Ideas for film Poster

Here is a Flan Plan for my film poster:



I want to have a photo from the woods scene; a medium close up of my actor. I want him to look scared in the photo, to make it a more dramatic shot like other film posters have. I want my Paranormal activity logo along the bottom of the page; the same design as for the trailer to make it recognizable and distinctive. I want the credits of the film at the very bottom with 'Coming Soon' above them in a font and colour that stands out. I'm going to put the actors names across the top, with the lead being in the middle and slightly bigger than the other two. I also want to put either i quote from my trailer 'You're next' on the left hand side of the photo or like other magazines have, some good reviews for it.

Name of Film

From looking at other film names, I concluded that a lot of them are actually really simple and sometimes cheesy. I thought about what my trailer is about and tried to come up with a few names that would fit. Here are some ideas:

- You're Next
- Paranoia
- Deception
- Behind You
- Whispering in the Woods

I think I am going to use 'Paranoia' as my film name as it isn't a word people like to be described as having - it has negative connotations. That fits in with my genre. It is also simple and describes the state of my actor throughout the trailer.

I will use LiveType to create my trailer title.

Film Posters - Portrait

These are film posters of the lead actors in a close up portrait. The way they stare straight at the camera adds to the creepy effect and emphasises the genre, as well as the effects added in, especially in the bottom one of the actress's eyes. I like that both of these have blurred out the backgrounds leaving only the faces in focus. The Black Swan poster is the only one i've looked at so far that doesn't have a slogan or quotes; it does however have the names of awards its already won. I like the idea of doing a portrait facing straight on in the centre of the frame with the actors looking at the camera. This is something I would consider doing for my poster photo's.

Film Posters - Action Shots

The Dark Knight


Frozen

I thought I would have a look at a few more Pyschological Thriller Film Posters. These ones are action shots caught whilst the events are actually going on. I thought this could be an option for me, if i photographed my actor whilst he was moving through the woods and edited things around him to make it as eye catching as these.
I like the logo over the title in the first poster, that is something I could consider creating to make it stand out more. I also like the revues in the middle of the Frozen poster; they definately encourage viewers to watch the film; that or a quote from the film.
I like the idea of using action shots, they make the film look more exciting. However with the footage i've got, i don't think i have anything spectacular enough to create a poster with.

Re-Filming

-An issue I've come across when planning my reshoot is the weather. It has been snowing so my locations will look completely different. So I think I will redo the entire scene in the cornfield with the snow and I think it will actually help my bodies look more 'dead'. I'm going to plan it properly and use make-up to make them look paler.
- I think the other scenes should be okay; the town scene hasn't been filmed at all yet, so it wont matter if there is snow everywhere.
- The other scenes are being filmed inside i think so it should be okay.

Rough Trailer

This is literally all of the scenes below pieced together into a big video. This is definately Nowhere near being finished, neither is it ready for a 'rough cut' presentation.

Issues Within Filming

The first issue I encountered when filming is that things look very different on the camera then when I planned it on paper. There are background objects that you don't expect and conditions that could mess things up. I ended up changing location for my first scene in filming as me and my actor both agreed it wasn't very exciting for my trailer.
I also didn't have any chalk to create a body outline on the ground and my actor was questioning the realism of this idea - wouldn't there still be police banners surrounding it? I decided I would come back to that shot another day even though that could also create an issue because of the leaves on the ground - would they still be there? Would it look weird if it wasn't?
My actor being taller than I anticipated was also a problem as I couldn't use the tripod effectively in a close up as it didn't reach high enough.
We were also racing against the time as the light would run out if we took too long in one place - I wanted to film the running scene when it was getting darker, after doing the other scenes.
Another few shots that I had to reschedule were the body's in the field - my other actors weren't available for filming when I did that scene so I filmed the shots that I could and I will come back later with my 'body's' to redo that section.
On a brighter note, I loved the sky in the background of my cornfield scene - the sunset made it look a lot more interesting, as it cast his silhouette slightly during the different angles - The problem with this though, is that I have to come back at the same time when I film the bodies scene otherwise the lighting will be different and look odd.
I really enjoyed doing the running scenes, I think they look the most effective and I'm glad I shot the random clips of the light, because it adds to the atmosphere of it. I like the composition and lighting of the clip with my actor descending the stairs. I didn't plan that shot exactly as it came out, but i am pleased with the result. I had issues with the tripod again though, my actor again being too tall; I had to lean it back against a wall to fit it all in.
Another issue I had with filming in general was trying to keep the camera steady in the shots where I had to move around my model and I also wanted to do a low angle shot in the cornfield slowly moving around my actor; but that wasn't possible to do well.
I need to go back and record the news presenter voice overs as well as my leads screams. I need to film the body scene and the chalk outline frame. I need to film in town with everyone staring at my actor. I need the link shots in the phone scenes to show his being stalked. I also need to film the slamming of the door with back to it or as we decided to change it to a car door - climbing in hurriedly, shots from inside and out, showing his panic.

Filming

Here are a few rough cuts of some scenes I filmed and put together on 'Final Cut Express':



I'm pleased with this first scene and the transitions I've used between the shots. I like how it has quite an ominous mood to it and how my actor has made himself look quite threatening to fit the film.



This scene is unfinished, it has none of the body scenes edited into it. But i think, so far, it looks good. I like the sunset in the background and the way that the actor has been silhouetted because of it. I wanted this scene to be fast and edited jumping together like this so i am pleased with the result. When i shoot them i want the cuts of the bodies to last longer as if the viewer is shocked and can't look away.



I really like how this scene came out, I think it was the best part i filmed. It did come out darker than i expected though, but i still thinks it looks effective - you can hear him running and see his silhouette. I also like the random shots of the light that i edited in, i think it adds to the atmosphere.



This clip is a mixture of random shots that I would like to incorporate into my trailer but either the rest of the scene isn't finished or I haven't yet found a place for the clip to go. I really like the shot of my actor descending the stairs because of the lighting and the tension in it.

Analysis of a Film Poster - The Sixth Sense

The Sixth Sense, 1999
I think this film is being sold on the fame of the lead actor again; there is very little on the poster except for him. His name has been placed at the top of the poster in the centre. It has been written in the same font as the title which suggests that 'The Sixth Sense' IS Bruce Willis and that the film is about him - which having watched the film, it is. The title has been placed slightly lower down in the poster than the other two i have looked at but is still aligned in the centre. The font used is in thin white lines like a child has written it - wobbly and tall, all in capitals. Below the title in much smaller font, the credits/steel tongs have been placed in a greyer tone. They are also centred and stretch only to three lines. Beneath this is the films slogan 'Not Every Gift is a Blessing'. placing this at the bottom makes it stand out from the black (it is also in white font) but not distract from the key image. This has been created using a different font - it is in clear letters, spaced out slightly with a faded effect on them, so that it looks as if they could disappear soon. In comparison to the title, it looks like this has come from an adult mind relating to the key image of the poster.
The key images in this poster is the lead actor in a close up on the left hand side of the page and a long shot of a boy silhouetted in a fiery 6 shape. Willis is visible from his head to his collar and is looking away to the left, away from the boy. He has a serious look on his face (like the other posters) and the yellow light shining on him makes him look like he is sweating and worried. The boy appears to be walking toward viewers but the light shining behind him makes it impossible for viewers to see anything on him and makes him seem mysterious and ambiguous. The '6' behind him indicated to viewers that he is the one with the 'sixth sense'
These images were used i think to firstly help establish the genre as well as using Bruce Willis (a famous actor) to advertise to film as a unique selling point. The main colours used in the poster are yellow, orange and black. This, i think is really effective in establishing the genre as it makes the page seem quite ominous.

Analysis of a Film Poster - Inception

Inception 2010
The title of this poster is placed in the same area as in shutter Island; 1/3 of the way up the page, in the centre. It is in a very definite font, block shapes and a bold red colouring it. The red in this poster doesn't make it seem threatening or sinister as the other did, i think it was used to make the title stand out to viewers. The Phrase 'From the Director of The Dark Knight' is spaced out beneath it, fitting to the title's length. This being on the title means the film is partly advertising itself with the fame of the Director - using big names to attract audiences. In the same way 'Leonardo DiCaprio' is stretched out along the top of the poster with spaces in between letters to emphasise his celebrity. The names of 8 other actors are positioned below it, considerably smaller with their first names in small red font and there surnames below in larger white letters. The film credits; the steel tongs are blocked underneath the title and 'from the director...' in a light blue font. Above the title (and another tribute to the director 'A Christopher Nolan film' in the same light light blue) is a quote/phrase of the film. Again it is written in small white letters. 'Your mind is the scene of the crime' gives a brief description of the film that emphasises the psychological effect created by the key image.
The image used includes seven of the actors named stood at different angles and sides of the poster. The lead, Leonardo DiCaprio is the nearest to viewers in the foreground standing at an angle with his feet at the start of the title and his head above it at the end. The people are all stood on buildings twisted into different angles around the camera's viewpoint. A light shines down through the middle of it all tainting the blue hue brighter; yellower. All of the actors seem to be walking/running forward, most with guns except from DiCaprio.
The confusing, difficult picture along with the quote that goes with it, tells viewers what the genre of the film is and also tells them whether it is something they would enjoy - it is a film that not everyone would understand and i think that is made clear by the poster.

Analysis of a Film Poster - Shutter Island

Shutter Island 2010
The title has been created in red font - the color red in a film like this signifies a lot of threatening things, blood for instance, so that is a good choice on the dark background. Its faded effect emphasises the effect as if everything is falling apart and draining away on the island.
They placed it about 1/3 of the way up the poster, above the credits but below the name of the lead actor. It is quite a small title, one word above the other in a box shape in the centre.
DiCaprio's name is on the poster - he is famous and it would be a unique selling point of the film; viewers like his work as an actor so would be likely to see it because of him. The key image is the lead actor holding a lit match up to his face looking warily to the right. Another key image is a shot of the island beneath the main one; referring to the name of the film. It is surrounded by a stormy sea and sky creating a sinister effect. These images are used because it shows the lead character and the basis/setting of the film; they influence each other, DiCaprio makes the island seem threatening whilst the island itself makes him seem crazy.
The whole thing was done in very dark colors with the flame on the match and the red of the title the only colorful things on the page. This and the images suggest to viewers that something bad happens to the actor on this island and because of the storm, viewers assume he gets trapped there.
The only colors on this poster are red; black; white and green tinge from the island. The red is the most prominent, used to stand out from the dark with bad connotations. A quote 'Someone is missing' is placed 2/3 of the way up the poster, half on the actors face, half over the dark background. It is in small white font which makes it stand out but also makes it seem more mysterious as it is so small in the poster, you have to be closer to see it.
This poster screams the genre at viewers and it gives me a good idea what my poster should look like. Dark colours; foreboding mood; sinister quote serious face of actor, I will consider all of these things when creating my poster.

Specifics for Filming:

Props:
In my storyboard I haven't really specified that I need a lot of props in my trailer.
I need a phone for one scene which isn't going to be hard to find; it had to be a fairly simple one though, so viewers can easily see the message being shown.
I could also use something in the staircase scene - my lead could be holding something; a baseball bat for example; to protect himself with.

Clothing:
It is going to be dark and cold and this is a realistic video, so my actors will be dressed warmly in coats and scarves and jackets. I want my lead to look quite threatening so i want to play on the 'gangster' stereotype with hoddies and possible joggers.
The people in the street, the actors i use to star at my lead can wear bright colours if they have them, to make the scene look gaudy and more scary.
The bodies in the field, it doesn't matter at all what they are wearing.

Locations:
- Townsend Green for the 'chalk body outline' scene
- The Jones's house for the 'phone, stairs and door slamming' scenes
- Banbury High street for the 'busy street' scene
- The Poppy Field in Woodford for the 'body' scene

Cast Choice

Here I have uploaded a few images of actors I could possibly use in my trailer. I'm going to evaluate them on their overall look, acting ability, availability and whether or not they fit the part i have created. From this, I will choose who I will have act in my Trailer.


Marvin



Well, I think out of everyone, this one has the best 'look' for my trailer. He has facial piercings, very little hair and looks quite intimidating. Even his clothes (which you can't really see in this photo) are the right style - hoddies and tracksuits. He doesn't however have any acting experience as far as I am aware and finds it hard to keep a straight face for things. The last issue is the most important though; availability. It would be difficult arranging filming times at the right locations and right times due to wear he lives. This, I think, means he can't be in my trailer.

Bradley



His appearance is the main issue for this candidate. He has quite long hair for a boy and quite a round innocent face. He doesn't have any piercings and he doesn't really look very intimidating at all. I think the acting would also be hard for Bradley as he would find it hard to be serious - this is just a guess, i wouldn't know untill I tried filming him. In terms of availability, it would be pretty easy i think to find time to film around our schedules as distance isn't an issue. I think, due to the way he looks, Bradley doesn't really fit into my lead role for the reasons I suggested, so I wont use him in my Trailer.

J.B



I think Jake has the right look for my trailer when he wants to; he can look intimidating when he changes his expression. He has no piercings but has quite a shot hair cut. I think the acting would be the main issue for Jake, as he is quite self-concious. He lives near-by to me so being able to actually film my footage would be pretty easy. I would consider asing jake to act in my trailer.

Jake



I think Jake could have the right look for my trailer if he tries. He doesn't look very inimidating when you first see him but like Jake, changes to his expression changes the way he looks dramatically. He doesn't have short hair or piercings, neither is he pretty stocky, but he has the attitude. I terms of acting, I think he is most likely to do better as he is very confident in himself and not self concious. And again he lives very close to me and is available most of the week so filming scedules wont be a problem. I think Jake is my most likely choice of actor.

David



Davids appearance would be the biggest issue for my choosing him i think. He has long hair, no piercings and doesn't look intimidating in the slightest. However, he would probably be the best actor out of the group. He has a lot of acting experience and isn't self concious in the slightest. Availability shouldn't be an issue either since he lives next door to me but he does work, so we would have to work around that.

After evaluating all of my options i found that Marvin had the best 'look' for my trailer, David has the better acting ability and Jake is most available. I've decided to use Jake as the lead actor in my Trailer because he has the best overall result in terms of the 'look', acting and availability. I think he will fit into the part of my lead well.

Moodboard

Moodboard Presentation

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Market Research - Interviews

Using a flip camera I went and asked 5 people from my target audience some questions relating to everything I'm working on. I asked them all the same questions and here are the results:

DOM


GILL


GEORGIA


MAC


JONNY


All of the people I spoke to range from an age range of 16 - 18. I think I should probably have spoken to people slightly older as even though these people fit into the target audience age range, they represent only that small age group and not necessarily people in their twenties. I also think I should have started off the interviews asking whether or not they like Psychological thrillers as otherwise I don't think it really helped me, for example, Adam. The popular choice for least favourite genre is 'Rom-Com' which is interesting, but i think it was mostly because of the people (boys in particular) that i asked.. obviously Rom-coms don't really target teenage boys. The most important result for me from these interviews was that when I described to them briefly what my plot was about they all said they would be interested in seeing it; whether or not they said they liked my genre of film or not. Jonny even said 'Yes, because it's just like Donny Darko' which could be taken both ways. Firstly that the idea isn't original and has been done bigger and better than before; Or that the idea is as good a standard as this successful popular film. I'm more inclined to think he meant the conventions of the film, the twist at the end that i mentioned which is a popular feature in Psychological Thrillers. When I asked about the age of actors - whether it would help viewers relate to a film, most of my interviewee's said either no or that it doesn't really bother them. This interested me, as I would have said yes; I think i relate to a film much more if the actors are my age because it makes me feel more involved in a film. When I asked them what a good trailer would include the answers were quite useful. Based on their opinions I should make my trailer action packed and exciting; play popular music and leave the viewers guessing what will happen. Nobody told me that Psychological Thrillers were their favourite genre of film but, most of them said they liked those sort of films and the ones that they stated were their favourites are ones that I have looked at and aspire to.
The results from these interviews were quite helpful to me as a bit of market research and I'm glad I did them. It's given me more of an idea what people want from trailers.

Storyboard

Here is my first storyboard. It is pretty rough, the pictures are not detailed but i have my shots sorted and ordered as well as having a good idea on my locations.

I need to work out what text I want on the screen and how i want it to be shown.
I need to find a lead character that can act fairly well and fits my characters look (stereotypically male)

Here is my storyboard scanned in:

Target Audience

My Target Audience Profile

I think the general age of my film audience would be about 18; young adults, as i think because of the scene's with dead bodies and the genre of the film, it would be rated at an 18. I think more guys then girls would watch it so i'll say it is more of a male target audience. I think my film appeals to people who liked to be scared; people who like films to relate to their way of life - scaring them because of the real life situation. I think it would also appeal to people who like a mystery in their films; who like to be challenged by the plot.

Development of Ideas, Planning Storyboard

Start:

-black screen, voiceover of news presenter telling of deaths of people in the town
maybe mix of voices? different channels?
have credits appearing on screen during. Production company, director? widely known director.
soft music starts, very quietly in background to create atmosphere
-Medium close up of lead, staring down looking shocked
-Over the shoulder shot of chalk outline, slight high angle
-close up of face turning toward camera and around, camera follows direction
sound of sirens going past, fade out at same time
-medium close up of walking back down the road
voice over of whispering, cant distinguish words
-Lead stops, spins around, camera pans in opposite directions,
-fades out, music gets louder and angrier
maybe text here, black screen?
-close up of hand holding phone, receiving unknown text
-close up of face staring down, scared
diegetic sound of creak/bang? stay in close up, lead jumps and looks toward it.
-black screen with text again
-long shot, looking down stairs, POV shot of stairs/ low angle camera looking up at lead,
'No!' voiceover, quick blackout
-fast shots, quick transitions of running down the road, looking back continuously
(mixture of long shots from behind, lead running toward camera in front, tracking, medium close up on turning)
loud panicky music, diegetic of feet/breath
-diegetic bang of door
close up of face, sliding to floor, blurring faces together
cross edit thing to close up of face crying/scared
-fade to black quickly, flash back in, bright sunlight
cut to over the shoulder shot walking down busy street
no diegetic sound, just angry music
-blurred POV shots, idea that he's looking around frantically,
-slows of medium shots of people either side glaring, evil looking
-SOMETHING HERE
-cut to field long shot, low angle up at him, panning around as he turns in the other direction
-close ups of face still turning
voiceover 'What's happening to me?!' (not said in close up, viewers don't see him talking
-POV long shots of bodies lying all around on the ground
-quick flash transitions cuts to medium long shots of two bodies
-extreme long shot, seeing boy panic looking around (no bodies)
-voiceover of boy 'No!' music stops suddenly
black screen, release date, voiceover of whispering maybe more understandable words?

End

Idea's for Plot

Here is the step-by-step thinking toward my idea for a plot:

Psychological thriller!

Girl/boy has something going on in head
What?! Not predictable!!

Someone makes her feel insane? Controls?
Gives drugs which make it worse?


Schizophrenia ? voices tell him to do bad things
he doesn’t remember it, hears about it

Viewers don’t know its him until the end – not in trailer
They see his fear and worry
He thinks he’s being stalked

Voice over of the voice whispering – don’t make it obvious!
Cuts of boy thinking she hears/see’s someone around her
In house, creaking? On dark streets looking behind hearing footsteps, running. Slamming door back against it.
Voice over of boys panic
lots of close ups of face expression
friends being killed?

Jones’s house, staircase, box rooms, apartment!
Boy – challenge masculine stereotype – really scared

Target audience? Male and female. Age range?
Dark mirror trailer – simple shots
Main character -
Type? Do I need words? Yes, a small amount to create more fear; anticipation
dont make them cheesy, something relevant to scenes

props: use phone; increases stalked fear, gets unnamed threatening texts
soundtrack: starts slow, soft, gets angry as he gets more scared

Start:
Voiceover of newspresenter telling of deaths
Soft music which gets fast, angry
Shot of boy looking at chalk body outline?
Possible police cars going past
Hears whispering then starts getting paranoid
shot showing him getting text
Shots of creaking in house
Looking behind self on roads
another text
Running and slamming back against door
‘whats happening to me’ people staring at him in street
running, head spinning – camera panning about, pov shots mixed in
see’s ‘bodies’ on ground, not there when camera looks
looks at phone - no texts
‘No!’ shout from boy
music stops
Ends in voiceover of whispering voice telling him to kill people

Presentation of One Trailer

I chose 'Paranormal Activity 2' as the trailer I wanted to present to the class. I thought it was a good example of a teaser in the suspense/thriller genre.
Here is the trailer, embedded from youtube.com:



And here is my presentation in powerpoint form:

Paranormal activity 2

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Psychological thrillers

Now that I have decided to do a Psychological Thriller genre of film for my teaser trailer, I needed to do some research into what conventions other trailers of the same genre include. Here are some that I have found:

Conventions of a Physchological Thriller Film:
- Normally they relate to people and their everyday lives - which makes it scarier
- Emphasis is more on characters than plot as opposed to Thrillers
- Danger is shown more on a mental level than physical
- The Narrative is normal confusing; viewers don't know what is real and what is not.
- Often comes from two or more characters preying upon one another's minds

Conventions of a Physchological Thriller Trailer:
- The music is a strong indicator of the genre
- They usually use quick shots/scenes to make viewers confused
- The scenes are mixed up; the plot isn't in order
- The transitions are quick or they fade to black making it seem more ominous

Focusing on One Genre

Looking at all of the different genres made me want to try and create my trailer in any one of them. But I have to consider the options realistic to me and my situation. This being, i have a camera; have to film in an easily accessible location with as many actors as are willing to volunteer. By the time I start filming, it will be winter and quite dark very early.

With these options I have decided to do a sort of psychological thriller teaser trailer.

Knowing this I decided to do more research, this time focusing on that genre of film. Here are 5 teaser trailers of popular Psychological Thrillers. I looked at a lot of these trailers so that I could find out if there was a difference between the different genre of films and whether there are any particular conventions of this genre. They are also good for inspiration; I can take idea's from these trailers for transitions or titles or anything.



The beginning of the clip begins quite straight forward, showing clips of the start of the film. As viewers watch, the trailer becomes more confusing, asking then answering its own questions but leaving most unanswered. It shows fast montage sequences which viewers cant make out and shocks them with some of the clips which contrast with the norm at the start of the trailer. It gives viewers the general idea of the plot, seeming to give away quite a bit whilst really only giving a taste of the film. As the monatge grows quicker toward the end of the trailer, viewers can see it showing scenes from all different parts of the film, not showing them in the correct order, but mixing them together in a confusing pattern of scenes.
The genre of the film is established early on in the trailer. The very first clip fades into black within the first 2 seconds and works with the soundtrack to create a warning vibe straight away. The edited clips that look like a mixture between water and fire help to emphasise this by the soundtrack. It sounds like the wind blowing a chime but it creates a foreboding effect as it sounds ghostly. The soundtrack and the transitions basically establish the genre in this trailer - the use of fading to black and flashes suggests quick action and reactions necessary, making it overwhelming and scary. I don't think the text helps to establish the genre, it is pretty plain, its objective only to give viewers a message. The text is white and the font simple. The shots are only ever 3 seconds or shorter long, giving the trailer a disjointed feel which makes it seem a bit scarier.









All of these trailers use text heavily to present the tale. They show clips that give nothing away of the plot and they mostly show a big montage. The Blair Witch Project was a bit different, showing/playing a single scene throughout the trailer whilst putting text on the screen for viewers to to look at. Inception actually shows very few action scenes, focusing mostly on the lead actor and the special effects, identifiable to the film. I fount that interesting and it is something I will think about within my own ideas.



This is actually the theatrical trailer of this film but I wanted to include one to show the difference between the two trailers of the same genre. I wanted to see what a theatrical trailer does differently to a teaser and I thought it could still provide inspiration.

Teaser Trailers - Exploring Genres

Here are some of the teaser trailers that I have looked at whilst researching; I tried to find at least one for each genre of film. I have posted notes underneath each trailer and have bolded the notes that are typical to what a teaser trailer is supposed to be like.



The Da Vinci code
- revealed nothing of the story line
- showed no actors or characters
- it showed the date of release
- named leading cast and director and co
- lasted 2:03 minutes
'Mystery Detective'

The music that starts off this trailer instantly creates a kind of eerie, religious feel to it. It made me think of old churches and myths which is quite relevant to the film. This then combines with the fact that viewers don't really know what is going on, they are being shown an aerial shot of cracks in the floor. It creates an ambiguous vibe. The next very strong indicator of it's genre, is the script on the cave walls. The fact that viewers appear to be looking through caves creates a mysterious, 'anything can happen' feel which is associated with this genre of film. The old-fashioned script on the walls creates a feeling of age and secrecy. The voice over on the trailer has quite a male, deep voiced, foreboding sound which when combined with the words being spoken increases the old secretive feel to the scene and adds a little extra threat to it. When the camera zooms out and the painting of the Mona Lisa is revealed to viewers, the idea that the film has something to solve; something to find is strongly emphasised to the audience It then carries on by breaking up the painting into many different pieces and forming words using the pieces, building up to the big title which is created in the same way just a bit more dramatic. The lead actors are then listed indicating that they are trying to help sell the film through their celebrity. In terms of transitions, there isn't any. The whole trailer is made up of one long continuous shot.



The Banned Spider-man Trailer
- created a small story line not featured in the film, just for the purpose of the trailer
- showed rough release date (month, year)
- didn't name actors or directors
- showed main character and no other leads
- lasted 1:52 minutes
'Action'

The genre of this film is made very obvious by the plot of the teaser trailer. It shows a gang of men robbing a bank, using guns , sliding down ropes and trying to make a getaway in a helicopter. The helicopter was then pulled backward through the air into a huge spider web strung between the two towers. From this viewers can conclude that the film advertised wasn't a horror or a romance. The music used is quite rocky with electric guitars and drums used heavily. This emphasises the action genre effect by making it sound fast paced and full of energy. The lines spoken by the actors were all very stereotyped sayings 'Go, Go, Go' and 'Clear!' all make the film sound like it is full of action. The iconography of the spider web and costume are very well used, creating an excitement about the film so that even if viewers didn't realize what was being shown, they knew instantly from that. The font used on the title at the end is very solid, but curved slightly perhaps showing the softness of the superhero, showing that it isn't a hardcore action film. The transitions were all very quick, nothing fancy until the cross dissolve in the last shot of the towers. This shows how fast paced the movie is supposed to be; how 'action' packed it is. They used close ups and POV shots of the CCTV screens which i thought was effective and helped make it seem more realistic. A lot of high and low angles were used at various points in the trailer making the figures seem in charge and powerful, until the end when it has the opposite effect.



Paranormal Activity 2
- short, only 1:08 minutes
- didn't show any kind of storyline
- didn't show any actors/directors
- doesn't state when it is to be released
- 'hooks' viewers enough to get them wanting to see the film - ideal teaser
- lives up to genre - 'Horror/Suspense'

The flickers of the TV screen and the thumping of heavy footsteps at the beginning of the trailer were quite useful in establishing the genre of the film. Although those features on their own don't necessarily say 'horror/suspense' to viewers, they immediately draw attention, so that viewers are concentrating fully when the body is thrown at the camera. The black screen at the beginning and the low key lighting in the room are strong indicators of the genre as well as the obvious violence and shock involved in the camera being hit. The utter silence of the trailer excusing the ambient noises of the scene helps create an atmosphere of suspense. This is broken only by the sound of wind edited over the scene which emphasises the silence of it - as if thetas the only thing to be heard. The text used is plain and unadorned, its purpose being only to talk to the audience; the title is the only part with meaning - the text glows slightly on the black background making it seem literally 'Paranormal'. The fact that the film is set in an average family home; in a normal house, is what makes the trailer effectively scary because it is familiar to viewers, its something they could imagine happening to them. A section of the trailer shows an audience watching the film and reacting to it - this is also something recognisable to the audience, something they could relate to, making it seem scarier again. The shots that show the house with nothing unusual happening seem longer in length than the ones with the paranormal. They did this I think to create tension and so that they don't give away to much of what happens. The transitions used are mostly the television flickers with the buzz of the static. This creates a big brother kind of effect, of catching someone else which emphasises the established genre and makes it seem scarier to the audience.



Twilight
- short, only 59 seconds
- shows the date of release
- doesn't give away main plot
- popular book, shows a 'tease' of what viewers wanted
'Fantasy Romance'

The soundtrack is the first thing that suggests to viewers the genre of the film. It is quite a gentle tune which creates a feeling of anticipation with its spacey vibes. The use of piano encourages viewers to think it a romantic genre as it is quite soft and not scary like it would be for horror or rocky for action. In regards to what is actually shown in the trailer, the plot isn't given away at all. They show enough to interest viewers and tell them the USP (unique selling point) of the film. They tell viewers that the lead character and his family/friends are different from other people and that the lead girl is getting too close for her own good - the action of the film isn't revealed at all. The four seconds between 14 and 18 seconds shows viewers the fantasy side of the genre as it is all fast paced, short shots and weird happenings. During that section the music changes and almost seems more suited to a horror film with distorted screams and sharp sounds of movement - it emphasises the 'fantasy' genre. The text used is very specific to the genre - it is in an old fashioned sort of font and as viewers watch it flashes with light that moves through the letters. The lines actually shown encourage viewers to think of romance as 'forever' is a stereotyped romantic notion; fantasy being introduced as well by what is described. That then fades out into a person flying through the air - if it wasn't obvious to viewers what the genre was by then, it would be now. The shots showing a romantic or deep scene tended to be longer and more tension filled. The ones showing the fantasy side of the film - things that show it isn't an average love story - tended to be shorter, faster and used flashes for transitions. The music changed a lot throughout the trailer but stayed eerie and almost sinister continuously; when fast action scenes are shown, bell like music and screams are used quickly at each transition.



American Wedding
- 1:45 minutes
- Doesn't show date of release
- only shows what is already suggested in the title, entire story not revealed
- shows genre strongly, without giving away all jokes
- shows main characters
'Comedy'

Apart from showing an obvious scene in the trailer for this film, the main plot of the story isn't revealed to viewers. It cuts to a few 'comedic' shots afterwards, in medium shots, where some of the main characters say a funny line - this tells the audience what the genre is. It starts off not being very obvious what the film or the genre is. The voice over hints at the genre to the viewers because of the way the lines are being spoken; like they are imitating a presenter in a really exaggerated theatrical way. The marriage proposal scene is then shown, cutting the best lines into it - this instantly tells viewers firstly the genre because of the fact that it gets people laughing and secondly, reputation should proceed the film, so that viewers should have guessed the sequence of films it is from. The text used doesn't really do anything to indicate the genre as it isn't necessary - viewers already know, so it is pretty simple, fitting in with the wedding vibe - looking like a script for invitations. The sound track is quite bouncy and uplifting, keeping up with the high spirits of the film and scenes shown. The entire trailer is focused on this one scene with only a couple of very short shots seen in a different part of the film. This however still doesn't give anything away. The stamped 'American Wedding' sign at the end is recognisable to the film and the previous ones before it, designed to carry that reputation onto the film advertised. The transitions used are mainly quick fades , the focus being mainly on the scene.

Other Film Genres include:
- Adventure
- Crime
- War
- Drama
- Epics
- Musicals
- Sci-Fi
- Western

Trailers

To start my project I need to do some research into trailers, so that I know what I'm doing exactly. I need to find out the difference between the different trailers and their conventions. I need to find out what a teaser trailer is and what it does exactly. This will help me when I am creating my own. There are three different types of teaser trailers that I am going to look into and show examples of. They are Theatrical Trailers, Teaser Trailers and TV Spots.

Teaser Trailers:
- Teaser trailers are short trailers used to adverise upcoming films, TV programmes, video games or products.
- They are made simply to infrom the audience that the film is coming up soon and to build up the hype of its release.
- Usually they don't show any kind of storyline, they show the unique selling points, e.g. famous actors; directors.
- They are very short trailers; between 30 and 60 seconds.
- One of the reasons for the name 'teaser' is because they are shown usually a long time (one or more years) before the movie comes out, so as to 'tease' the audience.
- Many teaser trailers are similar to TV spots, except that they appear in movie theatres.

Here is an example of what I think is a good teaser trailer:



This trailer is a actually a very good example of a teaser trailer as it shows a completely irrelevant story from the plot of the film. It does however state the release date which isn't conventional of a teaser. I got most of my Teaser information off of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teaser_trailer

Theatrical Trailers:
- Typical theatrical trailers are longer than teasers. They have to be less than two and a half minutes.
- The term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a film screening; it is now shown before.
- The purpose of the trailer is to attract an audience to the film - The same as teasers.
- The scenes in the trailers are usually drawn from the most exciting, funny, or noteworthy parts of the film but shortened so as to avoid spoiling the plot.
- Scenes aren't necessarily in the order in which they appear in the film.

Here is an example of a theatrical trailer for the same movie as the teaser:



The difference between the two trailers is noticeable. The trailer is a lot longer than the teaser and it contains details on the actual plot of the movie. I got most of my Trailer information off of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatrical_trailer

TV Spot

- The vast majority of television advertisements today consist of brief advertising spots
- ranging in length from a few seconds to several minutes
- of this sort have been used to sell every product imaginable over the years, from goods and services to political campaigns
- Many feature catchy songs or catch-phrases
- TV spots often use humor as a tool in their advertisments.
- Animation is often used in advertisements. By using animated characters, an advertisement may have a certain appeal that is difficult to achieve with actors or mere product displays.



It will cost institutions more money to create teasers along with theatrical trailers which is one of the reasons why they are normally only made for big-budget, popular films. In the same way, it would only be the big hollywood comglomerates that make them as small independant companies wouldn't have the money needed. However, with the recent development of digital technology it has made teasers easier to distribute online and with a cheaper cost than it would be before a film screening at the cinemas. Production companies can exhibit teasers and trailers for free using www.youtube.com and other websites; again making it easier to distbute trailers.

I got most my information on TV Spots off of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_spot

Advanced Production A2

For our Coursework portfolio this year we were given the option of making either a music video or a film teaser trailer. I chose to make a teaser trailer because I think the experience will help me in future ventures.I will be using this blog to record all of my research and the development of my trailer.
I will start off my defining the term 'Teaser trailer' and the history surrounding it. I will then research on www.youtube.com other teaser trailers created for big movies. This will help me understand my task and decide on the genre of my own trailer.