Rough Rough Cut

This is the rough rough cut of our film trailer. We put together the clips in the order we want them shown in the trailer to get a basic view of what it will look like. However, we still have some things to add into the trailer such as the inter titles, title sequence and production company logo.

Programs

Using LiveType

LiveType is an application used to create animated title sequences for videos. You can halter the fonts, colours and speed of which your title runs on. We are using LiveType for the title of our film as seen in the screenshot, we will also be using it for the production company.

To change the colour of the background, you go to Edit > Project Properties > Background.

Production Company

This is our production company sequence. I also created this on LiveType.

Title Sequence 'Alter of Bones'

This is the title sequence in which I made for our film trailer. I created this on LiveType.

Fonts

This is the chosen font we are going to use for our title sequence. We chose this because it represents more of a biblical type font.

These are the fonts that were possible options for our final font for the title sequence. We didn't choose these fonts because they would be more relevant for a different genre of horror film, for example slasher or one that's more sinister.

Day Two of Filming 10.11.2012

For the second time we filmed in the small area around Newbottle Church and inside the church itself. The weather was reasonable and didn't effect our filming at all. Again, we filmed throughout the afternoon, 1 p.m until 3 p.m. We filmed the other half in costume, we did this to show that it is based in two different time periods. 

Day One of Filming 29.10.12

On the first day of filming we had captured test shots, and some footage for our film trailer. Our location was a local church in Newbottle, this is where we filmed all of our footage for that day.  Luckily, the weather was good enough to enable us to film throughout the majority of the afternoon. 

Film Title Audience Feedback Survey

We asked our target audience what they thought our film should be called, as you can see from the table above 'Alter of Bones' was more popular. We decided then that we shall call it that because from the survey we took it shows that our target audience would see a film called this, and in fact they would find the title interesting and would help them with the decision of watching the film. 

Call Sheet - October and November Filming

Risk Assessment

Risk

Risk Assessment- Why?

Taking a risk assessment is very important to make before any filming. This is because you have to take health and safety precautions for the best interest of yourself and your actors/actresses. By taking a risk assessment you can see what possible dangers there could be allowing you to be able to work around them or prepare yourself and others by either dressing appropriately, wearing suitable shoes, etc. 

Costumes & Props

Costume One

Costume Two

These are the two costumes used throughout our film trailer. The two costumes distinguish between the two characters, and helps give away that the two characters are the two different people, however, supernaturally its in fact one person. Similar to the film Hide and Seek. Two personalities. 

The representation of the costumes used highlights the contrast between the two different characters. The dark, creepy costume highlights that this represents that this character is sinister, also the style of the costume shows that this is from a different past time compared to the modern characters costume. The representation of the modern costume highlights that the character is clearly in the present/ future from the view of the past character. There is no obvious look that neither shows that this character is good or evil. However, within the film the contrast will clearly be shown between the contrasting characters.

Location Shots

These are the location shots of where we shall be filming our trailer. The location we used is a small Church in Newbottle which was perfect for our psychological horror genre.

We used this shot as a part of our film trailer, within the shot is a young woman walking towards the camera, an evil look on her face, her hands pressed together as if she were praying and she's is dressed in a long black dress. This was perfect for the creepy effect.

We used this for our establishing shot at the beginning of our trailer. We chose to do this as it sets the location. 

Target Audience

 As a group we decided that our film will be targeted at teenagers and young adults. As from our research, we learned that the content that is presented in their film trailers is certified for 15+ and 18+. Similarly the content within out film is more certified for the age 15+. This is due to the dark context and the content shown throughout which would be unsuitable for any younger ages.
Rating

Film Trailer Pitch

Plot

An ex medical patient returns to her childhood village to seek out closure for her misdeeds only to realise that some things cannot be forgotten, and rehabilitation is not always permanent.  When the local villagers reject her presence, Sarah takes refuge in the local church, only to realise that this church was not like any other church, she becomes target of a sinister entity… or a target of herself.

Horror Directors

Wesley 'Wes' Craven

• An American director, writer, producer and actor. He is mainly known for directing a number of horror films, mostly slashers.
• A few of his films are; The Nightmare on Elm Street series, Scream Series, The Hills Have Eyes and The Last House on the Left.
• He was influenced by; Tim Burton, Sam Raimi, Darren Lynn Bousman,  and Jonathan Craven.

Tim Burton

• An American film director, producer and writer.
• He is famous for his dark, quirky-themed films such as; Sleepy Hollow, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Edward Scissorhands.
• His wife, Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp are also popular within his films due to relations.

M. Night Shyamalan

• Indian-American screenwriter, film director and producer.
• He has directed films such as; The Village (2004), The Sixth Sense (1999), Signs (2002), and The Happening (2008).
• Actor collaborations such as; Bruce Willis, Cherry Jones, Joaquin Phoenix, Bryce Dallas-Howard and Frank Collison. 

Moodboard

This is a moodboard of relevant images to our chosen genre- horror. 

Codes and Conventions of Horror

Camera Angles/ Movements

• Point of View Shots
• Low/ High Angle Shots
• Panning
• Tilting
• Close Ups
• Long Shots
• Medium Close Ups
• Extreme Close Ups
• Arc

Lighting

• Back Lighting
• Low Key Lighting
• Under Lighting

Sounds

• Ambient Sounds
• Non-Diegetic Sounds
• Diegetic Sounds

Editing

• Fast Editing
• Sharp Cuts

Mise en Scene

The setting of the horror film can be set in any location. From the trailers I have researched they have been located within households, and inside locations. However, this isn't always the case. For example films such as Wrong Turn and Cabin in The Woods, these films have been located outside and within a wooded area. All locations are isolated from civilisation which adds to the horror genre. 

Props. There is a large and wide variety of what props are used within the film. Mainly weapons and fake blood are used within horror films. 

Costume and make-up. The way in which characters are dressed lets the audience know what type of character they are, for example if the character is dressed in dark clothing and is covered up-so the identity is not revealed then typically they are the villain. The make-up used on a villain, will generally be really pale so the features are emphasised e.g. pale face, with dark eyes will give them a creepy look. The protagonists are usually dressed in casual, everyday, outfits o that they look 'normal' towards society, whereas the villain will look different and will possibly stand out more. However, this is not always the case and there will be exceptions to the rule, an example would be when when a villain is not obvious and are shown as part of the group.

Sound. Diegetic sound is always used in teaser trailers, it is sound that is within the film. An example of this within horror would be a victim screaming, the sound of a door opening or the sound of a gun shot. As film trailers have to be suitable for all ages, the trailer cannot show disturbing/violent scenes and cannot show any fright into much detail. Therefore they have to rely on sound and effects to make these elements evident e.g hearing a cream without seeing the attack. The use of character interaction such as dialogue will help the narrative along and will help the audience to understand the events within the trailer. Using this within a trailer helps show the narrative of the film and helps create suspense and tension.

Non diegetic sound is sound that has been added during post production. Within horror trailers, the sound used is generally music that will create a spooky effect or will create tension. Sounds such as a heartbeat can be used to create a scary effect and suspense.
Sound Effects is enhanced sound that added to the text during post production.

Sound Bridge is the same music or sound that links two scenes together, to make the action scene interrupted. This would be use in the middle of the trailer as it will be revealing the action within the film, it helps to keep the continuity within the film by carrying on with the same source of sound.

Voiceover is generally used in a theatrical trailer, but is sometimes used in a teaser trailer with the actors voice used over a sequence of shots. The purpose of a voiceover is to help the audience understand the visual and the narrative of the film throughout the trailer.

Camera.

 Establishing shot is used at the beginning of the trailer to set the scene and to show equilibrium. Normally you will see the soon-to-victims leading their normal lives before the disruption occurs.

Close up - this shot shows the detail of a subjects face. its used within horror trailers to show the fear and emotion of the victims and making the audience to feel their pain. It can be also used to show the face of the villain, or an extreme close up may be used to show just a section of their face for example their eyes. This will create an enigma as the audience wont be sure what the villain fully looks like.

Mid shots- are used to show the action within the film (when equilibrium has been disrupted)allows the audience to see the character and the setting at the same time, this is used within horror . a mid shot can also be used to show the villain, usually in horror films it will show a dark outline of the villain's figure if the identity is not to be revealed.

Long shots- are used to show the setting, it allows the audience to see all the surroundings in the scene as well as the characters. In horror it could show a building on fire or possibly a murder, so the audience are not clear on who the killer is.

POV- This shot would usually be the point of view of the victim, so the audience can feel the fear and tension within the scene (it gives them an adrenalin rush). the shot is used when the victim is running away or hiding from the villain.

Tracking- this camera movement allows the audience to follow the action within the trailer, and allows them to keep up with the pace of the characters and movement within the scene (for example the character running). This movement can make the audience feel they are apart of the action and will make them feel the physical effects that the character is feeling (scared, adrenaline rush) It will make the scene more effective and seem realistic in the eyes of the audience.

High Angle- is when the camera is position high up and is tilting down on the subject, making the character look vulnerable to the audience. This is popular within the horror genre as it makes the victim powerless against the villain.

Low Angle- placed below the subject titling upwards so that the character looks dominant and powerful, this generally towards the villain before the attempt to repair the disruption.

Canted angle - is the tilting of the camera and is used for dramatic effect to create a sense of disorientation, intoxication, madness etc. This can be shown within horror such as the Saw series.

Genre

What genre have you chosen to do?

As a group we decided on the genre of horror. This is because it can be quite simple to create such a tense and exciting film trailer. The genre also opens up many opportunities as to where we can base the trailer as an example.

Horror Definition

Started within literature to scare its readers. It creates an eerie and frightening atmosphere. It can also be either supernatural or non-supernatural

Example Horror Movie Trailers

The Possession (2012)

Genre: Psychological Horror

Director: Ole Bornedal

Produced by: Sam Raimi, Robert Tabert and J.R. Young.

Distributed by: Liongate

The Possession was first released in the US on August 31st 2012. The Possession is about a young girl who discovers an old, antique box at a garden sale, unaware of the evil entity that resides inside it.

Analysis

The trailer is 2 minutes and 30 seconds long, which is reasonably the right length for a film trailer to be.  It starts off fairly positive. 

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Genre: Psychological Horror

Director: M. Night Shyamalam 

Produced by: Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Barry Mendel

Distributed by: Hollywood Pictures

The Sixth Sense was released on August 6th 1999 (US). The storyline is about a young boy who is isolated and troubled. He is able to see and communicate with the dead, who is helped with this by a Child Psychiatrist.

Analysis

Paranormal Activity (2007)

Genre: Psychological Horror

Director: Oren Peli 

Produced by: Steven Schneider and Jason Blum

Distributed by: Paramount Pictures

Paranormal Activity was released October 14th 2007. It is the first film in the Paranormal Activity Franchise. Paranormal Activity is about a young couple who are being haunted by a paranormal entity. The film is presented by 'Found Footage' which give it an eery effect of the couple being truly haunted.

Analysis

The Apparition (2012)

Genre: Psychological Horror

Director: Todd Lincoln

Produced by: Alex Heineman, Todd Lincoln, Andrew Rona and Joel Silver

Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures

The Apparition was released August 24th, 2012. The Apparition is about a young couple who are being haunted, which is then unleashed during an experiment.

Analysis

Conventions of Film Posters

• Should clearly identify the films genre
• It should be eye catching in order to catch attention
• Release date
• Film title
• Credit block (Usually at the bottom of the poster)
• Could possibly show reviews from magazines etc. 

Primary Characteristics

The backdrop is of scenery taken from the film. The scenery is dark and dreary, it contains a number of war planes that are flying towards the viewer to suggesting that they are flying either away or towards a specific happening, this creates a sense of mystery and this is reflected by the dark tones that are used within the poster. Also, it shows that the film genre is an action war film by the sense of use of movement with the positioning of the planes. 

The film title 'Pearl Harbor' has the biggest font to suggest it's the most important factor of the poster. The film title can also give the audience an idea to what the genre of the film is, for example 'Pearl Harbor' shows that it will be a war film .

Secondary Characteristics

The text of 'Pearl Harbor' stands out from the rest of the poster even though the colouring is basic. The style of the writing also stands out, especially as it has been written in capital letters. The tag line has the same colouring, though it is much smaller than the film title, this shows that is has significance to the film. 

Horror Film Poster Analysis

Conventions of Film Magazines

Top 3 Trailers

Whilst researching into trailers, as a group we hadn't decided what genre we were going to use for our film trailer. So instead I decided to choose three trailers from any type of genre that I found encouraged me to watch the film.

Attack The Block (2011)

When I first saw the 'Attack The Block' trailer I was immediately interested. It mainly interested me because I hadn't seen a film similar to this before. So to me this was new and unique. The trailer uses inter-titles within the sequence of film snippets, these of which I found encouraged me more to watch the whole film, for example, 'The Deadliest Species In the Galaxy' and 'The Ultimate Enemy' made the film more exciting and interesting. The film trailer also mentioned one of the films the director had also directed which was 'Shawn of the Dead' which I had seen before, and enjoyed. This also had an impact on my decision to watch the film, as I had found 'Shawn of the Dead' funny and enjoyable, I wanted to give the film a shot-- and found that I wasn't disappointed when I did. 

Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)

When I first saw the trailer for 'Paranormal Activity 3' it had immediately caught my attention this is because it has been made into the layout of a home video which is uncommon compared to the majority of films that are made. Inter-titles are again used with the sequence of clips taken from the film, such as 'This October discover the secret behind the activity' this adds tension and excitement to the film trailer, which is used to encourage the target audience to watch the whole movie. I had seen the previous two movies in the franchise and was impressed by both films, and clearly the story carries on so you can't really miss the next part of the franchise. At the end of the trailer it shows the release date of the film.

Charlie St Cloud (2010)

What attracted me most from watching the trailer for 'Charlie St Cloud' was that of the story line and how the trailer showed that which is brilliant as it can easily courage those with a weak spot for romance and drama. When I first saw the trailer I found it vert moving, seeing the bond between two brothers, and how it still didn't break even after the loss of the younger brother. I just had to watch the whole movie then, which I did, and found that the movie was brilliant, and that it was much more moving which led to a lot of tears. Throughout the film trailer it mentions the names of the main characters within the movie, and also the release date. 

Conventions of Film Trailers

Film trailers are a form of promotional film material. They are made up of particular clips that show the most interesting parts of the film. Some of the codes and conventions of a film trailer are:

• Trailers include key moments from the film, though they do not give away any of the crucial parts of the plot.
• The title of the film is not usually shown in the early stages of a film trailer, it is usually displayed at the end, along with the release date.
• In some trailers the names of the main actors and actresses are shown throughout the trailer, towards the beginning or the end. This can be very influential on the target audience as they may enjoy certain films with specific actors/actresses.
• The names of the director and producers are included, which usually stems from phrases such as 'from the director of/ makers of...'. This allows the audience to make connections from other films, whether they are easily recognised or successful.
• Music is also the essential of a good film trailer. It can help present the genre, style and the plot. 

The Purpose of Film Trailers

Introduction to Project

For my A2 project, I have decided to create a promotion package for a film in which I will be working within a small group. The promotion package will consist of a magazine cover, film poster (ancillary products) and finally a film trailer. In order to complete this successfully I will need to research into other film trailers that have been previously made, then, to begin plan the specifics of the film trailer I want to create and to finally film it. The research I will be making will be looking into depth of different genres, and the conventions of a trailer.  

The overall length of the film trailer will be no longer than two minutes nor less than one.

I shall be using this blog to record and evaluate the progress of creating this promotion package.