Friday 10 December 2010

from Mrs S

What you plan to say seems pretty good, just make sure you answer the evaluation questions

Evaluation - Script

Slide 1
Hi,
In my evaluation, I am going to cover 5 main areas. Forms & Conventions, The Promotional Package, The Feedback, Technology Used, and What I’d Change.
[Click on hyperlink to Forms & Conventions slide]

Slide 2
One of the magazines I analysed was Rue Morgue, [click for image][click for bullet points][point out the parts on the magazine]
• Title is biggest font.
• Title is most unique font.
• Big single image.
• Image is background
• Barcode is out of the way
• Main article title 2nd biggest.
• Changes in font colour and size.
• Tagline for the magazine less obvious.
• Information around the barcode.
• Clear separation of articles.
• Bold article titles.
[click for image] When creating my magazine cover, I tried to bear in mind these conventions. [Click for bullet points][point out the parts on the magazine].
Explain reasons for conforming or not.
A poster I analysed was for Rec2 which was the film on the Rue Morgue cover, the conventions I learnt from it were; [click for image and bullet points]
• Image based on, but not directly from the film.
• Title of film is biggest text.
• Changes in font size in the
• Directors name.
• Name of actors.
• Producers.
• Tagline.
• Image quality and colour has been edited to help create the effect.
• Sponsors of film
• [click for image] When creating my poster, I tried to bear in mind these conventions. [Click for bullet points][point out the parts on the poster].
Explain reasons for conforming or not
[Click to next slide]

Slide 3
[Click on link to trailer]
[Click for points]
• It should be between 1 minute and 2 ½ minutes (preferably on the shorter side of the scale)
• There should be dark/limited lighting to create ‘the fear of the unknown’.
• There should be a build up of quickening cuts to a climax of the trailer (which should be a ‘jump moment’).
• There should be no reference to a specific date of release.
• The title of the film should be after the majority of the trailer.
• The credits should be at the very end.
• The trailer should use sound and images to overwhelm the senses to create an effective and scary trailer.
• A tagline could be included before the title of the film.
• I should use an obvious hand held camera is an effective way of making the trailer feel more realistic and again scary.
• There should be use of/lack of non-digetic sound is an effective way of creating fear in the audience through making ‘jump moments’ overwhelming the senses or creating a focus to what is happening on screen or making a lull towards a jump moment.
• There should be reference to the directors of the film so that it provides advertisement for us but also any fans of us will want to see one of our films.
• The producer logo should be at the very beginning of the trailer.
Explain reason for conforming or not.
[Click to next slide]

Slide 4
[Click for images & points]
To create a promotional package for my film, it was important to create a connection for all 3 aspects of the package. I did this mainly through two ways; using font style and images.
In all 3 I used the same font to create a connection between the 3 pieces. In each 3 the font has been altered slightly depending on the editing tools at my disposal. Although the basic font is the same, the magazine cover and trailer use a glow to enhance the situation. The poster doesn’t however because I think the minimalistic style of the poster works well.
The image is the same on all 3 though on the magazine it has been flipped so it fits on the magazine cover well. However in the trailer it is the overwhelming weakness of the trailer. However it all links well and is clearly part of the same promotional package.
[Click to next slide]

Slide 5
[Click for images] [Point out how I used each to get feedback.]
To get some feedback on my promotional package, I have asked for people to comment on them via my facebook and YouTube pages. I have also created a focus questionnaire and gathered the responses.
A lot of people commented on how they did not like the blue image included after the first text in the trailer, taking this into consideration, in my own time, I have looked at how I could have improved this. People said they felt the feel of the trailer was excellent and many people have said they want to see what I do next. People really seemed to like the voice over at the start, but the shot of Mlondile Moyo crawling back away from the ghost is a shot they did not like. One other area of the trailer people found not so good was how the music was not all tied together and how the heartbeats did not go from the start of the trailer. The ending, and text were particular favourites amongst people I asked. People have said they felt the magazine wasn’t interesting enough and how it didn’t look professional enough, but everyone agreed that the poster I designed was excellent and could find no ways to improve it.
[Click for next slide]

Slide 6
One of the fundamental technologies I used during the project was iMovie. This is the software I used for the editing of my trailer.
There were a lot of features on iMovie that I used such as; the colours, brightness, exposure, speed and length of the clip, text, inserting images, video and sound.
These features were an important part to creating my trailer as it relies a lot on effects to create a spooky, super-natural feel.
Here are some examples of how using the editing software enhanced important parts of my trailer.
[Click for images] [Point out what I did for each]
[Click for next slide]

Slide 7
After I finished my project, in my spare time I began experimenting with certain parts of my project. One was the main image of the film, the iconic blue image. When I first made this image it became very difficult to put into my trailer. The people I have asked agree with my opinion that the using of the image after the first bit of text, is a weak point in the trailer. So working on this I looked at other alternatives such as using a still from the film for use in the trailer magazine front cover and poster. With a new image this is how all three would look.
[Click for images]
[Click to next slide]

Slide 8
Thank you for watching

Evaluation - Powerpoint Screenshots Draft 1 [Shortened Clips, Not Full Length of Presentation]

Sound has not been included on this draft, as filming the presentation directly from my laptop made it impossible to read the text. So instead i have put together the individual slides of the presentation as images. What I will say in the evaluation will come from the script above.

Wednesday 24 November 2010

From Mrs S

This is good Sean. Might consider the small changes we discussed with the text.

Monday 22 November 2010

Mrs D

I like your front cover and poster. Well done. Just make sure that you incorporate some of the image in the trailer to create a recognisable advertising package for your film.

Construction - Magazine Cover


Tuesday 16 November 2010

From Mrs S

This is really coming together Sean. When you're ready, make a decision whether or not the magazine needs more or whether that would spoil it.

Friday 12 November 2010

Construction - Magazine Cover Draft 3


Conturction - Extreme Close Up

Mrs D

I think your poster is really effective and the image works well. They layout is simple, yet effetive which is true to the conventions of posters. YOur Magazine front cover however needs quite a bit of work I'm affraid. You need to work on the layout - there is a lot of wated space.

Construction - Crying Scene

Construction - Magazine Cover Draft 2


From Mrs S

I'm intrigued by your clips, but I like your finished poster. I think the magazine needs tweaking.

Construction - Long Shot Clip

Construction - Ending Clip

Construction - Magazine Cover Draft 1


Construction - Poster Draft 2


The first draft's image was too dark to be seen so I have edited the picture to make it more obvious.


Tuesday 9 November 2010

From Mrs S

I like the idea of the unconventional layout, but it doesn't really follow the accepted codes and conventions, so the conventional one is probably your best bet, a mag with the masthead down the side would be too weird to do well.

Friday 5 November 2010

Planning - Magazine Front Cover Layouts



This idea is a really traditional style for a magazine cover, except the subheading which is my film title will be the boldest on the page to add as much advertising as possible. The text on the page will follow that of my chosen poster, as will the colour scheme. The main image will be either the long shot of the ghost in the red hoody, or a close up of the face highlighting the demonic black eyes of the ghost. The quote will come from either myself or one of the actors which will be from one of the articles inside. The smaller subheadings will be for interviews with my actors, and it will say star of 'someone is there' so my film gains as much promotion from the front cover of the magazine as possible.



This is a fairly unusual layout for a magazine front cover, and especially as using this will make the sub-heading, which is the title of my film, the boldest and largest font on the page to give as much promotion to my film as possibel. The main image will be one of the iconic images the film will give the audience which is the long distance shot of a teenage girl in a red hoody, with demonic black eyes. There will be a quote from either myself or one of the actors about how good the film will be to give as much hype to the film as possible. The title for all the text on screen will be the same as my choice for my poster, and the colour scheme will follow that of my poster as well so it is a clear promotional package for my film.

Planning - Advertising Poster Ideas


This is a very traditional film poster layout with all the text information in one area, behind one large image. Seen as it's the most common style, it has got to be a very succesful layout for posters and deffinately a layout which is should consider to use. The main focus is the text with the bold name of the film in the centre of the page so it immediately catches your eye. This is going to be far more suitable for my film as it is important to get the name of the film across to my target audience as i do not have an established fan base for my film.
The main image will be a close up with seeing half the face of the ghost and the black eyes,the background around outside the image will be black. The fonts for all the text will be 'Charlemagne Standard' the title will be in bright white and the rest of the text in a pale yellow colour. The title will be the boldest with the tagline and release date biggest after that.



This layout is far less traditional but still quite common with some of the text information seperated. There is still a main image used instead of a background and the list of actors actresses producers etc in the traditional place, but the name of the film, tagline and release date is all in the top right hand corner of the page. This makes the image the main focus, which would be suitable for a film with an iconic image like friday the 13th or the texas chainsaw massacre but seen as my film is a new film with no large fan base this layout is probably not the most suitable for my films advertising.
The main image will be along shot of the ghost with a dark background and most of the image really dark with the bright red hoody. The text will be in a bold font 'Invers SF' all in white, and the title will be the largest and boldest, with the tagline and release date as the second biggest and boldest.

Planning - Actors & Actresses

Crying woman - Jenny McLaren
Man from next door apartment - Mlondile Moyo
Ghost of womans daughter - Alejandra Tracey
Location - My living room, suitable lighting and size, for the location the clip is set.
Camerawork - Myself, I will do all the camera work myself aswell as working as director.

Monday 1 November 2010

Planning - Mis-en-scene

Woman - Dark jeans and dark top which represent her dark situation, mascara running down her face emphasising the fact she's been crying.

Man - Light jeans and white shirt, representing he's innocent to what's about to happen.

Ghost - Dark clothes, showing she's dark and evil. Red hoody (up) representing blood and that she's killing people. Dark hair over her face hiding her appearance, so the audience has a hint about who she might be, but do not know for certain.

Room - Needs to be a living room and does not need any specific requirements, but does need dark lighting and space for filming.

Planning - Timings

Timings
0-5 Seconds – Producer Logo
5-10 Seconds – Static

10-11 Seconds - Close Up of Mouth
11-12 Seconds - Static
12-28 Seconds – Establishing Shot
28-30 Seconds – Extreme Close Up Shot
30-31 Seconds – Static

31-37 Seconds - Medium Shot, Rotation to Close Up on Eyes
37-47 Seconds – Long Shot
47-48 Seconds – Static
48-52 Seconds – Close Up/Over-the-Shoulder Shot

52-53 Seconds - Extreme Close Up on Eyes
53-54 Seconds - Static
54-58 Seconds - Long Shot to Extreme Close Up, Fast Zoom, Camera Shaking as Zooming
58-60 Seconds – Black Screen
60-64 Seconds – Title Screen
64-66 Seconds – Release Date

66-68 Seconds - Medium Close Up

Tuesday 19 October 2010

From Mrs S

I like this Sean. You might consider thanking the producers of Don't Look Now, which seems like an influence here...

Monday 18 October 2010

Mrs D

Some great ideas. Keep up the good work.

Planning - Script

I have chosen to continue with the Film Idea 1 as I think, for the limited resourses I posses to create this promotion package for a film, that the other two ideas would be too demanding to make an effective package of trailer, poster and magazine front cover.

The plan of Film Idea 1 is...

A successful business woman has a near death experience in a car accident which leaves her husband and two children dead. She is given leave of work due to the tragedy and begins to see a teenage girl wearing the same red hoody her teenage daughter was wearing on the day of the accident.Every time she sees this girl someone close to our main character is killed in ever more gruesome ways. Convinced this girl is a ghost of her daughter doing this to punish her for the car accident, and tries everything from priests to scientists, all who end up killed by the girl.Eventually the woman decides that the ghost wants her to die, otherwise everyone she cares about will be killed instead, and about to kill herself police stop her.It is slowly revealed in fact that she herself is the murderer and her guilt has driven her insane and her mind has conjured up this ‘ghost’ to relieve her guilt.She is taken to a mental hospital, however at the end of the credits back at the mental hospital the doctors have been killed and there is blood all over her room with her sitting in a corner laughing.

From this I have created a script for a trailer I think would be suitable to attract this Film Ideas target audience and create a fanbase for the films release.

The Script
Interior Shot:
Living Room:

A blank screen with a fade cut to the producer’s logo. A fade cut to static for 5 seconds, it then abruptly cuts to an establishing shot of a dark living room clearly at night. The establishing shot is from one corner of the room, and in the corner to a left is a woman sitting on the floor, knees to chest with her arms around her knees sobbing.

Woman: (Talking apparently to herself) Why me? It was an accident. (A 2 second pause) someone please help me, please (she whispers).

A sharp cut back to static for just a second this time and cuts to an extreme close up of the woman’s eyes, peering over her knees. Another quick cut to static for 1 second. Another cut to the original establishing shot from the corner of the room, there is a slow knock on the door from the opposite end of the room, the door opens and a man walks in and sees the woman sobbing.

Man: What’s wrong? (Really concerned tone and he walks over and kneels down in front of her to see if she’s okay)

Cut to static again for 1 second and a cut to a point-of-view (POV) shot from the womans perspective looking up at the man showing her weak position. To the side of his shoulder, behind him, there is a girl wearing a red hoody holding a knife, from the angle it looks like this girl is above the man showing how she now has control over his life.

Woman: No! (In a scream)

Cut to a black screen – a slash sound a woman then screaming. Then a fade cut to the title ‘Someone is There’. Another fade cut to ‘Coming Soon’.

Tuesday 12 October 2010

Planning - Ideas

I am going to create a horror genre teaser trailer, magazine front cover with our film as the feature article, and an advertising poster for our film.

I will have come up with a number of ideas individually, and will look at which has the most potential, will be best suited to our capabilities, and best to develop. We each have thought up 3 basic ideas for a plot to a film, which we will use to create our promotion package.

Idea 1:

A successful business woman has a near death experience in a car accident which leaves her husband and two children dead. She is given leave of work due to the tragedy and begins to see a teenage girl wearing the same red hoody her teenage daughter was wearing on the day of the accident.
Every time she sees this girl someone close to our main character is killed in ever more gruesome ways. Convinced this girl is a ghost of her daughter doing this to punish her for the car accident, and tries everything from priests to scientists, all who end up killed by the girl.
Eventually the woman decides that the ghost wants her to die, otherwise everyone she cares about will be killed instead, and about to kill herself police stop her.
It is slowly revealed in fact that she herself is the murderer and her guilt has driven her insane and her mind has conjured up this ‘ghost’ to relieve her guilt.
She is taken to a mental hospital, however at the end of the credits back at the mental hospital the doctors have been killed and there is blood all over her room with her sitting in a corner laughing.

Idea 2:

A group of teenagers celebrate the end of their a-levels by going camping by a ‘haunted lake’ given the name by the number of unexplained disappearances. There are 7 teenagers, 5 begin to set up camp and 2 go wandering off with the camera to find ‘ghosts’ jokingly. One of the girls back at the camp thinks she sees a face in the lake but blinks and it is gone. The two who have wandered off begin messing around, and one of them falls in the lake, they get back on the land and say the water tasted horrible and they won’t use any of that for drinking, as they walk away the place where he fell and the water turns red into blood.
That night the boy who drank the water gets sick, and they others debate whether they should abandon there trip and take him to hospital, Jake, the natural leader of the group says he has worked hard all year and looked forward to this trip, and that the guy who is sick will simply have to get over it. The next morning the sick boy is gone. They go looking for him but find no sign of him and decide they need to phone the police, none of them can get any reception in the woods so split up and go looking for somewhere to phone the police 1 by 1 they all disappear until the final 3 decide to head back to camp as they cannot find any place, un-knowing of the fact their friends are missing. They wait for the others to come back, the first boy then jumps out attacking one of the last 3 he falls and there is a sickening crack as his head hits a stone. They first boy runs away. Now aware that something is wrong and that they are being hunted they put the injured boy in one of the tents. The next morning he is gone. With two of them left they go looking for a way out of the woods, after walking in circles for many times the last boy stands by the lake and is dragged into the lake the girl tries to help him but he is dragged under the water, she runs back to the camp and hides in one of the tents, as darkness looms there are shadows of all of her friends outside the tent and then the 3 of them jump through the entrance of the tent and attack. Her screams continue throughout the credits.

Idea 3:

It’s the year 2415, nuclear war has destroyed humanities peak of civilisation and now a few survivors, are left to find food, clothes and shelter, but they are not alone. Nuclear war through out the 24th century has left 7 billion dead. Less than 100,000 across the world are left alive. When the group of surviving men women and children set up camp near what used to be Manchester, they soon find they are not the only survivors there. A group of ‘survivors’ have also been near Manchester for a long time, but the nuclear radiation has changed them. Living in caves in the dark, they hunt at night killing many of the surviving group. One by one they are picked off in ever more horrific ways, until one of the children is dragged underground into the caves, the last 3 scavenge whatever they can to use for light and weapons and go into the caves to save the child. They rescue the child but the ‘survivor’ tribe leader a huge mutant who bears only the slightest resemblance to the human he used to be kills the two men, the woman and her daughter trying to escape through the elaborate tunnel system runs into a group of surviving soldiers from the nuclear war, who fire at they mutant and close a door to their den blocking the way behind them. One of the soldiers tells the woman ‘you shouldn’t have come here’ and the film ends with the credits.

From Mrs S

This is coming along really well Sean. It's good that you can see the necessary links in your products.

Research - The Promotion Package

The examples of the Rec and Rec2 promotional trailer, poster and magazine front cover all have similar aspects which ties them together in the promotional package.

This is what I will have to do in my production and that means what I have learnt from this promotional package. What I have learnt is that it is important to follow a 'house style' which means that all 3 parts of the package give the same feeling and are easily relatable, you wouldnt for example have a trailer based on mystery and not showing the killer/monster and then have a magazine cover and poster with the killer/monster on the front.

Similar fonts are also very important, like with the Rec and Rec2 advertising they all use the same fonts for the title and any other text. The colour scheme is also one of the main ways of showing the genre of the production. Similar colours will give similar feelings so for my horror film promotional package it is important to keep as much the same or similar as I can.


Another way to do this could be using the magazine review like 5 stars or something on the poster linking them together.

Friday 8 October 2010

Mrs D

Well done Sean. Your research is detailed and should help you now that you are moving towards the planning phase of your courework. I would recommend that you take a moment to look across your real media artefact research and look at the synergy across the products and how they create a promotional package for the film/brand.

Research - What I've Learnt

Trailer:

  • As I am not remaking or making a sequel to a popular horror film, it is important that I create an air of mystery about the teaser trailer as I will not have a brand to bring in ready made fans of the film. This also helps create a fear of the unknown making the trailer even more effective.
  • It should be between 1 minute and 2 ½ minutes (preferably on the shorter side of the scale)
  • There should be dark/limited lighting to create ‘the fear of the unknown’.
  • A build up of quickening cuts to a climax of the trailer (which should be a ‘jump moment’) is a good and commonly used technique in horror film trailers.
  • There should be no reference to a specific date of release.
  • The title of the film should be after the majority of the trailer.
  • The credits should be at the very end.
  • A narrator can help draw the viewer into the trailer, making on screen more realistic to them, and because of that more frightening.
  • Using sound and images to overwhelm the senses is important to creating an effective and scary trailer.
  • A tagline could be included before the title of the film.
  • Hand held camera is an effective way of making the trailer feel more realistic and again scary.
  • The use of/lack of non-digetic sound is an effective way of creating fear in the audience through making ‘jump moments’ overwhelming the senses or creating a focus to what is happening on screen or making a lull towards a jump moment.
  • There should be reference to the directors of the film so that it provides advertisement for us but also any fans of us will want to see one of our films.
  • The producer logo should be at the very beginning of the trailer.

Magazine Front Cover:

  • There should be one large, bold and dark image as the background which should be taken from the film. This will show that the focus of that issue of the magazine is focussing on my film and creating advertising for my film to my target audience who would be the same as those buying a horror genre magazine.
  • The colours of the magazine should be dark and should include the colour red to show the horror theme.
  • The magazine name does not have to be big and bold as I will be focussing on content rather than the brand of magazine. I need to make sure the title of the magazine can be read easily.
  • The font of the captions and pugs needs to be simple and bold as that will make it easy to read at a quick look.
  • The language on my magazine front cover also needs to relate to my audience which will fans of horror films.
  • The front cover and magazine title should say it all. I will use a title and images that will alone connote what my magazine is about.
  • The magazine front cover needs to have articles mention that would entice the audience to buy the magazine.
  • The name of the film should be the boldest and clearest text as the article about that film is the most important article on that particular issue of the magazine.

Poster:

  • The poster needs to include dark colours and use the colour red to connote the horror genre of the film. This was used by the posters I analysed so shows that this is a tried and tested, assured way of showing the audience that horror genre.
  • There should be one large image that is from the film that takes up the whole poster background. The image must show fear to show that the film is frightening.
  • Should include the names of the directors, producers and actors/actresses.
  • The logos of any financial sponsors need to be included as that is what they will have paid for.
  • The name of the film should be the boldest and clearest text as that is what the poster is advertising.
  • A website address should be included as this is an important part of my product placement over the internet.
  • There should be the tagline to the film included but it should not be more noticeable than the title of the film.
  • The age rating of the film should be included on the poster so that the audience will be informed if they can go and see the film.

From Mrs S

I like what you're doing Sean, lots of interesting and useful information

Research - Product Placement

In the modern day and age there are more ways than ever to expose your target audience to your advertising. Films are advertised in so many ways, through posters in the cinema, on billboards and on bus-stops, also through trailers in the cinema, on the TV and on the internet. The target market has advertisement for film shown to them everywhere they go, and this only offers far more opportunity to advertise my film in the best and most public ways possible.

For the teaser trailer, there will need to be specific programmes on TV which will distribute my teaser trailer to my target audience. Some channels it will be important to use based on the viewers they will get. This means the BBC channels; ITV and Sky will all be excellent distributors of my trailer. However based on the themes of my trailer it will have to be on late night slots with these channels. The BBC has gone through a few financial issues recently and is cutting back everywhere, this means they will be less likely to show my trailer as I will have far less money to offer them than other, bigger films that will have the same idea. Sky would be a perfect distributor of my teaser trailer as with sky movies they would look to buy rights to exclusive distribution of the film for a time after the films release in the cinema. Aiming for Sky would not only give my trailer a huge shot at getting to a wide audience but also give my film an opportunity of distribution on TV after its time in the cinema. To attract more of my target audience, however, it would be a good idea to aim for advertising slots on channels specifically dedicated to horror genre films like the Horror Channel or Zone Horror.

Advertising over the internet is also an important way to show my trailer to my target audience. Windows Live Messenger, YouTube and social networking sites such as Facebook all show advertising for films and this would be a good way to show my target market my advertising. For example when people look up a horror genre video on YouTube my teaser trailer could be on before the video. A website could be created for my film which would have the trailer on so people who want to see the trailer specifically can go straight to the website, facebook groups and other social networking groups could be created to advertise my trailer too.

My film could be advertised ways other than trailers too, magazines that have a focus on my film and advertising posters. The posters could be shown anywhere, from the cinema, to advertising outside supermarkets and bus-stops. Having a horror genre magazine with a main article on my film would be excellent for advertising as it would specifically get to aim at my target audience as they would be the same people who would be buying a horror genre magazine.

Thursday 7 October 2010

Research - Focus Questionnaire Results Analysis

I asked 10 people to watch the film link below and these are the general responses each question received, my analysis of the answers and how I will help my own work

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB8XYZDu5zs

1) What did you think of the teaser trailer?

Everyone I asked said this was a very good trailer which worked well to convey a snippet of the emotions they were likely to go through, watching the film. Although they were impressed, one person specifically stated ‘it looks good, but I already know the film, I’ve seen the original and this trailer gives me no indication on what different things this remake will give me.’ This tells me that the trailer needs to offer the audience something new to convince them about the film. It is important I remember this when I come to making my own trailer as if the audience feels they have seen this ‘type’ of horror film before they will be less inclined to pay money to go and see/buy it.

2) After seeing this would you want to see the film?

Although everyone was in agreement about the quality of the trailer, it had less of an effect of convincing people to go and see it. Similar to a response to question 1, three people said the trailer didn’t offer them anything different from what they had already seen.

3) If so what parts convinced you to want to see it?

Of those 70% of people who said they would want to see the film after watching the trailer, some of the answers were that it was the curiosity on how a remake would approach the legend which convinced them, others that they were already a fan of the franchise of ‘Freddy Krueger’. 2 people said they hadn’t seen any of the previous films and although they knew about the film, they were attracted to it in the same way a new film would make them go see it. This shows me that curiosity is a major factor in persuading people to go and see a film through the trailer, I should look to play on the audiences curiosity to create a trailer that will convince people to pay to see/buy the film.

4) If not what parts put you off wanting to see it?

The three people who said they would not see the film, all said it was because they had seen the original and didn’t feel that the new film would offer them anything different to the original.

5) How did you feel about the music?

Everyone agreed that the music to the teaser trailer made it a good trailer. People especially felt the child singing combined with the images on the screen made the trailer far more intense and scary, and then the heartbeat sort of sound really changed the pace of the trailer and built it up to the climax where the title of the film is shown

6) Which parts had the most effect on you?

Most people said the music and sudden changes of pace really overwhelmed the senses and made them take in the trailer more making it more real. This tells me that the choice of sound in my trailer is very important but also gives me a hint on the sort of camera work I should use.

7) Did the name of the producer have any effect on your desire to see the film?

4 people said that they were fans of Michael Bay and that he producing the film would have an effect on there choice to see the film, but everyone who said they would want to see the film said that the brand of nightmare on Elm Street alone would be enough to make them watch the film.

8) Did you understand what the film was about?

Everyone said they knew what the film was about because of the brand of nightmare on Elm Street even if they had not seen the original film.

9) How did you feel about the length of the teaser trailer?

8 people said that for a teaser trailer it felt quite long, but the action on screen meant they were not thinking about this, and were thinking about the film instead. This tells me people do prefer shorter teaser trailers, but if the on-screen effect is good enough then the length is not a great issue.

Tuesday 5 October 2010

Research - Focus Questionnaire

Please watch the teaser trailer below, and then answer the questions on the trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB8XYZDu5zs

1) What did you think of the teaser trailer?

2) After seeing this would you want to see the film?
3) If so what parts convinced you to want to see it?
4) If not what parts put you off wanting to see it?
5) How did you feel about the music?
6) Which parts had the most effect on you?
7) Did the name of the producer have any effect on your desire to see the film?
8) Did you understand what the film was about?
9) How did you feel about the length of the teaser trailer?

From Mrs S

Some good analyses Sean, I'm impressed

Research - Teaser Trailer Analysis 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFE4lGvRt8E

Don't be Afraid of the Dark
Again the first thing we see is the logo of the producers of the film, and there is a non-digetic sound, very quietly but just enough to hear. It makes the viewer strain there ears to hear what it is, it fades into a voice (this seems to be a convention of horror films teaser trailers to have a narrator this is an idea I could use for my trailer). As this trailer is mainly going to be seen in the cinema the words are perfect for inspiring fear in the viewer. After it speaks there is a dramatic pause this makes the audience really think about what has just been said. As of yet there has been no footage on screen that makes the audience really concentrate on what is being said. The style has been reversed you can see the footage in the word 'don't' which suddenly appears with a sound to contrast to the lull in sound and onscreen action, aimed to make people jump. There are lots of quick cuts showing clips from the film all of which are zooming in aiming to draw in the viewer, the words of the title all appear amongst these cuts as the non-digetic sound builds and suddenly stops on dark. The name of the producer then appears so fans of him will be convinced to go and see it. The next 15 seconds are all of one clips with no non-digetic sound, of a little girl crawling under the bed covers, then suddenly something jumps out at her again creating a 'jump moment'. The website of the film then appears and then the credits.
From this trailer I've confirmed some of the codes and conventions on teaser trailers. For example they were all less then 2 minutes and it would be a good idea to follow suit. 2/3 didn't mention when the film would be out as teaser trailers are often released up to a year before the release of the film, so there is no defined date. A narrator could also be a good idea as for both films they created an atmosphere that worked to create 'jump moments' and also inform the viewer on what the film is about and also drawing there attention to the trailer.

Research - Teaser Trailer Analysis 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-22T4gm7zrE



Friday the 13th

The first things we see are the producers of the films logos, this seems to be a code and convention of teaser trailers as this was used in the first trailer I analysed. There is non-digetic sound which sounds like a lake or forrest sound.
The shot then fades to a lake and there is a zoom which draws the viewer more into the trailer, and the previously non-digetic sound becomes the digetic sound of this scene. There is then a quick cut with a white flash which is syncronized with a non-digetic sound grabbing the viewers attention. There is a swinging light and again the same cut with the same non digetic sound. The music becomes darker and more sinister creating an intense and attention grabbing moment making the viewer think 'what's next?'
We now hear a distant voice speaking as though to us. There are also two cuts going closer to a cabin, and then the same cut used previously.
The a creaking door opening, flashing light moving and the sound of heavy breathing running, immediately creates a sinister and dark atmosphere. The non-digetic voice is telling a story, and in the digetic sound we hear a scared womans voice say 'oh my god' again with the quick cuts with the flashes buidling up to something. Then a cut to the producers name so that people who like him can be attracted to another film of his. A cut to a woman holding her hand over her mouth her eyes wide the cuts quicken and keep buidling to something we do not yet know.
Then more cuts with running people and looks of fear all showing this is a horror film, then another cut to the director again for the same effect on the audience of the producer. Then faster cuts a heartbeat sort of sound and a rising pitch of another sound, with the narrator continuing all drawing the viewer in overwhelming every sense creating the fear withing them to show them this film will make you scared. The flashing light returns after the narrator say 'his name was jason' then he appears under the light with the quick cuts and disapears with a boom non digetic sound. It hits the audience now, or those who know about horror films, that this is a remake of one of the best horror films of all time. This not only pulls in fans of the original but also attracts new viewers through the senses being overwhelmed giving them a taster of the film. The sound goes, and the narrator says 'and today is his birthday' and the scene cuts to a woman on the floor trying to get away from jason and her scream is alot louder then anything else so far and cuts in suddenly to make people jump.
A slow more sinister non-digetic beat comes on now and a reverse zoom comes away showing his mask which is a legendary trade mark of the film that everyone recognises. The title then fades onto the screen and the 13 turns red for the theme of blood again conveying the horror film. The credits then appear and fades with the date of the films release.
Unlike the Rec 2 trailer this trailer uses overwhelming of the senses and the legend of the film to attract people with this trailer. The way it uses the senses is an interesting method and I will certainly look into this when i come to creating my own trailer.

Research - Teaser Trailer Analysis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0-gVB-U5is

Rec 2
The trailer is for Rec 2, a film I have analysed a magazine cover for and the sequal to Rec a film which poster I also analysed. They use the name of the producer and director to advertise the film and the trailer and poster use a tagline for the film. They all use the same well known name/logo of the film [Rec] with a recording red dot that has become an icon of the film.
The trailer is only 1 minute and 2 seconds long which is a code and convention of teaser trailers, which tend to be shorter than a normal trailer.
First of all we hear the non-digetic music which carries on for the duration of the trailer. It is a very classical piece of music, which helps create a contrasting effect when combined with the clips in the trailer.
The first thing we see is the logo of the producers of the film, and this cuts into the clips from the film with an interesting effect similar to a bad signal on a TV, this also works with the music which at the same point does a similar thing. This could also be to show how this film works, as it is all filmed on hand-held camera looking to create a 'found footage' style film which was used for the first, so the bad signal or loss of connection feel this gives conveys that well.
The trailer then cuts to a van or similar vehicle where there are soldiers loading ammo into their guns. This immediately shows the viewer that what is happening is serious if speciallist soldiers are having to be called in; for all who have seen the first film will already know why, but for those who haven't it makes them wonder 'why are they there? what is serious enough for them to be needed?'
A quick cut fits in with the loading of the ammo and the click of it being inserted into the gun is enhanced as the first bit of digetic sound we hear. There is next a fad cut to the soldiers moving up a flight of stairs. It is dark and the floor is a red/burgundy colour which could convey the theme of blood for the horror film. There are more fade cuts to show the soldiers purposefully searching rooms and again for people who've seen the film, they know why, but for those who haven't they again wonder what they might be looking for.
It then cuts to a camera view from a persons helmet and shows a zombie type person running towards the camera, the man whos point of view we are seeing from then fires his gun killing the zombie. All of this is a from a low-angle camera angle showing the power and control of the soldier.
Then we begin to see things going wrong as some of the soldiers are attacked and bitten. The splatters of blood all show this to be a typical horror film, which will attract those who are probably going to watch a similar film as to the trailer being shown.
The camera again has a sort of static effect implemented, which also again works with the non-digetic sound.
All sound goes, and the tagline for the film appears 'THE PARTY IS OVER' which fades to the title of the film and then to 'coming soon' fading with the same effect used earlier on. The lack of a deffinate date of release is again a code and another convention of a teaser trailer.
The film uses the fear of the unknown to attract the viewer here and this is going to be useful for my trailer as my film would not have the fanbase of the big films, just like this film.

Thursday 23 September 2010

Reseach - Questionnaire 2 Results Analysis

1) Why do you watch horror films?

The majority of the answers said that it was the thrill of the film and how scared they got. There were a few answers saying the gore. A few others said there wasn’t a particular reason they just enjoyed watching them.

2) What attracts you to certain horror films over others?

There were a variety of answers to this question. Here are some of the responses; the pedigree of the film like Nightmare on Elm Street or the Halloween films. Some said that films their friends told them to watch. 5 people said the trailer or advertising. This means that the teaser trailer and other advertising that will be created is an important part




3) How often do you watch horror films?

7/15 of replies said they reckoned that they watched horror films monthly. 3 said every other week and the same for every few months. One person said weekly and one person also said every 6+ months.

4) What is the best horror film you have seen?

There were a wide variety of films chosen by the 15 people I asked, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre received 2 votes as did Quarantine. There were also votes for The Blair Witch Project, The Decent, The Hills Have Eyes 1&2, H2, Friday the 13th, The Ring and Nightmare on Elm Street. But with 3 votes Wrong Turn 1 seems to be a favourite amongst the people I asked. This is important information because I can look at the techniques the makers of these films used to create the frightening effect, which the target audience wants to experience.

5) Why? What made it good?

I asked why people liked these films best. The answers were mainly around how scared it made them feel, but some people said they enjoyed the way it was filmed such as; ‘I liked the start and end of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre with the police film footage and showing key parts in the film like the meat hooks and scratches on the wall.’ People also said how they enjoyed the originality of some horror films, and put that down to why they don’t think the sequels are ever as good. This tells me it is important to create an original story to be conveyed in my trailer.



6) Do trailers for horror films persuade you to go see one?

9 people said that sometimes they did, 4 people said they did and 2 people said they didn’t. This shows me that having a good trailer for a horror film is important in getting people to go and see the film.

7) If so how did they do that?

A few people said here that it was how the trailer captured their imagination n gave them a taste to want to see more of the film. People said they liked the mystery but not to be left completely in the dark about what the film is about. They also said that using facts like of numbers of people who go missing unexplained ect. helps make the trailer relatable and because of that, more frightening.

8) If so which ones come to mind?

Quarantine and Cloverfield were two trailers people said stood out as quarantine really drew you into the trailer and left you wondering what was happening. Cloverfield was similarly reasoned. The original trailer of Cloverfield is undoubtedly one of the best in history and the mystery and hype it created was definitely one of the key factors to the films success. It underlines how important a trailer can be in advertising a film. One person said they enjoyed the mystery and left them wondering ‘what could do that?’. Friday the 13th was another trailer that somebody mentioned in their answer, as they felt the voice over made the trailer very scary and the combination of quick and long cuts made the trailer excellent and ultimately persuaded them to go and see it.



9) Where do you watch horror films most?

Only 2 of the 4 options received any votes and that was 9 for the cinema and 6 for DVD. This contrasts with my general questionnaire which people hardly voted for cinema, showing me that people enjoy the atmosphere of a dark cinema for horror films, and I should maybe use this to my advantage when I create my trailer.

10) Music is a powerful tool in horror films. Can you think of any examples of a horror film with a sound or tune that really got to you?

6/15 people agreed that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre had a very frightening track to the film, 3 people said the soundtrack to the trailer of Quarantine really made the trailer, but also the hand held camera style in the film had no non-digetic sound in the film making it seem more like they were there and making the fear more intense.



11) When you watch a horror film trailer, how long do you like them to be?
The answers to this question were fairly balanced as there were 3 votes for less than 30 seconds and 3 votes for 30 seconds to 1 minute. 5 votes for one minute to two and a half minutes and 4 votes for longer than 2 and a half minutes. Because the answers I’ve got back have been so balanced on this question it shows me that the time of the trailer should not be my main concern, although I must remember that teaser trailers are shorter than trailers.


12) Do you prefer being left wondering about that film, or being given a strong clue of what it’s about from the trailer?

13 of the 15 people I asked said they would rather be left wondering like the trailers of Quarantine and Cloverfield. 2 people said they would rather have a strong idea about the direction of the film, like with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13th. However this may be because The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13th have the history, that to sell the film via the trailer it’s important to utilise that pedigree. As my film will be an original it is a good idea to follow suit of other original films such as Rec. and Cloverfield and leave the audience curious about the film and wanting to see more.




Wednesday 22 September 2010

Research - Questionnaire 2

Please fill out this questionnaire to help with my research into films and trailers.

1) Why do you watch horror films?



2) What attracts you to certain horror films over others?



3) How often do you watch horror films?
[ ] Several times a week
[ ] Weekly
[ ] Every other week
[ ] Monthly
[ ] Every few months
[ ] Every 6+ months

4) What is the best horror film you have seen?



5) Why? What made it good?



6) Do trailers for horror films persuade you to go see one?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
[ ] Sometimes

7) If so how did they do that?



8) If so which ones come to mind?



9) Where do you watch horror films most?
[ ] Cinema
[ ] TV
[ ] DVD
[ ] Internet


10) Music is a powerful tool in horror films. Can you think of any examples of a horror film with a sound or tune that really got to you?



11) When you watch a horror film trailer, how long do you like them to be?
[ ] – 30 seconds
[ ] 30 seconds – 1 minute
[ ] 1 minute – 2 ½ minutes
[ ] + 2 ½ minutes

12) Do you prefer being left wondering about that film, or being given a strong clue of what it’s about from the trailer?
[ ] Left wondering
[ ] A clear idea

Thank You for Completing the Questionnaire

Research - General Questionnaire Results Analysis


1) Are you male or female?

14 out of the 30 people I asked were male; it is important that I consider that this could have an effect on how the other questions have been answered. However it is nearly 50/50 with the male to female ratio so the effect is not likely to be clear.



2) How old are you?

21 of the 30 people I asked were teenagers or young adults; this will be very likely to affect the results of this questionnaire as they will undoubtedly watch different films and like different things in films to somebody much older.


3) Do you like to watch films?

Everybody in I asked in this questionnaire said they did like to watch films; this is a good thing for my results as it means everyone I asked is a potential member of my target audience.


4) How often do you watch films?

The trend of the results to this question was highest between weekly and monthly. 4 people said they watched films several times per week, 3 said every few months and 1 said every 6 months. This shows there is a relatively good market for films at the moment and also more opportunity for a trailer of a new film to be seen.

5) Where do you watch films most?

Over half of the 30 people I asked said they watched most of the films they saw on DVD. 8 people watched films most regularly on TV, 3 at the cinema and 2 over the internet. This again is a positive finding and confirms a market to view trailers as film trailers are present on DVDs, advertised on TV, and played before the film on the cinema. They are not always present online when you watch a film so if this had received the majority it would have given evidence to a limited target audience.

6) What is your favourite genre of film?

When asking this question I expected a fairly balanced outlook on the favourite genre of film. However there was a clear majority in favour of the horror film genre. This is a very important result as it will influence what genre of trailer I will look at creating. Horror having the majority indicates this is the direction my project should go.

7) Do you look out for new film Releases?

70% of the people I asked said they did again this is positive as it shows people want to see trailers for new films, confirming the target audience is out there.
8) Does advertising for a new film convince you to go and see it?

16 out of the 30 people I asked said they were sometimes convinced by the advertising to go and see a new film, 8 said it did and 6 said it didn’t. Out of interest I asked if not the advertising what made people go and see new films, most people said from what their friends or family had said about it. But it is also important to remember that one of the key attributes of advertising is that people don’t realise it has an effect on them, and what they buy or in this case what films they go and see, which is why it is such an effective tool.

9) Which form of advertising has the greatest affect on your decision to go and see a film?

90% of the people I asked said that it was the trailer and/or teaser trailer that was the form of advertising that had the greatest influence on them. There was one vote for the advertising posters and two for magazine reviews.

10) Do you have a favourite actor/actress or director?

21 of the 30 people I asked said they did.

11) Why? What do you like about them?

The answers varied from what films they had appeared or directed previously to their appearance.

12) Would you go and see a film simply because of an actor/actress or director?

17 our of 30 people said that they would, this is a key bit of information because it tells me what sort of influence the people in the film trailer and the names mentioned can do to get people to go and see the film.

Tuesday 21 September 2010

Research - General Questionnaire

General Questionnaire

Please fill out this questionnaire to help with my research into films and trailers.

1) Are you male or female?

2) Are you…
[ ] Under 12
[ ] 13-18
[ ] 19-25
[ ] 26-30
[ ] 31-40
[ ] 41-50
[ ] 50+

3) Do you like to watch films?

4) How often do you watch films?
[ ] Several times a week
[ ] Weekly
[ ] Every other week
[ ] Monthly
[ ] Every few months
[ ] Every 6+ months

5) Where do you watch films most?
[ ] Cinema
[ ] TV
[ ] DVD
[ ] Internet

6) What is your favourite genre of film?
[ ] Horror
[ ] Thriller
[ ] Action
[ ] Comedy
[ ] Rom Com
[ ] Sci-Fi
[ ] Fantasy

7) Do you look out for new film Releases?

8) Does advertising for a new film convince you to go and see it?

9) Which form of advertising has the greatest affect on your decision to go and see a film?
[ ] Trailer
[ ] Poster
[ ] Magazine Reviews
[ ] Other (Please State)

10) Do you have a favourite actor/actress or director?

11) Why? What do you like about them?

12) Would you go and see a film simply because of an actor/actress or director?


Thank You for Completing the Questionnaire