Film Trailer

This is my final edit of the trailer (Below)

NOTE: The following are a number of scenes originally thought of as being useful, they were however later omitted from the evential final edit, these clip do not form part of the final cut (above)

The reason for not using the following scenes relates to issues such as continuity in the trailer, but also having  the correct clips present in the trailer, (Some clips may be longer than they would have been in the final cut)

Film Poster

 

Practice Shots

 The following are some of the practice shots that I made producing my Poster, all of which had issues either with lighting, composition, or the position of the model.

Film Magazine

Practice Shots

 The following are some of the practice shots that I made producing my magazine cover, all of which had issues either with lighting, composition, or the position of the model, reflection on the lense was also another problem along with the unwanted items in the frame.

Trailer Storyboard (Plan/Mock-Up)

Here are the mock-up storyboard that I have created for my trailer, they show all of the different frames I hope to use when producing the trailer.

Each of the seperate frames are listed in the correct order above, click to enlarge.

Film Magazine Mock Up

The following is a mock-up for the magazine front cover that I will be editting.

Film Poster Mock Up

The following is a mock-up for my film poster, some of the colours may change when I move to the editting stage, but these changes should be minimal.

Locations, Actors, Props, Make-Up, Camera Ideas, Sound (Mise-En-Scene)

Locations

The locations which I first decided on using when making this film trailer include. ..

All of the possible locations are rural and have a forest which can be used for filming in. 

 

The River Chess and Surrounding Areas

 

Rickmansworth & The Aquadrome

                                      

 Ruislip Woods & Surrounding Areas

However after careful consideration I felt that the best locations that would suit my film would be Northolt Park as there would be available lamp lighting for when shooting in the dark, also Holland Park was an attractive place because there was enough space to shoot long shots plus it is not usually as busy as somewhere like Rickmansworth & The Aqua Drome.

The following are location shots of Holland Park

The following is an image of Northolt Park and the area where I hope part of the filming will take place

Northolt Park featured a large amount of open ground which I felt would benefit me when carrying out long shots, since there would be fewer trees in the way- something which was a problem in Ruislip Woods, since trees were close together.

Actors & Costumes

There will be only two actors appearing in this trailer, although the film would feature more.

The first Actor is Jack

The above picture is of Jack who will be one of the actors in the trailer, As i felt dark clothing would be more suitable and the fact that it should be casual he is wearing a dark outfit, with black jeans.

The second Actor/Actress in the trailer is Kerri

Her clothing will also be casual and slightly defeminised to reflect the role she plays in the film, however she still wears a pink top, she will also be wearing dark trousers.

Sound

The type of sound used in the trailer will mostly be non-diegetic soundtracks which set the speed and feel of the trailer creating tension, odd sound effects may also be used such as for a door handle rattling or a closing door.

Camera Ideas (Angles/Shots)

An important aspect; and perhaps the most important; of producing a movie trailer is to ensure that the correct camera angles, positions and shot types are used for maximum effect. I will be using a range of different angles in my movie trailer, shot types I will use include the use of:

Long shots: to capture the characters within their surroundings, such as the use of a long shot when they are in a park creates the feeling of isolation this type of shot is often used in thrillers and horrors, to give a scope of what is going on.

Mid-Shot: This is a type of medium shot in between a very long shot and a close-up, these enable body language and facial expressions to be shown.

Close-Up: This type of shot enables facial expressions to be shown clearly giving the audience an idea of possibly how the character is feeling. This shot is common in horror films and will be a type of shot that I will be using.

Low angle Shot: This shot may be used to show the antagonist, it is usually taken from a low angle.

Two Shot: I hope to use this type of shot for when the couple are walking back from the party, it is a type of shot where two people are in the picture at the same time.

Establishing Shot: This type of shot helps to set the scene for the rest of the trailer, it will most likely be used towards the begining of the trailer, often it is used to show where the rest of a scene will take place.

 Other Equipment Used/ Props

Fog Machine: To aid in the production of my trailer (Update) I used a fog machine exactly like the one below, this was used to give the smoke effect under the door, as seen in the trailer.

Spotlighting: To be used for certain aspects of the filing such as when the level of lighting available is serverly limited, e.g. outdoor & night scenes.

Props

Knife: The Use of a Knife in my trailer to symbolise a murder weapon for the killer is an option I have considered.

Mask: This will probably be what the killer wears- it will be kept simple, so as to not give too much away.

Torch: I have also considered the use of a torch for when the characters search outside for the killer.

 

Inspirational Director

 Inspirational Director

As my Inspirational Director, I decided to choose M Night Shyamlan (Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan), who although not specifically a  horror film director he has produced/Directed/Written Psychological Horrors/Thrillers.

His Notable films are as follows:

·        Praying with Anger

·        Wide Awake

·         The Sixth Sense

·        Unbreakable

·        Signs

·        The Village

·        Lady in the Water

·        The Happening

·         The Last Airbender

·        Devil

·         Thousand A.E.

 Introduction/Bibliography

 • Shyamalan is an Indian/American film director who is known for a number of films from the horror genre.

•The most notable films that Shyamalan has produced are, The Sixth Sense, Signs, and The Happening.

•He was born in India on August 6th 1970, his father,  Nelliyattu C. Shyamalan was a Physician his mother, Jayalakshmi, specialising in Obstetrics and Gynaecology

•Before Shyamalan was born his parents moved to the United States, however his mother returned briefly for 11 months, 6th of which she spent in India after Shyamalan was born, they then moved to Pennsylvania in America. 

Background/Style 

•Night is known for filming a lot of his films around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he was raised.

•He has been compared to other famous film directors such as Steven Spielberg, and Alfred Hitchcock. 

•Shyamalan is known for his modern supernatural plots that peak with a twist ending. 

•His also known for Writing, Producing, and Directing his films as well as staring in them.

 The Sixth Sense 
•The Sixth Sense was his first financially successful film. 

•The film went on to receive a number of Oscars which included Best Director, and Best Picture.  
•The film was Written and Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, it was released towards the end of Summer, Shyamalan also admitted that he didn’t think that the film would do very well, only hoping to make back the cost of production.  
 

Signs  
•Signs was Shyamalan’s 3rd Successful film after Unbreakable, it was well liked by the critics gaining over $600 million at the box office with a budget of only $40 million.

•It was nominated for six Academy Awards.

•Shyamalan played a small part in this movie as Ray Reddy

•The twist at the end of this film was the possibility of killing the aliens just by using water

 

The Happening

•The Happening is a 2008 thriller/horror film which was Written, produced and Directed by Shyamalan.

•The film is about a man and his family who try to escape from a bizarre natural disaster, a substance which causes those who come into contact with it to commit suicide.

•The film grossed $163,403,799 at the box office. With a budget of $48 million making it a financial success.

•The film did however receive mostly negative reviews from film critics.

•M. Night Shyamalan is credited  as playing the part of Joey even though the character did not appear in the film.

Quotes

I knew the moment it happened, it was a miracle. I could have been kissing her when she threw up. It would have scarred me for life. I may never have recovered.

When they see those fourteen lights, they're looking at a miracle. And deep down, they feel that whatever's going to happen, there will be someone there to help them. And that fills them with hope. 

Movies will end up being this esoteric art form, where only singular people will put films out in a small group of theatres.

Controversy/Criticism

•Some people have accused him of being a One-Trick-Pony who over uses the idea of twist elements, although it is his traditional style and what he has now become known for.

•Shyamalan has also been accused of plagiarism, such as the similarities of Signs and Robert McIlhinney screenplay, Lord of the Barrens which was unpublished.

•Also The Village was stated for having similarities to Margaret Peterson Haddix  novel called Running Out of Time.

Narrative

Plot Outline

•       A small group of friends are at a party in the middle of the woods. Something at the part happens when the antagonist (killer) is ignored and shunned by a girl he is trying to impress, the antagonist was obssessed with the girl and after seeing her with someone else this obsession develops into anger.

•   When the party was over every went their seperate ways and the girl left with her boyfriend, it was late about this time (1am) and therefore it was very dark, after leaving the party the couple begin to get the feeling they are being followed.

•       Girl and boy go home and campaign of  terror begins. They are tormented in a number of ways, with small things to begin with, then big things before he tries to kill both of them. The torment occurs with a range of items in their home going missing, problems with the electricity, the feeling of being watched, and noises being heard around the home.

•       The killer and the girl’s boyfriend will have a confrontation when he tries to protect his girl. The boyfriend will die, but the girl will survive by killing the psychopath (antagonist).

Killer Tactics

 The killer uses fear to weaken their victims and then kills by using anything he has to hand which makes him even more deadly since it is not so easy to prevent him from killing. Objects that he would use in the film include, bricks, a Knife (used to kill the male lead character; Jack), and broken glass from a window he has smashed. 

The killer uses a number of scare tactics, such as the use of noises, prank calls, even cutting off the electricity when he gains access to inside the house. The killer will make himself hidden with the aid of a white mask.

Post Pitch Analysis

The original intention was to have the killer follow someone back to a house, however it was soon discovered that there were a number of problems not covered with this idea. Also it was unknown how exactly the killer would torment its victim.

PITCH

The original ideas and basic plotline was:

•       A small group of people are on their way back from a party in the middle of the woods when one of them gets the sense that they are being followed…

•       Later the same night they go home with the belief they have been followed, therefore trying to lock all doors and windows, however no one else has seen anyone following them.

•       The person who first assumed they were being followed believes they are in fact psychic and can see the past, present & future.

•       The group of friends are constantly harassed by an unknown assailant who repeatedly bangs on the doors and windows, whenever someone dares to have a look there is no one there.

•       The person who first mentions about being followed turns on the group of friends in a moment of madness, they have had a history of psychological mental health problems although they seemed normal.

  Possible locations where I could film my trailer include. Around the area of Ruislip and the Ruislip Woods area, also possibly the Rickmansworth area as it is a rural town with woodland, Northolt Park or even Holland Park also to film on.

POST-PITCH ANALYSIS

Problems Encounted
 There were a number of different problems that I encounted when using the idea of the hounse setting, one major problems was reconising the possible events that could happen in the house. Items in the house also had to be moved to ensure continuity could be achieved for the filming of the trailer.


 

After Audience Feedback

Feedback from the pitch was mainly positive, however there were a number of plot holes that needed to be attended to so that the whole plot idea and story worked out. Problems had arisen in terms of the overall plotline such as, how the killer would develop the urge to kill someone else, what the reason would be behind it- would be as all killers need a motive?; this was acknowledged by making the killer jealous of someone else’s girlfriend.

Areas which would remain the same in terms of the plot would be the party at the beginning of the trailer, also another area which would remain the same is the idea of the victims leaving the party and going home.

 However the differences with the plot would be the fact that the party will be in celebration for Halloween, at the party a girl that the killer is obsessed with is shunned when he trys to make a move on her, later he sees this girl with someone else, later the girl and boy go home and the terror campaign begins, possible tactics the killer uses include throwing bricks and thinks through the window but also the killer has gained entrance into the house, but instead of killing them straight away he uses a number of terror tactics, such as stealing valued items after which throwing them back at the distressed couple.

Media Pitch

The following is a media pitch presentation describing initial ideas for the outline of the film.

Conducting the Pitch I hoped to gain an understanding of some of the key areas and ideas that I should  use in my trailer, conducting a pitch also helped me to build on my pre-existing ideas as they were somewhat vague, although there were a number of ideas that I had presented.

 

Conventions of Movie Trailers, Posters, & Magazine Front Covers

The following is a list of the codes and conventions that are traditionally followed when producing Trailers, Posters & Magazine front covers.

Movie Magazine Covers: A number of conventions are traditionally followed when producing a movie magazine, the most prominent of these conventions that is very strictly followed is the presence of a Masthead at the top of the page, usually either in the centre or on the prominent left-hand third. The idea of a Masthead is to remain constant so that brand identity can be created. Magazines also usually ensure that they keep to the same style and format each issue with only the content changing. Magazine covers usually always have some sell-lines, although the number always varies. Colours used on front covers are traditionally kept to just the primary colours, and just using a limited number of different colours.

Magazine covers usually always show an image which is relevant to a film possibly being released, it is also more than likely to be there main article for that issue. Men in general tend to dominante movie magazine front covers, this is confirmed after analysing different covers. Not always considered to feature on magazine covers however more frequently present on movie magazines, are the use of 'Puffs' or 'Banners' designed to give the audience something for their eyes to look at- perhaps relating to a deal.

Movie Posters: Movie posters, just like magazines are there to draw in a potential audience to see your film. This is even more true when talking about movie posters, which are one of the studio companies main ways of selling the film and entice its audience in. Therefore movie posters particularly have to be eye catching and stand out among the rest, achieving this requires the need to use minimal text and use more imagery, iconography and colours. Usually film posters use their main character on the front of the poster, with horror films this is always either the antagonist (killer) or the protagonist (central character, where the plot develops around).

When featuring the antagonist on the front of the poster they are usually shown to me powerful/dominant, they are usually always hidden behind a mask or their face may be darkened. The antagonist is usually pictured to be in distress/alert or fearful of something (likely to be the protagonist). Darker colours are usually used for horror film posters to convey the mood of the film. Also present on the movie poster is the tagline which is usually at the top of the poster with a message giving a posible insight into what the film may be about.

Always present on a movie poster is the title of the film, this is usually written towards the bottom middle of the poster however it may also be placed at the top of the poster. The reason for placing the title towards the bottom of the page is because this is where audiences generally look first. Production companies and studios also like to have their logo on the poster towards the bottom corners. Credits generally also feature on posters although this is not always the case especially with early release posters. Finally posters also feature either the date when a film is released or perhaps text along the lines of 'Coming Soon'.

Movie Trailer: Unlike Posters & Magazines the codes and conventions of movie trailers are more flexible, considering that differnt genres will have slightly different conventions when producing film trailers.

In general film trailers always feature a number of different straps, these give information a bout the film, such as, the title, director/producers involved and if they are well known in relation to other horror films, also the straps may give general information on the narrative of the trailer. The beginning of a movie trailer usually involves studio/production company logos, before a shot which will then set the scene for the rest of the trailer. Trailers in the horror genre tend to build on tension already created, and therefore the speed of the editting in a trailer usually speeds up as it gets towards the end, before slowing back down again.

Also elements such as mise-en-scene have to be followed, such as the use of objects suitable to the genre e.g. weapons, also the use of the correct camera angles and shots suitable for the message trying to be conveyed. At the very end of a film trailer there will sometimes feature a teaser shot known as a 'Sting' giving an additional scare for the audience.

Questionnaire Analysis

Two different sets of questionnaires were performed on two different cross sections of people. The first one was a general questionnaire conducted on 5 people giving an overview of people’s horror film interests and how often they watch movie trailers and how they watch them. The second questionnaire was based on responses from a focus group comprising of 6 different horror film enthusiasts.

General Questionnaire

To enable me to recognise the different aspects such as their likes and dislikes relating to different areas of the horror genre I conducted a general horror questionnaire from a sample of 5 different people, the questionnaire was anonymous although I did ask participants to state what age range they fall under. 

1.       What Gender are you?

The gender questionnaire was useful because it help me to recognise what gender horror may be more popular with, from then knowing whether one particular gender enjoys horror more than the other may have its uses when creating my horror trailer. Although since the audience was chosen I cannot assume one gender enjoys horror more than the other, however when relating to the other questions it may be useful. The following is the chart showing the percentage who were male and the percentage of people taking part who were female, it clearly shows that more men took part in the questionnaire specifically 3 men and 2 women.

2.    2. What age range do you fall into?

This question was based on the age ranges of the people who took part, knowing this information is important since it will give me an idea of the typical ages that people enjoy horror films. The results of the age range will be useful in conjunction with the other questions from the analysis such as the type of horror films they enjoy; it will then give me an idea of what type of horror films I should make for my target audience. Based on the results below it shows how everyone who took part in the questionnaire were between the ages of 16 and 24, this suggests that I should ensure I target my trailer to these age ranges particularly. Horror is usually always more popular with younger audiences, and these results prove this.

3.       What is your favourite of type of Horror Films?


This question was very important because it helped me to understand the best horror film genre of horror I should use to base my film on, usually among younger audience members horror sub-genres such as Slasher are more popular, and these results prove this, however supernatural also ranked highly.

4.       What is your favourite horror film? &  5.       Why is this film one of your favourites?

The answers to these questions were written on the questionnaire and the respondents were allowed to list more than one, films people listed included, films from the Final Destination franchise, and also some of the Saw films were also listed, along with Signs, The Sixth Sense, Scream, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The responses for choosing these films were that they thought the films were different (original) than any other films, they enjoyed the scare which they got from the film, other responses were also slightly inconclusive such as one person who said that they thought this film was a classic, perhaps meaning that it was original. Based on these responses I now have an idea of what type of plotline I should write for my film based on ideas from these films, e.g. how originality is achieved.

6.       Where do you usually watch Horror films?

I allowed all respondents on this question to select more than one answer if they would like too since some people may view horror films at home and at the cinema, the ‘other’ responses were nonexistence although I included this just in case people viewed films in other ways, perhaps at a friend’s house. The following answers below suggest that most people questioned would go to the cinema to view horror films, although around a third still watch them at home.

7.       How often do you watch Horror film trailers?

This question was based on the frequency that people view horror film trailer in general. The following results suggest that on average people watch horror film trailers at least once a week or a minimum of once a month, this gives me an idea of the viewing habits of people who watch horror film trailers.

8.       How do you usually watch Horror film trailers?

Film trailers in general can be watched in a number of different ways, the answers given for this question specifically relate to the viewing habits of people with regards to horror film trailers. In a constantly changing technological environment this question was a good one to ask because it helped me recognise how much of an audience I would possibly achieve by placing my trailer online. The answers prove my assumptions that watching film trailers is popular now through online media outlets such as You-Tube this means I should reach a wider audience.

9.       Are there any films (in general) which you have gone to see based on the film trailer? 

This question was very important to ask because similarly to the one asked regarding their favourite films I can get an idea of the types of films that would be worth looking at the trailers to recognise how they were effective. The films mentioned were: The Unborn, The Strangers, Final Destination 3, 28 Days Later, Saw, and The Mist.

10.   What made you want to go and see the film based on the trailer?

A summary of response about each of the films is listed below. 

Saw: Renewed interest in horror as it looked original and very scary and also realistic. 

The Unborn: Enjoy the supernatural type horrors- looked good.

Final Destination 3: Enjoyed the previous film, had a different characteristic to this film- number of enjoyable plot twists.

28 Weeks Later: Became very popular, scenes are very realistic; the idea behind the film was interesting.

The Mist: Looked very scary, enjoyed the idea of the monsters, and wanted to see what it was like.

Based on these responses it clear that I should include some of the tradition horror codes and conventions, to enable me to generate a piece of horror media which is both original but also within the excepted standards.

11.   Are there any films you wanted to go and see but after watching the trailer you changed your mind?

The answers give to me by this question enable me to recognise where I could go wrong and hopefully to avoid this. Not every had an answer to give for this question, it could be considered to be rather ambiguous because someone may have seen a trailer and possibly liked the film but not bothered seeing it also some people said they could not think of any films however the films which some wrote were: The Village, The Happening, Ring 2, Hill Have Eyes 2 (remake), and Fog.

Focus Group Questionnaire

The focus group was conducted on six different Psychological horror enthusiasts; the questions specifically target this group of people.

1. What age range do you fall into? 

This question like the one on the general questionnaire will help me to recognise the age of the group of people I will be targeting my promotional pack at. Psychological horror usually has a more developed and older audience than horrors such as slasher, these results show that only 1 person under the age of 18 enjoys this genre.

2.Why do you enjoy watching Psychological Horror films?

    
jg   This question was asked because I felt it was necessary for me to know why people watch horror films, especially those in the psychological horror genre. as if i know why people enjoy horror films I can then use this knowledge when making my own trailer. Answers that were given in relation to this question were as follows, people enjoy the thrill and enjoyment that they get from horror films. People commented on how they have an adrenaline rush from horror films, and they also mentioned how watching horrror films is a form of escape.
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3. What is one of your favourite Psychological Horror films? & 4. Why is this film one of your favourites?

This question like the one on the general horror questionnaire gives me further knowledge on the types of psychological horrors that people enjoy.

Saw: It created an interest in horror films for them, they also said that it kept them on the edge of their seat.

Paranormal Activity: There was a lot of tension created, the film felt very real and had created a lot of fear.

The Shinning: Very original, good story, the ending is cleverly done and unexpected.

The Ring: The idea of the use of the video tape which was cursed was unusual- keeps the viewer hooked.

Blair Witch Project: Based on true life story makes it feel all the more real and scary, overwhelming scare factor created.

The Exorcist: Very involoving and scary, very disturbing with a lot of gruesome special effects.

5. Are there any particular Characters that you liked from is genre of Horror films?



This question gives me the opportunity to study peoples favourite individual characters from these horror films. The antagonist from The Shining (Jack Torrance), The Saw: Jill, The Ring: Rachel Keller.

6. Is there any Psychological Horror which you didn’t really like, if so what was it called?

The question gives me the opportunity to understand the films that people who are a fan of Psychological horror, didn't like. They were as follows:

28 Weeks Later
Ring 2
Hills Have Eyes 2
Fog
Hostel
Gothika

7. Where do you usually watch Psychological Horror films?

This question was asked on the general questionnaire although I also though it would be a good idea to include this here as well since it will give me a better understanding of how people view Psychological horror films. Since this questionnaire was conducted on a focus group of enthusiast of horror, the answer here reflects this.

8. How often do you watch Psychological Horror film trailers?

Psychological Horror film fanatics typically view film trailers on a regular basis as can be shown here in the following graph.

            

9. What type of locations do you usually see when watching this type of genre of horror films?

 Gaining an idea of the type of locations used in horror films will give me an idea of suitable locations to shoot my horror film trailer.

• Remote locations
• Abandoned house/building
• Forest
• House
• Abandoned warehouse
• Farm
• Remote Village

A common trait among locations for horror films is that they are either remote or very few people are around.