the majority of horror films are targeted towards a high number of teens as they are more likely to accept the faults shown in horror films more so than the older generation. However some of the older generation still find horror films appealing and will be up for watching them. Films such as 28 days later are aimed towards older people however this film appeals to a massive number of teenagers.

The target audience we have decided to aim our film towards is females. Although the horror genre is usually aimed towards men, our film has a storyline which is most likely to appeal towards females rather than males and as a group we agreed to subvert this typical convention to form a wider demographic. Another reason this would have a wider female audience rather than males is because females are more likely to relate to this storyline if they have had past experiences or if they know other members to have been in such situations. Males on the other hand tend to push these situations aside or feel they cannot cope deep down to talk about these problems such as mental disorders so deal with them in a different way, therefore males arent likely to find this storyline very appealing. Even though not all women find themselves in a situation where they have experienced mental illness or know of someone with this illness, they are still likely to watch it more so than men because they find such topics more appealing and interesting and are likely to take information from films.

Case Study - The Omen

The Omen is a 1976 horror film which leaves the audience in suspense. The Omen is highly likely to attract males due to the sexually objectified women, blood and gore and the violence. The Omen is of the supernatural thriller and the weapons are of an everyday nature which are used to kill damien victims, these weapons are likely to attract males more so than women because they tend to be more fascinated and the infliction of violence on somebody else is seen as exciting to males.

Case Study - Spiderman 3

Spiderman 3 was made by Sony Pictures and had its premiere in the Japanese capital - the first Hollywood blockbuster to do so. Spiderman 3 has made the most money on this side of the world than anywhere else.

Spiderman 3 is a good example of synergy because it released promotional material on several different platforms including, trailer, magazine and film posters etc.

Spiderman 3 is a action/drama fantasy which is highly likely to attract the male sex, also children will be fascinated by the artificial image on the front cover of the film and advertisments. Spiderman 3 also has scenes which include romance which is likely to attract the female sex as they like to relate to such situations or even escape from their own problems, women and girls tend to be more emotional than males which is why this is likely to attract females. Violence is also portrayed in this action drama which automatically brings attention to the male audience. Although the film has scenes which aim at both genders, I personally believe it is aimed at a higher proportion of males than females due to the image on the front cover and the genre it is.

Poster

The poster of spiderman 3 on the left connotes two sides to spidermans personality the bright side of him and the other represents the dark side of his personality which is the black suit. There is also a mirror between the two personalities.

The colours used on this poster and the font used are fixed throughout all releases of this film and throughout all types of releases such as magazines and trailers etc. The actual colours used on the building are very similar to the pattern on spidermans suit, and the high angle shot can leave the audience feeling very edgy however the colours used for the sky portray a very calm feeling.

Spiderman 3 follows the action drama which shows how a character has two personalities and these are built up throughout the film.

Magazine

The main image on the cover dennotes Tony Maguire the main character. This image connotes the use of the star to promote the film shown in a black suit which relates to the film as spiderman has two personalities and the one shown is his dark side. This shows a heavily promoted character in a black suit, this is a gimic or promotional aspect which helps advertise the film. The characters face expressions and body language shows how he has power over other people, this is because he has dark sinister evil looks upon his face and his one arm positioned in front of he other. The magazine also has puffs to help promote the film and sell the magazine, this one has a bold white heading saying 'free' this is likely to draw people's attention to other blockbuster films especially if they like spiderman as the puff on this magazine is advertising rocky. Sub titles such as the new look helps promote the film also as people may want to see the difference and how his character could have changed.

Trailer - At the beginning of the trailer there is a establishing shot of many buildings, this is good as it shows where the film is set or a location that is used in the film. A fade to black is then used as a cut this is used to build up suspense as spiderman them comes into the trailer but you cannot see him, you know that it is likely to be spiderman as a high shot is used whilst moving along and is thought that spiderman is flying. Again a fade to black is used and this again builds up the idea that spiderman is flying as there is a lot of suspence and a shot is then used where there is a crowd looking high in the sky, which makes the audience ask themselves what are they looking at? Spiderman is then introduced to the trailer flying in the air and the pace is very quick. A low angle shot is used when spiderman is over head, this shows that he has a lot of power and influence over the people around him. The cuts used to separate each shot get quicker throughout the trailer to build up excitment for the audience, also the background sound which is off screen leaves the audience in more suspence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCmMLfXdURs