On Friday 15th January, Matt and I presented our ideas about the film trailer we are going to make for a film entitled The Deviation.
Here are 2 pictures of us doing our pitch:
Based on viewer feedback, from our survey at http://bit.ly/1Q4HS3n... 2 strengths of our pitch: -The film idea sounds good as long as we can pull it off. -The pitch was organised and well presented. 2 improvements we can make on our idea: -Make sure that the special effects are done well or it won't look good. -Make sure the story is original and not too similar to other horror films.
PUT NAME OF PRODUCT AND PRODUCTION TEAM (include logo) AND DATE OF BROADCAST
THE BRIEF
Produce a film trailer in the style of Warp.
TARGET AUDIENCE
The target age group for our film is 15-25, as the film is about three university friends aged 19-20. Therefore, ages 15-20 would be able to relate to the film the most. The target gender for this film is mainly male, as the three protagonists are male and the sci-fi horror genre would stereotypically hold more interest for them. In terms of demographics, the dominant group who would watch the film is urban venturers, as the audience is mainly students and young people. They would probably target an ABC1 social grade of B or C1, middle class / lower middle class, as they fall into the same category as their parents who would likely be paying for them to see the film. It might also target class D, working class, for those students who have their own small jobs to earn a bit of money.
SYNOPSIS
-Three friends camping in the woods - equilibrium. They are all happy.
-Meteorite lands (small) early morning and the people don’t notice it as they are in their tent.
-They come out of the tent in the morning and as they are about to leave they see a small rock (hand size) lying in dirt. The rock is half submerged and has a white light coming from the top, a bit of smoke. Enigma created.
-One is dared to pick up the rock, "I dare you", taunting etc.
-He picks it up, shivers a little, drops the rock then the group leave. Disequilibrium.
-Static shot of car driving away, then a cut to the rock and the light vanishing.
-11pm, pan / tilt from clock to guy sleeping. Laid in bed, he opens his eyes, they glow white and he stands up to look over another guy, jump cuts as he does so.
-Guy appears dead, so they leave him and head back to the woods to investigate the rock and what happened to their friend. Similar to earlier shot, we see the car driving away then a cut to the door, white eyes guy standing in it.
-He follows them to the woods. Fade to black as he takes a swipe.
-Non-linear, so take shots from different times and jumble up. Use quick cuts.
The genre of the film is sci-fi horror.
CONTINGENCIES
We were planning to film our trailer in Norfolk Heritage Park for the woods section, and student accommodation for the parts when the friends go back to their accommodation. As a contingency for Norfolk Heritage Park we could use the trees around Meersbrook Park or Skye Edge Fields, and as a contingency for student accommodation we could use the house of someone we know and set the scene there.
We want to use young actors looking for experience to play the three students in the trailer. As a contingency we could use people we know (family or friends) who are older and willing to act in it.
KEY MILESTONES
Things you need to do to make your production – give a rough estimate of the dates they will be completed by. For example
Planning (narrative, song permission, storyboards, location scouting, risk assessment) - in on Friday 22nd January
Filming - large sections need to be done by the end of January in order to hand in a first draft on the 5th February. Filming will be fully wrapped up by March.
Editing - need to put a rough draft together in the first week of February. Then we can use the 1st - 18th of March to edit our final film trailer for the deadline.
Launch date (the day that your product will be seen by the audience - for us, the day we hand it in). Friday 18th March.
EQUIPMENT
We will need to take out cameras and microphones with us when we film in the woods and student accommodation. We can use tripods for fixed shots and conversations, and maybe a camera dolly if we were to do a tracking shot. Lights may be needed for a section that we film in dull natural light as the three friends wake up in the morning.
To edit the film trailer, we will be using the Adobe software Premiere Pro and After Effects.
PROPS AND MODELS
The characters are going to be played by young people around the age of 20 who are looking to work for free to gain experience.
In terms of props, we will need a small rock, around about hand-size in order to be the small meteor that lands and lets out a white light.
LOCATIONS
We want to film our woods scenes in Norfolk Heritage Park, a public park 1 mile south-east of the city centre. There are also a couple of contingency options above. We need a place where we can film the three friends’ flat, such as getting student accommodation for a day. We will use the road leading out of the woods for the car driving away scene.
HEALTH AND SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS
First aider
Landscape awareness (Weather conditions) - make sure we are vigilant in the environment [keep eye on weather forecast per hour]
Emergency contact numbers if someone gets injured
Prevent damage to equipment - don’t put materials next to hot things
Vehicle awareness - Being safe around vehicles at all time.
Be aware of the public and the times we film. Don’t put anyone or ourselves in danger.
Correct clothing - Footwear
ALWAYS KEEP KIT NEAR YOU! Not unattended.
It is necessary to complete the following for every location we go to for health and safety reasons. It will also allow us to provide information/evidence of taking necessary precautions to supply to the examiner.
-A recce form is a type of form that shows that you have scouted an area and provides help in deciding which locations to film in. It also keeps us organised, so we will be filling one of these in every time we scout a new location. It is useful as it can be used as a reference later on for the production, identifying suitability of the land structure.
-We will be taking photos when doing a location recce because it helps us to remember the place and how suitable it was for filming; it also proves that we have been doing the necessary planning for the unit.
-We will also be doing a risk assessment which will makes sure we identify all possible risks before filming in a location. This will keep the cast and props safer as well as all camera equipment. Furthermore doing a risk assessment will also allow us to identify terrain difficulties for different sections of land when we are filming.
Therefore for every location we will complete a recce form, take photographs and do a risk assessment.
For every location we want to film in we must do:
-Location recce form
-Risk Assessment
-Take photos showing we have been there
LEGAL, ETHICAL, SCHEDULING AND CERTIFICATION
The genre of our film is horror, and the narrative is one of unease, fright and disequilibrium. Therefore we feel that the appropriate age rating for our film would be 15, because the BBFC guidelines state that the tone of a film can only be disturbing at a 15 certificate or higher. In addition, it would get a rating of 15 because our film does contain strong language and violence - a 15 certificate “may contain strong language” and violence “may be strong but should not dwell on detail”. These are the right guidelines for our film as it may contain quite a bit of strong language and violence, however the violence will not be gory at all.
It is important to follow BBFC’s rules and regulations set as they are they are a board of the parliament. This means the rules they set must be adhered to in order for the created media content to be legal. It also gives the film a target audience. By following the BBFC’s rules and regulations it allows our content to be legally broadcasted hence allowing a profit to be made on the film. If our product fails to follow these guidelines it could force a higher film rating which would impact the expected target audience and could make the film become a potential failure.
Our production adheres to these rules by following the BBFC’s rules and regulations for the 15 rating. In this we are allowed numerous themes of horror as long as there is not sexualised or sadistic threat. As our film does not contain any sexual content, this is not something we must worry about. Our film trailer would also not go into a sadistic manner making the under 15. As our film may contain violence in the forms of death or murder, this means our film can contain this, however must not contain prolonged images of violence and/or gore. Also our film may contain bad language which is allowed in moderation for a 15. This is ok however as not every line in our script will contain prolific language.
The watershed point is important for our film as it is rated 15. This means children under the age of 15 would not be able to watch our film and potentially trailer as well. For this we would need to make sure that our film trailer is aired after 9pm and that relevant logos (e.g the BBFC 15) is displayed at the beginning of our film trailer along with a verbal warning.
In terms of music for our film, we can use royalty-free Creative Commons music found online, such as Kevin MacLeod (e.g. Aftermath) on YouTube. If we did want to use a copyrighted song, we would email its creator asking for permission to use it in our film trailer.
The 1998 Data Protection Law states that consent must be gained from people who are featured in our video footage for it to be published. In order to adhere to this law, we will try to only feature our three actors (who we obviously have consent from) in the film trailer. If we end up catching any members of the public in a shot, for example in Norfolk Heritage Park, we can ask for their consent to have them in the trailer. If they decline, we might have to edit them out or film the section again.
DISTRIBUTION
Since our product, entitled “The Deviation”, is a niche production in the style of Warp Films, it would be available on terrestrial TV channels such as Film4. This is because companies like Sky are more interested in mainstream blockbusters. In addition to this, the trailer would be available on YouTube for anyone who might be interested in the horror genre, and the full film would be on iTunes, Google Play and the online stores of consoles. These formats are important for the target audience of ages 15-25, as they use technology a lot and would be able to access the film easily. The trailer would also be seen in cinemas before films rated 15 or higher, as our film is rated a 15. This would give our film publicity.
ALEX:
Mind-map of ideas
Scouted Norfolk Heritage Park
Recce form for Norfolk Heritage Park
Risk assessment for Norfolk Heritage Park
Contributed to treatment
Enquired about actors from StandBy Method Acting
Enquired about actors from The Student Room (Sheffield Hallam and University of Sheffield)
Enquired about actors from The Carney Academy
Contributed to media pitch
Contributed to shot list
Storyboards of shots 18-34
Gantt chart
Created half of animatic
Contributed to script
Screenplay document
Call sheet
Production schedules
Filming on DSLR
Footage log
Edit decision list
Rushes
Offline edit
Edited footage together in Premiere Pro
MATT:
Scouted Norfolk Heritage Park
Took photos of Norfolk Heritage Park
Contributed to treatment
Survey Monkey questionnaire
Contributed to media pitch
Contributed to shot list
Enquired about student accommodation for filming in
Storyboards of shots 1-17
Created half of animatic
Contributed to script
Call sheet
Production schedules
Filming on GoPro
Titles for trailer
Added morning, evening and night filters to footage
White eyes effect
Meteor effect
a) Purpose
The purpose of this film trailer would have been to promote the upcoming film The Blair Witch Project by entertaining the viewer, therefore attracting them to go and see the full film.
b) Form
The form of this video is a film trailer for The Blair Witch Project, a horror film directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez. We know it is a film trailer because it is nonlinear, meaning that things aren't shown in a chronological order. Instead, the order of clips is selected to attract viewers to see the full film.
c) / d) Content and Meaning
Mise-en-scene
The location denoted in the majority of The Blair Witch Project's traileris an expanse of woodland, supposedly near Burkittsville, Maryland. This location suits the genre of horror perfectly, as it has connotations of eeriness, the unknown and feeling lost. In addition, the location is a stereotype of horror films because it is often filmed at night, where the connotations of unease and fear for the audience are accentuated.
Low-key lighting is denoted in parts of the trailer, for example at 1:04 where the outlines of the students running are barely visible in the dark of the forest. The connotations of this almost pitch-black are feelings of disorientation, panic and fear as we aren't fully sure what is going on.
One key gesture in the trailer for The Blair Witch Project is the frantic running denoted at 1:04 and at 1:20. The connotations of this are similar to the low-key lighting and location: we feel frightened and panicky as we know that the students are running from something but we don't know what it is. In addition, the shaky camerawork, which we will come on to next, adds to the fright the audience experiences as we see the group running.
Camerawork
An example of a shot type in this trailer is a close-up at the point 1:26. The shot denotes one of the students' faces close to the camera lens, and the connotations of her expression are panic, fear and desperation. It is a classic element of the horror genre and makes the audience want to see the film so they can find out what caused her to be in such a state.
At 0:50, a "pan right" movement is denoted as a shaky hand moves the camera onto one of his acquaintances, with him accusing her of losing the map. The connotations of the quick, shaky movement are frustration, tiredness and desperation, as the group are lost in the forest. Also, Levi Strauss' "binary opposition" theory applies here as a male is behind a camera and he is shouting at a female. The dialogue reflects gender stereotypes as the male sounds as if he has authority over the woman, firmly stating "I gave you the map, Heather!", implying that she lost it.
In terms of angles, since the film is filmed using a hand-cam by a group of students, angles aren't really used for effect in this trailer. Instead, the shots are mainly at eye-level - the film overall is intended to look amateur to make it more frightening. A group of students in a forest with a camcorder most likely wouldn't be thinking about using camera angles for effect in their documentary, and this creates verisimilitude for the audience.
Sound
Diegetic sound is denoted at the point 0:44 as the person behind the camera gasps loudly. The connotations of the sound are shock, surprise and horror at what the person behind the camera has seen. This, in turn, might make the audience feel on-edge as they can't see the reason behind the gasp, creating enigma and encouraging people to go and see the full film.
In the trailer, non-diegetic sound is heard at the points where titles come up. It denotes a deep, bassy and resonating tone which sounds daunting, and has connotations of something bad about to happen, an upcoming disequilibrium. It adds anticipation and excitement to the trailer for the audience, and again might encourage them to go and see the film as they want to fully find out what happens.
Editing
The entire film is filmed on one handheld video recorder, as it is supposed to look like an amateur documentary filmed by students. Therefore, there isn't any cross-cutting as The Blair Witch Project is filmed entirely in one location and on one camera. There isn't any eyeline match either as any conversations are shown from the perspective of the recorder, who can be heard but not seen. In fact, the only editing techniques denoted in this trailer are transitions between shots, which are a few seconds of black with a deep, non-diegetic sound, as I mentioned earlier. An example of this is at 0:49, where the transition creates anticipation as the audience has to wait before they see the next clip from the film.
e) Genre
The genre of The Blair Witch Project is horror.
f) Audience
I would say that the audience for the Blair Witch Project is young people aged 15-25 (the film has an age certificate of 15+ from the BBFC), who are looking for a scare. They would probably watch it in groups with their friends.
-Halloween (1978)
a) Purpose
The purpose of this film trailer would have been to promote the upcoming film Halloween by entertaining the viewer, therefore attracting them to go and see the full film.
b) Form
The form of this video is a film trailer for Halloween, a horror film directed by John Carpenter. We know it is a film trailer because it is nonlinear, meaning that things aren't shown in a chronological order. Instead, the order of clips is selected to attract viewers to see the full film.
c) / d) Content and Meaning Mise-en-scene
At the point 1:40, low-key lighting is denoted as a man is ambushed. The connotations of the darkness are mystery and fear as an attacker comes out of nowhere - we can't see any of his features clearly so we don't know who it is.
A significant prop in the trailer for Halloween is the knife denoted at the point 0:44. The shot shows a young child holding a sharp knife, glinting in the moonlight, and the connotations of this are danger and shock. Since a young child is holding such a dangerous object, the audience might feel disturbed and sickened, and wonder why he is holding it. In addition, the connotations are classic aspects of the horror genre, as they often contain things which are slightly twisted and out-of-the-ordinary, such as a young child holding a sharp knife.
There is an example of costume in this film trailer at 2:28, when a woman is denoted wearing casual American clothing whilst banging on a door desperately. Her clothing in this shot denotes that she expected nothing out-of-the-ordinary to happen on this particular day, she isn't dressed for any kind of occasion, and she thought it would be another regular day. Of course, the panic she is in shows that something is terribly wrong, and this would make the audience want to see the film as the trailer for Halloween doesn't actually show what has caused her desperation.
Camerawork
At the point 0:44 in the trailer, a medium long shot of the young child holding a knife is denoted, showing him from the waist up. This allows the audience to see the boy's expression, clown costume and clown mask. The connotations of this costume are creepiness and fear, but the fact that a young child is wearing it would usually mean he is just having harmless fun on Halloween. However, the scene previous to the medium long shot in the trailer would suggest that he has actually been up to something more sinister. The audience would be interested to find out what he has been doing and why, encouraging them to see the film. Of course, the shot also allows the audience to see the knife he holds, increasing the audience's suspicions of him.
An example of camera movement in the Halloween trailer is the tracking shot at 1:13. Denoted are three women, presumably friends, chatting as they walk down a street. The connotations of this are happiness and a sense that everything is as it should be, showing an equilibrium phase before things start going wrong, which they must do - at the end of the tracking shot, the camera zooms in on each of the women's expressions turning from happiness to horror. We never see what they are looking at, making the audience want to see the film and find out. In addition, since chatting with friends whilst walking is a regular thing to do for most people, the tracking shot encodes verisimilitude.
In terms of angles, a high-angle shot is seen at the point 1:57, denoting a woman lying on her back after she has just been pushed over a banister by a mystery attacker. The connotations of this shot are defeat and weakness of the woman lying on the floor. This encodes gender stereotypes as men are usually the strong ones in films while women are usually weak and feeble.
Sound
An example of diegetic sound in the Halloween trailer is at 2:28, when the sound of banging on a door is denoted by a woman. The connotations of this sound are desperation and fear, both of which are classic elements of the horror genre. Horror films often contain scenes of someone hammering on a locked door in an attempt to escape as they are exciting for the audience.
The incidental music denoted at 1:00 is an example of non-diegetic sound in the trailer. It plays as we see a woman in distress pulled out of her car by a mysterious figure. The connotations of the music are danger, tension and adrenaline which accompany the actual video, as we get the sense that the woman is doomed and there is nothing that she can do. This is the purpose of incidental music.
Editing
Action match editing is denoted at the point 1:52, as the movement of a woman falling over a banister and hitting the floor is shown over three shots. The connotations of this are pain and possibly injury as the fall appears substantial and unpleasant thanks to the editing.
An example of eyeline match is denoted at 1:32 as a woman is shown looking at something and appearing shocked. The shot then changes to show that she is looking at another woman lying apparently dead, with a gravestone over her head. This editing technique adds suspense to the trailer as the audience will wonder what the woman is looking at on the first shot, before the impact of it hits them when the shot changes.
A final example of editing in the Halloween trailer is the repeated title graphics throughout, appearing four times in total, denoting "Halloween" in yellow text next to a pumpkin. A deep voiceover plays along with the title, saying "Halloween" also, connoting creepiness and disequilibrium. The effect of these title graphics on the audience is that they will make people remember the name of the film so that they are more likely to go and see it in a cinema.
e) Genre
The genre of the film Halloween is horror.
f) Audience
The audience for the film would have been young people aged 16-25 looking for scares with their mates. Obviously, the film is very old now so not many young people would watch it today.
-Area 51 (2015)
a) Purpose
The purpose of this film trailer would have been to promote the upcoming film Area 51 by entertaining the viewer, therefore attracting them to go and see the full film.
b) Form
The form of this video is a film trailer for Area 51, a sci-fi horror film directed by Oren Peli. We know it is a film trailer because it is nonlinear, meaning that things aren't shown in a chronological order. Instead, the order of clips is selected to attract viewers to see the full film.
c) / d) Content and Meaning Mise-en-scene
One location in the Area 51 trailer is the dark, spiralling stairwell denoted at 1:30. The connotations of this are something secret and hidden, perhaps even threatening, at the bottom, as the stairs slowly get darker and darker as they go further down. This location affects the audience of the trailer in the way that they would feel intrigued about what is down there, making them want to go and see the film.
At the point 1:53, low-key lighting is denoted as the youngsters shine a torch around a dark basement. The connotations of the almost pitch-blackness are fear and a sense of suffocation as there is only torchlight to penetrate the dark, deep underground. The audience would feel these emotions as they watch the trailer.
Iconography is denoted in the trailer also at the point 1:53. As the youngsters are shining a torch around the dark basement, they come across various children's toys and dolls all in a pile in a corner. These things are icons in horror films because the connotations of children's toys are innocence and happiness, so to have them in horrific situations makes the audience feel disturbed. It is a common occurrence in films of the horror genre. Camerawork
One shot type in the Area 51 film trailer is the establishing shot at 0:46, denoting the expanse of land that Area 51 sits in. The connotations of this shot are a sense of the scale of the task that the youngsters have undertaken and fascination at the barren landscape. It might also connote an upcoming disequilibrium for the audience as if anything happens to the protagonists out there, then they are alone and no help will arrive. Furthermore, the shot creates verisimilitude because the audience can see the location in which the film is going to take place, making it realistic.
In terms of a movement, a zoom is seen at the point 1:41, denoting some kind of alien substance moving around behind glass. The zoom was used here to show the substance in detail, creating spectacle for the audience and connotations of wonder, yet wariness. The alien substance also reflects the science-fiction genre as these films often contain something other-worldly, created using CGI.
There is a high-angle shot in the trailer denoted at 2:32 briefly, showing two of the youngsters trapped in a place which is entirely white. This is one of the only camera angles used intentionally in the trailer because, similar to The Blair Witch Project, the film is filmed, for the most part, by students on a hand-cam. This means that the camerawork is often shaky and it doesn't look professional, adding tension and frights to the film. However, the connotations of the high-angle shot at 2:32 are hopelessness, weakness and confusion. This is because the angle makes it seem as if the youngsters are being looked down upon as prey by something unknown, while the totally white surroundings add mystery and intrigue to the shot. It makes the audience want to see the film as they want to know what happens after this. Sound
Looking at diegetic sound, we return once again to the point 1:56 in the trailer, which denotes relaxing children's music playing as the students look around the dark basement with a torch, discovering dolls and toys. The connotations of a happy-sounding lullaby playing in a dark basement are feelings of being disturbed and scared, as horror and happiness are binary opposites (Levi Strauss) and don't go together at all. In addition, the audience will feel fright because they don't know where the music is coming from in the diegesis. It would be very out of place in a dark cavern deep underground.
Moving on to non-diegetic sound, a repetitive and quiet noise is denoted in the trailer, starting at 1:40. It plays as the youngsters are exploring the underground complex and it connotes edginess and tension, making the audience feel nervous as they watch, as it seems as if something bad could happen at any moment. In this way, the non-diegetic sound also connotes an upcoming disequilibrium. Editing
At the point 2:03, jump-cutting is denoted in the Area 51 trailer as the students try to escape the compound after setting the alarm off. It connotes speed, desperation and hysteria as the jump-cuts happen extremely frequently, having a disorientating effect on the audience. Also, it makes the trailer very exciting at the end, meaning that people are more likely to go and see the full film as they remember being thrilled by the preview they saw.
Finally, title graphics are denoted throughout the trailer, such as "witness the evidence" and "discover the secret". These quick-fire statements are displayed under a torch light effect, in solid black text. The effect of these title graphics on the audience is that they accompany what happens in the trailer and increase their anticipation for the film. The trailer ends with one of these graphics displaying the name of the film "Area 51", and this is done with the aim of getting the audience to remember the film's name and go and see it.
e) Genre
The genre of the film Area 51 is sci-fi horror, which is actually a sub-genre (Barry Keith Grant, 1995 - "all genres have sub-genres") made up of the two main genres science-fiction and horror.
f) Audience
I would say that the audience for Area 51 is mainly teenagers who are intrigued by alien life and want to be thrilled by a film about it.
-Campfire Tales (1997)
a) Purpose
The purpose of this film trailer would have been to promote the upcoming film Campfire Tales by entertaining the viewer, therefore attracting them to go and see the full film.
b) Form
The form of this video is a film trailer for Campfire Tales, a horror film directed by Matt Cooper, Martin Kunert and David Semel. We know it is a film trailer because it is nonlinear, meaning that things aren't shown in a chronological order. Instead, the order of clips is selected to attract viewers to see the full film.
c) / d) Content and Meaning Mise-en-scene
One significant prop in the Campfire Tales film trailer is the pair of garden shears briefly denoted at 0:27. The shears are long and sharp, connoting a hazard, danger and pain. In addition, the audience might feel uncomfortable when they see the shears for the split-second they appear, because they don't know who is holding them or what they are doing with them. It sets the audience on edge and makes them want to find out what is happening.
Iconography is also present in this film trailer. The lightning denoted at various points, such as at 0:06 and 0:40, is an icon in films of the horror genre because it makes the audience feel unsettled, connoting danger, as well as reflecting a disequilibrium in the film.
An example of a gesture in the trailer for Campfire Tales is at the point 0:49. A woman is denoted stabbing a pointy end into something above her, and the connotations of the gesture are violence and determination, based on the speed of the gesture and her facial expression - wild eyes and bared teeth. Also, since we cannot see what she is trying to stab, the audience would want to go and see the film to find out. Camerawork
Moving on to a shot-type, we see close-ups of faces denoted in the trailer at 0:56 as the youngsters are being told a scary story. Their expressions connote unease, nerves and concentration as they listen, and these types of emotions are typical elements of the horror genre at the start of the disequilibrium phase as people start to get frightened.
One camera movement in the trailer is a zoom, as a man is denoted running towards the camera with a torch at the point 0:59. The effect of this zoom on the audience is that it creates drama, giving the appearance of the character and the camera converging on each other. In addition, the shot denotes a facial expression which has connotations of alertness and readiness, as if the man is in a rush and is expecting something to happen imminently.
An example of an angle in the Campfire Tales trailer is at 0:26, when we see a high-angle shot denoting a close-up of someone's eye. The connotations of this angle are the dominance and control of whoever/whatever is looking down on the eye, and these connotations are enforced as the eye looks as if it is being held open and examined by some kind of contraption. Also, the eye looks rather unresponsive to light, as if the person whose eye it is has been sedated. Both of these things connote a weakness of the person in the high-angle shot. Furthermore, the shot makes the audience want to see the film because since it is an extreme close-up, we can't see any of the person whose eye it is, or who seems to be experimenting on it. They would want to find out what is going on. Sound
In terms of diegetic sound, the point 0:52 denotes dialogue of "get away from me!", which a woman shouts while holding a small fire extinguisher. The connotations of this dialogue are anger, determination and bravery as she tries to fend off the unseen threat which approaches her. John Berger's 1972 theory of "men act, women appear" is therefore challenged by this dialogue, as a woman is the main protagonist and is not being portrayed as weak and feeble as stereotypes would suggest. Also, the dialogue reflects the horror genre of the film, as horror films often contain protagonists shouting at enemies and trying to defend themselves in order to entertain the audience.
An example of non-diegetic sound in the trailer is the voiceover denoted throughout, for example at 0:06, which states "the wrong night, the wrong road, one wrong turn." These words add effect and impact to what the audience sees in the trailer, and and they also connote horror and an imminent disequilibrium. In addition, the deep, slow tone of voice of the narrator makes the audience feel uneasy and perhaps a little scared. This type of voice is a classic element of a trailer of the horror genre, as the voiceover tries to make the audience feel intimidated and scared before they have even seen the full film. Some audience members might like this and then they would go and pay to see it. Editing
One aspect of editing denoted in the Campfire Tales trailer is fast cuts. 26 seconds in, we see four cuts in quick succession, giving us flashes and fleeting glances of the film, such as a door handle turning and the pair of garden shears in someone's hand that I talked about earlier. The rapid cuts don't allow our brains to think about what we are seeing too much, and they connote a sense of confusion and intrigue for the viewer over what's happening.
At 0:45, action match is denoted as a man appears to fall down a hole in the ground, spread over two shots. The cut between the two shots as he falls connotes shock and surprise as neither the man nor the audience were expecting such a sudden movement. The man's facial expression accompanies these connotations, as he initially looks calm, before his eyes widen and his head is thrown back as he falls.
Finally, at the point 0:56, a shot-reverse-shot structure is denoted between the storyteller and each of the youngsters listening, their expressions connoting concentration, worry and a sense of being engrossed. The camera in the section starts by looking at the storyteller and also ends looking at him, which connotes that he is a kind of anchor in the group and he has their full attention. It is an effective editing technique because it shows how he is affecting the listeners' emotions as he tells the scary tale, while also creating verisimilitude for the audience members - they would probably feel similar to the youngsters if they were wrapped up in a scary story being told by another.
e) Genre
The genre of Campfire Tales is firmly horror.
f) Audience
In my opinion, the audience for Campfire Tales would have been teenagers looking for a scare. This is because the film is about a group of teenagers who try to scare each other, so they would be able to relate to it better than another age range. Similar to the film Halloween,Campfire Tales is rather old so it probably wouldn't be watched nowadays by significant numbers of people.
-Hush (2008) (Warp Films)
a) Purpose
The purpose of this film trailer would have been to promote the upcoming film Hush by entertaining the viewer, therefore attracting them to go and see the full film.
b) Form
The form of this video is a film trailer for Hush, a thriller directed by Mark Tonderai. We know it is a film trailer because it is nonlinear, meaning that things aren't shown in a chronological order. Instead, the order of clips is selected to attract viewers to see the full film.
c) / d) Content and Meaning Mise-en-scene
One aspect of mise-en-scene in the Hush trailer is costume, as there is a character at 2:22 denoted in a dark hooded jacket. We presume that this character is an antagonist, because the way the shot is dark and the hood is over the character's face connotes evil intentions, stealth and disequilibrium. An unseen antagonist is a classic element and stereotype of this film's genre, thriller, because they keep the protagonist guessing throughout.
At 0:57, an example of a gesture is denoted as the protagonist, Zakes, hits his car door in frustration while cursing under his breath. The gesture connotes anger, frustration and also an upcoming disequilibrium because something has obviously started to go wrong for these emotions to be shown.
One significant prop denoted in the trailer is Beth's (Zakes' girlfriend) necklace. At the point 0:54, there is a close-up shot of Beth absent-mindedly holding her necklace around her neck in a café - this same necklace is later found on floor at 1:15. The connotations of these two shots are unease and something going wrong, as Beth was wearing the necklace but now she is nowhere to be seen. The necklace is therefore a symbol of disequilibrium and might make the audience begin to feel on-edge and nervous.
One point about character types in the trailer and film is that Beth is a protagonist. Therefore, she challenges gender stereotypes as women are often seen in films as weak and subordinate, not portrayed as a strong-minded protagonist. She also defies John Berger's "men act, women appear" theory, as Beth is one of the main parts in the film. Camerawork
Looking at camerawork now, one shot type in the Hush trailer is a two shot, 38 seconds in. Zakes and Beth are denoted sat in a car, driving down the motorway, having an argument. The two shot connotes tension and disagreement because we can see both of their stressed and accusatory expressions as they argue. The shot also encodes verisimilitude for the audience members because it is likely that they have experienced an argument before and know that these are the emotions that go with them.
Moving on to a camera movement, there is a tilt-up denoted at 1:16, as Zakes picks up Beth's necklace which was lying on the ground. This slow tilt connotes feelings of shock and horror dawning on the protagonist, as he realises that the necklace belongs to his girlfriend. Furthermore, the movement enforces gender stereotypes because it looks up at Zakes from a very low angle, showing that he is a powerful character in the film as the main protagonist.
Another aspect of camerawork in the trailer is the high-angle shot denoting the protagonists' car 8 seconds in. The connotations of the camera looking down upon the car are a sense of being watched, and possibly hunted, as whoever is behind the camera is anonymous and the couple in the car aren't aware of them at the time. Right at the beginning of the trailer, this might make the audience feel nervous and on-edge, setting the tone for the film and maybe making them want to see it. Sound
An example of diegetic sound in the Hush trailer is high-pitched screaming denoted at 0:17, as we see flashes of a woman who appears to be held captive in the back of a truck. The screams connotes pain, desperation and horror as they are loud, high-pitched and drawn out. They mark the real beginning of the disequilibrium stage of the trailer, while also frightening the audience and making them feel worried. Also, screams are a classic element of thriller films as they usually get your heart racing and make you feel thrilled, hence the genre name.
In terms of non-diegetic sound, there is incidental music in the trailer between 0:50 - 1:00, denoting slow-paced piano and a ringing-out tone in the background. This music connotes sadness and a sense of loss, as Zakes' girlfriend has just stormed out of the car in anger. It provides a small break from the fast tempo and feeling of tension, and the effect on the audience is that it gives them time to reflect on what they have seen so far. Editing
One element of editing in this trailer is a brief use of slow-motion at 1:04. The effect denotes a woman on the phone turning around and looking Zakes up and down, the look connoting confusion and non-recognition as she is mistaken by Zakes for his girlfriend, Beth. The slow-motion also connotes realisation for Zakes that the woman isn't Beth, and how the information sinks in. This is an effective technique here because it shows the audience how Zakes is becoming worried and puzzled over where Beth is.
Another editing example in the Hush film trailer is jump-cutting, denoted at the point 1:16, as Zakes picks up Beth's necklace from the ground. The cuts denote firstly a jump back to the shot of the necklace around Beth's neck, before a few more jumps as Zakes' hand slowly brings the necklace up to his face. The connotations of this jump-cutting are realisation of the weight of the situation and a sense of horror. The jump-cuts also make this section of the trailer feel disjointed, and this could be a symbol of how things are falling apart in Zakes' life. The audience will certainly get a sense of deep disequilibrium at this point.
A final editing technique seen in the trailer for Hush is eyeline match at the point 1:46, denoting Zakes looking over at a police officer being ambushed from the shadows. The technique is useful in this situation because it allows the audience to see Zakes' expression - not just the attack - which has connotations of horror, dread and fright. These emotions would then be felt by the audience, so it makes the scene have a bigger impact and it is more entertaining as a result. Verisimilitude is also created as the audience would probably feel similar to Zakes if they witnessed someone being attacked, making the scene realistic.
e) Genre
The genre of the film Hush is primarily thriller, though it has elements of horror. We could say that it has a sub-genre of horror-thriller.
f) Audience
I would say that the audience for Hush is adults aged 20-40, as it is quite a mature and gritty film. These characteristics are typical of a film by Warp Films, as they are an independent company who tend not to make light-hearted, mainstream films.
