I decided to use this font, Times and Times Again, as it is a serif, commonly associated with horror films and because it has a creepy, distorted feel to it and close kerning between the characters. I think the mix of upper and lowercase letters in the title adds to the dramatic effect created by the contrast of colours in the main title and poster.
I used layer effects in Photoshop to give the poster a grim, grungy look
Whilst filming, we have also begun the editing process using iMovie but before that we reviewed our footage using a log sheet. As you can see, the log sheet is very helpful in allowing us to organise the clips we will use in our trailer and make decisions regarding what needs to be re-shot due to visual or audio issues. Using the time markers I made on the log sheet (e.g. "00:02 to 00:12") in iMovie also sped up the process of cutting the clips.
We have started shooting our trailer in the school's underground void, the setting for the murders of the teenagers. The footage for the montage will appear at the end of the trailer, building momentum and using suspense to engage the audience. Below is a still example of how we used a canted angle, minimal lighting and an out of focus shot in our filming to create a dramatic effect in a scene in which the killer approaches the viewer/ the camera. Additionally, the slow pace adds to the sense of unease the viewer feels at this point in the trailer.
The 'Tweet Your Scream' Twitter campaign was created to promote the film Paranormal Activity which not only engaged the audience with the film but also built up a fanbase for the movie by encouraging the audience to tell others about their experience watching it. This marketing campaign boosted the popularity of the film -which was a low budget and (initially) limited release feature- enormously.
In my own production my group's digital strategy could consist of integrating blogs, a YouTube account and social networking sites like Facebook of Twitter. Further initiatives could be using instant messaging, e.g. using the BlackBerry Messenger service to connect with audiences who want to know about the film's plot and message fans on the release date. Another idea could be linking Twitter accounts or blogs for the characters in the style of the Skins webpage. The digital campaign could function as a network built around a main website (the address of which would be featured on the poster) which integrates the Twitter feed on the character biography page; features clips from the YouTube account on the main page. The purpose of our digital strategy is to explain aspects of the story and characters in greater detail to the audience, making them want to see the film.
We could further interact with the audience using the everyday aspect of the plot and ask Twitter users to post about their worst detentions on the site.
In the Film's Cool session last Thursday, we were given a talk about industry practices by Oscar winning makeup artist Christine Blundell and Cliff Wallace who also gave us advice on how to do special effects and make up for a horror movie on a budget. For example, I found out a low cost method of creating fake blood using food colouring and golden syrup. Cliff also advised that for the scene involving the wounded character, we should also use painted tissue pasted on with Copydex to look like skin/flesh cut with a knife.
In class we have been using the industry standard software Celtx to write up our screenplays. The programme also allows the user to organise the entire production by creating a database of actors, characters, locations, sound effects, text, props and makeup. Finally, it can create a Production Schedule tailored to the times of day specified in the scene headings (e.g. 'EXT. SCHOOL GATE, ACLAND BURGHLEY SCHOOL. DAY').
In my idea I have chosen to follow conventions of horror movie posters by using an image of one of the characters and bold text at the bottom of the page. Immediately as someone looks at it they can tell it is a horror as the text at the top makes reference to Halloween, also hinting about the release date. The colours used would ideally be black, red, some white for contrast. Originally I thought dark blue would give it an eerie look but dark blue and green have connotations of the supernatural which does not relate to our film's plot.
Taglines could possibly be: along the lines of: "Avoid the VOID", "Nothing can save you in the VOID"
This selection of typefaces shows the type of font we want to use for the title or the tagline displayed on the poster and at the end of the trailer. These all follow horror conventions which I think is important as it immediately signifies the genre to the audience whereas use of variation in the typography could mislead the consumer. Layer styles such as shadows and glows have been used in Photoshop to emphasise the chilling look of the fonts.
Personally I would like to use the second or fourth as I think the first is quite blocky and reminiscent of monster movies which doesn't represent the threat exposed in our trailer of misuse of power. The kerning of the third is quite close making it a bit hard to read.
In my post analysing the 'Grave Encounters' trailer, I made a note of the sound effects and music used which highlight the themes of alienation while giving it a creepy atmosphere. We hadn't considered the music in our trailer much until the Film's Cool session with Awate which helped us think about the atmosphere we were trying to create and how his music would allow us to do that. We decided on the track 'Firm' because it has some typical horror movie stings in it, but the hip-hop genre adds to the contemporary feel of the trailer.
These rec drawings have helped us think about how ,on a practical level, we are going to shoot the trailer. They show where in the classroom location the camera will be placed, the movements the camera operator will make as well as the actors' movements. Additionally we have updated the storyboard to reflect the new plot and change of the film's name.
We have been discussing and finalising our plot and characters while the usp and themes have largely stayed the same. The name of the movie has been changed from 'Detention' to 'Void' after we talked about avoiding similarity to existing films and a desire to have a short, punchy name that would have a lot of impact. 'Void' refers to the underground void in which we will shoot part of the trailer in.
Synopsis: 5 students at a school in London are forced to have extra detention by a cruel, unpopular maths teacher. While he leaves the classroom, the kids plot their revenge on him and play a prank that seemingly goes wrong as they then see teacher laying outside on the floor. Thinking he is dead or severely injured they try to escape the building and find that the gates are all locked. The only way out is through the school's underground void. But will they all manage to escape as the teacher seeks his own revenge on them?
Characters:
The evil teacher
The protagonist, the surving girl (although not implied in the trailer)
The wanderer, a boy who is depicted as stupid (could be a slightly comic character) who leaves the group and gets killed first
Another teen who is the first to get in the void but gets killed there, shown/implied in the trailer
Another teen in the group whose death is shown in the trailer
Another teen whose death is not shown in the trailer
These characters will fit in with the established stereotypes (e.g. the Wanderer, the Final Girl) and we will employ variation by ascribing them characteristics of stereotypical youth subcultures in London.
With the help of industry experts at the Film's Cool session I developed the ideas the group had already formed for the trailer. The storyboard shown above is what we have agreed to shoot and create titles for. The trailer, like others does not fall in line with Todorov's narrative theory as it does not show the last stage of resolution. The trailer follows conventions of the genre but we may choose to use variation in the style of the trailer (the beginning which introduces different teacher 'types' before showing the audience the antagonist, the evil science/maths teacher) and the characterisations displayed (e.g. depicting uniquely English stereotypes).
Feminist film theory: Laura Mulvey's audience theory argues that the film industry creates products for a male audience. Filmmakers use this 'male gaze' in a variety of ways: women are objectified through 'lingering' camera shots and females are characterised as passive in narratives.
Textual analysis of a horror trailer:
'Demons Never Die' (out 28th October) is a new teen slasher/horror film set in London
The narrative theory developed by Tzvetan Todorov can be recognised -to an extent- in the trailer I previouslyanalysed, 'Grave Encounters'. The structure of the trailer follows the structure of Todorov's theory although the fifth part is left out to not give away the plot. The audience now know some of the story and will want to see the film to find out how it is resolved.
A sense of equilibrium is established in the trailer's opening: everything is calm and normal. There is a slight sense of unease but this is not expanded upon.
Suddenly we are presented with some shocking imagery, 'disturbing' the equilibrium. The threat is introduced and this part of the trailer mirrors the narrative of the entire film.
Next, the characters identify the threat and seek to confront it (combining stages 3 and 4 of recognising the problem and trying to reinstate equilibrium).
However the final stage of a resolution within the narrative is omitted. Enigma codes are used in the trailer to excite the consumer and make them anticipate the film's ending. The trailer ends with a disorienting, hand held shot sequence further confusing the viewer.
The British Board of Film Classifications provides films and trailers released in the UK with a ratings certificate. Some films are not given classification, for example those the BBFC consider to be 'in breach of criminal law'. Filmmakers submit their films to the organisation which is run independently as most cinemas (which are under licensing laws to prohibit the screening of restricted -'18'- films to minors) or video outlets do not show or sell unclassified films. The trailer we are going to make is aimed at a teenage audience and will therefore carry an appropriate '15' rating. The BBFC guidelines state that a '15' film must:
not promote or encourage drug use
not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour
only include horror elements that are 'non sexualised or sadistic'
not glamourise risky behaviour and easily accessible weapons
not include repeated aggressive uses of strong language - only one use of non threatening strong language is allowed in a '15' trailer
feature themes appropriate for 15 year olds
The guidelines will not affect our trailer greatly as the horror shown in it will be age appropriate for the target audience. Drug use and sex will not be depicted although we may face issues in representing the killer's weapon of choice. In the killer's characterisation we have to emphasise a lack of humanity so the audience are not made to feel very sympathetic towards this character. Discriminatory language will not be featured in the trailer as it is irrelevant to the story we are trying to convey. The action shown in movie trailers is depicted as more out of context than in the film as a whole, therefore the rules are stricter on what is allowed in the trailer (e.g. in a film you could show a violent act and the subsequent consequences the character faces later on but it would be more difficult to represent it in a 2 minute trailer).
"Detention" Synopsis
The film's premise is that a teacher, driven to the edge by unruly students is the killer in a London school. He strikes during after school (or Saturday) detention, allowing him to not be caught and exact his revenge on the tormenting teens. The main targets are six students, one of whom will be the protagonist/hero who survives. Protagonist and Stock Characters
We have chosen to follow the convention other films use of having an adult male as the antagonist. However we will employ variation by having him be in a role of authority (a teacher) and not on the fringe of society which will express the fear of abuse of power within society. The stock characters will be teenagers (six in total, adhering to the convention of having a higher ratio of male to female characters)who exemplify youth subcultures in London and will fit in with the established roles such as the Wanderer, the Popular Girl, the Final Girl etc. Our stock situation of a school detention allowed us to make use of different stereotypes among school students which will help foster a sense of Personal Identity (as identified in Blumler and Brown's uses and gratifications theory) within our target audience. The characters we have developed exhibit some of the same aspects with those identified Goffman's character theory as opposed to Propp's theory which characters of the horror genre rarely fit in with. The following is a list of the characters that will feature in the trailer:
The teacher/serial killer. We could hint at some sort of instability within his life by ascribing him certain characteristics (he might be quite eccentric, for instance). The catalyst for his drastic change in behaviour (i.e. what makes him suddenly start killing) is his students' constant tormenting which borders on abuse.
The 'leader' of the students, a character that might fit in with the Jock stereotype seen in American horror movies.
Location
We will film within the grounds of Acland Burghley school and we have identified a particular location (shown in the above photos) underneath the school building in which we would like to film as it will lend an eerie, spooky atmosphere to our film trailer. This location is ideal in terms of logistics as the equipment we will borrow from the school can be easily transported within the school building as opposed to outside it. However this requires us to consider Health & Safety as we will be using young actors and do not want to endanger them. Furthermore, this closed setting will highlight the theme of entrapment suggested by the title 'Detention'.
Iconography and settings will be repeated and varied in the trailer to convey the genre of the film. These could include:
a 'disfiguring' mask worn by the killer
a murder weapon such as a knife, stake or chainsaw
the darkened, forbidden chamber where the killer lurks
the school building (in the establishing shot) which is incongruous with the themes of horror, further unsettling our audience
These potent symbols will also emphasise the key themes of the film which are alienation, abuse of power and distrust of authority in society (depicting them on a microcosmic scale).
As Burton's theory states, genres (and even sub-genres in the case of slasher horror) are compromised of key elements. In this task I have explored one of those which is the use of stock characters who differ from the protagonist as they are usually less developed and get killed off by the villain early on in the movie. I have identified six of these which are repeated and varied in different films.
The wanderer: A character who endangers his or herself by straying away from the rest of their peer group often to look for something but says “I’ll be right back” or similar dialogue before being killed by the villain. The wanderer is normally characterised as the stupidest of the group and their death instigates the ones that will follow. An example of the wanderer is Kirk in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), shown below.
The popular girl: One or more characters who are typically pretty and arrogant girls, sometimes cheerleaders who date the ‘Jock’ characters. They are killed by the villain as revenge for their mean behaviour towards others. The activity she engages in is the complete opposite of that of the Final Girl. Occasionally the Popular Girl is conflated with the Final Girl, for example in Carrie (1976) popular girl Sue begins to feel sorry for the killer and by changing her ways, escapes the killer's wrath. A more conventional example of Popular Girls are the cheerleaders in Jeepers Creepers II (2003)
The jock: The male equivalent of the Popular Girl in terms of popularity, he is the alpha male of the group (also the captain of the sports team). He is either characterised as a bully or 'leader of the pack' but is always targeted by the killer, usually ending up a victim. An exception to this is in My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009) in which the Jock, Tom (pictured below) is revealed to be the serial killer.
The final girl: The heroine of the film and is the only person within her peer group who escapes the killer as a result of not indulging in drinking, drug use or underage sex. Observers have noted that typically, she is more developed than other characters, intelligent and has androgynous characteristics such as a unisex name. An example would be Sidney (below) from the Scream series and a variation on the character is Amanda in the Saw franchise who becomes the killer after the first film. The Final Girl appears throughout horror movie franchises as the audience already identify and sympathise with the character.
The pervert: The boy who will go to any length to sleep with a girl in the peer group. This results in him being killed as he is unaware of the killer about to murder him. An example would be the boy in House of Wax (2005). The character is a minor stock character who is killed before the others and highlights the notion that the kids are being punished by the killer for their perceived immoral acts.
The incompetent authority figure: Characters such as the police in Scream 4 (2011) who project the fear of having no protection against the killer. Adult characters rarely sympathise with the teens in slasher horror movies, for example the police believing a prank is being played on them.
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Graeme Burton's theory of horror films states there are formulaic key elements of the horror genre which the audience 'subconsciously expect to see' applied to movies. I agree with Burton's theory as even in films in which the director intends to challenge the audience's expectations, clear genre markers such as stock situations, genre icons, themes, setting, stock situations and plots, characters (the protagonist and other stereotypical stock characters) and backgrounds and decor are still used so the audience recognise the genre although some are used to a lesser extent than others. In this task I have looked at a few summaries of popular horror films to see how the formula is applied.
In class we have been working on applying the knowledge of trailers we gained during the research tasks and setting about creating our own trailer. The task was to promote a new London set horror film named Bloodshed High aimed at teenagers through a captivating movie trailer that used and defied some conventions. My group and I discussed first what the plot was going to be; we decided to involve a school prom to appeal to our target audience and have a unique selling point of mixing an American theme familiar to British teens with an English setting. We also considered how we would create audience expectations by using a certain production company or a star director.
Next we began work on the storyboard for the trailer (shown above), using the following conventions:
Showing the distribution company's logo first. We developed an idea that the style of the logo could be adapted to look more appropraite for a horror film (e.g. have a black background and a glow around the text). We decided to use an independent British production company.
Establishing the film's setting and themes by including an establishing shot of the school building featured in the film. Straight away this will tell our audience that the film will be set in a London school and we could make it obvious that it is a horror film by using similar lighting, eerie sound effects and angles representative of the genre such as in Grave Encounters:
The next shots will show the parts of the film that are exciting, built up tension and best represented the film. They will also introduce characters and the one-line dialogues ensure the audience can relate to them. It was crucial that we had to choose shots that hinted at the plot instead of telling it, as trailers are different to movies in that they're a promotional tool to make potential audiences want to see them. Horror films rely on enigma codes used in the promotion because an essential part of the film usually is figuring out the mystery of who the killer is, as in our film, Bloodshed High. We decided to not show the killer or hide their face in the trailer. The pace of the shots at this point will mirror the excitement building in the story, building to a climax at the end. At this point the images will stay on screen for a few seconds to create a sense of disorientation or confusion in the viewer. In the montage of shots, each individual shot will fade to black which gives a sense of impending doom.
Music will be used in our trailer to portray it as a youth based film: we will use popular music from UK artists in the appropriate scenes to highlight the setting and appeal to the audience but also use non diegetic stings in the scenes where the killer strikes, adhering to established conventions.
We will use variation and adherence to trailer conventions to allow the audience to recognise Bloodshed High as a horror but one that is appealing to the youth market and to distinguish it from other films.
Instead of a voiceover or many onscreen titles, we will use dialogue as a soundbridge to convey the themes and story of the film. We will use the film's tagline before the montage is shown to further represent what Bloodshed High is about. After the action is shown, we will present the film title after introducing it as a feature 'from the director of 28 Days Later', another London based horror. We will include the release date which will be near Halloween to capitalise on the mood of it and the fact it may be during the school half-term break.
Finally we will end the trailer with an ominous scene of the killer cleaning the blood off the title which we decided would be a typical horror film style: an old fashioned serif font (which fits in with the school setting) in red and a glowing outline against a black background:
Our trailer is going to express the plot, USP and genre of Bloodshed High and promote the film as exciting for the audience by engaging them with text based images, action, sound which will become more dramatic as the trailer continues. Although it may show the story in narrative order, the enigma codes are still in place to make it seem interesting enough for the audience. We will engage the audience significantly by appealing to their sense of personal identity by using actors and a location they can identify with.
From viewing the trailer, the audience could deduce that the story will follow the characters shown encounter frights within the hospital. There is a sense of impending doom and that there will not be a happy ending (although this is uncertain), suggested by the dialogue and emphatic soundtrack. The trailer for Grave Encounters effectively advertises the film because shows the audience clearly what they can expect yet it retains the element of suspense, making the viewer want to find out how the story will be resolved. When it comes to actually creating the trailer for a film, I think I would use the Grave Encounters trailer as an example of how a trailer can promote the movie while still using a small budget. However, I think I would use clear genre markers instead such as an 'old fashioned' serif font in the title and a clear conflict within the plot and include the release date at the end.
The distributor's logo is altered in many of the big budget productions instead of independent film trailers because it draws on the viewer's own experience and subsequent expectations made from seeing films made by the same companies. Below, the logo for Dimension Films fits in with the overall style of the trailer for Apollo 18 as it mimics a malfunctioning camera. The theme of disorder in the opening sequence of the trailer mirrors the film's premise and represents the "mockumentary found-footage style"
The use of a black background mirrors the film's title while the white glow makes the text look eerie and slightly ethereal despite the thick sans-serif font. Perhaps it has not been altered to the same degree as the Warner Brothers logo because the Miramax logo is more text than image based.
Familiarity is used in this alteration of the distributor's logo to effect. The Warner Brothers logo in this instance looks a lot like the one used in some of the more recent Harry Potter films instantly telling the audience that it will be a film with dark or fantastical themes and promises plenty of action.
Multimodal texts/formats: In English, the modes of language are reading (including viewing), writing (including composing electronic texts), speaking and listening. Multimodal texts are those that combine, for example, print text, visual images and spoken word as in film or computer presentation media.
As a multimodal text, this film trailer combined visuals, sounds and text to give information about and promote the film The Ides of March which led to the audience having certain expectations about it such as it would be well made (as it was by a big production company) and be a politcial thriller (clips indicated what the plot was about).
'Grave Encounters':
The name of the film appears quite near the end of the trailer because the trailer features a lot of text instead of a voice over meaning the trailer doesn't appear too text-heavy. Telling the audience the film's title at the end of the trailer helps them to remember it rather than at the trailer's start and moreover, they associate the anticipation the trailer creates with the film title.
The typography, effects and colour used in the title are evocative of ghosts (bright and glowing), suggesting as well as the language -'grave' has connotations of death- that the film's plot involves the characters meeting with the ghosts. The word encounters is enlarged indicating that the movie's focus is on the conflict between ghosts and humans.
As it is a low budget independent film, the trailer does not mention the actors but it does include information about the production team. The name 'The Vicious Brothers' indicates that the director and writers of the film specialise in the horror genre. The information is presented to the audience towards the end of the trailer also so the viewer remembers their names. The viewer might even be familiar with the production team through other types of promotion such as the video clip below.
The type of action from the film presented to the audience emphasises that it is a horror film. At first it is less scary because the plot is being introduced but towards the end the images become quite graphic. The trailer indicates that the film's USP is that it has a strong plot as well as the type of action horror fans would expect. The contrapunctual change that takes place in the middle of the clip (where it becomes about making the programme about the hospital) is signified by the different style of text.
The soundtrack of the trailer is a mixture of a pulsating beat to mirror the build-up of momentum and a high pitched drone sound is more typical of a horror film score, enhancing the eeriness of the action.
Instead of a voice-over, dialogue is used from the actual film so it helps to establish familiarity with the character when the audience sees the film. We can also infer that the man narrating is the film's protagonist so when the trailer begins to show the scarier moments of the film we begin to sympathise with the character. The voice used creates a serious tone initially yet shifts to a more frightened tone to generate excitement within the audience.
The action shown in the trailer is initially shown at the same pace of a clip in the film and as the trailer goes on, the clip lengths become shorter and shorter leading to a slightly longer clip at the 'climax'. The shifting pace mirrors the use of sound effects, keeping the viewer engaged with everything going on all at once.
The last frames of the trailer are the title, the credits for the film and its website. The production notes emphasise that it is going to be a scary film; the writer and director's name ('The Vicious brothers') lead the audience to expect this. Unusually there is no release date for the film which would help build up anticipation for it.
I think the trailer is a more effective advertisement for the film as it draws on the eerie images in the poster and emphasises the scary nature of the film by using music and non diegetic sound effects. Furthermore, the trailer shows some of the action, allowing the audience to get a better feel of the film. I would expect to see this trailer appear in the cinema at a late time before a film aimed at a teenage or older audience because of some of the images that appear in it. Likewise, on television it would probably be shown after family viewing hours to make sure it only reaches its intended target audience. Also, horror and thriller films are shown on TV during the late hours so it could potentially be reaching fans of those genres likely to see this film.
The trailer may be scheduled to air between other horror movies or films aimed at a teenage or adult audience such as 'Fright Night' or 'Final Destination 5'.
The trailer features visual identifiers that enable the audience to immediately recognise the movie's genre:
Costume
Setting
Lighting
Camera angles
However variation is employed as well. The trailer doesn't include a release date and it doesn't feature all of the visual identifiers of a horror film (such as props and costume) because it is not marketed as a normal horror feature with conflict resolution. Instead the premise of the film is that it is a metafictional 'film-within-a-film' about ghost hunting. The concept is postmodern and quite novel so the audience would expect the trailer not to adhere to all the horror film conventions. In my own horror film trailer, I would be careful to use a mix of conventions and variations because the interested viewer could not find out when the film comes out on DVD or in cinemas by watching this trailer. Although it's a limited release movie, it could diminish a potential audience's interest in the film.
