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Media Presentation

Movie Poster - Final picture and analysis

We used this shot because we felt the background was a good representation of where the trailer was filmed and the doorway worked perfectly for keeping the gas mask as concealed as we wanted it to be. We edited the space behind the doorway to show a definite contrast between the protagonist and the antagonist, this makes the poster easier to understand and a bolder picture.

When beginning to edit this photo, we, at first, cropped it to make it into a portrait photo but we felt that we were not using the photograph to it's best potential, so we decided to keep it landscape, and make a film poster in the form of one that is used outside and around a cinema, and this we felt was a great success. 

Final storyboard

A detailed version of our final storyboard.

Shot one - Our establishing Shot.

Shot two - Medium shot as Kellie walks of the camera and the antagonist is first seen.

Storyline - reconstructed

First Draft.
After the denial of permission from the hospital that we had planned on filming at, we had to reconstruct our storyline. We began to film scenes of our actors preparing to go somewhere haunted, but we were not pleased with the footage, feeling that it was too slow, with too much dialogue and did not have the creepy atmosphere that we had hoped for.

Alternative location.
We found another filming location that had much more diversity and could fit well with our genre of trailer. The following storyline was one that we based around the filming location and is the final storyline for our trailer.

Structure.

The trailer is split into two half's, both with different feelings, shots, structures and music to make the audience feel a mixture of emotions. The First contains slow, creepy music, with relatively bright shots, to create a slow building of tension and unease. The Second is much fast, with vastly darker, more graphic shots to make the audience quickly feel scared and horrified.

Final Storyline - Part One.
A group of teenagers, who appear to just be on an outing in the woods (which is filled with ruins) walk around aimlessly, lost and scared. A mysterious, masked figure is scene in the background of these shots. The words (Curiosity... Got the better of them appears on the screen) and as the trailer progresses, people begin to be kidnapped by the mysterious figure, unknown to the protagonist of the story, who is aware of the presence and is trying to locate his friends, while trying not to gain attention from the kidnapper.

Final Storyline - Part Two.
There is an establishing shot of a strange house, connoting that the masked man has taken the victims there. Suddenly, the pace of the trailer is completely transformed as trailer suddenly becomes fast paced and intense, with fast music and half second shots of people being tortured, this will scare the audience because of it's direct contrast to the slow, steady first half of the trailer.

Filming schedule

Cheshunt Park Footage;
When we thought we would be able to shoot the majority of the footage in Whipps Cross, we shot the beginning of the trailer in Cheshunt park, which is a park similar mito Cedars, but did not provide the same en scene that included ruins and different types of forest areas. The footage was not use mise en scene able for the following reasons.
- The Lighting throughout the footage changed because of the time of year and because we took lots of shots of the same scene the lighting did not correspond.
- The Footage we shot did not contain enough action (walking shots, running shots etc...) and we also did not get the establishing shot that we felt was needed for the first scene. This meant that the trailer was too slow starting, with too much dialogue, meaning it didn't have to atmosphere we were looking to create.
- When we were denied permission from the hospital we felt that the trailer should begin at the main place it was set, when we came across cedars park it only made sense to drawn a line under the footage that was previously filmed and start again.


Cedars Park Footage.
Initial filming was on the 26th of November where we filmed the vast majority of the trailer. All scenes based in cedars park were filmed on this date and the photo for the movie poster was also taken. The Filming was Successful because; - The lighting was perfect, the natural light allowed us to pick up all of the detail, we filmed at the right time of day because the lighting throughout the shots corresponds well.
- We produced around 10 minutes of footage, with a variety of shots at different distances, angles, and places throughout the location, this meant we easily had enough footage to find the best shots we could.

Torture Scene footage.
The Torture scenes are filmed in our drama studio, we decided this would be a good place for our torture scenes because it had lots of props, space, chairs and everything we needed to film these scenes. The room also gave us the ability to film in total darkness, which was perfect because the vast majority of the footage we wanted to be in night vision, to create the illusion that the kidnapper was filming his victims.

The setting for our trailer - Photos & Analysis

Qualities of Setting.

The setting that we initially decided on was Whipps cross hospital, although when permission was denied we needed to search for a new location that offered the mise en scene that our trailer required. We decided to use Cedars Park which turned out to be a perfect location for our trailer, as it is a diverse park, with a mixture of sections including a forest, a park, a house and ruins that are central to the park, this created a complex and interesting atmosphere for the beginning of our trailer.

Analysis.
The setting provided the perfect lighting for our trailer, it was completely natural light which made it easier to edit later, as nothing was incorrectly highlighted by unnatural light, and the visibility in the footage was excellent. The woods is a conventional setting for a horror films and through my research i have found this to be a successful move, so we decided to set our trailer in the woods. For many people, the woods represents feelings of mystery, fear and confinement, creating the perfect atmosphere right from the beginning of our trailer for our target audience.

Actors profile.

We decided to use Aaron as our protagonist for the film because we felt he had a good image for the part we wanted him to play.

We decided to use Kellie for the same reason.


We felt that using a gas mask in the film would be the key to a successful horror film trailer. The gas mask, for many people represents a feeling of being confined. We felt, after asking many people they're opinions that the gas mask would automatically give the trailer a creepy, uncomfortable feeling and we felt that the mask, along with the army jacket had the right feeling for the trailer. Because we had our masked man, we felt that it was easier for the horror trailer to be filmed because we needed less effects to create a tense atmosphere.

Storyline - initial

Initial Storyline - Part One.

Our film trailer will begin in a setting that isn't scary but is still daunting. Potentially a woods where a group of teenagers are talking, the conversation quickly turns to a story of a haunted hospital that served as a children's hospital during the war/workhouse. The group all feel excited about the prospect of going and the thriller turns to establishing shots of the abandoned building, with the backs of the teenagers looking up at it in the foreground.

Initial Storyline - Part Two.
A Blank screen will be the next shot and the words "curiosity got the better of them" will appear slowly on the screen. Loud sounds of footsteps and heavy breathing will then accompany the images on screen which will be quick shots (fading in and out) of disturbing and mysterious circumstances that the group find themselves in.

Analysis

Personal Reaction to the Trailer.
This is one of the most effective horror film trailers i have seen this year. When i fist saw the trailer in the cinemas had an effect on me that I am determined to recreate in my horror film trailer, it made me feel a strong, fearful urge to look away.

Interesting Shots used.

After watching the film, as well as the trailers several times, i realised the techniques that were used to create the feeling of fear in the trailer, most notably the use of uncomfortable or disturbing shots. The first can be seen 40 seconds into the trailer.
The camera focuses in on the room in front, looking through a fish tank, making the details in the room behind blurred, this shot makes the audience feel as though there is a daunting prescence watching the room, which ties in well with the films theme of alien abduction. The second can be seen 54 seconds into the film, there is an extreme close up of a mans mouth as he tells the psychologist about something he's seen. Not only does the closeness of the shot make the audience feel uncomfortable, it makes the words he is saying have a much more powerful impact. There are lots of other details within the trailer which add to the uncomfortable atmosphere, the close up of the camera lense at the beginning and the extreme close up of the nails scrapping against metal at the end are two of the most striking images.

Horror film Mood Board

Mood Board Analysis.
This is a mood board made up of stills from different films from the genre of horror. They are all shots that i've found interesting or are conventional to the genre of horror. Whilst making this mood board i found that most horror films have a similar colour scheme, dark colours such as blacks, browns, blues and greens, i believe this is to highlight colours and strong images such as blood or masks, making the images much more resonant.

Functions

Propp concluded that out of all the Fairy Tales he analysed, there would always be 7 steriotypical character types in each tale, these were:

1. The Villain - who would fight against the Hero

2. The Donor - provides the Hero with what they need (help/object)

3. The Hero - allows the Donor to help, marries the Princess

4. The Helper - aids the Hero on the adventure

5. The Princess & Father - identifies the task for the Hero. Is a object for Villain and reward to Hero, usually also identifies the False Hero

6. The Dispatcher - sends the Hero on his adventure

7. The False Hero - will attempt to marry the Princess and take credit for Hero's actions.

31 Functions.

The introductory sequence:

1. Absentation - A family member leaves the story/absents from the home, which allows the Hero to be introduced as a normal charcter so the audience is able to relate to him/her.

2. Interdiction - A warning not to do something is introduced to the Hero which reflects also to the audience of this danger.

3. Interdiction is Violated - The Hero ignores the warning, allowing the Villian to be introduced in some wayand creating a dramatic irony in the storyline.

4. Reconnaissance - The Villain usually in disguise, attmepts to find the Hero's reason for the quest and seek information which adds extra tension to the story.

5. Delivery of Information - The Villain gains valuable information about the Hero's whereabouts or prize. This shows the gain the Villain has acquired creating tense anticipation for the Hero in hope the story won't end in tragedy.

6. Trickery - The Villain attempts to decieve the Hero with trickery by usually taking possession of something close to the Hero trying to win the confidence of the Victim. Deception and betrayal raises tension as we fear for the Victim and Hero as we are now fully aware of the Villain's ideas.

7. Complicity - The Hero is deceived and unwittingly helps the Villain with the unintentional help form the Victim. We worry for the reputation of the Hero in concern that he will not win the love of the Princess.

The Body of the story:

8. Villainy - The Villain causes harm/injury to a victim/faimily member or steals the desired object that the Hero needs.

9. Mediation - The Hero discovers the harm or loss that the Villain has caused and calls for help making the audience wonder what will happen now.

10. Counteraction - The Hero finds a way to resolve the problem and solve the lack. Here the Villian is usaully defeated causing this defining moment to make us realise the ordinary person has a aspect of heroism. We see, as the audience that there is now no turning back.

11. Departure - The Hero leaves for home.

The Donor sequence:

12. First function of the Donor - The Hero is questioned and interrogated, preparing him/her for the magical helper (Donor)

13. Hero's Reaction - The Hero responds to the actions of the Donor.

14. Receipt of Magical Agent - Hero receives a magical object/agent (help) that will aid him/her in their adventure.

15. Guidance - Hero is shown to where the object/help can be found.

16. Struggle - Hero and Villain come into direct combat.

17. Branding - Hero is branded as wounded or marked.

18. Victory - Villain is defeated.

19. Liquidation - The object or initial misfortune is found by the Hero.

The Hero's return:

20. Return - Hero returns.

21. Pursuit - Hero is pursued by someone who plans to kill.

22. Rescue - Hero is rescued from pursuit (Tale sometimes can end here).

23. Unrecognized Arrival - Hero arrives home or in another country.

24. Unfound Claims - False Hero claims success of actual Hero.

25. Difficult Task - Difficult task is proposed to the Hero through a series of challenges.

26. Solution - The task is completed/resolved.

27. Recognititon - The true Hero is recognised.

28. Exposure - The False Hero or Villain is uncovered.

29. Transfiguration - Hero is given new appearance such as new garments.

30. Punishment - The Villain is punished.

31. Wedding - The Hero is rewarded or promoted usually by ascending thte throne and gaining the Princess' love.

In depth analysis - ils trailer

I'm going to analyse this film trailer in terms of the following things; camera angles, editing, mise en scene, sound effects, music, special effects, setting and dialogue.

Camera angles.

The camera angles that i feel are particularly effective in this trailer are the following; the close up of the girl looking through the key hole, the fact that we can see her face but nothing on the either side creates a high degree of suspense for the audience. I also find the medium shot in which the antagonist hits the window to be effective also. Because it is a low angled shot, the audience feels like they are also trapped in the room and makes the audience feel anxious.



Editing.

A common convention of horror film trailers is the blacking out between each shot, i feel this automatically gives the trailer mysterious and intense atmosphere. I feel another great piece of editing in this trailer is the ending when the letter "i" "l" "s" appearing in order on the screen between shots that fade in and out of the woman walking backwards in the room towards the antagonist. This builds up an incredible amount of suspense between the shots and the final shot the woman turns around the face the camera is a truly resonant one.

Mise en scene.

The placement of objects and use of the different colours within the objects is very significant within this trailer. Firstly, the colours of the front door create a very intense atmosphere. The use of the contrast between the red wall and and white door create a very dark, sinister atmosphere, and makes the door seem daunting. Also, in the final clips of the movie, the clear sheets placed up around the room make the room look alot smaller, and make the audience feel like it's a claustrophobic place to be.

Sound effects.

The first half of the trailer is mostly silent, so the sound effects that are used are very resonant. Up until the smash on the window, the only sound effect used is a very slow heart beat sound, which makes the audience feel like we're counting down to something. This increases the tension automatically.

Music.

There is no music within the trailer, but i think the absence of music makes the trailer more intense. The trailer has a feeling of loneliness and the absence of music makes the sound effects used more more poignant.

Special effects.

Not many special effects are used within the trailer, however i feel this adds to the believability of the concept.

Setting.

The setting is within a house at night, and the darkness creates an atmosphere of entrapment.

Focused analysis - Captions used

The central theme of the film is that the victims recieve phone calls which effectively lead to their deaths. The thing i found the most interesting about this trailer is that the captions used are all typed, in the form of texts messages, this is very apt and goes well with the theme.

The Uninvited - Trailer - Interesting Shots & Analysis

Analysis.

At 1 Minute 19 Seconds my favourite shot in this trailer occurs, When the girl sits up and the camera quickly pulls away from her, this creates a sense of panic, and makes the audience curious to what will happen next. I also like the closing shot, where the black liquid leaks from the door, and the camera pulls out, it gives the audience the impression that whatever is behind the door is coming towards them and involves them in the trailer. Again, at the beginning of the trailer, the shots fade in and out quickly, like the "Carver" Trailer story but slower, building up suspense whilst unravelling the story.

The Uninvited Trailer.

Focused analysis - Powerful imagery/Conventions of the Horror Genre

The video below was one that we found very interesting and involved some good horror film conventions. The fading in and out of shots using black outs creates tension during the beginning of the trailer. I particularly liked the shot from above where a girl is sitting in the chair, it's a really powerful image, it portrays the girl to be completely helpless and makes the viewer feel trapped with her aswell.

Carver - Film Trailer.

Introduction to my blog.

In this blog i will post all of the progress of my Media A2 coursework. My partner and I have chosen to produce a horror film trailer.