Shooting Schedule.

I have booked out one of the college cameras over the Christmas holidays, so I will attempt to get all my filming done in this period.

Monday 21st December – Filming of the News Reporter scene with Peri, outside my house.

Wednesday 30th December – Filming of the all scenes in Little Switzerland; in the woods and under the rail bridge.
Filming of the scene down the Alleyway, Ashleigh being followed.

Sunday 3rd January – The filming of all the scenes inside my house; Ashleigh looking at the photo, on the phone and the stalker appearing.

Health and Safety Assessment.

Risk Assessment

I have looked at possible health and safety issues that may occur when filming for my trailer.

• The area; Little Switzerland is a well known area and often has many visitors, however I must be careful when taking expensive equipment to film as some of the areas within Little Switzerland are more secluded than others. Therefore I must be careful and think about who may be around, so I will make sure my dad comes with us whilst filming to make sure we’re okay and look after equipment when it is not being used. I will also take my mobile phone in case there are any emergencies.

• Consent; I am also aware that filming in a public place can be frowned upon so I will ring the East Riding of Yorkshire County Council to ask if it is possible for me to film in the country park.

• Rain; because I am filming most of my scenes in an open outdoor space if it rains there will be no shelter. It is very important that the camera or equipment does not get wet so I will take a big golfing umbrella to cover all equipment to ensure that this does not happen.

• Fire risks; I have to be aware of fire risks particularly when filming indoors. I will therefore make sure that all entrances are clear just in case and that all equipment is turned off when it is not being used.

• Obstacles; it is important to make my actors aware that much of the ground in the country park is uneven and that they must be careful especially when running during filming. I will take a first aid kit with me as a precaution should any minor accidents happen, again, I will be carrying my mobile phone should there be a more serious accident and I need to contact the emergency services.

Location List.

My house – I am going use my bedroom and living room in several scenes. The living room will be used when Ashleigh is sat looking at the different newspaper articles. The living room will also be used later on in the trailer when she is sat on the phone to her friend, the stalker then appears and takes her. The bedroom is used when Ashleigh is looking at the photo of her and Brooke. I have decided to use my bedroom and living room for several reasons, it is easy to access these rooms if the scenes need to be re-shot. Also the rooms are simply laid out and are in very neutral colours, these stick to the convention of horror with dark and dull colours. I will also film outside my house, when the news reporter is reporting the sixth disappearance she will be reporting on location, stood outside Ashleigh’s house.







Little Switzerland – This is a public country park on Hessle Foreshore, it has lots of woodland area as well as several railway bridges which will be a perfect location for filming several scenes for my trailer because it is secluded. The area has lots of different pathways so we can film in various locations. It is not too difficult to get to the location if any scenes need to be re-filmed. I will film in the daytime for safety reasons and to ensure I get better quality as the location is quite enclosed by trees so it will seem dark anyway, I will also darken the clips when I come to editing. The location will fit in with the conventions of horror, a lot of horror films are always in deserted, spooky and remote areas, and Little Switzerland will portray this perfectly.











Alleyway/Cut through – There is a long alleyway on the way to Little Switzerland that will be good for filming the scene when Ashleigh is getting followed. It is long enough to get a good shot of her walking down with the Stalker behind her. Again, like Little Switzerland, there is a feeling of seclusion which is a convention of horror trailers.

Prop and cast list.

Props
Rope
White mask
Newspaper articles
Mobile phone
Microphone
Photograph

Costumes
Ashleigh - Jeans and a coat. For the scene when she is walking home, casual clothing.
- Joggers and a hoody. For the scenes when she is at home, also for the scenes when she has been kidnapped, slouching clothes.

Stalker – Dark jeans, black hoody, and white mask.

News Reporter – Grey suit trousers and blouse, smart clothing.


Cast list
Ashleigh – the protagonist, she is an 18 year old girl who is trying to find some clues about her best friend Brooke’s disappearance. She is a smart and determined character, however after she is taken she soon becomes neurotic and apprehensive. I will get Beth to play the part of Ashleigh because she does not mind acting in front of the camera and doesn’t get embarrassed.

Stalker – the stalker is male, not much is given away about this character, he is mysterious, creepy and unemotional. Audiences assume he is behind all six disappearances. My brother, Ben, will play the part of the stalker, I chose him to play this part because he is doing drama GCSE and I need someone who will be prepared to re film if necessary. He does not need to do much acting because his character keeps the same demeanour throughout, he is also stood watching or walking, he never runs when chasing Ashleigh. My brother is a very laid back person so I thought he would play this role very well.

News Reporter – a 30 year old woman who is reporting about the sixth disappearance that has happened. She is normally a bubbly character but is anxious and looks worried about the unsolved mystery of the disappearances. I will get Peri to act the role of the news reporter as she has a distinguished voice and it important that I get someone who will speak clearly and properly when representing a news reader.

Script/Screenplay.

Evanescence – screenplay

Text block: Dimension films.

Scene one
EXT. INFRONT OF ASHLEIGH’S HOUSE. DAY.
A NEWS REPORTER is reporting a story about the disappearances because another one has happened.

NEWS REPORTER
(Talking into a microphone and looking anxious)
This makes a total of six disappearances in the last two months. The mystery remains unsolved.

Text block: One Girl

Scene two
INT. ASHLEIGH’S LIVING ROOM. DAY.
ASHLEIGH is sat on the sofa reading a newspaper article with other articles surrounding her. Tracking across the room to see what ASHLEIGH is reading, over the shoulder, zooming in to see the newspaper article. “Five disappearances” is the headline.

Text block: One Friend

Scene three
INT. ASHLEIGH’S BEDROOM. DAY.
ASHLEIGH is holding a photograph, the camera changes to a point of view shot to see the photo she is holding is of her and BROOKE.

Text block: Six Disappearances

Scene four
EXT. DOWN A CUT-THROUGH. DAY.
Tracking as Ashleigh walks, a figure behind her becomes visible in the background following her.

ASHLEIGH
(Walking down the cut-through and occasionally turning around but does not notice the figure following her)

Scene five
INT. ASHLEIGH’S LIVING ROOM. NIGHT.
ASHLEIGH is sat on the sofa talking on her phone.

ASHLEIGH
(Sitting on the sofa, talking on the phone, sounding worried and scared)
I had a feeling I was being followed when I was walking back from yours!

A loud knock at the window can be heard. ASHLEIGH walks to the window. Changes to a point of view shot.

ASHLEIGH
(Suddenly stands up, dropping the phone. Walks over to the window, opens the curtain and nothing is there. Turns around and sees the MASKED STALKER just stood in the door way)
Scream

Text block: one secret

Scene six
INT. RAILWAY BRIDGE. NIGHT.
ASHLEIGH is tied up and struggling to try and escape when a figure appears in the background.

ASHLEIGH
(Struggling and panting out of breathe, trying to escape)

Masked Stalker
(Slowly walking towards ASHLEIGH)

Scene seven
EXT. THE WOODS. NIGHT.
ASHLEIGH is running through the woods, she stumbles and falls. The MASKED STALKER appears again; both characters are visible in one shot.

ASHLEIGH
(Running, looking over shoulder. Stumbles and falls over, MASKED STALKER appears in the distance, attempts to get back up and run again)

Scene eight
EXT. DEEPER IN THE WOODS. NIGHT.
ASHLEIGH is running and the MASKED STALKER is just stood watching her. Shot changes to a close shot of ASHLEIGH running, then back to the stalker just stood watching her.

ASHLEIGH
(Still running but with a limp now, keeps glancing over shoulder)

MASKED STALKER
(Just stood still watching ASHLEIGH struggle to run)

Scene nine
EXT. NEAR THE RAILWAY BRIDGE. NIGHT.
ASHLEIGH looks around the corner of the bridge.

ASHLEIGH
(Slowly peers around the corner to look under the rail bridge, looks shocked)
Gasp

Text block: Autumn 2010

Scene ten
INT. RAILWAY BRIDGE. NIGHT.
ASHLEIGH is tied up and the MASKED STALKER is walking away.

ASHLEIGH
(Struggling and screaming)
What do you want?

MASKED STALKER
(Slowly walking away from ASHLEIGH and out from under the rail bridge)

Text block: Evanescence

Storyboard.

Synopsis.

The storyline of my film is based around a group of teenage girls who have gone missing. Protagonist Ashleigh, has closely been following the reports of these disappearances trying of find some clue or link as to who is behind the disappearances in hope of finding her best friend, Brooke, who vanished some months earlier. Ashleigh starts to get the feeling she is being followed and it soon becomes apparent she is. Her stalker takes her hostage and her endeavour to escape leads her to discover more than she may have bargained for. However it is important that the resolution of the film is unknown, therefore the trailer will not let audiences find out whom the stalker is, the secrets Ashleigh discovers or if she manages to escape. My trailer will use lots of quick, brief shots to show fast pace which will leave audiences in suspense.

After looking at several different possible names for my film I have decided to call it Evanescence, the definition of which is “the event of fading and gradually vanishing from sight”. I believe this is appropriate to my plot, as a group of girls are gradually vanishing one by one with no clues.

Mind map of ideas.

I have created a mind map of ideas for my trailer and used my previous research and audience research to help me. The two most important questions I asked my target audience were “What aspects of a trailer makes you want to go and watch the film?” and “What makes a good horror film?” The top answers in response to the first question were suspense and plot and the top answers for the second questions were suspense/tension, a twist/the unexpected, believability and finally a creepy/psychopathic killer. I will try to include as many of these into my trailer as I can, so that I give my target audience what they want. I will also try and incorporate as many conventions of horror as I can, which I earlier discovered from my research. Below is the mind map I created, it is shows the development of my ideas. I will use this mind map to help me create and develop a synopsis.

Audience Research.

For my audience research I created a questionnaire to identify my target audience in order to aim my trailer at the right people. I wanted to find out who my target audience would be and discover more about their lifestyle, for example, how often they go to the cinema, what they like to do in their spare time and if they buy or download DVDs. I also asked what aspect of a trailer makes my target audience want to watch the film as well as what makes a good horror film. It was important that I found out what grabs their attention in order to make a good film trailer. Below is an example of my questionnaire and the results produced from it.

My questionnaire:

I am conducting some audience research for my film trailer and would be very grateful if you could fill a questionnaire out for me. Please circle where appropriate.

1.Gender
Male

Female

2. Age
Under 15

15-17

18-21

22-30

Over 30

3. What is your current job status?
Full-time

Part-time

Student

Un-employed

Other

4. What do you mainly do in your spare time?
Watch television

Go on the computer

Socialise with friends

Go shopping

Go to the cinema

Other (please specify)

………………………………………………………………………………………

5. What is your favourite film genre?
Action

Comedy

Drama

Horror

Musicals

Romance

Science Fiction

War

Western

Other (please specify)
………………………………………………………………………………………

6. How often do you go to the cinema?
Every week

Every other week

Every month

Every two months

Rarely

7.Would you rather watch a film at the cinema or at home?
Cinema

Home

8. Do you download DVDs or buy them?
Download

Buy

9. What aspect of a trailer makes you want to go and watch the film?
Actors/actresses

Director

Suspense

Plot

Action

Violence

Eroticism

Romance

Other (please specify)
…………………………………………………………………………………………..

10. What makes a good horror film? (circle two)
Blood/gore

Murder/torture

Suspense/Tension

A twist/ the unexpected

Zombies/monsters

Creepy/Psychopathic killer

A chase

Believable

Other (please specify)
………………………………………………………………………………………



I handed my questionnaire out to 25 people, both male and female with varying ages. Once I had collected all my results I presented them in pie charts.

1. 2. 3. 4.

5.

6.

7.8. 9. 10.
The results I have obtained have helped to establish my target audience and their lifestyle. Out of the 25 people I handed my questionnaire to, 11 where male and 14 where female. The majority of the participants, just over half, being aged 18-21. The participants in this category and those in the 15-17 tended to be students and those in the over 30 category where either in full time or part time employment.

When participants were asked how they mainly spend their free time the majority answered socialising with friends, however those who answered having a full or part time job said they preferred to watch television. Perhaps suggesting that after a day at work they prefer to relax than having to go out and socialise. Those who socialise will be my target audience as when socialising they may discuss trailers they have seen and upcoming films and may suggest going to see one.

When asked their favourite film genre a variety of results were acquired, however comedy proved to be the favourite followed by horror then drama. Most options got at least one vote, Western was the only genre that received no votes. Some participants selected “Other” and specified Thrillers and Romantic Comedy’s. Participants aged over 30 tended to vote for genres such as drama, Sci-Fi’s, war and action whereas participants aged 15-21 both male and female tended to vote for horror and comedy, with a few selecting musicals, romance, thrillers and romantic comedies.

To help me get an idea of my target audiences’ lifestyle I asked participants how often they attend the cinema. Again, a variety of results came back, yet the most popular answers where every other week, every month and every two months. Participants over 30, tended to opt for rarely going to cinema or every two months, whereas younger participants in the 18-21 category go to the cinema every week, every other week or every month. This supports the results from an early question when asking participants how they like to spend their free time. Socialising with friends was what most participants in the 18-21 category answered therefore suggesting they go to the cinema more regularly as a way to socialise with friends.

I also asked participants if they prefer watching films at home or at the cinema, two fifths of participants said they prefer watching a film at the cinema. This demonstrates the power of a trailer, if a trailer is affective it will make audiences want to go and watch the film straight away at the cinema rather than have to wait till it is out on DVD. Over four fifths of participants said they buy DVDs instead of downloading them.

My last two questions where crucial in helping me make a good film trailer. I asked participants what aspect of a trailer makes them want to watch the film. The most popular answer was the plot, followed by suspense and the actors/actresses that appear in the film. Obviously for my trailer I will not be able to get any actors or actresses that will make my film more appealing, however it will be very important that I make sure my plot will intrigue my target audience as well as have suspense in it to keep them guessing.

My last question asked participants which two things they believe make a good horror film; the top response was suspense/tension. This matches the results from the question before. Suspense and tension definitely seems like an important factor in a horror trailer. Other factors that where popular with participants where a twist/the unexpected, believable and a creepy/psychopathic killer. A chase, blood/gore and murder/torture all also received a few votes but do not seem as popular as other factors. Also when asked to specify what else makes a good horror film one participant said the cinematography and setting which is very interesting and I have taken this into account to help me make my trailer a success.

Overall my results show that my target audience are both male and female aged 15-21, they visit the cinema more often as a way of socialising with friends and because perhaps because they are open to more media so see trailers frequently and discuss upcoming films with friends. Also the cinema is the preferred way of watching a film as well as buying instead of downloading films. A key factor in making a good horror trailer is suspense and tension.

Textual Analysis of Horror Trailers.

Paranormal Activity

Paranormal Activity was released nationwide in October 2009. The low budget horror film was a huge success at the box office. The film was produced and released by Paramount Pictures. Paranormal “is a term that describes unusual experiences that lack a scientific explanation” and the trailer certainly shows audience that the main theme of the film is about the unknown and unexplainable. The trailer lasts for a total of 1.01.

Content
The film trailer contains the basic plot and introduces the main characters.

It also uses title screens and quotations in several places instead of using a voiceover to help entice the audience to see the film for themselves; it also helps keep their concentration and attention on the trailer.

Text is also used as well as a voiceover to show the name of the film and its release date.

At the end of the trailer there are credits with the name of the Producer, Director, Production Company etc.

Narrative structure

The trailer is split into three sections;
1) The basis of the plot, this sets up the problem for audiences to see.

2) The plot is extended, it shows the problem getting worse and the editing starts to become much quicker.

3) This section ends with a dramatic clip from the film and uses loud sound effects such as screaming and slamming doors but doesn’t give away too much to the audience.

Sound

Diegetic sound – dialogue from the film, screams, slamming doors

Non-diegetic sound – voice over to announce the film name and release date, music over title screens to add tension

Editing

Lots of fast paced editing is used to add to the tension, the pace of the editing starts off slow and picks up throughout the trailer and slows down again at the very end. This creates excitement and allows audiences to see very short snippets of various parts throughout the film without letting them see too much.

Cinematography

A lot of close ups and low angle shots are used, as well as lots of tilts to create a sense of disorientation.

It is a low budget film because they used hand held cameras, this made the film very effective because the viewer feels like they are the camera and makes them feel as if they are there witnessing it. This makes the film appear more believable.

Mise-en-scene

The film is set within the house of the main characters and this is shown in the trailer. Again this adds to the believability because it is set in a normal setting.

The colours used throughout the trailer are all very dark; this follows the convention of horror films. Audiences associate darkness with horror so expect to see it when watching a horror film so this has to be reflected in the trailer.

Conventions

Release date
Darkness
The unknown
Slow shots getting shorter and quicker with faster editing
Loud sound effects e.g. screaming, banging
Tension and suspense
Quotations
Credits.




Saw VI

Saw VI was released by Twisted Pictures in October 2009 and followed the success of the previous five films. It is believed that this is the last of the series of films however the ending has been left open for further films if decided. The Saw films are about the torture of people who have “done wrong” and Jigsaw gives them choices and decisions to make about other peoples’ fate and makes them fight for their own lives. The trailer is very short lasting 0.50, but gives the audience enough information without giving away the ending.

Content

The film trailer contains the basic storyline and introduces the main characters.

Title screens help the narrative as well as a voice over from the main character, Jigsaw.

Title screens are also used for the film title, release date and official website.

Narrative Structure

The voiceover helps the narrative structure; it starts by explaining the situation and then goes on to further explain the problem which occurs from the situation. As the problem is explained further, the pace of the editing increases to create greater suspense.
The pace of the last part of the trailer gets even faster and the music stronger, but the resolution is not revealed.

Sound

Diegetic sound- Dialogue from the film is used as a voice over. Other dialogue from the film is used to create panic and fear.

Non-diegetic sound- the films soundtrack is used in the second half of the trailer. Sound effects are used in between the title screens as clips from the film are shown. A voiceover is used to introduce the name of the film and its release date.

Editing

The pace of the editing picks up throughout the trailer and is very quick at the end, showing a montage of very brief/ quick shots.

There are some very sharp cuts, fades and some of the shots flicker between each other.

Cinematography

Like Paranormal Activity there are lots of close ups to show emotion.

Low and high angle shots are also used to show certain characters as dominant and others as inferior.

Mise-en-scene

The mise-en-scene in the trailer demonstrates that the film is set in an abandoned warehouse with different tasks set up.

All the shots used are dark and the colour red appears throughout to represent danger and blood.

The mise-en-scene helps reinforce the genre of the film so audiences know that it is a horror with lots of torture and gore.

Conventions

Darkness
Voiceover
Dramatic/fast paced music, from the soundtrack
Screaming
Fast paced editing/montage
Scary Villain
Suspense
Name of film and release date with voiceover
Title screens to help narrative
Credits.





Friday the 13th (2009)

The 2009 remake of Friday the 13th was released by New Line Cinemas and Paramount Pictures. The film received a lot of public attention with people having high expectations after the success of the first version back in 1980. With better technical equipment the film was expected to be much scarier and more terrifying than the first version. The film is set around a lake called Crystal Lake and is about a group of teenagers who discover Camp Crystal Lake. They soon meet Jason Voorhees who kills them off one by one. The film is a stereotypical horror with teenagers going camping in woods and splitting off into groups then one by one, it also has lots of gore and suspense. The trailer reflects all of this and lasts only 1.34.

Content

The trailer contains a basic storyline as all film trailers do. The trailer concentrates on setting and only briefly introduces the characters.

Title screens with the names of the Producer, the Director and the film.

Voiceover to help the narrative.

Narrative

A voiceover from the film is used to help explain the narrative.

The location is shown and the voiceover begins to explain the significance of the location and introduces Jason before a brief shot of him is shown.

The voiceover sets up the equilibrium and the disruption but does not give away the resolution.

Sound

Diegetic sound- Dialogue from the film is used as a voiceover. Other dialogue from the film is used to create tension, for example the sound of someone struggling and screaming.

Non-diegetic sound- The sound of wildlife is used on the tranquil, opening shot of the lake. The soundtrack from the film is used at the end of the trailer.

Editing

The editing of the trailer stays at a similar pace throughout. It is fast paced but slow compared to some of the other horror trailers I have previously looked. The pace slows down in some parts of the trailer instead of speeding up.

Both cuts and fades are used alternatively. Sharp cuts are used and they are made to look even sharper because flashes of light are used in between.

Cinematography

Long shots are used to show the location.

Close ups are also used; these are used to show the emotion of characters.

Low angle shots are used the most within the trailer, these make the audience feel threatened and scared because the angle looks up so that the audience feel inferior.

Mise-en-scene

The film is set around Crystal Lake. The mise-en-scene in the trailer shows various settings within the film such as, the lake, the Lake House and old Camp House.

All the shots used are very dark. The darkness of the shots and settings used represent the genre horror so audiences instantly know what genre the film is going to be.

Conventions

Name of the film, Producer and Director
Soundtrack from the film
Sound effects e.g. screaming
Darkness
Scary villain
Tension
Montage editing
Voiceover
Credits.

My chosen genre.

After looking at several different trailers and their conventions, I have decided that the genre of my trailer will be horror. I will include lots of conventions in the trailer so that my audience will be able to pick up on the genre. Some of the conventions of horror trailers that I will include will be: dark and brief shots, quick paced editing, creepy/intense music, tension and seclusion, and the resolution unknown which will leave the audience asking questions.

Horror films are designed to elicit all kinds of emotions from the audience such as fear, terror and horror. Many horror films have similar plots that include themes such as death, the supernatural or mental illness. There are many sub-genres of horror: slasher, teen terror, serial killers, satanic, Dracula, Frankenstein, etc. Some horror films also include elements from other genres such as science fiction, fantasy, black comedy, and thrillers.

Horror films have been around since the 1890’s when the first depictions of supernatural events appeared in the form of short, silent movies. The early 20th century brought the first monster to appear in a full-length horror film, Quasimodo. In the early 1930s American film producers, such as Universal Pictures, popularised the horror film, creating a series of successful Gothic films including Dracula and Frankenstein. In the 1950’s the tone of horror films shifted away from the gothic, towards concerns that some saw as being more relevant to the late-Century audience. The horror film began to fall into three sub-genres:
• the horror-of-personality film; these are films that evoke horror through villains that are human but have horrific personalities, as opposed to a supernatural being.
• the horror-of-armageddon film; this type of film attempts to signify the end of the world, or at least the end of the world as we know it, owing some horrific event.
• the horror-of-the-demonic film; this type of film often features an antagonist that is supernatural.
Films of the horror-of-personality sub-genre continued to appear throughout the centuries, with 1991's The Silence of the Lambs as an example.

The horror movie received a huge revival in the late 70’s, early 80’s. More films started referring to the occult such as The Exorcist. Also, “evil children” and reincarnation became popular subjects. The success of the horror genre in the 70’s and early 80’s died in the late 80’s and throughout most of the 90’s. Many horror films caused controversy because of the ease of availability to children, therefore many films were dubbed as "video nasties" and where banned. The horror genre had worn itself out with the nonstop slasher and gore films in the 70’s and 80’s. The adolescent audience of the previous decade grew up, and the replacement audience was being captured instead by the explosion of science-fiction and fantasy. To re-connect with its audience horror became more self-mockingly ironic. An example would be the parody hit Scream, along with I Know What You Did Last Summer and Urban Legend. They made the horror genre, once again, extremely popular.

The start of the 2000s saw a quiet period for the genre. The re-release of a restored version of The Exorcist in September 2000 was successful despite the film having been available on home video for years. Final Destination marked a successful revival of clever, teen-centered horror, as well as the Jeepers Creepers series. Some notable trends to horror films in the 2000s are:
• the emergence of remakes of Asian horror movies, such as The Ring, and The Grudge.
• the major return of the zombie genre in horror movies.
• the larger trend is the return to the extreme, graphic violence; films like Audition, Wrong Turn, and Wolf Creek. An extension of this trend was horror with depictions of torture, suffering and violent deaths, with films like Saw, and Hostel, and their sequels.

Textual analysis of existing texts, comparison across genres.

The Notebook

The Notebook was realised in 2004 and features some very well know actors such as Rachel McAdams and James Garner.

The trailer opens with the logo of the production company for the film, New Line Cinema which is a subsidiary company of Time Warner. As soon as the trailer starts the type of genre can be identified by the soft and romantic music played. As soon as the production logo has been showed it cuts straight into an establishing shot, of a rowing boat on a river with swans flying over head and a beautiful white house in the background. This confirms the audiences’ beliefs from the music, that the genre of the film is definitely romance.

A voiceover then begins to tell the equilibrium of the story, which is a convention in film trailers, to inform the audience of how the film starts. It also sets the scene and ideas of the story before the disruption and quest have begun. However not all trailers have the use of a voiceover to help do this, some use text or visual language, such as montage editing. As the voiceover begins there are several shots from the film that slowly fade into each other, helping the voiceover show the equilibrium. After the first few shots you see that the voice over is in fact a character from the film, he is reading the story. You therefore realise it is not a voiceover but instead scenes from the film, pieced carefully together to help set the story without giving too much away.

The trailer uses some longer clips; at 0.18 it has a twenty second clip from the film, this gives the audience more of an understanding of the roles the characters play and helps illustrates the basic plot as the story starts to unravel more. Montage editing is then used again, with the different shots slowly fading into one another. This gives the whole trailer a very peaceful, relaxing feeling along with the slow, soft music in the background.

At 0.55 the disruption sets in, the two young characters are very much in love which has been demonstrated throughout the trailer so far, however it then becomes apparent that the boy is not in the same social class and earns little money and this causes problems. The match does not have the approval of her parents and the girl is not allowed to see him anymore.

At 1.12 the use of a deep and powerful voiceover is used. It is a conventional voiceover as the deep, clear to understand voice is easily recognised by audiences as similar voices are used in many trailers and this makes the audience feel more comforted. Voiceovers are only used when explanation is necessary, for something that cannot be shown through visual language or perhaps advertisers just feel that a voiceover is more of an effective way of getting audience understanding. The voiceover informs audiences that the film is from “the bestselling novel” by Nicholas Sparks. This is another convention of film trailers as it will help sell the film if it has previously been a book because if someone has read it they will want to watch the film and also vice versa. It then shows clips from the film of a war setting. This shows that the disruption has happened and it is not all as simple as when the story began. The use of this clip also allows audiences to have a rough idea of what time period the film is set in.

Another character is then introduced and he has fallen in love with the girl also. He is shown to be the “ideal” man for her just as her parents would have wished. The editing then becomes sharper and faster with stronger, more powerful music. The voiceover is used again; he does not give too much away but allows audiences to know what the story is about. “..comes a story about...what we long for...what we settled for...and who we’re meant for” In between each statement different clips from the film are used, all very powerful which help to further explain the narration and what the voiceover said. It is not necessary for the voiceover to say a lot because the use of powerful and emotional clips helps to convey the plot. However it has all carefully been placed together to leave audiences wondering, who does she choose? It does not give away the resolution.

Another convention then used it the names of the actors and actresses in the film, this is often used if they are well known actors. If audiences see an actor or actress in it they recognise from another film it might entice them to go and see it even more. Also the name of the director is stated. All of these things are conventions that are very often found in film trailers. Then at the ending of the trailer the name of the film is announced followed by small text stating again the director, film title, production company and other information. However this is not shown for long. “Coming soon” is then shown which is how most trailers end or by a release date. The total length of the trailer is 2:16.

Couples Retreat

Couples Retreat is a completely different genre to The Notebook, however after watching it I have noticed several similarities between the two trailers as well as some differences.

At the start of the trailer the production company logo is showed as it was in The Notebook. It was produced by Universal, which is a major film company. It was released in 2009 and features Vince Vaughn and Kristin Davis, along with many other famous names.

After the logo has been shown dialogue from the film begins, and then two men talking are shown. Their dialogue begins to set the narrative of the plot and then an upbeat, bright and breezy song starts. It again helps sets the tone of the film and gives clues to the genre of the film. Unlike The Notebook there is no voiceover in this trailer. Instead, text is used to help enhance the audiences understanding of the plot of the film. Brief moments from different scenes are shown in between each title screen. The different clips use close ups and medium shots to show and introduce the different characters. After seeing a few seconds you soon realise that it is a romantic comedy, due to the jokes and content already seen.

Once the audience have seen most of the main characters the plot begins to unfold even more around 0.42, when the audience become aware that the film will revolve around the couples going away on holiday to what is referred to as “Disneyland for adults”. The music from the beginning of the trailer fades out and another lively song starts as a change in scenery happens. The couples arrive at the resort and the disruption soon begins. At 1.00, the couples realise that the holiday package they have booked means they have to do couples skill building and therapy. The music change is key again as the disruption happens and the couples have to begin their quest to sort out their marriages and problems. The lyrics of the words also reflect what is happening, “Let it go, give in, give up, surrender”. Appropriate song lyrics are also used many times in film trailers, or if a song doesn’t have lyrics the music reflects the genre and mood of the film.

Several clips are then shown from the film in a montage. In the notebook once the disruption had happened and the quest had begun, moving and emotional scenes where shown. However in this trailer funny scenes are depicted, even though different styles of montage are used both trailers use memorable or key parts to the film that the creators believe will help sell the film. The music then becomes more powerful and faster montage editing is used as the couples begin to try and solve all their problems. Throughout the trailer the use of text is still being used. The resolution is not given away as audiences do not know how the holiday ends, in disaster or all being well. However it does not leave such a big question in audiences’ minds as perhaps the trailer for the notebook would as it is not as serious or as emotional. At 2.22 the title of the film is shown, with a voiceover announcing the name of it. This is the first time a voice over is used throughout the trailer. Like The Notebook the film then ends with a title screen saying “Coming Soon”. This trailer was a similar length also lasting 2.30.

Amityville Horror

Amityville Horror was released in 2005 by Dimension Films, which is a subsidiary company of The Weinstein Company, and was originally the Miramax Films division. All of the trailers I have looked at have had well known film companies producing them, therefore making it extremely important that their logo is included in the trailer. Audiences then know that the film has been produced by a well known trustworthy company. It might also give them a clue as to what the film will be like, if they have seen previous films by the same company they will know what standard and type of film to expect. Again the company logo is shown at the very start of the trailer.

Once the logo has been shown an establishing shot is used to help set the scene for audiences. Bright shots and light music are used to show that everything is normal and in balance, this opening scene shows the equilibrium. Dialogue from the film is used to help audiences understand what the film is about. The diegetic sound tells audiences that the couple on screen are looking to buy a house in the area that the establishing shot showed. A shot of the house is then showed for a brief moment. The screen then fades to black showing a date and location name, this gives the audience further information, it tells them when and where it is set. The continuing use of dialogue and continuity editing helps establish more of the story for the viewer.

At 0.23seconds into the trailer the disruption is introduced, this is the second part of the trailer and extends the story further without giving too much away. Audiences then become aware there was a murder in the house, hence the building being for sale. The music then changes dramatically to darker, spookier music; by this point in the trailer it has become clear the genre of the film is horror.

From 0.25 to 0.35 montage editing is used, short clips from the film give the audience a brief idea about the murders that had previously been committed in the house. A long shot of the house is then used, but this time it shows the house in a different light to the shot previously used in the trailer, it is dark and scary looking. Audiences immediately know something is wrong with the house. A title screen then lets audiences know the story is being further developed, “What happened over the next 28 days, has never been explained”. A home video is then shown of the family moving in despite being told about the murders, audiences are aware that this is a bad move. The disruption has now clearly been set up half way through the trailer.

A long sequence of montage editing is then used to help continue establish the story. The montage uses lots of brief shots in order not to give away too much. There are a variety of different shots used, but mainly medium and close up shots to show emotion on the characters faces. Each shot fades to black adding to the sense of darkness, secrecy and seclusion. This sequence of montage editing reveals more about what happened to the family before and shows the events might start repeating themselves with this new family; however it does not give too much away. This part of the trailer shows the quest, the family having to overcome the events. The shots get quicker and quicker creating a tense atmosphere and sense of urgency. The use of symbols is repeated a few times throughout the trailer. A clock is always shown showing the time 3:15; this allows audiences to guess what is happening at this time but gives them a clue that it is linked between the two families. Also the symbol of a cross is used in several shots, this adds to the sense of the horror genre.

At 1.57 in the middle of the montage sequence a title screen is used to show the name of the producer, it also says that he is the producer of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. If a viewer has seen Chainsaw Massacre it might entice them to also come and see this film if they enjoyed his previous work. At 2.20 the name of the film is shown followed by the credits and finally “Coming soon”. The resolution is not shown and leaves audiences wondering what is going to happen to the family. The trailer is a total of 2.30, similar to the two previous trailers.

Conventions of film trailers.

Film trailers are supposed to tell the story of the movie in a minimum amount of time but have maximum appeal. They are able to show even the poorest of movies in an attractive light and make audiences want to go and watch them. Trailers are used to advertise all genres and sub genres of films. Even though films might have different target audiences and be completely different in terms of plot, the trailers will have similar structures. Most trailers have a three act structure, similar to a film.
Act 1) They start with a beginning that illustrates the basis of the plot.
Act 2) The middle part extends the story further and usually ends with a dramatic climax, still not giving away too much.
Act 3) This part of the trailer usually features a strong piece of music and consists of a visual montage of powerful and emotional moments from the film. Also if the cast in the film are famous or well known their names are normally placed in this act to help sell the movie.

As well as the three acts structure there is the basic narrative structure which follows a similar pattern to the three act structure. The basic narrative structure starts with equilibrium; this is when the diegesis is in balance. This is then disturbed with a disruption, followed by a quest and finally a resolution. A simple example would be; a good guy and bad guy, everything is settled and how it should be (the equilibrium), then the bad guy robs a bank (the disruption), the good guy then has to set it right and catch the bad guy to get it back to the equilibrium (quest) and finally everything is solved (the resolution), however the resolution is never given away in a trailer, it leaves audiences guessing. This is a simple, traditional, linear structure that has a cause and effect. Not all films follow this pattern, as some do not have a resolution. However the majority of films do use a linear structure and this is also shown in their film trailers.

Not only do film trailers follow similar structures they also have other similar features such as voiceovers and music. Voiceover narration is often used to briefly set up the idea of the film and provide explanation when necessary, for example, “In a world...”. Trailers are a highly condensed format of the film therefore a voiceover is sometimes used to help the audiences understanding of the plot.
Music helps set the tone and mood of the trailer. Sometimes the music used is not in the film itself. The music from the trailer may be:
· Music from the score of other films.
· Popular or well known music.
· Especially composed music, one of the most famous trailer music composers is John Beal, who has created original music for over 2000 trailers.
· “Library” music, which has been previously composed specifically to be used in advertising.

I am going to look at several different film trailers to see what other conventions are used in trailers. I will look at more than one genre of film trailer to see how they are similar and how they differ.

History of film trailers.

Film trailers are designed to entice the target audience. A film trailer does not give too much away but just enough to get the audience gripped and leave them wanting to watch the film when it’s released. Trailers consist of a series of selected shots from the film being advertised. Since the purpose of the trailer is to attract an audience, usually the most exciting, funny or noteworthy parts of the film are used in the trailer but only short parts so there are no spoilers. A trailer has to attract the audience’s attention in less than two and a half minutes. This is the maximum time allowed by cinemas. However, each studio is allowed to exceed the time limit once I year if they feel it is necessary for a particular film.

The term “trailer” originated because they used to be shown at the end of a film. However, this practice did not last long because audiences used to leave at the end of films. Trailers are now shown before the film, but the name has stuck.

The first film trailer was shown in a US cinema in November 1913. The advertising manager for the Marcus Loew theatre chain, Nils Granlund, produced a short promotional film for the musical “The Pleasure Seekers”. Granlund was also first to introduce trailers for motion pictures using a slide technique. Only the highest profile films had trailers made for them because production companies could only be bothered to spend the extra effort and money with films they thought would be most popular. However, nowadays, every film has a trailer made for it.
Up until the late 1950s, trailers consisted of various key scenes from the film being advertised and descriptive text describing the story. Most trailers had some form of narration and feature powerful voiceovers.
In the early 1960s, textless, quick-editing and montage trailers became popular and the face of motion picture trailers changed!

G324 Advanced Portfolio in Media. Brief and LIIAR.

For my media portfolio, main task, i have chosen to produce a film trailer. I will research the history of film trailers and analyse existing ones to help me look at the conventions and features that appear in film trailers. After i have done all my reasearch and planning i will start my production and evalutation. I will also complete two ancillary texts that will link and help promote my main product. I will follow a set brief:

A promotion package for a new film, to include a teaser trailer, together with two of the following three options:

• a website homepage for the film;
• a film magazine front cover, featuring the film;
• a poster for the film.

To help me develop my ideas and look at how the media concepts can be applied to a film trailer I am going to use the acronym “LIIAR”; language, institution, ideology, audience and representation.

Language- The language of my film trailer will be a key factor. It is very important that I get the language right, in order for it to be received by my target audience, and address them in the correct way. The language I use will include things such as a voice over to help set the equilibrium, or sometimes captions come up to help set the story. Ideas about the disruption and quest are given also, sometimes again with the help of a voice over or visual language, such as a montage of clips from the film. A trailer is there to introduce the audience to the film and tell them what the story is about but without giving away the resolution.

Institution- The production company of my initial film will be the institution. Some examples of film production companies are; Fox Entertainment, Paramount Motion Pictures, DreamWorks, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Time Warner, Walt Disney Motion Pictures. Each of these major film companies consist of many subsidiary film companies. For example some of Walt Disney Motion Pictures subsidiary companies are; Pixar Animation Studios, Touchstone Pictures, Miramax Films, Spyglass Entertainment and many more.

Ideology- The ideology is a set of ideas, morals and values within the trailer. The ideology of my trailer will depend on the genre of the film. A horror film will have different ideology to a romantic comedy because they will have a different target audience. However they will all have similar ideas, for example, all film trailers are created to intrigue the target audience and make them want to watch the film. Other things in the ideology will include conventions that are used within trailers such as the names of famous actors that appear in the film, production company, release date etc. All of these conventions will help inform the audience about the film and make them want to go and see it.

Audience- The audience depends very much on the genre of the film trailer. For example horror films are aimed at both males and females but perhaps more at males. They also tend to have a higher certification because of the content put in them, such as violence and gore. Therefore their target audience is usually older teenagers and adults. Romantic comedies are aimed at females aged from around 15 years upwards. The audience for my film trailer will therefore depend entirely on what genre my film is.

Representation- Like audience, the representation in my trailer will depend on the genre of my trailer and who my target audience are. The issues in the storyline and characters in my product must represent the genre of my trailer. For example in horror films there are stereotypical characters such as a scary villain, a victim or group of victims who usually end up walking straight into the traps of the villain. By having stereotypical characters, locations, such as a dark and haunted house, and storylines represent the genre, and audiences know immediately what genre the film is.