Film trailer 1: Narrative and genre
This film trailer successfully communicates the narrative and genre to the audience through the consistent use of same setting as well as only focusing on main characters who are used constantly throughout. We are familiarised with the female character as she is used as a focus throughout the trailer - we see her in a scene at the end being followed by a nun which shows the audience that she will be the main target of disrupt in the movie. The trailer familiarises the audience with a setting that we can assume will be mainly used throughout the film as the church/nunnery is the only set we are exposed to. The first couple of seconds of the trailer also introduces us to the 'villain' character who we also see throughout the rest of the trailer - the audience can identify the character of the nun as being the 'demon' who will cause disequilibrium in the movie. On a whole, the horror genre is undoubtedly recognisable due to the many key conventions used throughout. Firstly, the use of an old nunnery set already shows the audience that religion and faith plays a huge part of the movie which suggests that the movie may include something trying to disrupt this. Scenes from inside create a more eerie feel as there is constant use of darkness and low light which is a commonly used convention to portray a horror movie.
Film trailer 2: Mise-en-scene
This film trailer in particular uses mise-en-scene to create meanings which further develops narrative for the audience. Props are used throughout to create meaning - the book and pages of the book are used throughout the trailer which depicts that it holds importance in the movie ; in the beginning of the trailer we are shown a photograph of the woman in the trailer with who we assume is her deceased husband (this gives us explanation to why the movie is based on only a mother and her son). Through most of the trailer we see the use of mainly low key lighting which creates an eerie feel as it is a way of depicting the horror genre.
Film trailer 3: Camerawork
The very first shot used is an establishing shot of greenery which sets the scene showing the audience the type of area this movie will be based in. From the very beginning of the trailer close up shots are used on main characters showing their importance where as wider shots are used to show less relevant characters who will still be featured in the movie. One common camera movement used in this trailer is zooming in - the camera zooms into mostly pictures, posters and footage to emphasise the relevance of those things, causing the audience to pay closer attention to them. At 0:49s whilst the three characters are watching a video there is an extreme close up used of one of the characters eyes showing the reflection of the playing video - this is a significant shot as it shows the video will have a later impact due to the fact that a extreme close up was used to specifically capture the video playback being processed by the character. At 1:52s a high angle shot over the shoulder shot is used to capture an encounter between the 'slender man' and one of the main characters - the high angle makes the female character look vulnerable showing her fear and the over the shoulder shot further depicts her genuine fear of the 'slender man' reinforcing her vulnerability and weak position in her current situation.
Film trailer 4: Editing
The very first establishing shot consists of text which establishes the place and set for the audience. This has been used as the first shot to give the audience some background to the movie. The next establishing shot at the beginning is taken in the ocean which further establishes set of the movie and gives the audience the idea that the ocean will be a main set. In the next few shots we are introduced to our first character in a medium close up shot to capture her facial expression as well as body language and the shark who is introduced in a wide shot. The pace at the beginning of the trailer is quite slow, especially when first introduced to the shark, as characters are still being introduced and the problem is still being established. Over half way through the trailer the pace begins to quicken as all the information needed for the audience has been established by this point. By the end of the trailer there are multiple action shots used in a fast pace to establish action. Throughout the whole trailer the shark is mainly shot using wide shots to capture just how big it is, intended to create fear and shock showing how small the human characters are compared to it. There is a scene where the shark jumps out of water which is shot from a low angle to depict it as beastly and huge.
Film trailer 5: Sound
The trailer begins with a clip of a girl running only to reveal a hung body - this scene is used at the beginning and is introduced with a voice over of the character well known as 'Jigsaw' ( this film is a sequel so audience would be familiar with characters and character voices). The beginning voice over reintroduces the idea of the SAW torture games that the movies are based around. This trailer particularly uses sound in an interesting way throughout, especially through the use of non-diegetic contrapuntal sound. Audiences can identify contrapuntal sound being used in the most disturbing and violent scenes of the trailer which creates an uncomfortable effect on the audience. The feelings an audience would feel on watching those scenes (from 1 minute on wards) does not match to the feelings they would typically feel when listening to the sound track used over. The trailer mainly consists of diegetic sound throughout such as speech from characters and sounds of objects, alarms etc. The dialogue used in the trailer is used cleverly to give parts of the narrative away without giving away the whole story line - audiences are given information leading on from prequels of the film to further interest them into watching the movie and uncovering the whole story.
Film trailer 6: Trailer conventions, intertextuality, graphics, text-on-screen etc.
This trailer is a great example of one that consists of the key conventions used in trailers - graphics, on screen text, reviews, information. At the end of the trailer we are given the release date and a short list of credits. Throughout the trailer between different scenes there is text to engage the audience - some of the text used are reviews from critics rating the film in a positive manner which gives the film a good impression on the audience. The trailer also consists of 'from the producer of' which gives the audience an idea of what kind of film this will be and also gives the film recognition as it is linking it to other popular films - people who like the other films that are mentioned are more likely to go out of their way to watch this one. The text used is simple yet bold in the colour yellow - this is significant because the yellow text on a black background almost connotes to a warning sign or danger sign (including this fits the horror genre).
2) Planning: Film pitch
Title:
Trapped
Tagline:
The voices are real.
You can't escape what was always there.
Genre:
Horror
Logline:
When what is believed to be a mental disorder turns out to be something much deeper and darker, there is no escape for teenager Michael who battles between reality and the beyond.
Successful films similar to yours:
The Ward (2010) Insidious Chapter 3 (2015)
Narrative structure:
Main character Michael is released from a mental illness rehabilitation centre and returns home as he has received help and support for what him and his family believe to be schizophrenia. Michael has been battling with schizophrenia from as young as he can remember and it is believed that his condition has worsened as he became an active drug user. We later learn that there is more to his illness than meets the eye as we as an audience begin to encounter strange and spooky happenings from the perspective of Michael himself. Michael learns that the voices which were diagnosed by doctors as schizophrenia is in fact communication from evil entities. As the voices get louder and more persistent, Michael's family a long with doctors believe that his condition is worsening when in fact Michael is in danger - the only person who believes that he is experiencing something beyond schizophrenia is his best friend Elise. Battling with demons, Michael turns to the church for help with hope to rid of all evil presences.
Hero/Heroine, their desires, the conflicts they encounter etc:
Heroine: Bestfriend Elise sticks by Michael through all of his tough experiences and ensures to try her best to get him any help that she needs. She becomes victim to these paranormal encounters also as she takes huge interest and effort into helping Michael defeat these demons. She desires to help main character and wants people to realise that he isn't crazy.
Hero: The church offer a huge help a long with a priest who tries to conquer all entities and exorcises Michael.
Other characters, their narrative role and their audience appeal etc:
Parents: Michael's parents are supportive in the beginning, especially in helping their son who they believe to have a mental illness. When Michael stops taking his meds and starts denying the mental illness his family begin to drift away from him as they believe that he has a problem and is refusing to deal with it when in reality he is actually experiencing something much more deeper and darker. I think the situation with Michael's parents will appeal to my teenage target audience as they may be able to relate with the broader matter of parents struggling to understand what you're actually going through, especially as a teenager.
Target audience:
Mainly aimed at a more teenage audience as main character is a teenager.
3) Statement of Intent
I have decided to create a film trailer based on the horror genre, in particular focusing on the conventional paranormal story. A long side my trailer I will create three film posters advertising my horror film – these three posters will each be aimed at a different sector within my target audience. My film trailer will be based on a film about a teenage boy, Michael, who has been diagnosed with mental illness schizophrenia. We later learn that there is more to his illness than meets the eye as we as an audience begin to encounter strange and spooky happenings from the perspective of Michael himself. As Michael drifts away from his family best friend Elise is his only help. This is a battle between Michael and his demons.
4) Ignite presentation
Prepare a 5-minute, 20-slide presentation using the Ignite format in which you present your coursework project. In effect, this is your statement of intent in presentation format. You must cover:
- Your film idea: title, tagline, genre, narrative etc.
- Media language: how you will use conventions, camerawork, editing, mise-en-scene and sound to create an effective trailer and film posters.
- Media representations: how you will use or subvert stereotypes; representation theory.
- Media audiences: your target audience demographics and psychographics; audience pleasures; audience theory.
- Media industries and digital convergence: the potential companies or organisations that could fund or distribute your film; how your trailer and posters will use new and digital media and digital convergence to create an effective campaign.
Ignite presentations have very specific rules: you must create exactly 20 slides with each slide set to 15-second auto-advance. This means your presentation will be exactly five minutes followed by questions and comments from the class. You will deliver your presentation on your coursework planning in the first week back in September.
You can find more information about Ignite presentations - including examples - in this Ignite presentation blogpost here.
Summer project deadline: all tasks above due in first lesson back in September
Summer project: optional extensions
Pre-production tasks
Some students have already expressed an interest in filming their trailers over the summer break. This makes a huge amount of sense - far more availability of actors, much more time to schedule filming etc. However, if you want to do this, you need to read this Guardian feature on how to create a film trailer and then complete the following aspects of pre-production:
Script
Write a script for your film trailer. There is some debate with regards to whether trailers have scripts (the script would obviously be for the full movie) but you absolutely need to plan out every aspect of your production and a script seems the more logical way to do it. It may well be that your trailer script contains a lot of stage directions/description but there will be dialogue (and possibly voiceover) in there too. You'll find guidance for writing a script in the BBC Writers' Room (click on the Script Library to read real examples of professional scripts).
Storyboard
Sketch out a range of critical shots from your trailer, take a photo of the storyboard and upload it to your blogpost. What visual style are you trying to create? Storyboard sheets are available in DF07 or you can download and print out an AQA storyboard template from here.
Shot list
Write a shot list containing EVERY shot you plan to film for the trailer AND additional shots to create flexibility when editing. These additional shots are often close-ups, cutaways, alternative angles or similar. I advise using a simple table on Microsoft Word to set out your shot list - you can find an example here. It makes sense to write your shot list by scene or location rather than a huge list of every shot in the trailer in chronological order.
Mise-en-scene
What iconography are you including to ensure your audience understands the genre? Plan your cast, costume, make-up, props, lighting and setting. This can be simply completed using your blog or Microsoft Word - the key aspect is to have planned all the critical details.
Shooting schedule
Plan a shooting schedule for your filming over the summer. Include when, where, who is required and what shots you will complete at each time/location. Again, this can be on Word or Excel or you could simply use your blog. The most important thing is that you've planned it!
Non-assessed participants
You will need to provide a written record of all non-assessed participants in your production work (both trailer and posters). Keep a record of everyone involved - actors, camerawork, sound etc. You will also need a keep a record of any non-original sound you used and note it on the Candidate Record Form. Keep these on your blog for easy reference when submitting your work in Year 13.
Production: Filming and photography
This film trailer successfully communicates the narrative and genre to the audience through the consistent use of same setting as well as only focusing on main characters who are used constantly throughout. We are familiarised with the female character as she is used as a focus throughout the trailer - we see her in a scene at the end being followed by a nun which shows the audience that she will be the main target of disrupt in the movie. The trailer familiarises the audience with a setting that we can assume will be mainly used throughout the film as the church/nunnery is the only set we are exposed to. The first couple of seconds of the trailer also introduces us to the 'villain' character who we also see throughout the rest of the trailer - the audience can identify the character of the nun as being the 'demon' who will cause disequilibrium in the movie. On a whole, the horror genre is undoubtedly recognisable due to the many key conventions used throughout. Firstly, the use of an old nunnery set already shows the audience that religion and faith plays a huge part of the movie which suggests that the movie may include something trying to disrupt this. Scenes from inside create a more eerie feel as there is constant use of darkness and low light which is a commonly used convention to portray a horror movie.
Film trailer 3: Camerawork
The very first shot used is an establishing shot of greenery which sets the scene showing the audience the type of area this movie will be based in. From the very beginning of the trailer close up shots are used on main characters showing their importance where as wider shots are used to show less relevant characters who will still be featured in the movie. One common camera movement used in this trailer is zooming in - the camera zooms into mostly pictures, posters and footage to emphasise the relevance of those things, causing the audience to pay closer attention to them. At 0:49s whilst the three characters are watching a video there is an extreme close up used of one of the characters eyes showing the reflection of the playing video - this is a significant shot as it shows the video will have a later impact due to the fact that a extreme close up was used to specifically capture the video playback being processed by the character. At 1:52s a high angle shot over the shoulder shot is used to capture an encounter between the 'slender man' and one of the main characters - the high angle makes the female character look vulnerable showing her fear and the over the shoulder shot further depicts her genuine fear of the 'slender man' reinforcing her vulnerability and weak position in her current situation.
Film trailer 4: Editing
Film trailer 6: Trailer conventions, intertextuality, graphics, text-on-screen etc.
This trailer is a great example of one that consists of the key conventions used in trailers - graphics, on screen text, reviews, information. At the end of the trailer we are given the release date and a short list of credits. Throughout the trailer between different scenes there is text to engage the audience - some of the text used are reviews from critics rating the film in a positive manner which gives the film a good impression on the audience. The trailer also consists of 'from the producer of' which gives the audience an idea of what kind of film this will be and also gives the film recognition as it is linking it to other popular films - people who like the other films that are mentioned are more likely to go out of their way to watch this one. The text used is simple yet bold in the colour yellow - this is significant because the yellow text on a black background almost connotes to a warning sign or danger sign (including this fits the horror genre).
2) Planning: Film pitch
Title:
Trapped
Tagline:
The voices are real.
You can't escape what was always there.
Genre:
Horror
Logline:
When what is believed to be a mental disorder turns out to be something much deeper and darker, there is no escape for teenager Michael who battles between reality and the beyond.
Successful films similar to yours:
The Ward (2010) Insidious Chapter 3 (2015)
Narrative structure:
Main character Michael is released from a mental illness rehabilitation centre and returns home as he has received help and support for what him and his family believe to be schizophrenia. Michael has been battling with schizophrenia from as young as he can remember and it is believed that his condition has worsened as he became an active drug user. We later learn that there is more to his illness than meets the eye as we as an audience begin to encounter strange and spooky happenings from the perspective of Michael himself. Michael learns that the voices which were diagnosed by doctors as schizophrenia is in fact communication from evil entities. As the voices get louder and more persistent, Michael's family a long with doctors believe that his condition is worsening when in fact Michael is in danger - the only person who believes that he is experiencing something beyond schizophrenia is his best friend Elise. Battling with demons, Michael turns to the church for help with hope to rid of all evil presences.
Hero/Heroine, their desires, the conflicts they encounter etc:
Heroine: Bestfriend Elise sticks by Michael through all of his tough experiences and ensures to try her best to get him any help that she needs. She becomes victim to these paranormal encounters also as she takes huge interest and effort into helping Michael defeat these demons. She desires to help main character and wants people to realise that he isn't crazy.
Hero: The church offer a huge help a long with a priest who tries to conquer all entities and exorcises Michael.
Other characters, their narrative role and their audience appeal etc:
Parents: Michael's parents are supportive in the beginning, especially in helping their son who they believe to have a mental illness. When Michael stops taking his meds and starts denying the mental illness his family begin to drift away from him as they believe that he has a problem and is refusing to deal with it when in reality he is actually experiencing something much more deeper and darker. I think the situation with Michael's parents will appeal to my teenage target audience as they may be able to relate with the broader matter of parents struggling to understand what you're actually going through, especially as a teenager.
Target audience:
Mainly aimed at a more teenage audience as main character is a teenager.
3) Statement of Intent
I have decided to create a film trailer based on the horror genre, in particular focusing on the conventional paranormal story. A long side my trailer I will create three film posters advertising my horror film – these three posters will each be aimed at a different sector within my target audience. My film trailer will be based on a film about a teenage boy, Michael, who has been diagnosed with mental illness schizophrenia. We later learn that there is more to his illness than meets the eye as we as an audience begin to encounter strange and spooky happenings from the perspective of Michael himself. As Michael drifts away from his family best friend Elise is his only help. This is a battle between Michael and his demons.
4) Ignite presentation
Prepare a 5-minute, 20-slide presentation using the Ignite format in which you present your coursework project. In effect, this is your statement of intent in presentation format. You must cover:
- Your film idea: title, tagline, genre, narrative etc.
- Media language: how you will use conventions, camerawork, editing, mise-en-scene and sound to create an effective trailer and film posters.
- Media representations: how you will use or subvert stereotypes; representation theory.
- Media audiences: your target audience demographics and psychographics; audience pleasures; audience theory.
- Media industries and digital convergence: the potential companies or organisations that could fund or distribute your film; how your trailer and posters will use new and digital media and digital convergence to create an effective campaign.
You can find more information about Ignite presentations - including examples - in this Ignite presentation blogpost here.
Summer project deadline: all tasks above due in first lesson back in September
Summer project: optional extensions
Pre-production tasks
Some students have already expressed an interest in filming their trailers over the summer break. This makes a huge amount of sense - far more availability of actors, much more time to schedule filming etc. However, if you want to do this, you need to read this Guardian feature on how to create a film trailer and then complete the following aspects of pre-production:
Script
Write a script for your film trailer. There is some debate with regards to whether trailers have scripts (the script would obviously be for the full movie) but you absolutely need to plan out every aspect of your production and a script seems the more logical way to do it. It may well be that your trailer script contains a lot of stage directions/description but there will be dialogue (and possibly voiceover) in there too. You'll find guidance for writing a script in the BBC Writers' Room (click on the Script Library to read real examples of professional scripts).
Storyboard
Sketch out a range of critical shots from your trailer, take a photo of the storyboard and upload it to your blogpost. What visual style are you trying to create? Storyboard sheets are available in DF07 or you can download and print out an AQA storyboard template from here.
Shot list
Write a shot list containing EVERY shot you plan to film for the trailer AND additional shots to create flexibility when editing. These additional shots are often close-ups, cutaways, alternative angles or similar. I advise using a simple table on Microsoft Word to set out your shot list - you can find an example here. It makes sense to write your shot list by scene or location rather than a huge list of every shot in the trailer in chronological order.
Mise-en-scene
What iconography are you including to ensure your audience understands the genre? Plan your cast, costume, make-up, props, lighting and setting. This can be simply completed using your blog or Microsoft Word - the key aspect is to have planned all the critical details.
Shooting schedule
Plan a shooting schedule for your filming over the summer. Include when, where, who is required and what shots you will complete at each time/location. Again, this can be on Word or Excel or you could simply use your blog. The most important thing is that you've planned it!
Non-assessed participants
You will need to provide a written record of all non-assessed participants in your production work (both trailer and posters). Keep a record of everyone involved - actors, camerawork, sound etc. You will also need a keep a record of any non-original sound you used and note it on the Candidate Record Form. Keep these on your blog for easy reference when submitting your work in Year 13.
Production: Filming and photography
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