Our poster

Our film poster was made to give a scary effect. Therefore we chose a dark and mysterious background which involves a scene from the woods. This is effective as the main part of our trailer is also set in the same surroundings. The picture of the girl is a still taken from the trailer from the part where she is hiding from the killer behind a tree. The bold font of the film title is also effective in making an impact and the letters seem mysterious as they stand out. The tag line "You never know who's watching" links in with the picture as the girl is being watched but she does not yet know who her killer is.  We chose to write the words in red as this symbolizes blood and links in with the element of horror and the fate of the character featured in the poster. Editing was used on the still image to make it darker and more scary and as the girl looks up to the moon, you can see that she is alone and the expression on her face shows fear. There is a review given from a newspaper commenting on how scary the film is and that is displayed at the very top of the poster to grab the attention of those who see it and make them want to go to watch the film. The name of the production company and the editors and directors is also shown at the bottom of the poster in small print and the certificate "15" is given also. 

Research and Planning (2)

Film Trailer Analysis

At what point in the trailer are we told the name of the film? Why is this?

Why are we told who is starring in the film?

How is this information given to us? Why?

What type of action from the film do we see?

What clues does the music give us as to what type of film the trailer is advertising?

Does the trailer come with a voice over and if so, what can you tell about the voice being used?

Why do you think this voice was chosen? What effect does it have?

How does the speed of what we see compare to watching a clip from a film? Why is this?

Does the speed alter through the trailer or does it stay the same?

What information are we given about the film?

At what point in the trailer is this information given?

What type of audience is the trailer aimed at? How can you tell?

Film Trailer Analysis: One Missed Call http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1F7hJNsi5M

• We are told the name of the film towards the end of the trailer, this is so that the audience view the important information of the film. For example what the film is about and the story line as this creates suspense.
• We are told who is starring in the film towards the end as this might make the audience want to watch it. However the actors/actresses are not that well known and therefore this is why their names are stated right at the end as the audience wouldn’t need to pay as much attention to it. Whereas if an actor like Brad Pitt was starring in the film, he’s name would be mentioned right at the beginning of the trailer as this will attract more people to see it and be interested in the film.
• We see enough action to make us want to watch the film and see what it leads to. For example, at the beginning we see Leann and Beth receive a missed call which has Leann screaming and both friends assume it is a future event of Leanne’s death. We then see Leann hallucinating strange faces late at night and then appearing to get killed in front of Beth but it’s too late for Beth to save her. Then throughout the rest of the trailer we just see quick shots of Beth trying to solve what is causing the missed calls and deaths. The fact that it’s only quick glimpses of the scene is a good thing as it leaves the important bits to the audiences imagination and plays on their mind.
• The music is a giveaway to what type of genre the film is as the music at the beginning is slow and soft but creeps on the audience. Towards the end of the trailer during the quick shots the music gets louder and faster and creates a jumpy effect.
• The trailer does not have a voice over, however at the beginning of the trailer they use text to communicate with the audience and show clips in between. For example “Everyday 2 billion cellphones ring...”. The font of the text is the sort of font you use to text with on a cellphone which is relating to the main object of the film. Also, the way the text appears is letter by letter instead of the whole sentence appearing at the same time.
• The text immediately suggests to the viewer what the film is going to be about and draws their attention as i think the text stands out more than a voiceover. This is because there are other sounds in the trailer and a voiceover would blend in and not catch the audiences attention as much.
• The speed of what we see in the trailer is a lot faster than what we would see in a clip from the film. This is so that we see the important parts of the film that are going to draw the audiences attention and make them wants to find out more. Therefore, the speed needs to be faster to enable the important parts to fit in the time limit.
• The speed alters throughout the trailer. At the beginning it’s slow enough for the audience to view a conversation between the characters, however towards the end it becomes faster and faster and we only see 2-3 seconds from the clips.
• We are given information about the film such as the name, followed by the date it’s released and then the company, production team, director, actors, name of the novel it’s based on
• This information is all given towards the end of the trailer as it is not as important as the action going on in the trailer which attracts the audience more.
• You can tell that the trailer is aimed towards an older audience and would not be suitable for anyone below the age of 13. This is because it appears to have intense sequences of violence and terror, and frightening images. The film is aimed towards people who enjoy horrors, mysteries and thrillers, as the trailer alone would leave the audience in suspense. Also the film would be aimed towards people that read the novel it is based on and want to see it in action.

Film Trailer analysis: Scream http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdyugHTKPuc

• The name of the actual film is not shown until the very end of the trailer which keeps the viewer in suspense and wanting to know the title.
• The names of the actors/ actresses are not shown throughout the trailer as these were very early films of the most famous people who star in the film such as Drew Barrymore and Courtney Cox.
• The trailer shows the scariest parts of the film and the parts which have the most suspense. The age group of the characters is established at the beginning as we see a young typical teenage girl on the phone to the unknown killer. Soon after the girl is seen on the phone the killer is shown in the famous “scream” mask. From that point we can see the main characters and clips from the scenes of their deaths.
• The sound is diegetic at the beginning as the girl talks on the phone but as the killer says that he is looking at her, the non diegetic sounds start and the music increases in dynamics and becomes scary and full of suspense.
• There is use of a male voiceover which is used to say phrases which scare the audience and make it seem as though the trailer is rhetorical and talking to the individual viewer.
• The voice itself is quite low and it keeps you on edge in order to grab the attention of the viewer and keep you on edge.
• The speed is quick and captures the most frightening scenes from the film itself which are also the most interesting. These short shots are much more effective than using long shots from the film as they will hold the interest of the viewer and make them want to see the whole scenes by going to see the film.
• The speed is slow at the beginning but the pace increases continuously throughout the trailer.
• We are told the name of the film company and the name of the director.
• The production company is given at the very beginning and the name of the director is shown at the end.
• This trailer is aimed at young adults and teenagers. I would say this as this is the age of the characters involved in the film therefore they would see a connection between themselves and the characters.

Film Trailer analysis: Drag me to Hell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUZTybLlWKI

-The last thing shown in this trailer is the title of the film. The content of the trailer is very powerful and it builds up to revealing the name of the film which builds suspense throughout the trailer.

-This particular trailer does not reveal the name of the people starring in the film during the trailer. This is a way of making people want to go and see it and see who is in the film.

-The main character is shown in the opening scenes of the trailer. We see her at her job and how she comes to meet the woman who later puts a curse on her and the reason for this is also revealed. From that point onwards the trailer shows short scenes from the film which make you jump and keep you on edge to entice people to see the film.

-The music throughout the trailer is non diegetic. The opening scenes are quite slow paced but eerie sounding which give a sense of discomfort. The faster paced and more violent scenes are shown along to louder, opera like music that sound powerful and make the trailer very dramatic.

-There is no use of a voice over and instead the words are shown in individual slides as the action takes place. This is very effective as it does not allow the viewer to become distracted from what is being shown.

-Speed gradually increases throughout the trailer which holds the attention of the audience and makes the film itself much more appealing. The camera shots jump extremely quickly from one to another during the end of the trailer which makes it end fast and causing the audience to want to see the actual picture itself.

-There is a great amount of information given throughout the trailer. The production and distribution companies are shown at the start and then the director and previous work of his are also named throughout.

- This is aimed at adults of all ages as this is the age of people that feature throughout the trailer. The content is enjoyable for people of these ages.

Research and Planning

We started searching for the initial idea for our project by watching existing teaser trailers for horror films. We analysed the trailers by focusing on the sound, editing, camera angles and mise en scene. The chosen trailers are for films aimed at the same target age group as our film would be:

One missed call: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1F7hJNsi5M

Camera shots/angles:

The focus and zoom on the mobile phone puts emphasis on the object, showing it to be a key part of the film. The close up shots focus on the facial expressions of the characters portraying fear. The zooming out on certain scenes and allowing the camera to capture every character in the shot makes them seem vulnerable. Throughout the trailer, there is use of jump shots from one character to another which allows the audience to see all of the main characters in the film. The use of jump cuts also make the film seem more scary as the are fast paced.

Sound:

The ringtone is the first thing that can be heard in the trailer

which is effective because it is also the focus point of the film. The music used throughout the trailer is daunting and s

uggestive which gives viewers a feeling of suspense. There are edited sounds of phonecalls throughout the trailer which constantly link it to the concept of the film. The non diegetic sound used as the jump cuts are being used at the end of the trailer are in sync with the camera shots.

Editing:

To start the trailer off, there is an edited sequence of a phone being dialled and this is used at several points throughout the trailer. This bases the film around technology and the use of mobile phones is clearly the main focus of the film itself. The use of negative effect is put on certain images in the film which gives them a supernatural feel.

Mise en scene:

Most of the scenes used throughout the trailer are shot at night and the dark atmosphere is linked with the genre of horror. Mobile phones are used in the majority of the sce

nes. The use if supernatural characters and happenings are shown to the audience making the film scary. The characters are all young americans living in a city.

The name of the film itself is not shown until the end of the trailer which is intriguing to the audience as they will want to know the name of the film after seeing the content. The name of the people starring in the film is not shown in the trailer which is also a technique to attract viewers as they will have to watch the film to find out. The trailer establishes the storyline at the beginning by getting the ringing phone in and the woman saying “that’s not my ringtone” showing that this is central to the film. There are scary parts shown involving creatures that do not appear to be human and scenes with blood and abnormal occurances. The music sounds very suspicious and the ringtone that is used is the focus point of the film. It is chilling to scare the viewer. There is no voiceover used throughout the trailer, instead the information is presented visually using a font that looks like texting which has an intertextual reference to the phone used in the film itself. The speed of the trailer gradually increases to give the idea of panic. The content within the trailer allows the audience to see what is in the film in a quick slot of one and a half minutes. This will grab the attention of the viewer and intrigue them to see the film itself. The only real information given literally throughout the trailer is the name of the film and the date it is released. This is shown at the very end of the trailer to make the person watching it wanting to see more and the outcome of the situations that they have seen. This particular trailer would be aimed at a teenage audience and also younger adults who are interested in the horror genre. This is clear because the characters are of a similar age and would be interesting to this age group.

Scream trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdyugHTKPuc

Camera shots/angles:

Sequence opens with a shot of a ringing telephone and we see a typical teenage girl answering it, she appears innocent and bubbly with blonde hair. The voice on the other end of the phone is a male and it appears to be quite deceiving and scary. Mid shots are used quite frequently to give the audience a good look at the main characters and how they appear. The tracking shot used to follow the blonde girl through the living room is effective because it allows the audience to follow her as the villain does. The camera zooms in on the girls facial expression as she learns that she is being watched. Jump shots are used to show all the characters and certain key scenes of violence. However they are only seen for a second which makes the audience want to see more. The action matches with the dialogue and the camera shots are quick and tense which create suspense.

Sound:

The sound is mainly non diegetic and has been created for purposes of suspense. The ringing phone at the opening of the trailer immediately creates a feeling of uncertainty because the audience are curious and questioning who is phoning. Non diegetic sound is then used the whole way through the trailer. High pitched sounds and fast paced music makes each scene of the trailer more tense and it puts across fear to the viewer. The music plays in the background as the characters speak. Being able to hear what is being said and then combining that with the music playing is a good way of making scenes stand out more and grab the attention.

Editing:

The title of the film company is shown on the screen as we can still hear the characters talking in the background which makes the audience feel as though they are close to the victim and they are unaware of other peoples presence. We can see the camera shot of the house that the victim is in and we can still hear her talking on the phone which makes it clear that she is unaware of the killer being so nearby. Through each of the jump cuts which show the scenes of action, there are bright flashes of light which last a split second and are eye grabbing to the audience.

Mise en scene:

The film is obviously set in America because of the characters and the city. The houses where the attacks take place are quite secluded and away from others which suggest that the areas are likely to be target to murderers. All the characters are young teenagers which also make them seem more vulnerable. Many of the scenes that we see during the trailer are set in a high school, showing to the audience that the characters involved are typical American students.

The name of the film is shown at the end of the trailer because it relates to everything else said before in the voiceover. We are only told the name of the director of the film so that the actors are left undiscovered until the film is seen. The trailer allows us to see the killer and the characters who are threatened by him. We also see the setting of the film which is based around an american high school and the pupils that attend. The music at the beginning has a lot of suspense while she is on the phone which shows that something bad is going to happen. The music that is heard as the action is occuring is fast paced and gives a sense of fear and desperation to escape. The voice over used is effective as the voice is quite deep and mysterious and he asks retorical questions which grab the attention and interest of the viewer. The trailer is slow paced at the start as we establish what is happening but as the act

ion begins and the killing starts the music gets faster and the trailer speeds up immensely. We can see the release date of the film, the name of the film and director at the end which attracts interest from the audience who would be among the age group of 15-25 as the characters in the film are teenagers but the violent content is quite graphic.

Drag me to hell: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUZTybLlWKI

Camera shots/ angles:

Mid shots are used to open the trailer and we can see the main character straight away. This is a way for the audience to establish what she looks like and create an opinion of her from first impression. Over the shoulder shots are used when characters are talking to eachother , allowing the audience to get another perception of the character. The main character can be seen as trying to be quite strong and collected but the zoom of the camera on her facial expression shows that she is quite insecure and vulnerable. Close up shots focusing on the eyes of each character emphasize the fear factor of the film. The jump cuts between each shot shows the main content of the film to be full of moments of suspense.

Sound:

The calm and tranquil music at the beginning of the clip are used to set the scene and give the audience a chance to establish where the story is set and who is involved. The music changes tone as soon as we see the old woman. This leads us to believe that she is evil. Silence is used to create suspense and leaves the audience awaiting something bad to happen. Fast pace music that builds up suspense and the dynamics get louder and more terrifying.

Editing:

In the car park scene, the woman picks up a button from the victims clothing and holds it in the air and the zoom shot is in slow motion. This puts emphasis on the event that is occuring at this point, which is the curse being put on the woman.When the fly enters the womans mouth as she sleeps, the emphasis on her reaction is made more dramatic as the shot is in slow motion the the camera quickly snaps into a mid shot of her quickly gasping and sitting up in bed. The woman then lays back down and the woman is laying next to her. Obviously an edited character who has been made to seem more scary and terrifying as the enemy. The shadows of hands coming to get the woman add to the supernatural appeal of the film.

Mise en scence:

The office setting shows the audience that the main character is a business woman who is young and trying to make the most of her life. Her vulnerability is shown through the scenes that are shot in her home and with her partner. The fact that she drives a car and has her own place to live shows that she is financially stable.

The title of the film is not revealed until the very end if the trailer which is effective because the content of the sequence is very dramatic and builds suspense for the audience who will be awaiting the name of the film. The name of the actors remains unknown to the audience so that they have to see the film to find out. The trailer mainly shows the scariest parts of the film and the parts that make the audience jump. The very start of the trailer shows the main character and her profession which sets the story. The music is quite slow paced at the beginning but as we see the villain of the film and how she begins to get her revenge, it changes to very loud and fast paced to have a dramatic effect. This trailer is selling the film by showing the most dramatic parts which make it more scary in an obvious way rather than a disturbing way. The speed of the trailer increases as it goes on. The beginning establishes the setting and a slow pace is used here but as the scenes begin to get scarier, the pace gets very fast. We are given information throughout the sequence of previous films from the production company. This is shown at the beginning and as the action is happening. The trailer would be aimed at a younger audience of 15-25 year olds as the content is full of suspense and is quite gory and graphic.