Trailer

Introduction

This blog follows the evaluation of our A2 media coursework, we are producing a film promotion package; this will likely include:

• Poster
• Trailer
• Website Homepage

In order to do this we need carry out research on the best genre for the film, once we have discovered this we can then base all of the other texts we are producing on this.

We can use existing texts for inspiration and convention guidelines, this will help us to produce a high-quality and proffesional film.

As well as this we need to make our products tailor made to our audience needs, this will have to be done via specific audience research through mediums such as questionnares, interviews and focus groups.

Audience Profile

Our audience is going to be males and females, mostly between the ages of 16 and 18, this group will largely consist of students studying for their A-Levels etc.

Our audience has a very keen interest in films, especially horror, and visit the cinema regularly, this is why we have chosen to create a trailer as the majority of them say that they view a trailer before seeing a movie.

Our audience also are keen internet users who visit the website page for a film before seeing it, this lets us know that an effective way of reaching them would be to create a website homepage for them to view.

Another way we could reach our audience is via a poster for the film as our research indicated that the members of our audience would often find out about up and coming films from posters that they see around.

So overall our audience are:

• Both male and female.
• Between the ages of 16 and 18.
• Mostly students.
• Have a keen interest in films, especially horror.
• Are keen internet users.

Genre

The genre we have decided on for the project is horror. This is because we feel that this will be the most suitable genre to convey with a trailer, website and poster, this genre also has alot of existing texts with which we can take inspiration from.

The 'Horror' genre generally relates to a media product which is designed to scare, horrify or unsettle the audience for that product, whether it be a film, book, poster, website or trailer.

Traditionally horror texts play on the fears of the supernatural; such as ghosts etc. But as time has progressed horror texts have adapted and have evolved to play on many human fears; for example it is common nowaday with films such as the "SAW" series in which the films do not play on the audiences fear of the supernatural but instead on the audiences fear of pain and fear of being helpless.

Traditionally black, dark red and dark green are the most common colours in horror texts such as films, this is because the black represents death, the dark red represents human blood and the dark green represents an unknown threat, these are all human fears that horror texts play with to scare, horrify or unsettle the audience.

With the horror genre the main theme is often isolation or helplessness, For example an axe murderer chasing a single person through the middle of the woods in the middle of the night is a lot more terrifying than if a man with an axe tried to run through the middle of a busy city centre with lots of people and police and security officers around because no one there would be isolated or helpless and the danger can be prevented alot easier.

Existing Products Research: REC Poster

With our film promo package we will be producing a trailer, website and a poster. Here is an example of a poster we could take inspiration from and look at conventions.

One convention is that horror movie posters generally let the image speak for itself, this is shown with this poster as there is simply a large central image, of a character screaming. This addresses the audience that in a way that clearly shows the genre of this film as horror, it also shows themes of terror and isolation by the screaming character and the black, blank background.

The logo is another convention as it clearly brands the movie and gives the audience a means of remembering the film, this title here is "REC" with an image

Poster Research: Blair Witch Poster

With our film promo package we are going to include a poster because with our questionarre we found that a poster will be a highly effective medium of reaching our target audience.

This poster has clear conventional examples that we can in a sense apply to the creation of our own poster.

The first convention is the clear central image, this is of one of the main characters in the location of the film, this leaves the audience with an impression of the film and it's genre and will appeal to fans of that genre, so therefore is a highly effective way of reaching the target audience.

Another convention is that there is a clear logo for the film, in this case "The Blair Witch Project" this is a clever way of branding the film so that the audience has a lasting impression of the film.

The anchorage here is that it gives an impression of isolation by having a single person looking terrified alone in the woods and plays on the human fear of isolation and is a typical convention of the horror genre, this appeals to the target audience and leaves them (hopefully) wanting more.

Poster Research: Alien

This is the promotional poster for the film Alien, this poster is a very powerful promotional ploy in the way it presents itself, it lets a small caption and a large central image speak for the entire film as it directly addresses the audience.

As well as this it shows alot of eggs hatching at the bottom of the screen, with a dark green glow over the top of them, this is another typical colour of the horror genre, as well as this there are a large amount of them, this gives the audience a fear of the unknown as these unspecified creatures are hatching and are in large number, this plays of the human fear of invasion and is a strong way of addressing a horror movie audience.

Poster Research Conclusion

Through my research of existing texts, I have analysed several conventions that we can apply to the creation of our own text, which is a promotional poster for a horror genre film.

The first convention we can apply to our text is that of a large central image being the main focal point for the poster, this gives the audience an idea of the location and the genre of the text, this will be an affective method of reaching our target audience, as indicated by our audience research.

Another convention we can apply to our texts is that of having a small title for the movie at the bottom of the poster, this brands the movie and gives the audience a solid impression of the film, this helps to build a reputation for the film.

We can also add a small caption onto the poster, this is also a convention that helps brand the movie and this caption will help the audience associate the film with a clever play on words, this is a common convention of a horror movie website.

In terms of colour we will choose either a black and dark red, black and dark green, black and brown or black and bright white, these are some of the most common colour schemes that have appeared in my research of existing texts.

Trailer Editing Software

To edit the trailer we are creating we will be using video editing software, the software package we have chosen to use is 'Windows Live Movie Maker'.

This is because this software has a comprehensive set of features that will enable us to edit our trailer so that it is of high professional quality.

This software has a very easy interface to use for people of any experience with films and can help us to put in the effects and mix the sound we need to make this trailer high quality and of proffesional standard.

We also want the trailer to have an independent feel to it so we have tried to stay away from 'flashy' editing software.

Location For Filming Of Trailer

We have decided our trailer will take place in a forest, this is because a forest is a stereotypical setting for the horror genre, and has been used in many well-know horror movies, such as:

• Blair Witch Project
• The Village
• The Forest
• Cabin Fever

We have chosen Branksome Woods to be our location for the majority of the filming for our trailer, as it is fairly large forest with lots of potential areas for filming.

Script For Our Trailer

Script For Trailer

First Scene

Interviewer: "Do you think the disapearence of your friends was down to the supernatural?

Interviewee: *Looks disturbed and lowers head*

Second Scene

*Running through woods*

Female character: *scream*

Third Scene

Female character: *Holding camera up to her face in dark woods with light on face* "I'm so scared, I don't know why this is happening to us"