I asked many people about which picture would appeal to them the most and convince them to see the film the majority said Set 1 picture 2 and set 2 picture 3 here are there responses: Ella, Catherine, Alice and Sam, all aged 17
on Set 1 Edit 2
"I love this picture, the effect emphasises shadows and facial features which makes the poster quite scary."
"I like the colouring of it as well because it really matches the candle light, and focuses on the peoples faces more."
"I love how it is linked to the trailer, in particular the clip at the end where the spirit is surrounded by candles, so it shows how they both relate to each other."
''Another thing i like is that it is actually quite a simple poster, it has one prop and two people with a blackened out background. it makes it look scary and in turn professional''
Jamie-Leigh, Chloe, Lucy and Sophie aged 17: Set 2 edit 3
"One of the
best features of this poster picture is how it is a picture based on a main clip from the trailer, so it ha a strong link between both promotional items."
"I also like the effect on this picture, it makes everything darer giving it a more sinister and horror look."
"The way it goes from light to dark is also quite interesting as her hand is lit up and w eventually the light disintegrates and behind her head is darkness.''
"the only criticism i would make is to make everything behind her dark, so everything is blackened out and all that is there is her being dragged that way it looks like she is being dragged into the unknown."
I have started editing and have come across some problems which i have managed to overcome. The first problem being is that one or two clips turned out to be quite dark when i uploaded them to Final cut pro which really affected the quality of the entire trailer, the only way i could solve this was to delete the scene entirely or re shoot so i had to rearrange another day for my talent to re shoot some of the clips. the next problem that occurred was when i went to put a soundtrack on top of it, i had already had the song i wanted, however i could not upload it using the school computers so instead i had to go home use youtube converter however i had to look through 3 or 4 versions of the song as some would not work on the converter, once i found the song and converted it successfully i then put it on my memory stick and then bought it to school where i uploaded it to Final cut pro. The last problem i had was the time, after i had cut down the clips edited them and changed the speed i realised i did not meet the time requirement of 2minutes30seconds and so on the same day i did the re shoot of some clips i asked them if they would not mind doing a few more new clips, to which they agreed.
Here are more poster pictures, however this time i have the real people involved and so one of these pictures will be used for my final poster and magazine front cover design, again i have used picmonkey.com to edit these pictures, here are the before and after shots:
1)This is the original
2)This effect is Nosferatu dawn which is associated with vampire effects, i like this effect because it illuminate the characters faces and brightens the candles as well.
3)This effect made the background darker that way our focus is purely on the characters and makes them stand out even more.
1)This is the original, which was based on a scene i filmed but is not actually a screen cap.
2)This effect is Daguerreotype which is a bolder version of black and white.
3)This effect is called HDR
The effect is called Urbane. Which blurs the edges and gives it a tinge of yellow.
In conclusion i can see that these edits still need some work done on them and i should experiment with more effects to find the best for my genre. However form these first drafts i have found that i have taken a liking to two effects which i want to carry on experimenting with these affect are Nosferatu dawn (Set 1, Picture 2) and Daguerreotype (Set 2, Picture 2). These are my favourite photos out of all the ones i have taken, however to really make sure i have the best picture possibly for my poster i will edit some other photos as well as these ones above. My Next step is to experiment with more edits and different photos.
This is a poster for the film called The Others, The Others is a psychological horror like mine and so i am taking inspiration for this poster. the main aspect i am taking inspiration form is the illumination, i have said this in a previous post but the this that is different in this is that the light is coming from an object so i may consider doing that for my final poster. I have a scene at the end where the spirit is surrounded by candles so to link to that idea i was thinking of having one of the actors holding a candle and the flame lighting up their faces. The way half her face is lit up and then gets darker really reflects on the film and trailer itself as it goes from happy family to sadness and dark situations, o when making my poster i will consider this as my storyline also goes from happy to scary. This poster is quite simple what with one person, one prop and no background and that is what i like because that way your eye is drawn to one thing and in a way it makes it even scarier because she is by herself in the dark.
The tag line is at the top of the poster ''sooner or later they will find you'' it is written in the darkness and doesn't stand out greatly. so when it comes to my poster I will consider making the tag line blend in a little with the background, as it can convey something hiding away in the darkness.
The colour of the writing matches the illumination of the light, this poster like others i have looked at has a colour scheme so everything links together, giving it a professional look.
The picture itself looks like a screen cap because she is not looking directly at the camera and instead has a scared expression on her face to convey fear. Her eye line is also looking into the darkness next to her which gives of the scary and horror feel. leaving the question in the audience mind what is in the darkness?.
Here are some practice shots for my poster. even though my poster will contain two people and a spirit face i wanted to see what angels, effects and position would be best. All of these pictures took place in front of the green screen. I already knew i wanted just the faces in the poster so i experimented of where she was looking and what angle i would take the picture from. I then uploaded these pictures to www.picmonkey.com where you can edit effects, frames, add in objects, texts and correct blemishes. I find this website to be very useful as it can make your pictures look very professional and allows you to do quite a lot with the pictures. Here are the before and after pictures below:
Here is the original picture, i made her stand to the side so i have space for pure darkness beside her where i can put the writing.
This effect is called Daguerreotype. Which is an effect is like black and white but makes it more bold.
On this picture i firstly used the effect Infrared and i then i put a texture on top of it which gives a cracking and broken effect.
This effect is a Hellfire glow which illuminates her face and darkens the background giving a really ghostly effect. i then put on demonic eyes.
This effect is called Ghostify, however it turned it a green colour but i liked the blur and the lightness of it so on top of that i put a black and white effect.
I have finally finished my filming, so now i must upload my clips to final cut pro and edit them to ,make my psychological horror trailer. Whilst doing this i will also be editing pictures for the poster and magazine ancillary tasks.
Here are some practice clips i took wand edited with I movie, i was taking shots of how best to shot certain scenes i will use in my trailer for example the running up the stairs shot i took several shots of this one where the camera stayed still at the bottom of the stairs and one at the top of the stairs and one following the actor and making the footage look amateur, out of all of them the amateur footage had the best affect and gave the idea that they were actually running away from something and conveyed the most fear.
I also practiced with effects, and seeing as there is a spirit involved i thought it would be best to use some light and dreamy effects on some parts.
However with I movie there are limited resources such as effects and transitions, so i will be using final cut pro which hopefully has much more to offer and benefit my trailer.
After asking my many people on what they think my title and tagline should be for my psychological horror trailer i now have found the two that were the most popular.
Having looked at some of the psychological horror posters for some of the most popular films in general and with my target audience. I have taken in certain aspects i like from them. For my poster i will be using a glowing effect on someone's face in order to portray horror and follow the trope which is found in these types of posters. One poster in particular i liked was the Woman in Black and is looks very professional and looks like a horror poster. I also like the ghost in the background as it links to my idea of the spirit in the window and watching them.
I also like the writing on this poster it looks like a spiritual and ghostly font. It can reminds me of an illusion picture a its blurry and if you look at it for a while it tends to mess with your eyes.
When it comes to my poster i will be using a tagline to intrigue people into watching the film. In a previous post i have mentioned various tagline ideas and i shall be making a decision on which one i will use after asking various people and picking the one that was liked the most. This also applies to my film title.
I also quite like the fact that there is a colour scheme of blue white and black. The blue from his eyes which are lit up is a similar blue to the writing. So it all links and essentially look professional and so when i am doing my poster i will be using a colour scheme. with simple and minimal colours.
In my poster as i have two main characters and then a spirit i will have to have to fit them all in, and because this is my main inspiration i am thinking that i could have half there faces on either side and then the spirit behind them.
Another idea Is the two characters in front of the front door with the spirits face molded and faded into it.
Tuesday 13th November
Establishing shot of the location Outside and Inside in the dark.
Saturday 17th November
Today i will film the Window and spirit scene where Pebz sees the spirit for the first time. I will also be able to get pictures taken for my poster so this way i will be able to get two tasks done at once.
Tuesday 20th November
Today i will be filming the school shot.
Thursday 22nd November
Today i will be filming most of the clips for the trailer as this is the day where both of my actors are free for a long amount of time in the evening.
Another part of my task is to create a poster for my trailer. And so to give me an idea of what mine should look like and the tropes that are associated with my particular genre i have researched some of the most famous psychological horrors and found the posters that promoted it. Doing this can give me ideas on how to make mine, in order for it to belong to the genre, convey the right message about the trailer and appeal to my target audience by using the correct promotion techniques.
1 2 3
4 5 6
These are all posters form psychological horror films. By just looking at these posters i can already see that there is a convention and that is focus what i mean by this is that in all of these posters something is illuminated. In the first for Woman in black Daniel, Radciffe's face is light up along with the writing next to him, In the second for The Exorcist the light is shining on the silhouette of a man, in the third for The Grudge the triangle of face and eye that is shown is lighter, in the forth for The Ring The ring is lit up, in the poster for The Others The lamp illuminates the woman's face and for The Orphan there is a line of light around the girl. The light in each of these posters brings focus to the thing that is a major player in the film itself. The fact that the rest of the posters are usually dark really conveys fear and gives the impression of horror. In my opinion when i think of how illumination on faces and are used is reminds me on the action where people place a torch under there face when telling a scary story.
In posters 1, 4 and 6 tag lines are used such as:
"Do You believe in ghosts"-this piece of text being on the ghosts face "Before you die you see...(title)"-It acts as an introduction for the title. "Theres something wrong with Esther"-the most significant line in the film
I can also from these posters that they are quite simplistic which i like because the psychological horrors are set in simple locations with average people, it completely supports the genre. Whereas a love film poster could be quite busy and colourful.
'Sins of the father'
Reason-Mainly because it is part of the main quote within the trailer, but also has very appropriate connotations for a psychological horror such as the words ''sins'' as it suggests something bad.
'Last Words'
Reason- Again this links in with the main quote as they are the spirits last words before she dies, it also connotes death and horror as it is the last of something.
'The Project'
Reason-The whole storyline starts with a character researching her ancestry for a school project and so i thought would be a fitting name.
When i came up with the titles i just gave i could not think of anymore that would link with my film so i instead found a where you can generate horror movie names: http://horror.phils-blog.de/
'Bloody Sins'
Reason-Using the website i typed in 'Sins' and this was the first one that came up that appealed to me and blood suggests death and horror and sins link in with the quote, and i think that it does sound like a psychological horror film title
'Living Sins'
Reason again it is from the website originally it was the return of the living sins but i felt this was too long especially for a psychological horror as i find they aren't long and stick to few words. so i only took the last to words which i thought was brilliant as it fits with the storyline and how the the person who is related to the ancestor in question kind of acts as a living and breathing sin.
I will be using a tag line on my poster and in my trailer and here are my ideas:
Tag lines
''Who says ghosts don't exist?''
''Do you know your family secrets?''
''Never repeat her last words!''
''Do you believe now?''
''You haven't seen evil yet''
Whilst filming outside of school in my spare time, i have decided to start my ancillary tasks in the lessons such as the poster for the film. This way i will hopefully have finished both my main task and my ancillary tasks together and by the end of the month
Here are the photos of my locations which my trailer will be filmed in:
Stairs in which the characters run up to escape the spirit in one shot. I will make sure that on the day nothing is on the stairs therefore limiting accidents and making it much more easier and safer for the actor to run up.
This is the living room which we see at the beginning where everyone is happy it is then going to be one of the main settings in which the strange goings on happen e.g. a glass suddenly breaking and the spirit appearing.
This is the kitchen area in which the spirit is first seen which is going to be the main scene within the trailer as it sets the tone for the rest of the trailer and the film itself. Below that is the window in which she will appear.
The rest of these photos are other rooms around the house that various scenes will be shot in the montage, however as of yet i am unsure exactly what scenes will be shot where.
Today i held a focus group with a group of people who fit my target audience in one way or another. I then asked them questions about horror movies in general to help me with my project and allow me to make a trailer that will appeal to many people.
I asked 15 People 10 questions and here are the results
Question 1-Do you like Psychological horrors?
Yes-||||\||||\||||\15
No-0
Question 2-What exactly appeals you to them?
I liked to be scared-|||3
It is set in a real life situation and so it could happen to me-||||\||7
The tension that builds-||||\5
Question 3-Name 3 psychological horrors you like?
Paranormal Activity-||||\ |||8
Woman in Black-||||\||||\10
The Shining-||||\||7
The Others-||||\5
The Exorcist-||||\||7
IT-||||\|||8
Question 4-What do you expect to see in a psychological horror trailer?(Multiple choice)
The speed of it-||||\5
Left on a cliff hanger-||||\||7
Quiet yet scary music-||||4
Heartbeat-||||\5
The way it builds up to a climax-||||\|||| 9
Question 5-Do you like a voice over in the trailer?
Yes-|||3
No-||||\||||\||12
Question 6-What characters do expect to see?
Normal people-||||\||7
One villain-|||3
Young-||||\5
Question 7-What are your fears?(multiple choice)
Spiders-||||\|||8
Ghosts-||||\5
Clowns-||3
The Dark-||||\|6
Question 8-Gore or suspense?
Gore-||||4
Suspense-||||\||||\|11
Question 9-Do you like the tension and speed to build up throughout the trailer?
Yes-||||\||||\||||\15
No-0
Question 10-What makes you want to see the film from the trailer?
The Actors involved-||2
Good storyline-||||\5
Tension-||||4
Memorable-||||4
Looking at these results many aspects that can help to to create a successful trailer that would appeal to a wide range of people. I can see that the main thing that appeals to them in a horror movie is the fact that it is set in a real life situation and is something that they then think could happen to them, so this shows they like something they can relate to and especially in a horror movie as this makes the concept all that more scary.
On question 4 most people answered that they liked it when trailers built up to a climax which is exactly what i wanted to do, and to do this i was going to making the clips get faster along with he heartbeat in the background.
Psychological horrors tend to play on fears that people have in real life, to make it even more scary. the most popular is the fear of the unknown, such as ghosts, spirits and things like that as it has never been proved that they exist but tit has never been proved that they don't either so things like that play on peoples minds and gets them answering questions as to whether things are real.
When it came to voice overs the majority said no which i agree with, as i find it better when the characters voices are used over some clips.
As my project is a trailer not much dialogue has to be used, but still need some dialogue to explain the storyline which most psychological horrors use but most ofit will conist of visual aids such as facial exprexxions, movements and screaming.
Scene
Adam: ''Hey whats up?''
Pebz: ''I have to do this stupid summer project on ancestry''
Adam: ''(laugh) well then you better get to work, just go to the library get some books and write some words.''
Pebz: (Laughs)
Scene
Pebz:''It is so weird, apparntly my ancestor was in high autority in this little village and he killed this woman who at the time was thought to be mad because he believed in spirits''
Adam:''Oooooo what a loon!''
Pebz: ''I know right look her lasts words were ''Sins of the father shall be visited upon the son a thousand times evn unto the third and forth generation of them that hate me''
Scene
Pebz: (humming) (She hears something...turns around) "Hello...Tyler is that you?"(...turns back around Screams)
Adam: "Pebz PEBZ" (while banging on the door) Pebz:"Help Me! open the door!"
Scene
Adam: "What are you doing...Stop...No...please."
Scene
Pebz: "Oh my god. Don't hurt me.please. i dont understand. what are you. What do you want"
Scene
Spirit: "Sins of the father shall be visited upon the son.haha.upon the son a thousand time. a thousand times.a thousand times."
Inform them that i am filming so they are prepared and have given consent wait for them to leave before exceeding the noise limit as my trailer is a horror there will be screaming.
Move dangerous objects out the way such as delicate glass ornaments and hide wires to minimize tripping and injuries.
Location:Woods Risks:
May be cold
When moving around to different spots-props may be dropped
Rain-there is a chance that it is raining or has rained recently so may effect equipment and can be quite slippery so there is chance of an injury
Uneven ground-increased chance of tripping
Small paths-which are next to some water to someone could fall in
Solutions:
Keep the models warm by providing them with warm clothing. and if the warm clothing is not meant to be in the shot then make sure they wear the warm clothing in-between shots, meaning they can keep warm while they wait.
Be careful when moving props by getting someone else to help.
Make sure that correct footwear is worn or if it is really bad then reschedule for another day to avoid injury.
Look where you are going at all times and also inform the actors of the ground so they are also concentrating where they are walking.
Actors: As my trailer is a psychological horror i do not need many actors and so i will be using 2 people to play the students. Pebz and Adam, i will then use Neha to play the evil spirit. These people are very reliable and trustworthy so can trust them to play thier parts well and take it seriously. Costume: The clothes the actors will be wearing are quite normal and mainstream as psychological horrors contain mainstream ideas and are based on normality, what i mean is it a normal scenario and bases it story around that eg location,camerawork and actors. For the spirit i will be getting a black dress, which can portray her as a shadow or silhouette. Props: The main
props that I am thinking of using throughout my trailer is:
A knife as a weapon for one of the characters to defend themselves with.
A bat also as a weapon for one of the characters
Books for the library scene
Piece of paper for when the girl is presenting her ideas to the boy.
Locations: Many psychological horrors nowadays have limited locations and most stick to just one of course there are some other suitable locations which i have recently found so i may include some scenes that are shot their but so far i am sticking to the one location which is my house Other locations: Woods just outside my house-Hiding scenes Empty Field-good for a running scene
Adam-Played by Adam, He wears quite casual wear and so this links in with my genre.
Pebz-Played by Chloe. I thought she would be good for the part as she wears what the typical teenager would wear and is quite casual, which is a convention of my genre
They are a typical couple and so i though would be perfect for the part.
Evil Spirit-Played by Neha Joshi, she is how i envisioned the spirit to be as she has long dark straight hair and is not taller than either of the other actors.
Here are some videos of soundtracks that fit with my genre and what i am considering to use in my trailer. along with a heartbeat that gets faster and louder throughout the trailer to build up the tension and get the audience tense and there blood pumping just by the background music.
This theory was the first to explain how a mass audience react and are influenced by mass media, not just individually but society as a whole. There have been many theories that have tried to explain how the media works on the mass audience, theories such as 'The Cultivation Theory' and 'The Two Step Theory'. By researching these theories i can find out what one applies to my target audience which enables me to maybe alter my trailer in order to maintain the audience i am aiming at.
The theory explains that the audience is 'injected' with ideas, attitudes and beliefs through media text, the audience are without resistance and are overall powerless so have no choice but to be influenced by it. So when you see something you may go and do it yourself or something similar. The hypodermic needle suggests that we are manipulated by the media text we are also powerless to refuse this theory/idea which in turn makes it easier for our thoughts to be changed by the media makers.
that is why films like 'The Exorcist' and 'Clockwork Orange' were banned at fist because it was believe that they may influence people to carry out similar crimes that are shown in them.
However no one has claimed that everyone will be affected by the media texts in the same way, and because of this reason many people see this theory as simplistic due to the fact that it doesn't speak for everyone individually. But it is so popular because people are looking for explanations as to why people act in violent ways and so this seems to be the best theory to try and explain that.
The Cultivation Theory
This theory is a more refined version of the hypodermic needle effect. It has also been referred to as the drip drip drip effect, explaining how rather than being injected with information the audience are on a slow drip feed, it suggests that if a message is repeated over a long period of time then the audience will be effected by it, it suggests that if you watch violence for years and years it will make people less sensitive towards it and one media text does not have that much affect. This process is referred to as desensitisation. But still this theory is very difficult to actually prove. Most people have a general sense that the media has an affect on there behaviour but it is extremely difficult to actually prove how much a piece of media text can affect its audience. So even though this theory can not be proved it does not mean there is not truth in it.
Two Step flow Theory
Mass media has become an essential part of life within society everywhere and did not reduce populations to a mass of unthinking drones and new and more sophisticated explanation was invented. Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson and Hazel Gaudet analysed the voters decision making processes in 1940 during the presidential election campaign, they then published there findings in the newspaper "The Peoples Choice'. Their results showed that information does not flow directly form the text in to the audeinces' minds unmediated instead it is filtered through 'opinion leaders' who have a major influence on the final reading, they then mediate this information from the media with the ideas and thoughts that have been expressed by the opinion leaders. This means that the audience do not gain there own opinion instead they gain the information and are influenced by the media. So they are not being influenced by a direct process but instead by a two step flow.
This means that that social factors play a part in the way an audience interpret a media text. which is sometimes referred to as 'The Limited Effects Paradigm'.
Uses and Gratification
this theory is probably the mot important one of them all. This theory explains how everyone has different uses for media text and the individual makes choice on what they want to watch. What this means this that when we watch a media text we expect to gain something for it:some kind of gratification not just mindless entertainment.
The uses and gratification model shows how an individual has the power to select the media text that suits them best and what she will be able to gain from it. The psychological part of this model is the Hierarchy of Needs by Maslow.
1. Information-this is where we want to find out about society in the world and therefore satisfy our curiosity. This can be done through the new and documentaries which both help us learn about the world we live in.
2. Personal identity- We may sometimes watch the television to look for models for our own behaviours. So we may identify with certain characters we see in soaps, they then help us to decide whether or not we agree with their actions and what we feel about ourselves, and also when they succeed in something we feel better about ourselves.
3.Integration and Social Interaction- The media is a source for us to find out more about other peoples lives and circumstances. We are able to empathise and sympathise wit the lives of others in watching show which in turn could get us thinking about the characters in the show as friends, and could therefore help us get on better with out real friends.
4. Entertainment-Sometimes we watch media text simply for the entertainment, relaxation or just to pass the time.
Out of all of these descriptions i believe that the one that applies to my trailer is 'entertainment' This is because when people watch my sort of trailer they watch it for entertainment and are seeking for something interested to watch. My genre appeals to and is watched most by people who want to be scared or have an adrenaline rush while watching the movie. Also my type of genre evokes peer influence, what i mean by this is that some people have a need to prove themselves to their friends/peers by going to watch a scary movie. This is particularly evident in men as if they have seen a particular horror movie it could suggest to them that they are 'fearless'
Films such as Paranormal Activity from 2011/12 show that the horror genre has a realistic essence to it, this has been influenced by films such as the Blare Witch project in 1999. Many psychological horrors as now set in houses and/or filmed with handheld cameras this makes the entire experience more realistic due to the shots, settings and characters. Audiences nowadays tend to watch horror and need psychological horror as a form of gratification.
I have taken my inspiration from various psychological films that i have watched and researched to make up my own. Films such as The Ring, as in this film they trigger the spirit girl to return and potentially kill them by watching a video tape, where as mine the spirit is triggered by a quote. The possession idea has come from the films Paranormal Activity sequel and the The fact that they turn on each other has come from the film The Shining as the man in this film suddenly turns on his loved ones.
The Ring (2002) The Ring is a successful psychological horror film which is about a video tape that when watched you get a phone call from a girl saying you are going to die in seven days. A young reporter named Rachel is investigating these events, but after she and her small son watch the tape, it becomes a race against time to find out why the tape is killing everyone and how it could be stopped. I took inspiration from this trailer as i like the fact that they basically summon the evil being by doing something in this case watching the tape. The trailers clips are slow paced to begin with which is a typical trope of this genre but they also get faster and faster throughout creating more intensity.
Paranormal Activity 4 (2012)
This film is about a girl who starts filming everything in the house because she is suspicious of her younger brothers invisible friend, through this herself and her boyfriend discover strange occurrences such as silhouettes and cult symbols. This film applies to me as i have the idea of a silhouette as the spirit, this is because in most psychological horrors the evil being is not normally shown and if shown they are shown for a minimum amount of time. This trailer is slow paced which is a convention of the genre. the transition in this trailer is fuzzy and distorted lines, which links in with the film itself, however i have noticed that most of the transition used in horrors are distorted and not just jump cuts. The Shining
This film is about a family who go to a hotel as the man has been given the job of winter caretaker, they then get snowed in, the man then gets told by a ghost to correct his wife and child and from there on tries to kill them. This film inspired me as it is about a man who turns on the people he cares about because of some ghost/spirit who is evil. This is part of my narrative as when the evil spirit possess the my characters it makes them turn on each other. The trailer is slow paced and then picks up speed throughout to build up tension.
When i start making my final project i will be using various types of technology which are listed as followed:
Blogger
Blogger is the source of all my information, where i record my progress and development. It is an easy way to keep all my work and therefore allows me to edit or reflect back on previous work.
Youtube
I have been and will continue using you tube to find videos of trailers that can help and inspire me to make my final piece, i can also research individual directors and there pieces of work to find patterns, tropes and memes, i can also find background music and other students work so i can compare and review.
Google I will use goggle to find out information quickly and effectively, using this i can research specific trailers, film, directors and the history of any topic that links with my theme in order to help me create my final piece.
Panasonic HD
This is the camera i will be using when filming my final piece, this camera is portable, lightweight and is able to be used on a tripod, however this is not the most professional camera and so the quality will not be the best, but this is a problem I am just going to have to get used not as it is the best camera our school can afford.
Final Cut Pro
When editing my clips for my final piece i will be using Final cut pro, this is a new piece of software on the Mac, up until now i have been using iMovie, so i have never used final cut pro before, however it is a much more advanced bit of software meaning i will be able to do much more and make it more professional, helping me in the long run.
These are the main pieces of technologies that i am using at the moment and know i will be using in the future however i may find myself using new pieces of technology along the line.
You should be nearing the end of the research stage! Plesse make you complete the
following:
consider
key directors of your genre and their influence.
define
your audience - age, gender, lifestyle interests and social-economic
group.
consider
digital technology you may use for production.
mood
board for your idea.
the
ideaology of your specific genre - this means the overall 'feel' and 'attitiude'
of your genre. Will you include specific icons, tropes?
you
do need to think carefully about audience pleasure. What will your audience
enjoy? Refresh yourself on the different theories listed in your booklet - could
this apply to your specific genre? Did it ever?
Plan
the storyboard (please see booklet for details.)
Set
up a focus group and consider all of the above when you question them. Blog your
findings.
This website shows the 100 best horror films, when looking at this i could see that most were psychological horrors more than any other horror subgenre.
Ideologies are things that you associate with certain genres, for example many people associate Action movies with car chases and gun fights. And Romance with hearts and flowers, and the storyline being on the lines of boy and girls fall in love and dote on each other, something happens but they power through it all in the name of love. Ideology is a very important part of a film trailer as it allows the audience to understand what the actual film is about and what will be expected of it, just by the fonts, transition and pace and sound. If you look at the film Transporter 3 trailer which is a typical action film you can see the difference between action trailers and psychological trailers, in this trailer it is very fast paced and the clips are shown not longer than 3 seconds and the transition is flash, which in a way emphasises the speed of everything, even after watching the trailer you feel tired because of the pace and the amount of things that are seen in it such as Jason Statham in car chases, fist fights, gun fight and a run. Psychological trailers are a lot more slow paced because of the main objective for a psychological horror is to make the audience tense and anticipate to create fear, and this is done through slow scenes in both the trailer and the film as this enable the audience to build up the fear of what is to come. Audiences are used to certain house styles for different genres, if i went against the conventions and were to attack the ideology of psychological horror by for example including a lot of gore as well as tension or use fast pace editing it could confuse and mislead the audience, as they may think it is not the genre that it is supposed to be representing and portrayed, I shall be sticking to the conventions of psychological horror trailers one important factor being the sound both diagetic and non diagetic. Horror films are all about juxtaposition what i mean by this is opposite sounds are used a the same time an example of this is a having a non diagetic sound such as scary thumping music and then a diagetic sound such as a child laughing at the same time, this is juxtaposition as these two sounds are completely different but when put together is quite scar, eerie and creates fear, This is done in the book clockwork Orange where Horrible, scary images are shown whilst beautiful music form the orchestra is being played over it. When making my trailer i will follow the ideologies of my genre as i believe that this is important in a trailer which is representing another publication.
“There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.”
-Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock's quote above is a very good explanation of psychological horror as the whole point of it is to create fear which is done through the anticipation of something that is about to come, and not necessarily through the action itself, as you see in Hitchcock's films he does use some gore but it is never the main focus of the film. Many horror films today are about all visual horror using gruesome images of death which gives the sense of dread. Whereas Hitchcock's films build up that dread slowly which makes it all the more tense, it has been said and is evident in his films that his suspense brings the viewers to the breaking point just before letting the audience see . and enjoy the next chapter in the story, his quote above about the terror being in the anticipation means that is is more subtle but results in assault on your psyche. Ideology of a psychological horror is to mystify and create tension throughout, psychological films are much more intelligent than other horror films such as slasher films because it is all about the mind and it scares the audience by getting into their head to create fear. When looking at a trailer you can tell that it is psychological because of the way it is shown and what it shown, for example the build up scenes and reaction shots, basically it is full of clips that are made for tension and not the main scenes. In my trailer i will be taking in the aspect of ideology so i intend to show build up scenes rather than the actual action, i will also be using a close up shot of the spirit but only once and quite fast this then paints a picture in the viewers mind of what they people in the film are going through and heightens the fear and anticipation. Non-diegetic sound is key in trailers as it sets the scene an mood for the film itself, i will be using a heartbeat as this can represent both the characters heartbeat and the audience. When a heartbeat sound is used the viewers heartbeat naturally meets the same rhythm and so when it gets faster and louder so does the audiences' which gives them adrenaline and out of breath after hearing it because of the intensity of it. The heartbeat sound is essentially a trick used by directors to evoke fear into the audience using a simple sound knowing that there body will respond to it.
Definition
An urban legend is a story that has been told, but not always believed by the teller as to whether it is true. There are a variety of urban legend stories, especially horror ones, as most of them serve to create fear. Many psychological horror films have taken there story lines from urban legends, and that is why i have decided to apply this to my trailer, even though the storyline of my film is not based on true events or real urban legends, the storyline is about an urban legend/story that i have created which turns out to be true.
My film plot could be compared to the urban legend 'Bloody Mary' which is a about a girl that would come to haunt you if you say her name 7 times which summons her. My storyline is about someone who finds out about a woman that was killed by their ancestor, and in turn finding out about her and saying her last words out loud 'summon' her and she then haunts that said person.
The Shining made in 1980 is a a very famous psychological horror. It was Directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick. Shots
A variety of important shots are used in this trailer of 'The Shining' to convey fear and build up tension throughout. The first shot we see is a birds eye view shot of the woodland area with a car driving through, this shot shows the car being very isolated which already sets the scene of the trailer- a 'middle of nowhere' scene. It then has a establishing shot of the house form the outside, it is quite a big house and at is representing the typical horror convention of 'the scary house' as these are usually big high up away from civilians. We then see the man typing on his typewriter close up, the way the lighting is set out already gives an eerie feel to it and is already suggesting that he is the one that is going to cause trouble. This is where certain clips are shown to build tension such as the tracking of the woman running in the snow, and various shots of the man walking through the building and in one holding an axe, but still at this point we do not see the connection of how this has happened. We then see a range of clips that show happiness however the way they are shot show elements of horror. For example the little boys is on his bike and riding it through the hallway, this is shot from behind and is a tracking shot which gives the impression of something chasing him or following him. We then get another close up of the man the camera skips forward 4 times to close up on his face which is quite manic and shows that something is obviously wrong with him. after this the clips are short and snappy. Most clips as reaction shots which are close ups of the characters reactions. It then has a close up version of a earlier clip of a woman running in the snow to link them and show why she is running in the snow it also gives a clearer view of the knife she is holding. the clips where she is swinging the bat are over the shoulder shots make the audience feel as though they are there even maybe in the woman's shoes, this in turn builds more tension for the audience.
Editing
The main transition between clips is a fade away however there is one clip where the man hits the door with an axe, here there is a flash transition, this it a fast and grabs the audience attention. it also suggests that what we have just seen it a flash forward of what is to come.
Mise en scene
The location that this film is set in is a big house or holiday home, and at night outside it lloks quite eerie and scary. In the day time the house does not look that scary. So this could link to the fact that the mans perosnality changes as does the house atmosphere (changes like a flick of the switch-dark,light-good,bad). The set design of the house is big gives it quite a tense feel as there arte many places for the killer to hid or suddenly jump out of. The most significant prop in this trailer is probably the axe, which fits in with the conventions of a horror movie as the most popular killer weapon is a sharp object such as a knife or an axe. In the trailer you also see a woman holding a knife so this also fits in with the convention.
Sound Non diagetic sounds are used such as music. The music throughout the trailer gets louder and faster to build up the tension and make it more scary and show that something bad is happening and the end there is a church bell which sounds gloomy, churches are associated with two main events weddings and funerals and because of the genre the first thing you would think of is a funeral, suggesting death and murder. The dialogue on some clips overlap other clips and act as a voice over, this is evident at the beginning of the trailer, it gives the audience a back sorry giving them a taste of what is to come. In the clip where the axe hits the door the background music matches it and everything then goes black. Diegetic sound is used such as the axe hitting the door.
My Psychological trailer is aimed at is late teens and adults, mainly because it is a horror and most horror films have a a certificate of 18. So the age range will be from 8 to 25. I think that this film can appeal to both male and female, my trailer is going to show that the film is containing more women than men and in a horror film this is slightly going against the convention, this means that more men may be interested in it because of this or as i have said in a previous post women may be able to empathise with the women in the trailer so i cannot really define which gender group my trailer will appeal to more.
Lifestyle
I can see my target audience as students either in or just finishing their education. Most probably have a part time job, this way they have time to go to the cinema. I would also say that they are the type on people that like to be scared so take part in activities that do this such as watching a psychological film and going to the fair and going on the biggest and fastest rides there.
Interests
Most people who like this genre take an interest in urban legends which are myths and rumours most of them are told to scare people. Bloody Mary is probably the most common one.
Socio-economic group
I believe my target audience for this genre of film would fit into class D and E. This is mainly down to the fact that most of them ill be students, unemployed or have a part time job, either way they will most likely have a lack of money and so one simple luxury that they can afford is the cinema.
Why?
At this moment in psychological horrors seem to be very popular within the horror genre with films such as 'Sinister' and the Paranormal Activities sequel. And the fact that more are being made means that more people are watching them. So i am appealing to the mass audience. The fact that this genre is getting more popular means that more people could have watched a psychological film meaning my trailer will appeal to many people simply because of the chosen genre.
Profile
I have decided to choose Neha as my target audience profile. This means she is my narrowed down template as to who i am aiming my trailer at. I choose her because she is a fan of my particular genre and has watched many films that come under it, so she really is the perfect target audience.
Age:18
I think that my trailer will be more appealing to this age and generation as they have grown up with many psychological horrors such as paranormal activity and woman in Black and they seem to enjoy it.
Gender:Female
As i have mentioned before my genre can appeal to both genders, but it can appeal to male more than female in some circumstances so I want to even that out, so i can widen my target audience. I think that females will appeal to this because there is going to be a womanly figure that they can relate to, and therefore they will be able to interact with the film much more and that is why Neha is my target profile as she fits it perfectly.
Lifestyle/interests:
Neha has quite a mainstream life as she is currently in full time education and taking her A-levels. She has a part time job which means she is able to afford the luxuries of the cinema which is quite cheap but is an activity she enjoys.In her spare time she hangs out with her friends and family, when she is not doing this then she is working on her art. Art is her favourite subject at school and her main hobby, her favourite part of it is the complexity of it and the clever and range of techniques she can use to make her work interesting and stand out. Her favourite films to watch are mainly psychological horrors as she likes the cleverness of them and the way they play with your mind, she watches them to also get inspiration for her art, to make her art also clever and appeal to a mature audience, much like psychological horrors.
She wears casual clothing from the high street such as jeans, t shirt, jumper, converse and denim jackets from shops such as top shop or new look, which i think links with my genre as the characters do not usually wear clothes that stand out as this enable to audience to relate easier to the characters. As Neha is a template not everyone who likes my genre will necessarily be like her.
Socio Economic group: Neha is from the social group C mainly because Her mum and Dad have very good jobs and so she has a comfy and happy lifestyle.
