evaluation question 4

Construction: while I was filming my trailer I used one video recorder to capture the whole things and edit and put it together on a movie software. I also started by taking the photos for my poster from these clips but when I looked at them they were blurring and weren’t the best quality so I decided to take photos of things featured in the trailer with a good quality camera.

Research and planning: for my research and planning I used websites such as youtube to view known existing trailers, to be able to learn and understand them and the conventions and to also get inspiration from them. It also allowed me to see the comments on there and what people thought if them, giving me more of an idea on what my target audience wants ad enjoys.

Evaluation: in my evaluation I used social media sites such as blogger upload my evaluation so people are able to view it. I did this via Google which help develop my skills further using a Google account to access media sites.

I used this software to post all of the work I did for this project. Overall I liked this software because it’s quite easy to use and is generally simple to post all the work I’ve done onto my blog which also makes it look more organised and presentable. Although when using it there were a few problems with it but once they were overcome I was able to continue making it a good software to use.

To create and edit my trailer I used a software called serif movie plus. I hadn’t used this software before so it was quite new to me and it took a while to get used to it and learn how to use it effectively but once I got used to it, it’s was easier to use, however there were a lot of problems when using it which made it very difficult when I was trying to edit my trailer. I would prefer to use different software if I was going to make another trailer as I think I would be able to produce it faster and more effectively and it probably would have a better outcome.

When creating my film poster I used the software Microsoft word to edit my photos and blend them together as it is really simple and easy to use, I also used the software Microsoft publisher to put my poster together and add the wringing and age rating as this is also a easy software to use. These are good software’s to use because they are really simple, easy and quick to use and give you the necessary tools to edit my photos. Although there are better software’s made for editing photos to give a professional look but these software’s are quite complicated and time consuming so I decided to use software’s I know to benefit the photos. Although software’s such as Photoshop would have been better for editing my poster I would not have been able to use it properly to make the poster look good so it would have look basic and easy, showing my decision to use a software I know and trust.

evaluation question 3, what have i learnt from my feedback

When I had finished all my media products I asked some people such as friends and family who fit in with my target audience to give me feedback on all the products. I did this by asking them to watch my trailer clips and developments, look at my poster and look at my magazine cover and give me feedback.

 

What I learnt from my feedback

After getting feedback I found that a people were generally happy with my trailer developments saying that it had a good storyline and relates and has similarities to existing trailers and followed the conventions. They also thought the film poster I created was appealing and linked with the trailer showing a clear indication that they’re for the same product and looked quite professional. However they thought that my magazine cover was the weakest production I have created as it isn’t quite to same quality as the others and doesn’t look as professional. So I learnt a lot from this experience and thought of ways to improve my products.

evaluation question 2 combinations between projects

combination between trailer and film poster

My main product and my ancillary combine and link quite well. This is because my film poster is a photo of a doll featured swinging in the trailer along with a photo of the boy’s eye also featured in the trailer, linking them well. Combining a film poster and a film trailer is vital because they are both promotions of the films and promote it in different ways. The film poster makes the audience want to watch it when they see it around in the streets or in buildings getting them interested and the trailer makes them want to watch the film as it shows clips and bits of the story from the film leaving the audience on a cliff hanger, grabbing their attention. So the combination between the two is important as when the audience sees one product it makes them want to see the other, promoting the film in an effective way.

Combination between my film trailer and magazine

The combination between a film trailer and magazine cover is also important, not as important as the combination between a poster and trailer because they link as a couple. But a magazine cover still promotes the film to mass audience, making the film seem appealing, it also gets the attention of the target audience and gets them interested, making them look at the poster viewed in the magazine then getting them interested in the trailer which makes them want to watch the film. So these combination of products are like a cycle working together to promote the film to a huge mass audience getting a lot of people interested.

evaluation question 2 part 3: trailer

I think the trailer does its purpose for the film I’m promoting, a trailer is supposed to insight people and intrigue them to come and see the film without giving out too much information which is what I believe my trailer does. And it interested the people I shown it to, who were also my target audience.

Using conventions of a typical horror filming featuring a family and a young boy who start getting haunted, I found that I was appealing to a large mass of horror genre fans, as this is a typical horror story, which will appeal to my target audience.

I tried to keep the theme in mind while filming my trailer. I used my brother as the young vulnerable boy who gets haunted and possessed, and he featured in most of the trailer. I used a lot of shots of things around the house such as photos moving and things changing at night again trying to in keep with the theme of the trailer.

evaluation, question 2 part two: magazine

I think my magazine helped to promote my trailer. I used the typical conventions of existing magazine covers to help create my magazine cover and to give me inspiration, conventions such as; mastheads, sell lines and features to help intrigue and tempt my audience. On my magazine I wrote ‘starring the new young actor Cameron Woods’ to promote the film and get the audience interested as he’s a new actor.

I made two magazine covers with the same contents and different background photos and asked for family and friends opinion and they agreed that the one with the hand background was the better one. I also included a picture of my final poster on my magazine saying that there’s a free copy inside to advertise my trailer and tempt my target audience to buy it.

I chose the title ‘cinemag’ to appeal to the target audience and intrigue them as it reaches out to my target audience. And the hand photo also appeals to them and fits in with the theme and genre of magazine, and the dark background also fits in with it and adds a sense of darkness and evil.

evaluation question 2 part one: poster

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

For my poster I followed typical horror conventions, such as the main picture as the background, the title and slogan at the bottom of the page with the age rating and the character and the date release at the top. I tried to be more creative with the poster by blending two photos together of a doll featured in the trailer along with the eye of the boy in the trailer. I produced 5 posters all similar to each other to portray my trailer and making it in keeping with the theme of the trailer.

I showed these posters to friends and family and asked their opinion on them and which one is best and best in keeping with the theme and trailer and they all agreed on the one with the doll on the as the background with the eye overlapping and blending in. So this helped my decision on which one to choose.

I also followed the conventions of typical horror trailers with the colours these being dark and deep and the photos being edited to be very dark and shadowed off to enforce the horror theme. The dark colours indicate danger and evil, and this is contrasted with the off white writing which shows the pureness and vulnerability of the young boy.

 

evaluation question 1

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

In my research I used different media products to see what real trailers and movies were like and get inspiration from them. I got a lot of inspiration from the films ‘Insidious’ and ‘The Conjuring’ and developed my own characters and storyline from this inspiration.

My Trailer goes along the lines of the typical codes and conventions of existing trailers, showing a normal family and the boy starts getting haunted and possessed. It also enforces the fear in people as it shows a real household and real people, showing that this could happen, bringing out the fear in the audience. It also looks a little on religion, showing possession, and haunting.

I changed my trailer slightly, focusing mainly on the young lad in it, him being the main character, rather than the whole family, to make it more intense and to show how vulnerable and scared the boy is.

I tried to make sure that my media product followed the media codes and conventions when creating them. This way my media products seem more realistic and professional and would fit in with the existing products that are made for my target audience.

Conventions of a horror film;

In horror films there are typical conventions to make them recognisable, such as; Bursts of sound or music creating tension or slow slightly creepy music throughout the trailer or a use of both for an effective trailer. Scenes, or indications of death to make the genre clear. The colours black and red are often used to indicate darkness or evil and sometimes white as a comparison showing pureness. Todorov’s narrative theory is used in horror films to indicate clear character roles. This genre don’t reveal much about the film just hinting at the storyline to intrigue the audience. Also dark, shadowed off settings such as the woods or a basement are used again indicating the genre, or a natural family environment such as a family home are often used to show how an incident changes peoples life creating more fear in the audience as its more realistic. These are just some of the main codes and conventions horror trailers follow in order to make it an eye catching, re-memorable and realistic product.

Making my trailer follow these conventions;

In my trailer I tried to follow the codes and conventions of a typical horror trailer because they are what make an appealing trailer and make the audience want to watch the film. I used a family home environment as the setting in my trailer to make it seem more realistic and to bring out the fear in the audience. I filmed most of my trailer at night showing the disequilibrium of the trailer and to indicate something is happening, also making it more scary and effective, although I filmed some of my trailer in daylight to show normal life before the disturbance of the disequilibrium. Filming the equilibrium section of the trailer works filming in daylight but the disequilibrium section works best filmed in the dark showing why I chose the lighting for different sections to make it more effective and following the conventions.

I feel that one of the most important conventions is not giving the storyline away and just giving hints of the story to tempt the audience as, tempting the audience is what gets them interested and by giving away the storyline would mean no one would need to watch it. But getting the balance right with not showing them too much but not showing them too little to make the trailer confusing. I also think Todorov’s theory plays a big part in horror trailers as it shows the clear characters in the film so that it isn’t confusing, making it unsuccessful.  

my trailer

final magazine cover

final poster

poster ideas

 

magazine ideas

 

ideas and inspiration taken from research to use in my production

After doing my research on horror films and trailers and gotten my inspiration from it there are various things that I would use from them in my own to get my trailer as similar as them so my trailer resembles a real existing one. Things such as the big house with the land, the ordinary family living in the house, this being the equilibrium, so I want to make my equilibrium pretty similar to these trailers that I have researched. Also I want to use things from the disequilibrium parts in the real horror trailers that I have researched, things such as; personal objects in the house such as photos and clothing. Also furniture moving or lights, TV’s, phones or radios turning on or off to represent something’s wrong which is inspiration taken from the trailers I have researched.

target audience

Age ratings

Mama-15

The conjuring-15

Insidious chapter 2- 15

All the films and trailers that I have researched, which is ‘Mama’ ‘The Conjuring’ and ‘Insidious Chapter 2’ are all rated at 15, as I have researched these trailers and am getting my inspiration from these trailers and trying to make mine similar to these to make it represent a real trailer I am going to make the age rating on my trailer in this area of age.

magazine cover mock up

poster mock up

logo designs

comparing old horror films to new ones

 The shining is a 1980 British-American psychological horror
 film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelly Duvall, Danny Lloyd, and Scatman Crothers. The film is based on Stephen King's novel of the same name, though there are significant changes.

In the film, a writer called Jack Torrance, takes a job as an off-season caretaker at an isolated hotel. His young son possesses psychic abilities and is able to see things from the past and future, such as the ghosts who inhabit the hotel. Soon after settling in, the family is trapped in the hotel by a snowstorm, and Jack gradually becomes influenced by a supernatural presence; he descends into madness and attempts to murder his wife and son.

Unlike previous Kubrick films, which developed an audience gradually by building on word of mouth, The Shining was released as a mass market film, opening at first in just two cities on Memorial Day, then nationwide a month later. Although initial response to the film was mixed, later critical assessment was more favorable and it is now listed among the greatest horror movies, while some have even viewed it as one of the greatest films of all time. Film director Martin Scorsese, writing in The Daily Beast, ranked it as one of the 11 scariest horror movies of all time. Film critics, film students, and Kubrick's producer, Jan Harlan, have remarked on the enormous influence the film has had on popular culture.

The 80's is classed as one of the best decades for horror movies, these are some of the films brought out in the 80's.

In America wracked by crime and overcrowded prisons, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity-including murder-becomes legal. The police can't be called. Hospitals suspend help. It’s one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking. When an intruder breaks into James Sandin's gated community during the yearly lockdown, he begins a sequence of events that threatens to tear a family apart. Now, it is up to James, his wife, Mary, and their kids to make it through the night without turning into the monsters from whom they hide.







These are some of the horror films that were brought out on 2013.

 

 

prop ideas

The props I am thinking of using in my trailer are things that are typically used in horror films such as a bible and a cross for the priest and things like a teddy bear or toys and childlike things for the haunted boy to show the innocence of him and to show how young he is. I am also going to use things like the TV or radios and show them changing or turning of which is typically used in horrors to show when things start going wrong and to show the bad presence that is there.

font ideas for my trailer title

Demonic -amhurst SF

Demonic  -BarCode

Demonic -Candy buzz BTN

Demonic -Blackletter686 E

Demonic -Bradly hand ITC

Demonic  -Dragline BTN DM

Demonic -Fraktur BT

Demonic -Gelfling SF

Demonic -Lithos pro regular

Demonic -Mistral

Demonic -Mister sirloin BTN rare  

Demonic -Stone temple SF

Demonic -Troutkings BTN

Demonic -Viner hand ITC

Demonic -Youngsook BTN

characters that i am going to use

The characters that I am going to use in my trailer are-

My youngest brother as the little child in the family that gets haunted or possessed.

My granddad as a priest trying to get rid of the demon and the helper in the trailer.

My dog to show when things start going wrong to give a sense of a bad presence .

costume ideas

The costumes I am thinking of using for my trailer are mainly casual clothing to make the trailer seem more realistic and to show that it is a family at home comfortable in their own house and clothing again making it more realistic. For example; jeans or joggers and a t-shirt for my little brother and then dark trousers and a white t-shirt for my granddad as a priest.

different types of horror films

There are a few different types of horror films that are typically used such as;

Zombie films

Demon films

Spirit haunting films

Alien films

films based on an insane person

Possession films

Dead/evil animal films

I am going to do the demon/spirit haunting and possession as it is more realistic and brings out the fear in people more as it is believable and plus it would be easier to a haunting rather than an alien or zomie film which takes a lot of time for hair make up costumes and location.

which trailer plot i am going to use

The plot that I’m going to go with is the plot where there is a family that starts getting haunted as I can use my own house props around the house and I can use my family members as the characters in my trailer.

Brief synopsis- starts off with the equilibrium when a family are living as normal, usually being a full family with the mum and dad and a few children normally 2 to 4, or typically they have moved into a new house or town and are getting used to their new life when strange things start happening such as things objects start moving, TV’s or radio’s change channel or the radio waves interrupted or doors and windows open on their own this is when the disequilibrium happens when everything starts going wrong for the family and they realise paranormal things are happening and they try to seek help with someone who deals with these things are in the paranormal profession.  That’s when things get really serious and the evil presence takes over their lives and that’s when the family and the people working to help them have to go to great lengths to get things back to normal and to get rid of the evil spirit. This is when the big thing happens and everything is very fast and loud then all of a sudden things stop and things go back to normal and then the return to equilibrium and the family return back to their normal lives as much as they can.

 

plot ideas

Plot ideas, going along the typical codes and conventions of a haunting horror film-

Group of friends doing dares staying in haunted and abandoned houses-

Brief synopsis- typically a big group of friends are shown at home or in the city where they are comfortable and are getting together, this being the equilibrium part of the film or trailer, then they decide to go on a trip exploring the unknown camping and sleeping in old abandoned and haunted houses, drinking and doing dares and generally having fun. Then the disequilibrium section of the film or trailer comes when strange things start to happen and then one night when they’re camping or staying in a haunted or abandoned is when the disequilibrium happens and people starting dying from unexplained reasons and the others can’t figure out what’s going on and started getting scared. This section of the plot goes on for a while until nearly all of the characters have died and then the big ending happens where there is a bit of the show down between the good and evil and 1 or 2 people survive and return back to their normal lives this being the return to equilibrium.

Ordinary family get haunted-

Brief synopsis- starts off with the equilibrium when a family are living as normal, usually being a full family with the mum and dad and a few children normally 2 to 4, or typically they have moved into a new house or town and are getting used to their new life when strange things start happening such as things objects start moving, TV’s or radio’s change channel or the radio waves interrupted or doors and windows open on their own this is when the disequilibrium happens when everything starts going wrong for the family and they realise paranormal things are happening and they try to seek help with someone who deals with these things are in the paranormal profession.  That’s when things get really serious and the evil presence takes over their lives and that’s when the family and the people working to help them have to go to great lengths to get things back to normal and to get rid of the evil spirit. This is when the big thing happens and everything is very fast and loud then all of a sudden things stop and things go back to normal and then the return to equilibrium and the family return back to their normal lives as much as they can.

A couple start getting stalked or haunted-

Brief synopsis- Starts off with the equilibrium where the couple are living normally together in their house or apartment, then the disequilibrium happens where something starts happening and things start going wrong such as they start getting haunted, and it gradually gets worse, then the problem is realised and they try do something about it by filming it or by getting a professional or a priest to help which typically in most horrors makes the situation worse. That’s when the climax happens and something bad happens to one or both of them, sometimes this is where the film ends leaving it on a cliff hanger to have the audience on the edge of their seats, but sometimes they find a solution that works and that’s when the haunting stops and the return to equilibrium happens.

title ideas

-Demonic

-Attached

-Abandoned

-The haunting

-The awakening

-Awakened spirit

-Forbidden

-The un-dead

-Awakened

-Spirit reader

-The change

-Demon or spirit names

-Shadow

making the pie chart on title names-

 

location ideas

Woods- subject could be running through them away from something, or they could be camping or staying in a cabin

Abandoned property-typical plot of friends going to an abandoned or haunted property to investigate or dare each other to stay in there.

Own house- casual more believable story line of a haunting or tragedy happening to a normal family.

Fields- The subject could be being chased through the fields or walking through fields when weird things start happening.

I could use a mixture of these locations to create a more professional trailer. For example the subject or subject’s start off in their home when weird things happen so they try to get away from the property but the problem follows them so they could run through the fields and woods to add more than one location to make it more interesting.

Or a group of friends could be shown in a town where they are more comfortable and then to change the scene and feel of the trailer they could end up staying in an abandoned or haunted house when strange things happen so they are shown running through fields or woods which relates to conventions of real horror trailers.