Ring

Looking at Film Posters

The Grudge 2

Initial Ideas-Characters

Initial Ideas- Characters

Our initial ideas for the use of characters was to use two victims and one main protagonist character who was visually scary looking. Our reason for doing so was because after looking at existing horror trailers they conventionally have a scary figure in them.

For our scary character we initially thought to have her dressed in an old fashioned victorian style outfit so as we could recreate a flashback in our trailer of her drowning in the past and now at the present day so as to emphasize the movement of time in the trailer. We chose to use a young girl as it connotes vulnerability, we chose to have her make up as a powdery white face, with pale lips with cuts around them, around the eyes we chose to use a brown eyeshadow to create bruising with red at the cracks of the eyes to make them look sore. The overall effect of the makeup was to make her look deathly, ghostly and scary so as to make the audience jump when she is on screen as this is typical of a horror trailer.

For the other two characters in the trailer, we chose to make them look like an everyday teenagers, dressing them in normal clothes such as coats and tights so as the audience can relate them.This further engrosses them into the trailer as the target audience of young adults and teenagers can relate to them.

This is one of our characters who was the victim, we chose to use Gemma as she looks like an average teenage which the target audience can relate to. By having a person who they can relate to heightens the horror tention as they can involve themseleves in the film more as they can imagine theirselves being in a similar situation.

Choosing Music For Our Trailer

The music we chose for our trailer needed to fit the story we chose, so needed to start off slow and then slowly build up into a fast paced climax. The reason for having a slow start was so the film the state of equilibriumm which then further builds to quick paced editing and horror images to create a sense of panic and suspense so as to keep the audience wondering what is going to happen next and so eventually at the end of the trailer want to go and see the film as they cant wait to see what happens next.

After looking at different soundtracks to use for our trailer and trying to match them our initial ideas, we decided this would suit our trailer best as it has a really slow build up and a fast paced climax. The track is quite lengthy so we decided we would cut the track down to suit our trailer and storyline.

Initial Ideas

Location Initial Ideas

The location was going to be a major part of our trailer as the whole story line is based on a young girl drowning in a lake. The locations in conventional horror trailers are dark, eerie and spooky so as to set the tone for the rest of the film, the darkness adds to the suspense of lurking in shadows. A forest would help to set the tone for a horror trailer as it is hidden and remote which helps to build up drama in the trailer. It would be ideal for the filming to be done when the sky is foggy or grey so as to help build up the mise en scene of a spooky atmosphere, the weather is going to be a vital part of when the filming can be done as a sunny, clear day would not dramatise the effects of a horror trailer. The initial idea for using a lake as a location was to help build up the sense of horror, a lake connotes the feel of danger which adds to the uncertainty of a quick fast paced horror action.

Detailed Analysis Locations

I chose to look closely at the way locations are used in the trailer Eden Lake. The first scene show an arch of trees, which then goes to a tracking shot of the top of the trees, the effect of the locations connote to the audience that it is a remote place which adds to the drama of the trailer. The effect of the moving location also shows the state of equliberium and a state of normality before the action takes place which is typical of horror trailers. After seeing this technique I am going to use this in my own trailer so as the audience can relate to it which further engrosses them into the trailer. The next shot shows an establishing shot of a lake surrounded by trees, this connotes to the viewer that it is a deserted place, which makes it more scary as it shows that the two characters are there alone, then there are shots of a lake the surroundings are dark and there is a misty reflection which makes the trailer more daunting and eerie. From seeing this trailer, I like the effect the lake and the forest has so as to make the trailer more eerie as the technique of reflections and dark shadows adds to the suspense and therefore make the audience more on edge which is typical of a horror trailer.

Detailed Analysis Mise en Scene

I chose to look at the mise en scene and the effect it has in the trailer Shutter Island. The first few shots show an island and then moves on to the two actors in a boat, the mise en scene is effective here as this is the only thing the viewers see connoting that it is a remote island surrounded by a vast about of water which adds to the mystery why they are traveling towards it. Also the way in which the characters are dressed in long coats and hats emphasize their significance as authority figures. At around 14 seconds into the trailer the mise en scene of barbed wire connotes the feel of a prison, being trapped, no escape, which further adds to the suspense of the purpose of the two actors being there. In the next shot the audience see an arch which the camera zooms into and again more authority figures in police outfits holding guns, this mise en scene evokes danger and also mystery as well as forcing the audience to question what the two characters are doing there. 35 seconds into the trailer, the viewer see an old creepy looking woman, this is the first clue to the audience that the film is about a mental aslyum, this is shown through the mise en scene by the wardrobe of the woman and her hair being bald and eerie looking as well as the fact that she is also wearing handcuffs continues the theme of a prison type environment. The next shots are quick flashes of actors in white coats and needles and vast white rooms which furthermore show that it is set in a mental aslyum. The next quick shot shows a woman covered in blood which adds to the mise en scene and is typical of a thriller type film to show horror type scenes at quick shots throughout. The rising action is continued through the mise en scene and use of props as the audience see a mysterious looking woman give the protagonist character a small old looking book with the letters "run" this further adds to the suspense and heightens the drama. The mise en scene continues to create the feel of a mental insitution to the audience by the writing on the walls, the iron cells with dark lighting to make it look more eerie and creepy.

Detailed Analysis, Sound/Music-The Grudge 3

I chose to look closely at the Grudge 3 and how the sound effects are used to help scare the audience. The first shots of the trailer have no real background music however the high pitched screaming and shouting emphasizes panic so instantly grabs the viewers attention, this continues for the next few shots as the voice over begins to tell the narrative. At around 42 seconds into the trailer there are quick sudden noises to make the viewers jump, so they are on edge throughout which is the effect of a horror trailer. I will encorporate the quick jumpy sound effects into my own trailer as it is more effective as a horror film. There is no real background music as the screaming and quick bursts of sound when the scary images are shown are effective up until around 59 seconds into the film a heavy beating background music starts to play with dramatic beats on the horror images so as the audience are more aware they are there, alongside the music is quick editing in time with the heavy beats and background which make it very effective and heightens the drama, I am aiming to use this technique in my own horror trailer. Finally at the end of the trailer the music fades and the viewers think it is the end of the trailer, until a shot of the "grudge" appears and the sound is the noise which is throughout the film of her jaw opening and an "aaa" like sound, which is significant to her character, this is effective to have at the end of the trailer as after the fast paced editing of quick flashes of horror images the viewers get to focus on the last shot and so are reminded of the main character which would then encourage them to go and see it.

Detailed Analysis, Characters-The Ring 2

I chose the Ring 2 to focus my analysis on the characters and the way they are represented throughout the trailer. As it is a follow on from the Ring 1, the viewers would have established that the main character throughout is Samara Morgan, the scary character in the horror film, as it is typical of horror genres to have a character that the audience and the characters are afraid of. The way in which Samara Morgan is represented is scary through the type of clothes she wears and the quick jumpy editing used on the clips of her. Her look has a gothic style element to it through the dirty white clothes, her painfully pale skin and long black hair over her face, which also adds to the mystery of her character, as the audience cant always see her face. In my own horror trailer I hope to try and use this idea of adding a gothic element to my main character through the hair and outfits. As well as this the viewers are told the story through the other characters of the young boy and the worried mother that she drowned in a well and wants to live on inside the little boys body. The mother is represented as a normal worried mother which heightens the drama as many viewers can relate to it as she is seen as the most normal character in the trailer. The young boy is shown as being a bit strange through the close up shots of his expressions, mainly his eyes which add to the suspense of his character that he may not be a normal little boy. There are also two other characters in the trailer, the young teenage couple who die after watching the video tape that kills them in seven days, the relevance of these characters is to relate it back to the previous film of the Ring 1 as this is a follow on, as well as establishing the proof of the story that is running parallel to the young boy and the mother. The story of the ring is that she has been drowned in a well, in my own horror trailer I am planning to use a location of a lake which a young girl mysteriously was drowned in and seeks the company of others to join her by drowning them.

Analysis of Locations

Lake and Forest
Me and my other group member chose to set our trailer in both the locations of a forest and a lake. We chose these so as the audience can relate to the scene as it is a realistic place to go and so therefore brings the audience into trailer as they then imagine themselves in the postion of the characters in the trailer so therefore makes them more scared which is the relevance of a horror trailer. The locations also have a dark eerie feel to them so as to help connote a horror genre, the forest has trees which pose mystery as well as looking hidden away and derlic which suggests a spooky atmosphere and that not everything is as it seems.

This the location of the lake we decided to use, we felt this was a good location as it has an eerie feel to it with the trees coming in over the lake and the stick coming from the middle of the lake as it looks deserted and daunting which is a typical setting for a conventional horror trailer.

Media Mood board

Media Mood Board

Target audience

The target market for my film trailer is older teenagers and young adults between 20-25. It is aimed at horror fans who like fast paced thrilling quick editing to make the viewer feel jumpy and on edge throughout. It is also a realstic type of horror such as ghosts so the audience are more involved as they see it as being realistic and are more scared as this could happen to them, as oppose to the false type of horror such as Saw, where the horror is in the form of a game which is not likely to happen in an everyday scenario.

Filming Schedule

Before me and my group memeber went out to film, together we deivsed a filming schelude which we could stick to so as we could inform the other people that we needed to be in the trailer as well as making sure that the filming was done as soon as possible. This was also effective as we could go into the editing suite, look at the exsisting footage and decide what else we needed to film so as the film trailer looked effective. We decided to film over the course of a week..

Monday
The first day of filming, we went to the first location of the lake around 5ish so as we could set up the lighting and the tripod and begin to start filming for when it got dark. We took some footage of the surroundings as well as a few shots of the main scary character in the film by the lake and in different positions that we could edit to look scary.
Tuesday
On the second day we went to the lake and took some shots of the lake and the surroundings so as we could get a sense of the location and the effect it has on a horror trailer.
Wednesday
On the third day we went to the lake again to film shots of the characters runing in fear and panic shots, we also filmed the car shots after the breakdown.
Thursday
On the fourth day we took the images for the cover of the magazine and film poster
Friday
On the fifth day we took the footage from the second location of the forest for the final shots of both the characters and the scary character, we also took shots of this location.
Saturday
On the final day we took the shots of the car pulling away so to connote the state of equliberum at the start of most horror trailers and then the car breaksdown later on in the trailer to then begin the horror sequences.

Detailed Analysis of Pans Labyrinth

As the trailer begins, the first shot is the company logo which fades in and out and breifly lasts a couple of seconds, this enables the audience to relate the film to the company so establishes the company's brand and name. Slow non digetic fantasty style music begins to softly play. Then 4 or 5 shots that change in time with the music and last about a second long for each frame. These shots do not tell the story but keeeps the audiences interest by setting up the mood and atmosphere for the trailer. The next shot is a caption, the font is small so as to make the audience focus more, the dark blue ink stained background and the eerie type music that is still continuosly playing at this point, helps to create the atmosphere and builds up the suspense and drama of the trailer.
The caption fades into the next shot of faires in a book which establishes that it a magical fantasy genre of film. Then there is another caption which again has the same ink stained background and the same small font so as to keep a contiuous theme and set the mood for the film trailer. After the next long shot, there is another caption, again the set up the same as the others. There is no need for dialogue in this trailer as the captions follow on from the previous caption and tells the story which enables the audience to keep interest. This is a good technique as it teases the audience by only giving pieces of information over periods of shots so as to keep them in suspense.
The next shot is a long shot that last for about 10 seconds the same eerie style music is played at the start of the shot and then goes quiet, then in the same shot a figure comes into focus and then there is a change in the music as something dramatic happens a loud heavy drum beat is played to heighten drama and to alert the audience something is going to happen. The directors name appears in the same style and font as the caption so as to keep the continuos theme throughout.
The trailer then reaches the climax and the dramatic action takes over, the music is quicker and more dramatic this is also reflected by the fast paced editing and the effectiveness of cutting the shots now the action is started rather than fading the shots in when the action was rising at the beginning of the trailer.
Then there is a long fade from final shot int final caption into the name of the film. To have the name of the film in the font type of the film is typical of a film trailer so as the audience can recognise this as a brand and relate to it in other media products such as film magazines. Also having the name of the film at the end enables the audience to remember it and have it clear in their minds that is the film they want to see. The final shot is the date of release and the website.

Grid of 9 of

Grid of Nine

Grid of 9 of The Orphanage

Grid of 9 Orphanage

Twilight Grid Of 9

Twilight Grid of 9

Analysis of a Music Video

Song: The Scientist

Artist: Coldplay

Year:2002

Story: Clear narrative, told in reverse so as to allow Chris Martin to be the hero. It sells the band audience so as they get to know who they want. It is a slow song so as the narrative makes it more interesting.

Setting: Outdoor, multiple locations which also makes the slow song more interesting.

Characters: Mainly Chris Martin, to sell the band Coldplay. The girlfriend, love interest, fits the audience love story appeals to female audience.

Costume: Standard style of clothing which fits genre of music so as the audience can relate to it.

Lyrics: Narrative fits lyrics- sad love song fits in with slow placed love song.

Special Effects: Whole video shot in reverse. Chris Martin had to learn the words to his songs backwards which makes the viewers more interested.

Camera Angles: Close up of Chris Martin, love song shows emotion. Editing- shots are edited together slowly fits pace of the song.

Analysis of a Music Video

Song: Smack my bitch up

Artist: Prodigy

Year: 2002

Story: Unlike many dance videos this has a very clear narrative, there is a clear twist at the end which makes it more memorable.

Setting: London Soho. Her flat fits in with the style of music being angry, powerful, clubbing links with style of music.

Characters: Don't see the band in the video, although prodigy do often appear in previous videos. Throughout the whole video the viewers think the main person in the video is a man but the twist is that its a woman.

Costumes: Sexy, clubby style outfits match type of music

Lyrics: Lyrics are minimal as its a dance song. The lyrics do have a link to what happens in the video

Special Effects: Spinning to show character acting drunk, as we cant see character and its done from a point of view shot.

Camera Angle: Point of view shot, so as there can be a twist at the end also allows fast paced movement reflects club environment.

Analysis of a Music Video

Song: Buddy Hollly

Artist:Weezer

Director:Spike Jonze

Story: The selling point of the video is that the band are appearing on an episode of Happy days, a complex plot isn't necessary as the viewers will relate to the sitcom Happy Days.

Setting: Only one setting used throughout the music video ( Happy Days diner, Arnolds) The target market will know Happy Days, so the focus is on the artist. From a technical point of view it is easier to edit old and new footage together.

Characters: The audience expect to see the band in the video, characters from Happy Days, crowds in the diner representing the fans and dancers.

Costume: 1970s style costumes to blend in with era of Happy Days.

Lyrics: Narrative does not follow the lyrics at all.

Special Effects: Old footage from Happy Days is done skillfully through clever cuts and edits so as the band appear as though they are in a real episode of Happy Days.

Camera Angles: Close up of band/ Happy Days characters. Wide shot to show band, crowd and other characters.

Analysing Music Videos

Before deciding which type of filming I wanted to do I explored and analysed both music videos and film trailers.
New music video by arcade fire
Arcade fire have converged with the internet/web 2.0. The video is a standard video of a man running down a street however using the new website technology where by the viewer types in their address or their old childhood address at the start of the video, it is suppose to connote the viewer that they are running past their own childhood home. Once the address has been typed in, the images are taken from google maps. The windows pop up in beat with the music and so there are different screens playing at the same but each window matches what the other one is doing. At the end of the video, the viewer interacts with the video and write a postcard to their address.






OK GO!- This too shall pass



The video appears to be shot in one continuous unbroken shot(famous sequence from Goodfellas) however they used special effects in order to edit the video. Throughout the video sequence of clever tricks that link together to eventually at the end spray the member of the band with paint. Looking at the bands over video "here we go again" they have much like in the "this too shall pass" video they have shot it in one location, only 4 people in the video, they stay in the same outfits(no costume change) Although the videos are cheap as they are not released on music channels but are released over the internet, they are highly effective due to their uniqueness which helps to sell records.

Freytag's Pyramid Structure

Gustav Freytag, a nineteenth century german novelist who saw common patterns in plots and stories and developed a diagram to analyze them. The Freytag structure is an example of a dramatic structure which appeals to all audiences so as to see the drama being shown in an effective way. The way in which he sets up the drama is in seven stages:

1. Exposition: setting the scene. The writer introduces the characters and setting, providing description and background.

2. Inciting Incident: something happens to begin the action. A single event usually signals the beginning of the main conflict. The inciting incident is sometimes called 'the complication'.

3. Rising Action: the story builds and gets more exciting.

4. Climax: the moment of greatest tension in a story. This is often the most exciting event. It is the event that the rising action builds up to and that the falling action follows.

5. Falling Action: events happen as a result of the climax and we know that the story will soon end.

6. Resolution: the character solves the main problem/conflict or someone solves it for him or her.

7. Dénouement: (a French term, pronounced: day-noo-moh) the ending. At this point, any remaining secrets, questions or mysteries which remain after the resolution are solved by the characters or explained by the author. Sometimes the author leaves us to think about the THEME or future possibilities for the characters.

Introduction

This is my second media blog as I have continued to study media into a2. Throughout this course I will be focusing my coursework based around creating a film trailer, therefore I will be creating a promotional package for a film that I will produce myself including a teaser trailer. I also will be creating a film poster and magazine, in my previous As project I created a magazine so I can incorporate the photoshop skills I learnt into my new project. As I am focusing my film trailer on the horror genre, I will create a moodboard as well as looking at current film trailers so as I can see the type of techniques that they use so as to create a dramatic scary effect.