Construction

The link to my horror trailer:

(I was unable to give a direct link to the trailer so copy and paste the link below):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWZBcaKM8XE

Evaluation

In what ways does your media product use, develop, or challenge forms and conventions of real media texts?

Analysing the three different horror trailers at the start of my research enabled me to use some 'traditional' methods of producing a horror trailer. I was able to receive a mixture of techniques due to the trailers' different genres and time periods, and incorporated these with my own original ideas. I challenged the trailers' effect of using different short scenes and quick shots for the opening, by opening my trailer with a slow and steady introduction. I understood that the other trailers had used jump-shots and cut parts from the films to create a build-up for the audience, but I wanted to create my build-up through a radio interview (as a voice-over) where a man is trying to find out about the girl; just as the audience is trying to find out about her. I wanted to keep the audience hooked, maybe even confuse them slightly, with the man asking questions about the "blue room", whether the girl "feels safe in the blue room", and also mentioning her parents.

I decided to begin my trailer from either a long-shot or mid-shot, as this would give me enough time to slowly zoom into the girl and create the tension that I wanted. I didn’t want to reveal her face straight away, but to evoke the audience’s curiosity as she sat there with her head bent and her hair over her face. I applied the “Bad T.V” effect at the beginning and at random points during the zooming in, as this created the disorientated effect I wanted and reflected how the supernatural can interfere with technology and create a bad signal.

Out of the trailers that I had analysed, all of them had begun with long scenes and a slow and paced melody, slowly revealing what the main film would be about. They then used a ‘jump-scare’ as the turning point in their trailer, and after this jump-scare, they would create a build-up of quick shots and speed up the pace of the non-diegetic sound before coming to the climax of the trailer. I used a similar technique in how I used the slowly zooming in at the beginning as the ‘introduction’ to the girl: the audience is slowly finding out about the girl through the man asking questions, and wondering what shehas done or why she is put in the 'blue room'.

I applied several quick-shots during the zooming in to create the build-up, and used these to cut in between the scene at random times, as if they were flashbacks in the girl's life. It also created the distorted and surreal tone I wanted, and because they could be seen as flashbacks, I edited the quick-shots in black and white so that they could also be represented as photographs. This would create a voyeristic effect and relate with how the girl's life is constantly being questioned and invaded.

I used the girl slowly turning her head and staring menacingly into the camera as the 'turning point' of my trailer. The camera slowly draws back and fades into the interrogation scene. In this part of the trailer, I transcended different parts of the scene, as if they were overlapping eachother, and built the tension through the camera slowly panning the women in a circle as they argue. How the different parts of the scene overlap eachother signifies the going back and forth in time, and cuts to significant points of the interrogation when the woman asks the most pressing questions on the girl's mother. After the turning point, I had changed my sample of non-diegetic sound from paced and slow to bolder and faster, as this built the tension and prepared my audience for the climax of the trailer.

I also went against the typical format and order of a horror trailer; instead of featuring a series of quick shots, cut scenes and voice-overs, I divided my trailer into two seperate scenes to give out different parts of information on the girl and what the overall film would be about. I used these as a base for my different flashbacks and quick-shots. Originally, I wanted the girl to be the devil reincarnation. But during the process of my research and planning, I realised that this lacked in originality and I didn't think I would really scare the audience with this idea. Afterall, so many horror films have already featured this, such as "Ghost Ship" and "The Omen", and I wanted to create an original character on my own. Nevertheless, no matter what character I decided to base mine on, I did want my jump-scare at the end of the trailer to involve the girl crawling up the stairs, and to speed this up during editing.

'Spider-walk' scene from "The Exoricist":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-4f_NMUxcY

I had decided to name the girl 'Eve', linking to the story of Adam and Eve and different views on evil and disobediance. I also decided to use this name as the title of my film, as it is simple, and therefore perhaps more effective, and it would also be easy to remember. It was at this stage where I thought about changing the girl to being the reincarnation of Eve, instead of the Devil, and having been banished from the Garden of Eden she became more evil and maybe is now back for revenge? Through this idea, I followed the ideas of many horror films where they use religious imagery to create an eeire and frightening theme. There is something very chilling about the supernatural, as we are unaware of their power and what they can do, and I hadn't heard of a horror film with this similar storyline of Eve becoming evil so I was

pleased that I had developed this.

For my poster and magazine front cover, I applied a number of different effects and techniques that have been used when advertising a horror film. I went against the 'typical' format of a poster by designing mine on a horizontal layout, rather than a vertical one. I wanted the girl's face to take up half of the poster for a maximum impact, and could only do this effecitvely if my poster was horizontal. For both products, I stuck by the 'typical' colours of a horror poster and magazine colour by using dark, symbolic colours such as black, dark grey, and blood red. I also used yellow in my magazine front cover to make the product stand out and contrast with the black and red. I go into furthur detail of evaluating why I chose certain colours and effects i the next question and how these were effective for my target audience.

The Poster:

The Magazine Front Cover:

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary task?

I felt the combination of my trailer with my poster and magazine front cover worked well together. I prefer my poster to my magazine front cover, but both symbolise the themes of my trailer and 'tease' the audience in what the overall film could be about. How the girl stares menacingly into the camera in the poster really attracts the audience as they feel they are being personally victimised by the girl and directly aimed at to watch the film.

Altogether, the main product and the poster and magazine front cover; there are different parts shown of the film. The magazine front cover shows the girl's mixture of identities and how she is fighting to be noticed- hence the slogan, "Eve is back". The poster shows the part where the girl changes her identity and plots revenge against those who judge her, like a "Jekyll and Hyde" schizophrenic theme, whilst the trailer 'teases' the audience into who the girl is and what she has done. I felt it was effective how I showed different parts of the overall film as I wanted to evoke the audience's curiosity and not simply show them one certain 'tone' or theme of the film. I felt using variety was very important.

Above all, I knew the main way to find out whether my poster and magazine front cover were effective was to find out from my target audience. I used Facebook as a way of sending three students from my college the poster and magazine front cover, and using the Facebook Chat to find out what they thought of it and any feedback/criticism they might have had.

Rob Stebbings (aged 18):

I asked Rob who commented on my use of colour in the poster and magazine front colour. He liked the realism of my poster, and how I achieved this through my choice of font. When I asked if he had any criticism, he replied that "maybe if you zoomed into the character's eyes a bit more it would have created a scarier effect. But other than that it's cool!"

Mike Bailey (aged 18):

Mike was more detailed in his feedback than Rob. He commented

on my editing skills in my poster, mentioning that "the technique of image layering is also incorporated, which would normally be seen at a professional level of media advertising, rather than at educational level. The use of text at the bottom of the poster also adds to the authenticity of the overall product."

I had also shown another student at my college, Paige Lawn (aged 17) my poster and magazine front cover during my lesson of Media at college. I spoke to her later that night and asked if she had any feedback. She replied:

"The poster looked so real when you showed me at college! I think it was the only one that was done horizontally, whilst all the others were vertical? So it stood out, and I liked that. The dark colours of the poster told me that the film was a horror or a thriller, and I really liked how you used red for the title only so that it stood out. I thought your magazine front cover wasn't as good as your poster. The poster looked professional, but I didn't think that the magazine did. I did like it though, I just think it needed toning down abit with the colours. I liked how you advertised the other horror trailers from your class on the front page, and didn't talk about actual horror films."

I analysed the poster by writing in note-form of why I chose to edit my poster in this way (click to enlarge). It was only after analysing my film poster where I noticed I had made the mistake of placing the film's classification next to the name of my production company. I quickly changed this and placed it bottom right of my poster, as this is the 'traditional' placement for a British film poster.

My analysis of the Magazine Front Cover in note-form:

- I used the same idea as the 'Empire' magazine I analysed during my planning, with placing the title of my magazine behind the image of the girl. This gave my main character a sense of power, in how she stands in front of it and you can't fully see the magazine's name. The title of my magazine is actually called 'Satire', and looking at my finished product I think I would have made the 't' more obvious so it is easier to tell what the magazine is called. I decided to have my title in red to match my film's genre, and the colour of the title will change with every issue, depending on what type of film they are advertising. 'Satire' magazine does not just promote horror films.

- The main picture was simple to take and simple to edit. How I overlapped the seperate images creates a 'Jekyll and Hyde' theme and how the girl is battling with two identities. It also implies how what you see is never what you get, what goes on behind closed doors, and not everything is how it seems. How she raises her hand up is ambiguous as it suggests that she is either raising her hand up to protect herself or lashing out at a victim.

- She is wearing the same nightie as she wore in the trailer. The white symbolises a ghostly theme and maybe purity, when in reality the girl's personality is anything but pure. I blurred the image slightly to create a distorted tone and brought focus onto the girl's necklace. I wanted to use the same approach as I had to my poster- with the audience paying attention to detail and applying a few things to the girl that the audience may realise if they looked closer.

- I used the slogan "Eve is back" with emphasising the word "back" in a glowy tone to represent an eeire and supernatural theme. I felt the slogan was simple and to the point, and would attract the audience in how they would be drawn to the word "back" and they wouldn't have to spend a long time reading several sentences.

- I also put the word 'Exclusive' in capital letters to attract the audience's attention and by also adding an exclamation mark. This would persuade the audience into purchasing the magazine as they would wonder what is "exclusive" in the magazine. Instead of promoting actual horror films, I decided to advertise the horror films in my media class, including "The Opiate" and "Friction".

- I used the same three colours throughout so that the magazine didn't appear 'clumsy' or too over-done. These three colours were red, black, and yellow. I wanted to use the same colours of red and black, as I had used in the poster, with the yellow contrasting with these and again attracting the eye of the audience.

What have you learned from your audience feedback?

From my audience feedback, I learnt that it is the quality of the camera shots and editing that can make a horror trailer effective; rather than the actual storyline. I also learnt that certain images and what they can symbolise are equally as effective, as shown in the beginning of my trailer when the camera is slowly zooming into the girl. The majority of my viewers said that this was the most frightening part of the trailer, as it built suspense and they didn't know what to expect. Like most horror trailers, I created suspense and then made my audience jump by inserting several 'jump-scares' during this, and this was the easiest and most simple part of the trailer to film.

Some viewers criticised my trailer by pointing out that it didn't really "flow". Some advised that I needed to show more characters and to reveal perhaps more of the girl and what she does to her victims in order for it to be more effective. I agreed with them to a certain extent, and the point made about including more content on the girl and her victims was something I had struggled with during the whole of the filming and editing. However, I reminded myself that this was only a teaser trailer and therefore it should be no more than around a minute. I felt I had included all the vital content needed in a horror trailer, and I didn't want to give too much away. I felt I had created the right amount of mystery for my audience by showing them some content (through the 'photographs') and I wanted to leave them guessing on what the film is about. Afterall, this is the aim of a teaser trailer; it is meant to tease the audience and evoke their curiousity. Thankfully, most of my viewers favoured my technique, so I didn't change it by including more footage.

By uploading my trailer onto YouTube, I was able to receive a mixture of comments and feedback from other YouTube users by what they had posted. This was effective as I had made my trailer public and for anyone to see, so I was inviting different members of age groups, genders, and nationalities to view it and give their feedback:

YouTube also enabled me to upload videos of audience feedback. There was one video which wouldn't upload via blogger, so I had to upload it through YouTube and here is what Isabel Higuero (aged 17) had to say after viewing my trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oHlxkO5BGg

How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning, and evaluation stages?

For the filming of my trailer, I used a 20 X Optical Zoom Sony Digital camera which I found easy to hold as it was light and provided me with a hand-strap. For the majority of my filming, I wanted to create an edgy 'hand-held' effect as this would reflect the character's disorientated lives. Nevertheless, I still carried Tripod with me during the filming in case there were any shots that needed still and steady filming. Interestingly enough, the times I did need a Tripod were for when I wanted to film the 'photographs' of the trailer- pointing the camera downwards to zoom into Mikki when she was crouched in the shower, and also for some parts of the corridor scene. I was thankful that my trailer didn't require a Tripod for most of the trailer as this enabled my actors and I to move on quickly to the next scenes without having to spend time setting up the equipment.

20 x Optical Zoom Sony Digital Video Camera:

Tripod:

For the editing of my trailer, I used Final Cut Pro which helped create most of the effects I wanted for my trailer. Once I had uploaded my scenes and started putting them together, I experimented with different effects and video transitions, ones that I had not come across before. The one effect I used the most in my trailer was the "Bad T.V" effect which I applied to the beginning of the scene where the camera is slowly zooming in as well as the captions. This effect added to my trailer's tone of 'bad connection' (as implied in the beginning with the radio tuning), and the unnerving presence of ghosts. I felt the effects I used on Final Cut Pro were professional, and the video transitions I used (such as 'fade in fade out dissolve', 'dip to colour dissolve') helped put my scenes together and made my trailer much more effective and when I had first uploaded the content.

I used my own camera, a 10 megapixel Canon digital, to take the pictures of the locations and to also film my audience's feedback and answers. I know my camera captures and shoots in a high quality, and I wanted to have my pictures and videos in the best definition I could use. I did have access to the college's camera, but the quality wasn't as good as mine and I would have had limited time on it as there were other pupils who needed to use the camera as well. Using my own camera enabled me to upload my pictures and videos from home, and spend time over altering the sizes and editing the quality. I also decided to show my storyboards and drafts of my poster and magazine front cover by taking pictures on them with the camera and posting them on blogger. I felt this would test my camera's quality and was a faster way of putting the pictures on blogger, rather than having to rely on the college's scanner as I do not have one at home.

10 Megapixel Canon Digital Camera:

To access blogger, and to upload my trailer and research into my target audience, I used an Apple Mac computer which I was able to go on only at college. At home, I used my own laptop to type up my research and planning, and both the Mac and my laptop provided me with sufficient internet so I was able to work fluently without many internet connection problems. I did come across a few problems with the blogger website itself, as it wouldn't allow me to upload two videos of a draft scene and an audience feedback. With the other videos, I was able to convert them into a Quicktime movie and upload them straight onto the site, but for some reason I do not know, this wouldn't work with these two particular videos. I was able to solve this problem by uploading them via YouTube and posting the video link onto the page.

Apple Mac:

Planning

Actors

Taking Drama as one of my A-Levels benefited in the planning of my trailer as I organised who was to star in it. Taking into consideration the fact that the girl needed long hair (referring back to "The Ring" inspiration) and that she needed to be fairly small (wanting her to be a child of 7-10 years old); I asked a girl in my year named Mikki- Louise Wolf if she wanted to play the part of the possessed girl. I have worked with Mikki on numerous occassions during my AS and A2 Drama classes, and she excelled brilliantly in her part as a scitzophrenic girl in our recent Drama exam (January 2010) so I knew that she would be ideal for the part as she could play this role very well.

However, I didn't want to immediatly choose one girl and not give other possibilites a chance. From my drama class, I also asked Louise Taylor as she is a petite 5 foot and also good at acting. I also asked Chloe Giddins and Jessica Pointing, who are both fairly small with long hair, and then organised auditions in the Drama room and got the girls to perform some of the actions the girl would do in the trailer. Some of which included turning their heads slowly and glaring at the camera from beneath their hair, crawling menacingly up the stairs, and stumbling across a corridor.

I organised the auditions with Nicola Muntz who also takes both Drama and Media, and afterwards we discussed who was ideal for the part. We agreed that Mikki played the role perfectly, and as I had preferred Mikki to play the part from the beginning; we gave her the role. However, I liked how Chloe came across as uneasy and almost slightly insane in her acting, and thought about how I could apply this to the role of the girl's mother. She too comes across as desperate and nervous when she is being interogatted by the police officer, so I decided to give the role of the mother to Chloe.

Deciding the role of the police officer was difficult as the people I auditioned for the part didn’t come across as intimidating and dominant as I wanted them to be. Nicola watched as I tried to show them how I wanted them to act, and afterwards she suggested that I play the part of the police officer. I thought about it but then struggled with deciding who should film the scene. I asked Oliver Robin, a pupil in my media class who’s skilled in filming, whether he could quickly film the scene whilst I starred in it, and thankfully he agreed to do so.

Locations

During the planning of my trailer, I had wanted all along to shoot it in the college. Although I had access to film in my home, the college provided more locations and rooms that appeared more eerie and frightening. I kept in mind that the girl is locked up and is forced to spend most of her time in a cold and bleak room or basement, and so I didn’t want to film it in a “homey” location. Organising the different locations also helped me develop the storyline of the trailer and what I wanted to show to the audience.


Drama Room
The drama room was perfect for filming the beginning of the trailer. I wanted to slowly zoom into the girl at the beginning to create tension, and the drama room provided dark and eerie lighting which contributed to the creepy effect I wanted. It also lead me to decide to use the drama room for the interrogation scene between the girl’s mother and the police officer/social worker, as some of the dreary lights created an intimidating “spotlight” effect.

Corridor
I wanted to show the girl being dragged/struggling with her mother, and experimented with different locations for this scene. I did originally want to use the stairs, and have the girl being dragged by her hair as the mother runs down them. But during my first ‘draft-film’, I found it difficult to film and the overall image looked clumsy. I also wanted to keep the camera still to focus purely on this scene, so I decided to place the camera at the end of the corridor, and have the girl and her mother slamming through the corridor doors and being dragged across this way. The length of the corridor made the overall image look daunting, as used in the iconic horror film, “The Shining”.





Shower Room, Drama Stage, College Roof , and Stairs
These three locations provided the series of quick shots I used in the trailer. I did want the camera to quickly zoom into the girl as one of the quick shots and thus it wouldn’t matter where we shot this as it’d only last no more than a couple of seconds. However, I experimented with placing Mikki in the shower, hunched in a corner, and I felt the white background of the shower created a ghostly effect so I used this. It also helped me create a few more quick shots at the time, such as whipping the shower curtain open to reveal a dead girl on the floor, through a point-of-view shot.

I wanted to use a trapdoor on the drama stage as a “basement” and also experimented with how to use this during filming. Originally, I wanted to place Mikki inside the “basement”, but this would only be a still-shot and as I had already used this in the shower scene, I decided to still place Mikki in the “basement” but to film her slamming her hand out of it, filming from a distance. The college roof was used for the camera to pan the girl as she looks out into the distance, with her back to the camera. I could have used any location for this, as it was outside, but from a height the camera is able to show more of a foggy view out into the distance. The height also signifies Mikki as powerful, and creating a mysterious image as she looks forward- is she plotting something? Is she searching for someone?

I decided to use the stairs from the D.T/Photography Block where I knew the stairs were old and stone, and using inspiration from "The Exorcist" I decided to feature the girl crawling up the stairs, perhaps at the very end of the trailer. This would give the impression that the girl was coming after the viewer, and the bleak appearance of the stairs fitted in with the daunting and bleak atmosphere.

Costumes & Props

I wanted to keep the costumes and props fairly simple for the shooting of my trailer. I had learnt from my Drama Exam that trying to remember a great deal of props can affect filming and acting, and sometimes it can make the overall image look clumsy. For me, the top priority of my trailer was making sure the acting and filming was accurate, but I knew that some props were needed to contribute in making my trailer as effective as possible. For Mikki, I decided to dress her in a white dress/nightie which could symbolise either purity or ghosts. The overall image would also relate to the girl in “The Ring” where she wears a similar costume.





For the costumes during the interrogation scene, I wore a smart, dark coat to signify my sincere and intimidating character, whilst Chloe wore her hair down to imply a loss of control; wearing a fleece of the colour yellow to symbolise a lack of courage. For the props, I decided to use what we found in the locations. The Drama room provided me with a table and chairs needed for the interrogation scene, whilst giving me the right lighting so a spotlight wasn't needed. In the beginning of the trailer, when the camera slowly zooms into Mikki, we struggled with what to use in order to keep the filming as steady as possible. I experimented with keeping the camera still whilst using its zoom button, but this didn't give me the slightly 'distorted' effect that I wanted. Instead, I used a swivel chair and asked Oliver to slowly push me forward whilst I filmed. The creaking of the wheels also added to the creepy atmosphere, but during editing I decided not to use this but to use a voice-over or a piece of music instead.

Organisation of Locations and Actors

During the process of gathering my actors and deciding which locations to film in, I had to look into when my actors would be free and when the locations would be accessbile. This was the disadvantage of filming during college times, I was restricted in my time-keeping as the locations were sometimes needed for lessons and my actors had different timetables from me. This caused me to work and film swiftly with no time-wasting, so perhaps this benefited me in how I was less likely to be distracted, as I would be if I filmed at home.

I created a timetable for when my actors and locations would be free, and worked around this. It was helpful as I set specific times and dates for when I wanted to film the draft scenes for my trailer, the full trailer, and also for taking photographs for the magazine front cover and poster.

Storyboard, Shot-list, and Working Script

Storyboard:

Shot-list:

Working Script:

Before filming, I did make some changes to the storyboard that I felt were needed in the trailer. I wrote these in red, some of which included the voice-over the of the radio conversation at the beginning, the change of the ending with the girl crawling up the stairs, and using sub-titles after she turns her head: "she knows who you are" and "and she will come for you". I also made some changes during editing, such as changing the speed of some movement, altering the brightness and contrast, and over-lapping some scenes together. I also added in the "Bad T.V" effect which caused some parts of the trailer to flicker or jump, as if there was bad signal, again adding to the effect I wanted. I did this to make my trailer seem more professional and 'flow' more, rather than placing seperate scenes next to eachother. Looking at the finished product, I felt my trailer was much more effective with the changes made and my classmates agreed that the effects made a huge impact.
Draft Scenes
Before filming my trailer, I decided to film several draft scenes to see how they would look. I tested the beginning scene where the camera slowly zooms into the girl and the corridor scene. These two scenes required the most amount of re-takes as I felt they were vital in the trailer and they needed to be perfect. It also gave me the chance to change my mind and see if I preferred certain ways of Mikki being dragged across the corridor or a different expression on her face when she turns to look at the camera.
Draft Beginning Scene

Draft Corridor Scene

Poster and Magazine Front Cover Drafts

The following images helped me produce my poster:

Throughout the process of my research and planning, I had based my ideas on the imagery and themes used from "The Ring". The first picture of the girl in the white dress almost sent chills down my spine when I first saw it, and I felt the simple picture of her glaring from beneath her hair was much more effective than having lots of different images and actions for the poster. I felt if I would feature Mikki pulling the same pose as she does in the opening of the trailer, with her hair in her face and her head bent, but instead of using a white background I would choose dark (the same lighting as in the drama room). I would place her at the left hand side of the poster, and in the background I would use a similar image from "The Exorcist" poster. I would have a figure, in shadowy black so you can't see their appearnace, staring onto the girl from behind her. This could be the social worker or police officer, but I wouldn't have them holding a suitcase. I feel the shadowy effect of the figure in the distance will add the mystery to the poster as the audience wonders who they are- a victim? A villain? The girl's parent?

As I am using the idea of this being the devil reincarnation, or the reincarnation of Eve, I originally came up with the slogan "be careful what you sin for" (this being a play on words of "be careful what you wish for"). This was to link with punishment and disobediance, and also revenge. The girl's parents can be seen as "evil" for locking the girl in the basement, or abusing her as a way of restraining her, and thus they are seen as "sinning". They are then in risk of becoming part of their daughter's revenge. However, after thinking about it I found the line to be quite cheesy. Instead, I decided to use the line "she knows who you are..." and on a seperate line, "... and she will come for you." I felt that using a line such as this would be directly aimed at the viewer, with the use of the word "you", and this would appeal to them into watching the full film if they felt personally targeted.

Poster Drafts

Originally, I wanted to use a similar image from "The Ring" where the girl is sitting down in a corner against a dark and blurry background. However, once taking this picture and uploading it, I realised that it didn't really target the audience. I decided to still use the image of Mikki sitting on the chair with her hair in her face, but to use this as a faded image for the background within the main picture of the girl's face. I decided to use the same stratagy as I had for the magazine front cover, and take a close-up of Mikki as she stares menacingly into the camera, and perhaps have the image only showing half of her face. I drew another draft of my poster and preferred what I had come up with.

First Poster Draft:

Second Poster Draft:

For the magazine front cover, I used inspiration from my friend who takes photography, and I felt the following picture she did for her AS Coursework was appropriate for the message I wanted to bring out in my magazine front cover:

The picture signify's a mixture of identities, as the girl is constantly being judged- is she evil, or should she be entitled to revenge? Is she a victim? I also felt the picture gave a "Jekyll and Hyde" image of how the character is fighting with their different personalities, and I felt it would be effective for a magazine front cover as the different faces and expressions of the girl would attract the public, and it is also quite an unusual image to

have on the front cover of a magazine.

Magazine Front Cover Draft:



Creating drafts of my poster and magazine front cover enabled me to change some ideas and explore in different advertising techniques. I decided to use 'Empire' as the magazine to advertise my film, as it is "the biggest selling film magazine in Britain", and attracts my target audience of 15-24 through its pop culture: "Empire is populist in both approach and coverage unlike less irreverent and more 'serious' magazines such as Slight and Sound." As well as reviewing both mainstream and arthouse films, 'Empire' also features a regular 'Top 10' in which the magazine lists its choice of "the top ten examples of something film-related." Readers are invited to voice their opinion if they disagree with the choices made, proving that 'Empire' is a magazine which takes its audiences' opinions seriously and into consideration.



This front cover of this 2008 issue of 'Empire' magazine, despite being a Turkish issue, still shows a extreme close-up shot of the actress, and although there is no action in the image, it is effective because she seems to communicate with the buyer as she stares closely at them. There is no clue as to what type of character she is, her facial expression doesn't imply that she is a villian or a heroine, and the mystery in this, as well as the intimacy of the picture, will attract the buyer.

In the following issue of 'Empire' magazine, the main character stares menacingly into the buyer's eyes. There seems to be a connection between them and the buyer, rather than a distance. I liked how both the character and the buyer are represented as on the same 'level' almost, and decided that I too wanted my character staring into the buyer's eyes on the front cover. Because I will have 2 or 3 faded images of the character's face around or on top of this (as shown in the example image furthur above), I decided that it will be the middle image of the character's face, the image with the most focus, that will be staring menacingly into the camera and appear the most intimidating. I decided to annotate the front cover as a way of gathering more ideas and tips.



Audience Feedback

After showing my trailer to some members of my target audience, I decided to film them and their feedback. I asked for any comments or constructive criticism on my trailer that they may have had, and was pleased with what they had to say as their feedback was often positive. Some of the comments they made on my trailer were expected, after having done research into my target audience and knowing what they would want to see. I also found that particular members of my target audience with different interests and view-points made different comments on certain parts of my trailer. For example, the following video shows me asking the girl what she thought of the trailer, and as she does A2 Music, she focused mainly on my trailer's use of volume and soundtrack.

I also asked two male members of my target audience and asked what they thought of my trailer. I was pleased as they commented on what I hoped to achieve in my filming and editing, such as creating the suspense and mystery and making the audience hooked onto what they were seeing and wanting to find out what's about to happen next.

Research

Textual Research

Horror Trailer Analysis'

For my textual research, I explored in the forms and conventions of a horror trailer by analysising three horror trailers I viewed on YouTube. As I began my research, I made the decision to research into the different sub-genre's of horror, such as supernatural, psychological, and naturalistic; as I felt it would give me the different perspectives of horror and I didn't want to research into just one particular theme. I was also interested in researching in the difference between the quality and effect of modern horror trailers compared with horror trailers made in the 70's/80's, and decided to use one of my three trailers to be one from 20 years ago. As part of my research, I explored in the different techniques of an 80's horror trailer in how they connect with the audience, their choice of diagetic and non-diagetic sound, and their use of shots and camera angles. From this, I wanted to see if they would be as effective in horror trailers today, and how this would determine me using similar techniques in my own horror trailer.

As occultism, the world of black magic and supernatural beliefs, became a popular theme in horror films of the 1970's; I decided to combine my research in supernatural horror trailers with my interest in trailers from around this era. I found that several iconic supernatural horror films whose ideaology and storylines are still known today did come from 2 or 3 decades ago, such as 'The Exorcist (1973), 'The Omen' (1976), and 'The Hills Have Eyes' (1977). Having watched and thoroughly enjoyed the film, I chose Wes Craven's 'A Nightmare On Elm Street' (1984) as my first trailer to analyse, moving onto Alejandro Amenabar's 'The Others' (2001) and Sam Raimi's 'Drag Me To Hell' (2009).

'A Nightmare On Elm Street'- Supernatural Horror Trailer

The audience is told the title of the film halfway through the trailer, and again at the end. The use of this gives the viewers a clearer idea of what the trailer is about- obviously the term 'nightmare' suggests themes of horror and supernaturalism, whilst 'Elm Street' tells the audience that the film is set in a regular location with 'normal' characters who are unaware of what they about to endure. The audience are not told who is starring in the film, but at the end they are told of the producer (Robert Shaye) and the director (Wes Craven). The voice-over tells the audience that Craven was the same director of 'The Hills Have Eyes' and 'The Last House On The Left', two gruesome horror films of the 1970's who received mixed reactions from audiences. As these two films featured extreme scenes of blood and gore, the audience can expect that 'Nightmare on Elm Street' will probably be no different, as the director appears to prefer this type of horror.

The action we are shown in the trailer is mainly of how the villain’s victims are affected, and how he harms them as they desperately try to escape. Unlike modern horror trailers, this trailer from 1984 goes straight into its plot without creating tension or any build-up. The effect of this could be to reel the audience straight away into the trailer, and keep them hooked throughout. What the audience is shown is a series of quick shots of a girl being thrown across a room covered in blood, a man being accused of murdering this girl, and the different characters trying to work out the reason for all these mysterious killings. We are also shown the trauma of the other characters as it becomes clear that the villain, Freddy Krueger, haunts them in real life.

The music used for the trailer straight away sets its theme of horror or mystery. In the beginning, the eerie combination of a piano and a choir play before an electronic piece of music, a typical sound to resemble the 80's, begins to play when one of the characters mentions: "you just see... cuts happen". From this point, the music speeds up to create tension as the plot begins to unfold. It may seem that the electronic music used for the trailer is a slightly odd if it is supposed to signify horror and gore, but the cold, tense effect of the music resemble Freddy Krueger's iconic 'tool' that he uses to murder his victims: several knifes attached to a glove.

The trailer does come with a voice-over, who speaks in a menacing, villainous tone to create extra effect to the piece. Such voice-overs would probably be mocked in modern day, as now audiences are used to more realistic types of horror that they can relate to. But this old-style approach of using a 'melodramatic' voice-over builds up the tension for the audience. It also confirms for them the trailer's main theme, as trailers from the 80's did not use as much affects and cut-shots and different voice-overs as we do in modern day. The affects we can use in a trailer today help the audience realise what the film is about, whereas straight away in the beginning of this trailer, for instance, the voice-over had to immediatly begin with "the kids of Elm Street don't know it yet, but something is coming... to get them."

The speed of the trailer does not change, as no quick shots or fast-motion effects are used. Throughout the whole trailer, the shots all play near enough at the same pace; but through the speeding up of the music, it may seem that the trailer does become faster halfway through. At the end when the voice-over says the title, the music reaches its climax and stops, so that the audience can hear the title clearly and it will stay in their mind for when they next go to the cinema or want to purchase a DVD/Video.

The information we are given on the film is how several friends are haunted by the evil Freddy Kruegar who comes to them when they are asleep and they are powerless to defend themselves. They don't see him during day, only when they are asleep and he is in their mind. He still has the power to kill them and they can still feel pain, and the episodes they endure with him truely are nightmares as noone else can see them- making it harder for other characters to believe it and to start choosing innocent people as the culprits of the murders.

Despite being a trailer which anyone can see, the trailer does feature some scenes where the characters are about to be attacked, even at one point showing a girl soaked in blood as she is thrown about her bedroom. Because of this disturbing content, the trailer is not suitable for young children, but may appeal to some viewers who enjoy a horror film with a traditional storyline; the villian going after a group of vulnerable teenagers. Thus, the trailer is also aimed at teenagers as they can relate with the characters and their lives- making it more realistic for them and therefore creating a bigger impact for when they would watch the film.

Link to trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Adgp0v_mfTk

What was this trailer's input on my planning for my trailer?

I felt the trailer held onto a sense of mystery by not revealing its actors, it made the storyline seem less like a fictional film and therefore perhaps more effective for its viewers. However, I didn't like how the trailer went straight into its story without creating a build-up; I want to create a brief introduction to my trailer before going into some parts of the plot, as I want to create suspense and tension for my audience. The melodramatic, villainous tone of the voice-over/narrator is a typical asset to a 70's/80's horror trailer, and I would prefer using voice-overs from either the characters or none at all. Although at this stage my storyline for my trailer might not be particulary realistic or relevent to a viewer's lifestyle or experience, I still want to capture a sense of realism so that they will be affected and not feel like they are watching something completeley fictional.

'The Others'- Phycological Horror Trailer

The audience is shown the title of the film at the end of the trailer, but uses its name at the beginning from one of the characters: "the others said they wouldn't leave us... but they did." Showing the title at the end fits in with the trailer's strong themes of mystery and suspense, and keeps the audience on edge for what the film is called. Surprisingly, the trailer doesn't say who is starring in the film, although the audience may recognise the central character, Nicole Kidman, who had past success in Bazz Luhrmann's 'Moulin Rouge!' and Stanley Kubrick's 'Eyes Wide Shut' before 'The Others'.

The audience is shown a great deal of action mainly towards the end of the trailer, using a combination of fast-motion shots and cut shots to create a rushed, frantic tone of the characters appearing to be haunted by ghosts. Some of these clips include Nicole Kidman running up the stairs, screaming through the banisters, the little girl showing her mother pictures she drew of the ghosts, the maid telling the children that she sees the ghosts too. The music used in the beginning of the trailer is quite simple and eerie, with no powerful instruments used. This carries on throughout the whole sequence, interrupted by several bounds of a drum any time the trailer shows a shot that makes the audience jump. Because it is simple, the music doesn't really create a large impact on the trailer, but instead relates with the ghostly theme as the feel of the music is quite haunting and subtle.The trailer does not come with a voice-over, and instead tells the story through the different shots of the characters and what they say and do.

Towards the end of the trailer, several of the shots are played in fast movement, such as the shot of a nursery, which symbolises the fear of the characters and how their lives have become distorted since the ghosts have haunted their lives. Until the end, however, the general speed of the trailer is quite paced, with the effect of fading between each shot to signify the movement and presence of the ghosts.The information we are given about the film starts with Kidman introducing three housekeepers to her house- and at the same time, introducing the audience to their home life and background. The audience learns how the previous housekeepers "vanished... into thin air" and Kidman informs them not to listen to what her children might tell them, "my children sometimes have strange ideas, but you mustn’t pay any attention. Children will be children."

The story begins to unfold with the children seeing and sensing mysterious things, such as a touch on the shoulder, or the curtains suddenly opening. When they confide in their nanny, she tells them that she sees the ghosts too and so will their mother soon. As Kidman rejects her children's stories, she starts to experience similar episodes: the chandelier rattling, walking into a room and frantically pulling off sheets of furniture as she might have 'seen' something, walking through a misty field with her voice-over: "there were voices, a boy and two women, and they were talking together."The trailer moves on to the family becoming more involved with the ghosts, and trying to find a way of escaping them. One of the ghosts, an elderly woman, is even briefly revealed, and the trailer ends with the title 'The Others' crackling onto the screen with the voice-over the old maid: "sooner or later, they will find you", before ending with Kidman moving towards what appears to be her daughter playing with a toy covered in a large sheet. The audience can make out it is actually an elderly woman underneath the sheet, and when Kidman demands to know where her daughter is, the woman replies in her daughters voice: "are you mad? I am your daughter!"

The trailer could be aimed at a wide range of audiences as it does not feature any gory or indecent scenes. There is a great use of suspense and making the audience jump, but the fear does come from the viewer's own imagination and interpretation of what the ghosts are going to do to the family. Also, the trailer doesn't reveal what's about to happen, and nor does it show them being physically harmed by them, so the trailer may appeal to viewers who enjoy a physiological horror where the storyline is more realistic and believable for them.

Link to trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu494-Dr5po

What was this trailer's input on my planning for my trailer?

I admired how the trailer began with several significant scenes to introduce the audience into the film, using the effect of fading to connect each shot/short scene together. I felt this technique gave the start of the trailer a solomne and eeire tone, which reflected its ghostly theme. I also felt the trailer's method of using a number of different quick shots towards the end was effective as it indicated the fear of the characters, as well as creating tension for the audience, and I decided to incoprate this technique of using a sped-up number of quick shots at the end of my trailer which would contrast with the slow, relaxed pace at the beginning.


'Drag Me To Hell'- Naturalistic Horror Trailer

The audience is told the name of the film at the end of the trailer, creating more suspense since the viewers are left on edge till the very end to find out what this film is called. Throughout the trailer, graphic shots and quick-paced editing indicate what the film will involve; but it is the title at the end, “Drag Me To Hell” which confirms it’s haunting theme. The trailer also only reveals the director of the film, Sam Raimi, since he has had past success with 'Spider-Man' and 'The Grudge' and this would appeal the audience into thinking that 'Drag Me To Hell' would be equally as popular. The trailer does not however show the names of the main actors (Alison Lohman, Justin Long) until for a split second at the very end, since neither are that recognisable in the film industry; despite Long playing the lead part in Victor Salva’s Horror “Jeepers Creepers”.

The trailer begins with a combination of fade shots and paced editing, suggesting safe themes of mystery or romance for the film. Once the film's storyline begins to unfold, tension mounts up- the music becomes bolder, the editing becomes faster and more rapid, and the most amount of action is shown. The trailer shows little snippets lasting no more than a couple of seconds, and this is what reels in the audience since they want to see more. Footage of séances, the curses taken over the main character, and effects of the curse on other characters are shown; and the very last scene shows the main character being dragged down by what appears to be fire or daemons; common images used for 'Hell' which relates back to the film's title.

The non-diegetic sound of the piano in the beginning of the trailer is like the build-up to what the audience is about to see. It creates tension and doesn't really create a particular theme. When the main character comes face to face with the woman who puts the curse on her, the music becomes a little bolder to signify danger, and as the story unfolds, gasping, husky sounds are used rather than music to bring an eeire and supernatural feel. Once the curse takes its toll on the woman, bold music of drums, trumpets, and a chorus are used to signify the power and dominance of the curse taking over the woman.

Several voice overs of the woman are used, with quotes such as "they're coming for me" and "how do I get rid of this?". The effect of the voice-overs whilst showing different parts of the film give the audience a chance to see as much of the film's content as possible, whilst creating a distorted and more paced effect. As the music becomes faster, the use of the quick-shots towards the end also become more rapid to build tension for the viewers, contrasting with the beginning where the pace of the trailer was slow and relaxed; probably to reel the audience into a false sense of security.

The information we are given on the film starts with the main character eager to be promoted to being assistant manager at her work. Her manager informs her that the position will require making tough decisions, and she is given the chance to prove she can do this when she is approached by an elderly woman who wants an extension on her mortgage payment. When the main character refuses, the elderly woman begins to beg and plead, and is humiliated by the main character when she pushes her away. The elderly woman seeks revenge on the main character, and puts a curse on her, the "larmia, the most feared of all daemons". This part of the trailer is shown through a series of cut shots and voice-overs, showing significant parts of the beginning of the film to show how the main character was given the curse.



Once the main character is attacked by the elderly woman as she leaves for work, the audience begins to learn what curse the main character has and how it is affecting her. Several of the shots shown play in fast-motion to signify fear and the speed of the curse. Yet the audience is not shown the main character being harmed by the different daemons, simply 'followed', and tormented. She then asks how to get rid of the curse, and is told that she can give it away. From this point, the music becomes more dramatic and bolder to signify the climax of the trailer as the audience is now shown the effects of the curse on the woman through a combination of quick-shots: she is thrown up in the air to the ceiling, gasping for air as she nearly drowns in a pool of mud, thrown across a kitchen, and finally being over-powered by daemons which clasp at her and try to bring her down.

As the trailer features main themes of hell and curses, the trailer could appeal to audiences who are interested in the supernatural and who believe that curses such as these are real. The trailer could also appeal to those who are generally interested in ghosts and phantoms, as at one point the trailer shows a shot of a séance, and parts of the trailer do show the woman trying to over-come her curse by trying to connect with another 'parallel world'. The trailer is not aimed at young audiences as it does feature some content that may frighten them, as well as scenes that they may not understand- even at the beginning with the scene of mortgage payments and what the main character's profession involves. The overall theme of the trailer would also not appeal to audiences who do not believe in Christianity- atheists, for instance, who do not believe that Heaven and Hell are real and would not believe in such curses and daemons.

Link to trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUZTybLlWKI

What was this trailer's input on the planning of my trailer?

At some point in my trailer, I want to signify the tension and increasing fear of the characters, and like in 'Drag Me To Hell' I want to do this through playing some of the shots in fast-motion. I also liked how this trailer altered its tone and pitch in music once different sides of the film's plot were revealed in the trailer, and decided to use this technique once my trailer would reach a climax or important part. The trailer's use of dreary, bleak colours signified its dark theme, and having moved towards the idea of producing a trailer with a ghostly, supernatural theme; I decided to edit grey, dark colours into my trailer once filmed.

Audience Research

Pearl & Dean Target Audiences
As I began my audience research, I first researched into the Peal & Dean cinema advertising website where I explored in what audiences I should be targeting with my horror trailer, dividing them by age and gender. Looking into the horror films yet to be released, I chose the 2010 remake of 'A Nightmare On Elm Street', and found that the film would most appeal to ages 15-24 (71%) and males (57%):



Likewise with 'Cabin In The Woods', to be released in January 2011, which appealed to audiences aged 15-24 (65%) and males (61%):



Having found that my main target audience for my horror trailer would be ages between 15-24, I decided to feature characters of this age in my trailer with a storyline that a young audience could relate to. I began to plan how I could use young characters of around my own age to star in the trailer; a group of college friends left alone in a cursed/haunted house? A lonely bullied girl in school set out for a deadly revenge against her classmates?

However, when I mentioned some of my intial ideas to my peers, they told me that the ideas I had sounded too "ordinary". I knew it was important to listen to them as they were the age group my trailer was aimed at, and I learnt from their responses that my trailer didn't have to completely fit with teenage lifestyles and problems. Having decided from my trailer analysis' that I wanted my horror trailer to be based around an eeire, supernatural theme; I looked into some of my own favourite horror films of this genre and decided to use some ideology from Gore Verbinski's 'The Ring' (2002).

I liked the idea of using a posessed girl, with a bleak and dark childhood, living with her strange parents who seemingly 'abuse' and 'neglect' her. I developed this storyline by using a police officer to investigate into how and why the girl was being treated the way she was: locked in the basement, tied up at night, forced to perform disturbing religious rituals. I wanted to create a feel of 'what goes on behind closed doors' and how not everything is how it seems; the girl could be the devil reincarnation, or a fallen angel, and though it seems as if she is the victim it is actually her parents who are over-powered by her.

Questionairres
With my storyline already briefly set out, it was time to be given feedback on how to film my trailer and what I should and shouldn't include. I constructed a questionairre which I handed out to 15 students at my college and 5 20+ friends outside of my college, having set my target audience of ages 15-24. Although from my research on the Pearl & Dean website I learnt that males are more likely to watch a horror film than females, I divided my questionairre's equally because I wanted balanced opinions. I also included my idea from the beginning of finding out what type of horror genre people are most likely to see, and used it in the first question.

1. Out of these horror films, which is the one you would most prefer to see?

(Friday The 13th, The Sixth Sense, Dracula)

From the results, I found that my target audience preferred a pyscological horror (The Sixth Sense) which received 50%, with a naturalistic horror, one which features ordinary characters whose lives have changed due to a curse or evil presence (Friday The 13th), followed second with 35%. As they were the most popular, I decided to incorporate these themes of psycological and naturalistic horror into my own trailer.

2. Where do you hear about recent films that have been released?

(Cinema, Posters, Newspapers/Magazines, Radio, Friends/Family, Other)

From the results, I found that my target audience are most likely to hear about a new film through the trailers shown at the cinema (60%). Thus, it is important that my trailer instantly grabs the attention of the viewers, as is my second promotion statagy of advertising the trailer through the front page of a magazine (25%) and a poster (15%).

3. Do you think music is needed in a trailer in order to make it effective?

(Yes/No)

The results clearly show that my target audience feel that music is essential in a trailer (85%). I struggled with this as I knew I couldn't use a sample of music that had a copyright, so I decided to feature only a small piece of music halfway through my trailer, and discussed with a friend who does music and see if she could help by recording a piece of music that fitted with the theme of my trailer.

4. Where do you think is an ideal location to shoot a horror trailer?

(Graveyard/Park/Abandoned House/School)

From the results I found that my target audience felt an abandoned house was the ideal location for a horror trailer (65%), and I decided that this location was also ideal for me to film. However, after planning how I could film the horror trailer in my house, I found that my house didn't provide the eeire atmosphere needed in a horror trailer; nor does it have any "scary" rooms or lighting. Although the graveyard location followed with 15%, I felt that this was too predictable and I knew I couldn't just film my whole trailer in a graveyard. So, I decided to use the third option my audience chosen, this being in a school which scored 10%, as I knew my college would provide me with dozens of dark rooms, eeire corridors, and useful lighting.

5. Would you be persuaded to see a horror film if its trailer showed a great deal of the content?

(Yes/No)

I learnt from these results that my audience prefers a horror trailer that doesn't give away the full plot of its film (60%). Only scoring slightly more than those who decided they wanted a horror trailer to show most of the film's content, however (40%), so I decided to feature a particular scene showing what the story could be about, and using different quick shots and voice-overs to give a jolted feel and to leave the audience guessing.

6. Do you think horror trailers should completely frighten its audiences?

(Yes/No)

From the results, I found only slightly of the majority of my target audience preffered a horror trailer that would completely scare them (55%). As 45% preferred a horror trailer that didn't, I decided to make my horror trailer only slightly eeire, with some 'jump-scares' that would scare them as well as leaving them in suspense and wondering what the overall film is about.

7. Would you be more affected by a horror film and its trailer if the storyline was realistic?

(Yes/No)

Again, I found that only slightly of the majority of my target audience preffered if a horror film and its trailer had a realistic storyline (60%). I decided to set my trailer in a 'normal' house, relating back to my target audience's most preferred location, and I would feature 'normal' characters seemingly living a 'normal' life- and what goes on behind closed doors is anything but normall.

8. What colours do you think should be used in a horror trailer?

(Bright/Black & White/Sepia/Washed Out/Other)

Out of the options, only Black & White and Washed Out were chosen. Washed Out scored 75% of the votes, and I was pleased as I had previously decided to use this effect in my trailer. As Black & White scored 25%, I decided to feature only small parts of my trailer that could be in this effect, such as photographs or flashbacks.

9. How long do you think a horror trailer should be so that it appeals to its viewers?

(0:30-1:30 min/1:30-2:30 min/2:30-3:30 min/3:30-4:30min/More)

From the results, I found that my target audience preferred if a horror trailer ran for 0:30-1:30 min (60%). 1:30-2:30 min followed at 30%, with 2:30-3:30 min at 10%. I decided to run my trailer for no longer than 1 minute 30 seconds, as I felt this would give me enough time to show the audience some of the plot and to also leave them curious into watching the overall film.

MSN Messenger Question & Answer
Although the questionairres gave me the data I needed to make a trailer that would appeal to my target audience, it didn't provide geniune or detailed answers of what a viewer would want to see. I decided to use MSN Messanger where I asked several of my contacts a question based on a horror trailer or film, and noted down their comments, critiscms, or suggestions. Out of those I asked, there were two contacts whose answers made the biggest effect on the planning for my trailer:



With Lucy (aged 17), I asked whether she prefered naturalistic or supernatural horror films. She replied: "I personally prefer films that have a slightly unrealistic storyline-but can apply to "ordinary" people like me and you. so a bit of both really, it always makes me more interested to watch a horror film when I know it can happen to me. It makes it more enjoyable, and scary!"

I learnt from Lucy's answer that a mixture of realism and fantasy is the perfect combination to attract an audience. I used this in the planning of my story, where I would set the family of a possessed girl in a perfectly ordinary town, with both parents living 'ordinary' lives with 'ordinary' jobs. The girl could appear strange in public, but people may just judge her as an eccentric girl who is going through a phase.

With Nathan (aged 21), I asked him what has been the best horror trailer he has ever seen. He replied: "I really liked the trailer for that new zombie film, the crazies... I get the idea that zombies start to take over the country, the trailer showed people having to evacuate and being attacked etc. What I liked was how the trailer didn't reveal why the zombies were taking over, it gave it some mystery and left the audience to decide for themselves- was it a disease? An illusion? End of the world? It made me want to watch the film by showing me what it's all about, but not revealing too much. It made me curious."



I learnt from Nathan's answer to not show the audience the full plot of the film, reveal some content which is open to different questions and interpretations. I decided to show the police officer interrogating the girl's mother at some point in the trailer, to make it seem as if she's in the wrong, but also showing some of the girl's sins and what evil deeds she has already done or is capable of. The audience can be left to think, is the girl's mother the cause for her curse? Is the girl a ghost? Who is the villain and who is the victim?


Video Question & Answer

Although the questionairres and MSN Messenger provided me with audience's opinions and views on horror trailers, the information was only processed cyberally and, just on its own, didn't really create a "real" or "geniune" response from my target audience. Thus, I decided to film three students from my college who were in my catagory of 15-24 years old, and asked them some questions which helped create my trailer. I asked the question of whether horror trailer today are more effective than they were from 20/30 years ago, and received a mixture of interesting answers. One of the answers I received is posted below, where the boy talks about the different time periods and how audiences were more shocked three decades ago than they are today. He mentioned how back in the 80's, it was easier to produce new storylines and plots whilst today horror films have become more 'repititive' and are running out of ideas. After hearing this, I knew it was important to produce a trailer with a fairly original plot that doesn't follow the 'typcial' conventions of a horror sequel.

Institutional Research

During my institutional research, I looked into what films I could associate my trailer with, and what studios were used to promote these films. As I had based my trailer on pyscological horror, I looked into Gore Verbinski's "The Ring" (2001) which was distributed by DreamWorks. I wanted to use a similar idea of a possessed girl with a shadowy past and how not everything is as it seems, and I knew that DreamWorks were often the company used to distribute pyscological horrors and black comedies. However, I couldn't research just into DreamWorks what with it being an American company, so I looked into various British pyscological horror films and what companies were used to distribute them.



IMDb Research- "28 Days Later" (2002, directed by Danny Boyle)
The company used to distribute the British horror “28 Days Later” was DNA Films. It was rated R by the MMPA (Motion Picture Association of America) for “strong violence and gore, language and nudity”, whilst the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) gave the film a rating of 18. I was able to gain a great deal of information on the film from visiting the IMDb website, which provided me with release dates, awards the film had won, cast lists, and the actual location of the filming as well as the film's company.

I looked at how my film would feature similar content: if the girl was to be evil, or perhaps even the devil reincarnation, then she would perform strong acts of gory and hate-filled violence on her victims. Not only this, but her parents (out of their own protection) would have to lock her up and restrain her, and this may include violence too. Apart from the frightening content however, I feel my storyline would be very complex with different twists and symbolism, as it was a psychological horror, and I think awarding my film with a rating of 15 would be appropriate as I don’t think viewers under this age may understand the storyline. I would feature moderate violence and gore, but I would want to bring out the fear of the audience through the film’s eerie references to daemons and ghosts. I want my film to be more about the suspense and tension, and using the audience’s own imagination to scare them.



I visited the DNA Films website, where this production company promotes a “positive, engaging experience” for the audience and searches for “the perfect camera angle, lighting setup, and post production technique” in its filming. Having watched several films distributed by DNA Films (“Notes on a Scandal”, “Love Actually”) I knew that the company paid attention to detail and held a slight post-modern style, and this is what I wanted for my film. I wanted to create a close relationship between the characters and the audience, and I feel I would achieve this through the company’s technique of intimate filming.

Using "The Ring" as my guide to what BBFC rating my trailer would have and who would create/distribute/publish/exhibit my product, I went on the IMDb website and researched into this information based on "The Ring". I found that the film was rated a classification of 15 in the U.K, whereas the MPAA (The Motion Picture Association of America) gave it a rating of PG-13 for "thematic elements, disturbing images, language and some drug references." As my trailer would feature similiar content, I decided to give it a rating of 15. However, the reason for this was not just because it would be frightening for children, but because it may have a complex storyline (being a pyscological horror) that audiences under the age of 15 may not understand.

I couldn't use the actual company 'DNA Films' to distribute my trailer, but decided to base my ficional company on their same themes and ideas. I decided to call mine 'EDK Productions' which stands for my intials, and is what I feature at the beginning of my trailer and also on my film's poster.