Story Board

Production Plan

Production Team; Molly Vandervell, Matt Lakey & Gemma Brammer

Cast

• Gemma - Ella 
• Molly - Chloe
• Joe - Sam
• Ollie - Joe
• Matt

The characters in our trailer are each aged between 17-18, this is so that they are the average age of our target audience, making the film more relatable and appealing to our audience. The four main characters consist of two girls and two boys this is so too appeal to both gender's and not to alienate one or the other. Also by including two females and two males it does not typify our film for wither gender.

Dates

• February 16th
• March 8th 
• March 15th

Equipment

• Camera
• Tripod
• Camera Charger
• Voice Recorder
• Mac

Software

• iMovie
• Soundcloud

Props

• Ouija Board
• Planchette (Counter)
• Knife
• Fake blood
• Mobile Phones
• Locker
• Mirror

Costume

• Gemma - Leggings, plain top and cardigan
• Molly - Jeans, cardigan and vest top
• Ollie - Black hoodie and tracksuit bottoms
• Joe - Trousers and grey top
• Matt - Zip jacket with hood and plain bottoms.

Our costumes are fairly simple and are clothes which could be worn everyday. We have chosen to keep our characters in the clothes they would normally wear as this makes them more relatable and recognizable to the audience.


Locations;

Risk Assessment;

Corridor;

• Risks - Bumping into other students and causing other students to trip on tripod.
• Precautions - Make sure we film during lesson time so the corridor is less busy and guard the tripod to ensure no one is able to trip.

House;

• Risks - Injuring self with knife prop, tripping up the stairs, slipping whilst running
• Precautions - Do not mess around with props and ensure actors are clear on their directions so little time needs to be spent using the knife. Take extra care when running and ensure actors are confident.

Script

Overall plot.scary,
set in a house
4 teen characters
dark
ouija board
fast paced editing
characters get really scared
lights go out
bottle smashes
starts out as a joke with friends and then turns serious and doors slam and they are trapped in the house

Script out line

Black screen with writing of opening scene, ' four friends set out to make a joke'
The four friends sitting around the ouija board (Sam, Joe, Chloe, Ella)

Boys start joking around, winding the girls up, spelling out girls names on the board, freaking them out.
Sam: (moving the counter over letters) E... L.. L (laughs)
Joe: (Laughs) Oooo somethings going to get you ellaElla: (laughs) shut up now
Transition slide 'And then it all went wrong'

(Ella asks when is Sam going to die, Ouija board starts working properly, spelling out NOW. Girls scream, boys still taking it as a joke, Joe asks the board how? The Planchette starts moving really fast across the board, the boys take their hands off and it doesnt stop.)

Ella: your such an idiot, when is sam going to hurry up and die? (directed at the ouija board)
(counter moves to the letter NOW)
Chloe: stop it now its not funny your freaking me out
Joe: yeaah funny one ella (laughs) how? (directed at the ouija board)
(couter begins to move again)
Sam falls down and grabs his throat
Transition (and then it was too late)
Chloe:(screams)
joe: ok, calm down, sam stop it and you ella

Ella: its not me! (takes hands of counter)
(counter keeps moving)
Ella: (screams)
fast paced editing, Sam gasping for air, noises throughout the house, lights flicking,
Chloe runs to the glass of water
Chloe:(screams) Sam! please Chloe gets a glass of water for Sam and it smashes in her hands. (screams)
Sam: Help me

 Joe: (running to the door, trying to open it) get us out of here! (screams)
Ella(running to the window) (screams) (tries opening it wont open) help! someone help us!(hand touches her shoulder) scream
Blackout/fade to white.

Shot List

Shot list

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Preliminary Focus Group

I asked a group of four people between the ages 16 and 25, as this is my target audience, to watch several clips and trailers from various horror films and then to answer three questions concerning their thoughts, reactions and feelings.

What did you like about the clip?

What didn't you like about the clip?
Does the clip make you want to watch the film?

The first trailer I used was 'The Strangers', released in 2008 it tells the story of a young couple staying in an isolated vacation home are terrorized by three unknown assailants.





Respondant 1

What did you like about the clip?
The music and throughout the trailer creates tension and builds adrenaline, the building pace of the editing again creates a tense atmosphere.

What didn't you like about the clip?
The beginning seemed irrelevant and slow. The pace could have been built a lot sooner.


Does the clip make you want to watch the film?
Yes

Respondent 2


What did you like about the clip?
The eery music and SFX created a feeling of fear, the costumes of the 'Strangers' were scary and unusual, relatable story line so made it feel more real and the trailer included the fact that the film has been inspired by true events, again reinforcing the idea of reality.

What didn't you like about the clip?
The ending could have been more interesting maybe a cliff hanger, didn't particularly make me wonder about the story line.

Does the clip make you want to watch the film?
No

Respondent 3


What did you like about the clip?
The trailer has several parts which make you jump, creating adrenaline and fear. Also the fast paced editing especially towards the end builds tension.

What didn't you like about the clip?
The story line is unclear and the simple, boring ending doesn't make me wonder what the film is about and want to see it.

Does the clip make you want to watch the film?
No

Analysis 
From my analysis of several responses to the trailer of "The Strangers" I can conclude that an important factor within my trailer will be to create interest in the story line. This could be done by ending the trailer with a cliff hanger or, as it makes the film easy to relate to from the audience's point of view, linking the film to true and real life events. The music seems to be an important factor, within this trailer eery music and SFX have been used to instill fear which from my results I can see is important to the audience of a horror film. The pace of both the music and the editing is typically fast within trailers for horror films and again this seems to be important, I feel that building pace creates tension and adrenaline amongst the audience and would be effective in my trailer. Another element mentioned was the costumes of the 'Strangers' characters, the fact that they were unusual and different, perhaps not been seen before in a horror trailer I will take into account when considering the make up and costume for my trailer.

Audience Research Survey - Analysis

To gain a further insight into the audience at which I am targetting my trailer towards I created a questionnaire and surveyed 10 people. My survey asked several questions aiming to determine what my chosen target audience look for in horror films, their trailers and the promotional movie poster.

90% of the people that took this survey do enjoy watching horror films, the 1 response that does not is most likely to correlate with the 1 response that was from an audience member within the 50+ age bracket as most horror films are aimed at a younger audience.

The vast majority of people that took my survey are within the age bracket (16-25) which I am aiming my trailer towards. This shows that I should take the following results into account when planning and constructing my end piece as the answers are relavant and important in creating a successful trailer under my pitch and plan.

Five people that took my questionnaire are males and four female, this almost even split shows that my target audience contains both males and females as all of them answered my first question (Do you enjoy watching horror films?) with yes. This means that in my production and planning I need to take both genders into consideration and appeal to both with my trailer.

Each person that took this survey watches horror films at least once every 2-3 months with three people watching them once a month and two people every week. As these are fairly regular intervals at which my target audience watch horror films it would suggest that they have seen numerous and that mine should be new, up to date and relevant to keep the audience's interest and to stand out from the others that they have seen previous.

The fifth question I asked was 'What are your hobbies/interests?' this was to gain a further insight into my target audience and how they spend their free time. Watching films and socialisng are common interests among my chosen target audience, the characters withing my trailer should be easily relatable and have qualities or aspects of their lives in common with the audience so the story line feels more real and therefore more frightening.

The most popular answer chosen for this question was story line with actors, characters and violence also being key factors that a looked for by my target audience in horror films. The only one with no votes is humour, I added this choice as spoof horror movies have been popular both in the past and at present, however for my target audience it seems unpopular and so I know not to include this element within my piece. However I will focus on the storyline primarily as this is what is looked for first and grabs the attention of my audience.

The seventh question I asked was 'What do you look for in the trailer?' as I have chosen to create a trailer for my final piece I wanted to find out what attracts my target audience the most and what they look for first. Each of the elements are clearly important as they have at least one vote each however enigma seems to be the key factor. Therefore I will aim for there to be an aspect of mystery in my trailer that entices the viewer into wanting to watch the film in  its entirety. Tension and music coincide as I will use whichever piece of music I chose to create tension, by increasing the volume and pace at which it is heard. The story line as seen previously is an important part and is the basis of my trailer so will require the majority of my attention.

To determine what type of horror film I should create I asked the question 'What is your favourite sub-genre of horror?' this produced some clear results. The most popular are survival and psychological with genre's such as slasher and supernatural also receiving two votes. The genre's survival and psychological can be combined to form my movie's story line, survival is popular within many horror films such as Eden Lake and Insidious. Through this I could make the story relatable to the audience, and therefore more scary, by using characters and actors of similar ages and with similar interest to my target audience so making the film seem like reality.

For my ancillary task I will be creating a promotional movie poster for my trailer. To make it appealing to my audience I asked what attracts you most to a movie poster. The most popular answer was image, this is important as it would be the first element a person would see when just glancing at my poster. The image has to be eye catching and perhaps give an idea of what my film is about. The layout also seems to be important to my target audience, it needs to be clear and easy to understand so to not lose the interest of anyone, it also needs to be eye catching and maybe something unusual so it is memorable. The actors, colours and information about the plot also have some significance. The colours need to connote the ideas of fear and horror in keeping with the genre of my film, information about the plot needs to be brief so to not give anything away but also needs to create a mystery about the film to gain interest.

I asked a similar question as my tenth, but this time about my second ancillary task - a magazine cover. The most popular answer is clear, the images. Again these need to be eye catching and unusual so to create interest and also perhaps give an idea of what the plot is. Articles received two votes, anyone who purchases a magazine wants the content to be interesting and so I need to include relevant and feature articles to attract my audiences attention. The way in which I present these will also matter as they need to be clear and easy to see so they are not missed. 

Overall I feel my questionnaire was successful in gaining several pieces of key information which will help me to create my end pieces and tailor them well to my chosen target audience. 

Audience Research Survey

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Insidious Poster Analysis

I will be analysing this poster for the promotion of the film Insidious, a horror/thriller film about a child who is in a coma as his family fight to save him from being trapped in a different realm known as The Further.

Layout

The red line shows the path of the route of the eye, along this line important information or images are placed. The top part of the route of the eye goes through the words “From the makers of SAW and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY” this is to entice fans of these well known horrors to see the film advertised on the poster. By naming well known, popular films on the advertisement it makes people believe that the film will also be as good and will make them want to see it. The use of capital letters for the other films titles gives the idea of importance and that they must be really good to be used in such a bold way. The line then follows through the face of the child (Dalton) this is to draw attention to the fact that the plot is about a child, which, adds a feeling of mystery and added horror as children are normally portrayed as harmless or innocent. The line then finishes by running through the masthead, Insidious, as its last it allows the name of the film to be remembered and it’s bold font makes sure it stands out against the dark background.

The principle of thirds, in purple, shows nothing in the top three thirds as most of the information is lower down. The middle third is filled with the boys face making him the main focus of the poster, this image tells the viewer immediately who the main character is and allows them to guess what the film is about helping them decide if it is something they’d like to see. In the third to the right of the middle third containing the image of the boys face is a quote from a review that says “SO SCARY, I was whimpering in SHEER TERROR” as the quote is positioned here it allows the audience to notice and read it but it doesn’t draw attention away from the main focus. By putting “SO SCARY” and “SHEER TERROR” in capitals it portrays that the film is going to be one of the scariest, thrilling ones you’ve seen, followed by five stars the quote is designed to entice and excite. The primary optical areas and dead areas are left as blank as possible only being filled by the background image, this is so all your attention is focused on the important information. There is also nothing placed in the hotspots, instead they just frame the boys face aiming more attention and focus towards the image.  The bottom three thirds are filled by the Masthead ‘Insidious’ to tell you the name of the film, underneath this however ‘It’s not the house that’s haunted’ is written, this adds mystery to what the film is about and makes you want to watch it and find out what has happened to the boy.

At the very bottom of the poster is information on who the director of the film was (James Wan) and other information to do with the film. This information draws in people who are fans of particular directors or production companies or people who recognise them from other films they’ve enjoyed in the past.

 At the bottom of the poster the age certificate of the film is also shown, in this case a 15. The age certificate not only tells the viewer how old you have to be to watch the film but helps give them an idea on how scary or graphic it will be and whether it’s for them.

Images

The use of images on this poster is very effective. The background picture is of a large house which tells you that this is where most of the film is based. The house is large and old in style which makes you believe that it could be haunted but this idea is questioned by the “It’s not the house that’s haunted” line which leads you onto believe that something ‘spooky’ or ‘evil’ has happened there, raising more questions in the audiences mind that need to be answered.

The use of large trees in the background image encourage the idea of a creepy house as they tower over it creating dark shadows, these shadows add to the darkness of the picture supporting the suggestion of bad things happening. The sky is also filled with dark clouds, rain and clouds are usually associated with bad things whereas a clear sky and the sun are thought of as happy, the use of the clouds is to support the horror/thriller genre.

The main image however is of Dalton, the young boy. Standing in front of the house alone tells us that the story is about him. His emotionless face lets us know that happy things haven’t happened but it also doesn’t give anything away, adding even more mystery. It looks like his eyes have been scratched out or scratched over, possibly by something evil or a spirit. As his eyes have been removed from the image it gives the idea that the boy has been possessed as usually the eyes portray the idea of life and stereotypically in horror films when the eyes are covered or glazed over its because someone else is controlling them.

Colour

The use of colour in the poster is the main factors which contribute to the scary theme. Firstly, there are no bright colours which usually promote happy emotions; instead greys, dark reds and greens make up the images. The border of the poster is faded and darker than the rest of the image this pushes your attention towards the middle whilst giving the feeling of being trapped or enclosed in a small space promoting the idea of fear.

The boy is also dressed in a dark shirt; this makes the audiences attention focus on his face as this is where the attention is most needed as it tells us the most about what happens. His skin is pasty and tired looking, this is to give the impression that he has been through a lot and that he is tired and worn out, making us wonder what has made him like that.

The image together as a whole has been edited to be darker. Like a grey film has been put over the top. This effect darkens the whole poster to give an eerie, questionable feel making the audience want to see the film to find out why it’s so dark and what has happened to the boy and what the house’s connection is to him. 

Font

The use of font in the poster is very basic; it’s mainly white with one line in green. This is because the background image is dark so the colours for the text need to be light to show up. The use of the white is harsh against the dark background but is effective as it draws your attention towards it. The font is Sans Serif in style, this means it’s bold and not fancy this makes it quick and easy to read for people who are only glancing at the poster, the hardness of the font also shows that the film is scary as the curly, fancy style of a Serif font would give the impression of a less frightening film. Different sizes between the texts are also used to add variety and interest to the poster. It also allows for the attention of the person viewing it to be drawn to more important information first and the less important after. The masthead ‘Insidious’ is a different font to the rest of the writing but is still in Sans Serif to follow with the movies genre. It’s slightly distressed in style with breaks and worn out parts to it, this adds a scary feel to the masthead and title of the film.

This is the promotional poster for the ring and although simple and basic it has several elements which make it an effective poster in enticing an audience and creating interest. 


Layout
The audience see's the poster in several sections and firstly scans from the top left to right down to the bottom left corner and along the the right. This 'route of the eye' means that the audience first see's the quote 'Before you die you see' from the film. This immediately creates interest and surrounds the film with mystery fulfilling typical conventions of promotional posters for horror movies.This quote is also reflected just above itself making the poster seem distorted and imperfect. Following the route of the eye the audience next see's the main focus of the poster and the only image used, this gives the name of the film 'The Ring' and the iconic image associated with the film, a ring of light which seems to be appearing from behind an object and is slightly obscured. This again is distorted across the page and almost looks as though it is a consequence of interference, like that on a television. Finally the eye see's any information across the bottom of the poster, in this case it is the credits for the film. The principal of thirds is another rule which the eye follows when looking at pieces such as this poster. The eye is immediately drawn to certain areas, the first being the primary optical area, on this poster, within this area, you can see the beginning of the enticing quote which would lead the reader to read on and in turn creates interest. In the terminal optical area the name of the production company is included, this is Dreamworks Pictures which is a well known name. This would potentially create interest surrounding the film among those who perhaps would have not chosen to watch The Ring at first but have an interest in Dreamworks and there films. In the central optical area we can see the main focus of the poster, the hot spots also cover this section. As the poster is fairly simple the images and words used are placed symmetrically so to cover the largest area and creating fewer dead areas. 


Colour + Image
There are only two colours used within this poster, the background is black which gives the film and poster a dark atmosphere and is a typical colour associated with horror and fear. The writing is white contrasting the background so it is easy to read and stands out, catching the eye. The contrast of black and white also creates the illusion and sense that the ring of white, what could be assumed is light, is appearing from behind an eclipse of some kind or is obscured by an object, again creating mystery as it leaves the audience questioning and wondering what it is. 


Font
The quote used at the top of the poster is in Sans Serif font which adds to the simpleness of the poster putting emphasis on the importance of the words as there is little else included, the fact that this quote is reflected and so can be seen twice adds to there importance. The font used also makes the words easier to read and so they stand out. The font used for 'the ring' is again sans serif however is all lower case and looks as though it has been written by a child. The inclusion of children in horror films is common as it creates a sense of vulnerability and realism which is easily relatable to by the audience, emphasising and instilling fear.  

Layout + Images
Following the route of the eye the audience would first see 'Bruce Willis' from this we can assume that he takes the role of a lead character within the film, this would also entice fans of his to watch the film, immediately creating interest and hype about the film. Secondly the audience would see the two main images included, that of Bruce Willis and one of silhouette against a golden 6, the image of Bruce Willis is in the foreground of the poster and is the larger of the two. This again emphasises his importance in the film, and as he is a well known actor it is important that it is well known he has a part as it opens up another potential audience for the film. The image of the silhouette creates interest and mystery as it is unclear who it is and what their relation and role is within the film. Lastly the audience see the title of the film, credits and the films tagline. The tagline creates an air of mystery around the film as it gives a little information however not enough to completely expose the films story line, therefore creating interest. The title of  the film itself creates interest as in the real world there are 5 known senses and so by creating a sixth it triggers an interest amongst the audience and a want to know what it could be.The principle of thirds does not seem to play a large role in the layout of this poster as the primary and terminal optical areas are dead areas only including the edges of images and the background. Within the central optical area we can see sections of both images used, drawing your eye to them, the hotspots again draw the eye to the same area. 


Colours
The main colour used is black, which, as seen before is common in horror film posters as it gives a feeling of darkness which links with mystery, fear and terror. It seems to cast a shadow over the image of Bruce Willis, and his jacket disappears into the background as if he is sinking into the darkness. The second key colour used is an orange/yellow glow colour which looks like light seeping through a window or cracks in the poster, or it could be seen as fire surrounding the silhouette. This colour surrounds and encapsulates the silhouette which then reflects onto the image of Bruce Willis, as if it has control of the unknown character but influences and comes into contact with Willis' character. The text is in white as this contrasts the dark background and stands out making it easy to read and it also stands out catching the readers eye. 


Font
The font used for 'Bruce Willis' and The Sixth Sense is sans serif meaning it is easy to read and simple, standing out and easily noticeable. It looks as though it has been hand written, a scrawling almost as it is not very neat, giving the sense it may have been rushed or under pressured circumstances. The films tag line is in serif font which gives a slightly more formal feel to it and almost seperates it from the poster. 

The Sixth Sense Trailer

Film Magazine Analysis

Layout
As with most print based media products the route of the eye applies here. Firstly the eye is drawn to the mast head and cover line, 'Empire' is a well known name and is easily recognised by the font used which creates an identity for the magazine so the reader knows exactly what to expect in their first glance. Also the first cover line seen is 'The Dark Knight Returns...' the position of this signifies its importance as it is the first thing seen and also the elliptic dots create a sense of mystery causing a sense of interest in the reader and making them want to read on. Secondly in the route of the eye we see the main article of the magazine which seemingly has distinguished each element for the cover. 'Inception' is the largest item on the cover so to draw attention to it as it is the key feature of this issue, also with this we see the Directors name 'Christopher Nolan' so to attract attention from fans of his and draw a wider audience. Along with this is a smaller gold circle advertising a competition being run by the magazine, 'Dream Access' signifies that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity not to be missed so again causing the reader to want to read on. Lastly on the route of the eye we see the final article signified by the 'Plus!' the exclamation makes it seem exciting as if 'last but not least'. The rule of thirds has also been taken into account with the creation of this magazine cover. In the top third we can see the mast head and the main focus of the image being the subjects face, immediately the audience can identify with the magazine as it displays a well known actor which quickly attracts attention. In the middle third the main article can be seen along with several other minor articles. The way in which the text seems to be being drawn into the distance fits in with the main article well as Inception is a sci-fi fantasy style film, a genre which, this layout connotes. In the final third again we see the final article and bottom section of the image. The hotpots focus on the articles towards the sides of the image so to also draw attention to them and within the terminal optical area we see a a gun in the actors hand. This connotes ideas about the film (action, violence) and gives the audience an idea of what to expect.

Colour
The main colour used on the cover is red. Red connotes ideas of danger, blood and action, all of which are associated with the main feature film. Also the main image contains little colour, the actor is wearing a black and white suit against a grey/blue background, thus meaning that the red stands out and the stark contrast catches the eye. The masthead and main article have been written in red which signifies they're importance as they are what the eye is draw to first. Majority of the articles have been written in black so to stand out and so that they are easily read. The competition has been included in a golden circle, the colour gold connotes ideas of wealth and luxury both of which it seems the prize includes so attracting attention and making the reader want to find out more.


Font
The fonts used are fairly basic however everything written is in bold so to stand out and so it can be easily read. The masthead is in the classic font used for Empire so to create continuity between the magazines and also give it a brand identity. The names of each of the films featured either side of the main focus of the image are in a larger font so to attract attention, also it gives the audience a brief overview of whats inside at a glance.


Image
There is one main image used on this front cover which is associated with the main film featured. It includes the main actor who is also very well known so appealing to an audience who are fans of or are interested in him. The image is symmetrical so the main focus is central and the articles have been arranged symmetrically either side. It seems as though there is a light being shone from behind the actor as if signifying his importance and almost giving him a softer side. The black suit and gun show him to be an authoritative figure, his dominance on the cover also conveys this.

Research into Similar Products - The Sixth Sense

The Sixth Sense, released in 1999 tells the story of a boy who communicates with spirits that don't know they're dead seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist. The main focus of this film is a young boy which brings across the idea of innocence and vulnerability and enforces fear into the audience. Also we can see a close relationship between mother and son however they are alone as a family which, again, connotes the feeling of vulnerability but also isolation.

Editing

Fig. 1

The trailer begins with a series of shots before the production transition slides. Each of these are superimposed onto the next creating a feeling of momentum and continuity (Fig. 1). As the last shot closes the trailer fades to black cutting off what seems to be a key element to the film which, in turn, creates interest amongst the audience. The use of this also gives the impression that this is the beginning of events to unravel within the rest of the film. Between each of the next shots there is a fade to white or black which breaks the continuity of the trailer, giving the audience snippets of information and clues as to what the film entails. Each of these shots is relatively short and the pace quickens as it seems the trailer intensifies. A fade to a black and a transition slide is then included which gives us the name of who we can assume, as his name is first to appear above anyones, is the main character. This fades back to the next shot, however the name lingers in white above the shot. The next series of shots are interrupted by incredibly fast fade to blacks which creates an intense atmosphere, instillng fear into the audience and giving the trailer a sense of pace and adrenaline. A final, longer and slower, fade to black is then used to lead into the final shot of the trailer, which is significantly longer than any previous shot used.

Camerawork

Fig. 2

The trailer opens with a close up of a flare held by a police officer, so we can assume an incident of some seriousness has occured. The camera then tracks down the street showing a large traffic jam and reinforcing the seriousness of what we can assume is a traffic accident of some kind. The next shot is a two shot of who we can guess are the two main characters as they are the first to be focused upon. The closeness of these two characters in this shot shows their close relationship, the camera then switches to a close up of only the woman showing the shocked reaction on her face to what the boy has just said. The next series of shots focus on several different parts of the film. The first of which is a low angle shot looking up through a spiral staircase focusing on a red balloon floating away (Fig. 2), this gives a sense of vulnerability and distance as the object is moving away.

Mise en scene


The costumes worn by the key characters within this trailer are typical everyday clothes giving a realistic, more relatable feel to the characters and the story line. The police are in their uniforms giving them the authoritative role, within the school scene the teacher wears typical smart clothing and the children, as expected, are in uniforms. Within the trailer we only see one of the ghosts, she is dressed in, again, normal clothing however her make up is slightly different to that of the other characters. She is made to look very pale and sickly demonstrating her lifeless character. The lighting is kept as high key mainly, although changes to a lower key when it seems that the atmosphere has become more intense and also indicating the darker parts of the movie.

Sound


The trailer begins with the sound of sirens and the spark of the flare lit, we then hear a young boys voice over as he finishes speaking an eery piece of non diegetic music is played above the shots and transition slide, the subsequent shots are crossed over to the next with what sounds like a camera flash sound which is high up in the sound mix creating a more tense aggressive atmosphere. Several seconds later we hear a heartbeat which intensifies as the trailer progressive and also ties in with the transitions of the shots until, what sounds like, the grumble of thunder brings this non diegetic sound to an end. The dialogue within the trailer continues over the shots and above the heart beat sound FX in the mix, it seems to be of a concerned nature, speaking of the supernatural and the un-dead, the dialogue is spoken in a low tone and sometimes a whisper, again bringing across the idea of concern and also a secretive nature. Towards the end of the trailer a more intense, faster piece of music is heard which is in time with the fast, flashing transition of the shots which in turn creates a sense of adrenaline amongst the audience.

Research into Similar Products - The Ring Trailer

The Ring released in 2002 follows a young journalist who must investigate a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death of anyone in a week of viewing it. To be easily relatable to the audience an everyday setting and everyday characters are used which would help the audience identify with the situation thus making it more realistic and therefore more scary. Also the use of the videotape identifies with the fear of technology.
The themes involved are emphasised by the use of the four technical areas.

Sound

The trailer begins with a futuristic, mechanical sounding piece of non diegetic music with a voice-over on top. The music then takes a slower pace with a mystical, mysterious feel. The dialogue continues over the top, higher in the sound mix, when the phone rings it is very loud and the highest noise in the sound mix as it is key to the story line. Also we know from the opening dialogue of this trailer that the telephone call is to tell you that you will die within seven days. The audience then hears, what seems to be a young child, whispering "seven days". After this is heard the music becomes faster and more intense, fitting with the pace of the editing. The dialogue is heard over the transitions of the shots and the shots themselves, but fragmented and jumpy, what the audience hears is the repeat of consequences when you watch the video tape and also "The Ring" can be heard repeatedly towards the end. The trailer finishes as it began with television interference and the sound of white noise.

Editing

Fig. 1

The beginning of this trailer seems to be the mechanical workings of the inside of a VCR, which would seem fitting as the entire movie surrounds itself around a video tape. It then cuts to the iconic image (Fig. 1) which is most commonly associated with  this film, being the lit ring on a black background, the light seems to move, flickering around the ring. This image then cuts to what we can assume to be television interference as if the trailer is a television screen, again fitting as the film follows the story of a deadly video tape. After what we can assume is a section of the video tape being played is a fade to black and then a sequence of shots all linked to the next with a simple cut giving a stark, harsh visual. This technique is used throughout the entire trailer and is paced steadily, however increasing in the middle and towards the end of the trailer, this creates intensity and a sense of adrenaline amongst the audience.

Mise en scene 

Fig. 2

The costumes of the key characters within this film are everyday clothes, creating a sense of reality making it more easily relatable to the audience. Within the trailer we see that children are involved in the film giving a sense of vulnerability and enhancing the horror of the film as an audience feels a need to protect the child full well knowing there's nothing they can do. We also see a horse included which gives the same feeling of vulnerability. Linking in with this are the props of the children's drawings, they again reinforce the atmosphere created by the inclusion of the children and show how young they are (Fig. 2). Use of images drawn by children also gives a sense of mystery as they can be depicting thoughts or feelings that a child could not convey in any other way. The lighting is kept pretty low key throughout giving a dark atmosphere and the feeling of impending doom. Another of the props used is the videotape, perhaps the most key prop within the film as it creates the story and affects each of the characters.

Camerawork


The first few shots we see are edited into a shot reverse shot and are close ups of two young girls, this allows the audience to see their reactions as it seems the first character introduced is telling a key piece of information. We then see a wide shot of a small child and a grown man, this shows the contrast between the two characters, who we can assume are key as they are introduced early on, both in age and in size. The next series of shots are all close ups of several different characters again showing reactions. We then see a point of view shot of what the young woman is looking at, which we can see is a shelf full of videos with, what seems to be, one missing. A close up is used later to of the young woman slipping the video into her bag as if indicating that she is taking without permission. A mid shot and then a close up is used to show her watching the video and through quick editing we see her facial expression and what is on the television screen and also a point of view shot of the phone ringing. We then see a similar arrangement of shots as the young man is introduced and as he watches the tape for himself. Over the shoulder shots and close ups are used when the child's drawings are introduced and shown to the audience. A series of extreme close ups are used as the pace of the editing quickens towards the middle of the trailer, these are mainly of pieces of camera and equipment in a stark white room which confuses the audience as it is unsure what is happening and what these pieces are for. As the young lady, who seems to be the main character, changes location an establishing shot is used showing a remote location giving the idea of vulnerability and isolation.

Insidious Trailer

Research into similar products - Insidious Trailer

Insidious, released in 2010, follows a young family looking to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comotase son in a realm called the further. The involvement of family relationships and their stereotypical suburban lifestyle are key here as we see them ripped apart by the unknown and the paranormal, thus breaking the 'security' of family life. The easily relatable family situation makes the situation seem more real to the audience, therefore reinforcing and intensifying the feeling of fear and terror.

The story line, although key, is not the sole component to creating atmosphere and fulfilling the horror genre, the four technical areas are imperative.

Editing



Fig. 1



The trailer opens with a transition slide reading 'Insidious' and then condensing down to 'Is' this is repeated numerous times throughout, making it more memorable to the audience, and is coined as the films slogan. The visual of this slide is stark as they have contrasted the black background with white writing making it stand out and clear to the audience.

The pace of the editing within the trailer is imperative as it creates impact and a tense atmosphere, to begin with the pace of the editing matches the beat of the metronome, a cut with every beat. This has a dramatic effect and captures the audience, the pace of the editing then slows down as the beat and music fade out giving the audience several clips with the audio from the film, which creates interest in the movie as it gives a taste of what happens leaving the audience wanting to know more. Towards the end the music is reintrouduced fading in and building pace as this happens the editing follows suit and the cuts become incredibly fast and jumpy, flashing from one image of the film to another. This is common in horror trailers as it comes across as adrenaline rushing and thrilling. During one of the final sequence of clips we see the use of ellipsis of time (Fig.1) which gives the impression of broken time, and a lack of continuity. The fast pace of the shots grabs the audiences' attention and brings across an unsettling atmosphere, of which horror films can rely on to put fear into the audience. This technique is used again at the very end of the film after the last transition slide showing one of the evil spirits moving closer to the camera.

Camerawork



Fig. 2



The first shot we see is a mid shot, of who we can assume is the, or one of the, main characters as he is introduced to the audience primarily. It then moves to a close up of the metronome which is key in this trailer as it dictates the pace of editing and is heard throughout. The trailer then moves back to the first shot seen however a zoom in is used emphasising the importance of this character. The shots that follow are quick however there is a selection of establishing, master, two and close up shots which all introduce the main characters that this film follows. These shots show a typical, happy, suburban family life until the last one in this sequence showing a child falling which, as this is the last shot, indicates that this is the beginning of the main plot line. After this we see a two shot of the adults, who we can assume are the parents, which then quickly switches to an over the shoulder and point of view shot showing their child in a hospital bed indicating illness which is a common feature in horror films as it makes the character vulnerable. After this the shots are focused on the mother alone, which again brings across vulnerability and loneliness, we see a close up and a low angle tilt upwards towards her after the close up on the rocking horse. The shots that follow now focus more on the children in the film around whom the horror element of this film is focused. The majority of shots here are wide or long to show the children comparitive to their surroundings, which in most we can see an element of the supernatural such as the 'demon' standing in the corner of one of the childs rooms. The next series of shots are extreme close ups, of what we can assume is a camera. We are then introduced to a new character with an over the shoulder shot showing her in the foreground and the family in the background showing her importance. This shot also shows her as an outsider as she stands alone. The trailer then cuts to an extreme close up of her eye and a high angle shot looking down on to her giving the impression that she is aware of a presence or element that the family are not. In the next set of shots the trailer cuts back to this several times however incorporating a zoom connotating the idea that the supernatural or the unknown is looming and coming ever closer. In this section of the trailer we also see several close ups of drawings, of what we can assume are the spirits or monsters, and again an extreme close up of the older womans eyes. There are two over the shoulder shots showing the father of the family against two different monsters. One of these shows him looking into the mirror and not only seeing his reflection but also the reflection of an old, woman, this brings across the idea that maybe he has a closer relationship with the spirits than was first expected. This in turn creates interest amongst the audience and makes them want to know what happens. The last set of shots is set at a very fast pace the majority are close ups or extreme close ups, showing the reactions and facial expressions of the characters. The trailer then cuts to a transition slide which gives the impression that that is the end of the trailer which then also puts the audience at ease, however we then see a number of shots showing one of the spirits previously seen in the mirror moving closer to the camera at a fast pace. As it is unexpected this shocks the audience instilling fear and finishing with a tense atmosphere.

Mise en scene



Fig. 3

The costumes of the key characters in this trailer are typical everyday clothes with relation to gender and age group, this makes the family more relatable to the audience and makes it easier for the audience to identify with the characters and their situation. Make up, again, is very simple and typical of the family involved. The make up of the supernatural characters (Fig. 3) is seen only twice in this trailer as the 'demons' or 'monsters' are kept hidden to entice the audience, however, for the split second we are shown them we can see that they are far from human. The skin colour, being red, connotates the idea of fear and danger, along with the large eyes and sharp pointed teeth. There are several key props used throughout this trailer such as the baby monitor. This is used in conjuction with one of the first encounters of a spirit or demon in the trailer. The use of a prop closely correlated and associated with children brings across an element of vulnerability and the idea of innocence being corrupted such as the use of the rocking horse (Fig.4) and the baby monitor. The metronome is a key prop throughout the film as it begins by setting the pace of the shots and is also incorporated towards the end of the trailer creating a feeling of continuity and circularity to bring the trailer to an end. In the first set of shots a higher key lighting is used as the audience and family are yet to be introduced to the spirits. However once the trailer moves on to introduce a further insight into the film a low key lighting is used to give a feel of impending fear.



Fig. 4





Sound

The non diegetic music used in this trailer sounds, to the audience, sinister and aggressive, a typical convention of the horror genre. The trailer uses sudden loud noises to startle the audience and instill fear it also uses distorted sounds to give an eery sense and to create tension. The metronome used in the trailer, a diegetic sound, is high in the sound mix giving again an aggressive feeling as if something is looming.