Research and Planning: Podcast

Research and Planning: Teaser trailer conventions

This year I will be creating a Teaser trailer, Film poster and Film magazine. I know now to make my teaser trailer succeeded I have to include:

• The release date
• The start that will be featuring in the film
• The company that has funded the movie
• The certificate
• The name of the movie
• Small action scenes
• Some sort of voice over of subtitles.

With all these features I will be able to make a one minute insight into what my movie will be about.
This trailer is the type of trailer I would be able to create using the resources I have at my disposal as there are not a lot of special effects.



This is the Resident Evil Apocalypse trailer. and this is the trailer I would not be able to create due to the amount of CGI and SFX used in the movie.

Research and Planning: Research into Target Audience

 

These are the top ten best horror films rated by the public on the website IMBD. After looking at this table I have concluded that non of these film have been before the year 2000.

These are the top 20 best rated films by men made on the website IMBD. I have concluded from this image that men like to watch action thriller films.

These are the top 20 best films as voted by women on the website IMBD.

Dawn of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead and Shaun of the Dead are closest zombie film to the top and this show that zombie films are high as a type of horror film.

Research and Planning: Meeting 1

For the making of my teaser I will be taking care of all area of the project : Cinematography, Sound, Mise-en-scene, Editing.

My initial ideas are to make a zombie film trailer. I will try to replicate the pace of editing in the Dawn of the Dead trailer. my trailer will start with a news reader telling an audience what to do and what not to do in the event of a zombie outbreak. With flashes of people running from something, I am thinking of using contrapuntal music over the top of my trailer to make it seem like everything is happy when its not.

Research and Planning: Target Audience 2

Target Audience for my teaser trailer on Prezi

Research and Planning: Audience Theories

The Hypodermic needle model: messages get injected into our brain by all forms of media and we take in all in like a sponge

Cultivation theory : how much media we all watch (mainly conducted in the U.S.A)

Desensitisation : How we do not get effected by horrific images as much anymore as we are costume to it.

Copycat theory : Were a person will copy film or game violance to commit a crime.

Uses and gratification theory : Shoes how we have our own brains and shows that we do not always follow what the media says.

Research and Planning: Audience Interviews

From this interview I know I have to include: 

• Low-Key lighting 
• Blood 
• Tight framing
• Some long shots to set the mood 
• Make my trailer about 55 seconds long

Research and Planning: Questionnaire results

I asked a group of 10 people, six questions these questions were

• What conventions do you see in a zombie trailer?

Most people said, fast editing, low-key lighting, shots of isolation, safe during the day not safe at night.

•  What is your favorite horror film?

This questions was not very useful as everyone had different answers. however they said that they liked these films because the films horror is implied and not throw in your face.

• What sort of locations?

Open spaces, woods and a town would all be a good place to set a zombie film.

•  What are conventions of a normal trailer compared to a teaser trailer?

The length, the trailers include a conning soon sign, more action less dialogue

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Research and Planning: Questionnaire

Questionnaire

1.     What conventions do you see in a Zombie/ Horror Trailer?

2.     What is your favorite horror film? Why?

3.     What sort of locations would you expect to see in Zombie / Horror movie?

4.     Do you think Voice over or Subtitles are more effective for a horror / zombie movie?

     5. What certificate do you expect to see in a zombie film? Why?

    6. What are conventions of a normal trailer compared to a teaser trailer?

Research and Planning: Name for teaser trailer

After looking at other trailers that are relater the the genre of my movie i have decided to call my movie "Quarantine Zone"

This may change over time as i develop my ideas for the trailer itself.

Research and Planning: Teaser Trailer Anaysis 2

Narrative

film follows  Todorov's theory. the trailer however dos not show the equilibrium or the new equilibrium as it would give the film away too much. The start of the trailer uses contrapuntal music in terms of the siren to show the a its a contagion.


Genre

The genre of this film is horror with a sub-genre of zombie with a certificate of 18, this film has some gore and may effect people who are under he age of 18. this is clearly a zombie film because the way the character in the trailer move you can also tell because all zombie films start with a wide open space usually city that has been deserted with a few dead bodies or a burning car in the background. this trailer has all these this so it is easy to tell what genre it is.



Representation

The film uses smart cinematography to show how the infection has spread through the people



Media Language

Cinematography: In the start of the trailer there are no real shots just captions to set the mood of the film. the text moves across the screen documenting the days from the start of the infection to the 28th day from the infection. Inbetween these peices of text there are small clips, the first of of the camera zooming in on a woman, the second is a basic long shot of some shadows against a wall, tyhe third is a close up of a woman on the floor who appears to be choking. This is when the trailer really begins. the shots open up to long shots and establishing shots when the main character is on his own, showing that all of the other people have disappered. the only other main shot is the close-ups on the main chracters fae along with some tight framing to show that he feels isolated and lone in a world that he has woken up to.

Sound: The traielr starts with random sound like the spotlights goin of on the fox searchlight logo. then when the trailer actully stats the first noise is clearly a breach warning of some sort this shows that something has got out that shouldt have. These sound are then followed by non diegetic sound that are all filling the background and adding the the tension. all the noises in the trailer are there to make you feel more paniced and gives the viewer the impression that they themselves are in that situation. after all this the sound comes to abrupt stop as the shot of the main character is shows this shows that no-one is around to panic. The first majoer sound you hear is the telephones smacking against the walls of the hospital. This shows how people have been there but now everything is so quiet that even the slight tapping of the wall can be heared. the main character then adds diolauge to the clip by saying "hello" this is the echoed all over the rest of the trailer. this is effective because it shows how no-one is in the city and that something bad must have happened for everyone to have dissappered. also a classical opera soundtrack in playing in the background and gets louder toward the end of the clip this knocks the viewer of balence and make them think that everything is now calm after the chaos at the beginning but this is the spoilt by a shillohetted character screaming and running toward the screen.

Mise-en-scene : The mise en scene for thias trailer is very basic. the main set in the film is the empty streets of London showing the main character on his own when the area he is in should be well populated and thriving with life. the characters costume is also simple, he is wearing a hospital robe as he has just woken up and discovered this empty area. the major part of the mise en scene is the turned over busses and littered street. this sets the tone of the film as being about something that has made people go mad and made them leave in a hurry

Editing: The editing at the beggining is very fast paced, there are alot of jump shots to show the panic and to get across the danger.after the first half of the trailer the editing slows down and its turns into basic straight cuts to make things seem calmer and steadyer.



Audience

The main target audience for this film is people aged between 18 - 21. This is because 18 is the certificate the film has been given also because people between this age aremore likely to watch zombie/horror films like this.

Research and Planning: Teaser Trailer Analysis 1

Narrative
The trailer follows Todorov's theory however it does not have a climax or a new equilibrium. The opening section uses contrapuntal music to set the scene and the equilibrium. There is then a disruption, which is the news footage and a montage shows moment of high action or peaks. the story is typical of a zombie film with a group of people isolated and trying to survive.

Genre

This film is a Zombie/horror/action movie and has an 18 certificate, some scenes may seem gory for some people and not to others. You can tell it is a zombie film from the narrative and the footage used in the news feed to create that sense of panic. Its also a a common feature of a horror/ zombie to contain a group of people that gradually get killed off one by one.

Representation

The film has many different characters in it to show that people have survived but the music makes things seem a little to good to be true, this trailer is also very stereotypical of a horror, as there and clear villain and hero. No characters are passive in this trailer and both male and female and both active.

Target audience

Men who are in the age group of 18 to 30 will be interested in this film as it is a typical horror / zombie film and this is the market for already existing films.

Media Language: Editing 

• Starts with slow fades to white so give the viewer the impression that everything is calm and peaceful in the pace they are.
• The use of straight cuts is also used to show just how many people are in this mall and makes you feel like this is normal for them.
• The transitions then change and get faster showing panic and building up suspense for the person watching, it also disrupts the peace that the characters once had also the fast editing grabs the audiences attention.
• After a point jump cuts become the more dominant editing transition, this is because the trailer has taken a turn and only suspense and action are left to show.

Media Language: Sound

• The music for the clip shows that they have a good life and are having a good time where they are, this can be proven by the use of the soundtrack playing "its a wonderful life" this leads the viewer into a false sense of security and makes the climax of the trailer more effective.
• When the tone of the film changes a non diegetic  sound is played in the background off the voice overs. this shows that the character in the film are realizing that they are on there own and have to take this seriously.
• The trailer then uses a voice over in terms of the news readers that are talking about the chaos that is happening on the streets after all the news readers voice overs the music then stops for a fe seconds this builds suspense for the viewer as they know something is going to happen.
• A score of action music is played to show the rest of the action scenes that are featured in the trailer, until he end when the "its a wonderful life" soundtrack plays again giving the impression that things are never going to be the same again. 

Media Language: Cinematography

The first main shot is an establishing shot of the shopping mall, we then move into he mall were we get a series of long shots. to introduce the characters. Then quickly cuts to a montage of news feeds, followed by a sequence of close-ups to highlight the emotion in the characters faces. A long shot then shows the lights going out. There is a montage of action clips of varying camera angles which stops at the title appearing on screen. The last shot is close up of a character spray painting.

Media Language: Mise-en-scene 

• the main location is and isolated shopping mall With all the relevant props that the cast have taken from the shops. The characters are clearly represented through there costumes. there are some external shots but these are hard to explain because of the mass panic that is being portrayed in the scenes 

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Research and Planning: Photoshop Challenge

This is my first attempt at making a film poster on photoshop since I have been back after the summer holidays, I found this hard because I could not decide how the layout would go to make the image look good.

The thing I found easy was the image manipulation as I did not have to make anything to complex. All i had to do was make new image and font layers to make the finished design.

Research and Planning: Regulation and Censorship

The trailer will be a 12a certificate so all age groups can see the trailer and spread the word around to people who can actually watch the film, the trailer will be lower then the actual film because of this.

Research and Planning: Regulation and Censorship

As my film is a zombie horror I intend to make my film a 15 certificate this is because my film will have gore and violence all the way through the film but not so that the film has to be an 18

Research and Planning: The Pitch