Trinity A2 Media : June 2016

Wednesday, 22 June 2016

Conventions of movie trailers

conventions of horror movie trailers

-creates a mysterious atmosphere in order to scare the viewer.
- studios are always credited at the beginning, sometimes along with disclaimers.
-titles at the end of the trailer
- dark colours in the trailer to show the audience it is spooky
- writing is always bold, in white, black or red as these are colours suitable for horror.
- music is always intense or slow, as it makes the trailer unpleasant to watch and suspenseful.
-shows the battle of good vs evil
- chaos is abrupt, makes jump scares
- most locations in horror films are places where people would normally feel safe, like a home or school, and to have uncomfortable things happen there will freak the audience.
- horror movie trailers normally begin in a slow pace, but then there are a lot of cuts and the scenes get faster in order to build up the tension. The tension is also built due to the non-diegetic sound getting heavier as the scenes get faster.

trailers to horror movies:

Memento Mori (1999)

South Korean Horror Film

Ring (1998)
Japanese Psychological Horror Film

28 Days Later (2002)
British Post-Apocalyptic Horror Film

Silent Hill (2006)
Canadian-French Horror Film

Tuesday, 21 June 2016

What I've learnt:
I have learnt through the process of making this scene is how to upload a file from IMovie onto Youtube to get it processed and ready to embed into my blog. Until this course, I had never used iMovie or any software on an IMac, and so I learnt how to use that. I have worked with cameras before so that wasn't new, the only task was putting the clips together and getting them to flow, as well as adding a title at the beginning.

Using a tripod and camera:
Tripod:
1. When setting up a tripod, the first thing you do is to pull the stand which will then expand to make the central column. I did this until i got the desired height and then I locked it in place.
2. Then, using the quick release level to remove the platen, I attached the platen to the camera.
3. The camera was then switched on and open the lens cover.
4. Then using the crank handle, i raised the camera and secured it in place. Using the pan handle to position the camera to the right shot. 5. I then recorded the shots I needed for the knife how scene, and played it back to check it was right. I used pan and tilt to make the shot.
6. I dissembled the camera from the tripod and returned it to the bag.
7. I kept the camera out to continue filming the knife throw scene.
8. I took the memory card out of the camera and put it into the IMac, in order to transfer the videos to IMovie.
9. I then connected the shots into the right sequence and edited them to make the video fast paced, as this would make it flow better.
10. lastly, I exported the file onto youtube, and then embedded it into my blog.

Thursday, 16 June 2016

Summer Task

REC:

camera: the movie is filmed like a documentary, and so is on a hand held camera. this is to create the atmosphere of realism and that this could actually happen, which is used a lot in horror as it will scare audiences into the possibility of it being true. the camera uses a lot of angles, like low angles, and mostly medium/close up to see the expression of the characters, and also because the location they are at is dark and so there isn't much that can be seen from a distance anyway.
sound: The start of the trailer opens up with a radio call, which is diegetic sound used to create tension as normally a radio call to the police is a bad thing. There is then a crash sound afterwards like the camera has been knocked and so there is a possible attack. The first two members have heavy breathing and are in armour, suggesting danger and that they are under stress. The camera then goes fuzzy after a strange noise, which is a normal convention of a horror trailer. There is the diegetic sound of a phone ringing, as the characters are seen running up a stair case at a fast pace, showing suspense. It then goes quiet until a member of the group is attacked. There is a lot of screaming, which will make the audience scared and feel on edge as they have no idea what is going on or what is wrong with the people. there is no non-diegetic sound like music as the build up his purely from natural sounds in the trailer as this makes it appear more realistic and frightening.
editing: the trailer features a lot of black outs where writing appears, as this adds to the suspense and action of the movie, keeping the audience on edge. It also makes the trailer feel dark and mysterious, which is a typical convention of a horror as you are left fearing the unknown. The clips used are suspenseful, as none of the characters really talk to each other, they are just running around a abandoned building. It also keeps the audiences focus on the trailer as they want to see whats going to happen. There are also inter titles, such as "a new kind of horror" which will intrigue the audience as they will think something like this has never been done before and so will peak their interests.
mise-en-scene: within the trailer, the male characters we can see are all wearing helmets and protective gear, which suggests they have walked into a place that is dangerous. they are equipped with radios, in order to call each other if something goes wrong. the child we see towards the end is dressed in white and is kept hidden in the darkness, possibly to hide what is wrong with her and to keep the audience in the dark too. where they are appears to be an old abandoned building, which just conforms to the conventions of horror of abandonment and isolation as this is where most of the dangers lie.
representation: The people in this trailer are spanish, which is different to normal horror movies people would watch as they would normally go for American or British horrors. This shows that things like this can happen on a global scale, and that no matter where you are you aren't safe. All the main male characters are dressed in armoured clothing, showing they are part of a special military force that have been called in on an unusual job. This shows that it isn't amateurs that are on the job, that there are professionals working on the case. It is also heavily dominated by males, showing that this isn't (stereotypically) a womans job as they are seen to be weaker and more vulnerable to whatever supernatural force is with them.
HELLRAISER:

camera: at the start of the trailer, there is a male character where the camera pans over him, showing he is possibly weak. There is then a close up of his face, to show his facial expression. The camera then goes to a long shot, where it shows the character of HellRaiser and a woman. This is to show body language. The camera mainly stays at a medium/closeup throughout the trailer, due to it being a horror, it needs to show the audience the facial expressions of the characters and the body language, and it'll just make their speech more dramatic to watch. sound: from the start of the trailer, there is a type of lullaby music playing which is commonly used in horror movies. This is non-diegetic sound, as it is put over the trailer as well as a bell sound that is played after. There is then intense music played as this will build up suspense, such as violins playing. The music gets faster towards the big moment of the trailer, as this will keep the audiences eyes focused as it will keep them on edge. There is also a voice over used, which uses dramatic language to make the trailer seem scarier, such as saying the title "Hell Raiser" and "beyond any terror you have ever imagined", which makes the trailer seem more direct to the audience as if he is speaking to them individually and warning them of this supernatural being. There is diegetic sound throughout such as speaking and the sound of things being smashed and destroyed, as this makes the trailer seem more realistic as it is happening within the house and the characters world. editing: In this trailer, there are a lot of short clips that are put together at a fast pace as this shows a lot of action and keeps the trailer intense. There are shots of the victims in the trailer, as well as the villains such as pinhead and the other coenobites. The title appears in the trailer three times, which is used as repetition so that the audience will remember the title. mise-en-scene: The main characters we see within the house, the apparent victims, are dressed in fashionable clothes of the time, which suggests they are of a high/middle class. The locations conform to the genre of horror due to it having a bunch of locations, such as an old haunted house, a basement, a dark broken room and tunnels. These are typical rooms that can be seen in horror movies. The costume of the villain is also very horror, due to it being all black and appearing to be leather, with chains and rips. The pale face also shows the aspect of death. representation: the first victim is a man of ethnic background, and the victims after are both males and females showing that anyone can be a victim of hell raiser.

Created with Padlet

Questions:

How and why do these products combine/ link together?

The products (movie trailer, magazine, and poster) link together because they all have the purpose of advertising a certain movie. If a company where to just release a poster, then the movie wouldn't receive such popularity as only a certain group of people would see it, such as people who are older and drive in which they pass billboards or those who go to city centres to shop. So, by releasing a poster that would reach that audience, and a trailer it is more beneficial, as the trailer is most likely to be seen by the young audience through different social media. That is how and why these products link together and help a movie to be a success.

What links do they have in common?
The things that these products have in common is that they showcase the movie and get people interested. Whether this is by showing off certain actors to peak audiences interests, even if they aren't your normal hollywood actor they can be intriguing as people will want to see a fresh face in a new story. It could also be showing off the genre, as genre are major things with movies and are shown off through music, dialogue and even colours. Colour is a aspect that is within these products, like the dark tones, as this reveals the genre as horror. The story line can also be hinted at within the products, such as talking about the antagonist and the protagonist and the situation in which everything is happening.
Why do they have these links in common? What purpose does the combination of products serve? By having a combination for the same film will increase the popularity of the movie. Especially if the movie has a magazine featuring it, as this will stretch out to a wider target audience and so will make more people aware. By having the links, it makes the products more relevant to each other as they will be fitting the films certain theme and so it will make the movie more memorable. The purpose of the combination is to make the biggest product successful and popular.

Who benefits from this combination of products and why?
Both the company making the products and the audiences. The companies because they gain the money from sales of magazines, as well as views on YouTube trailers and so in the end they get the box office success from ticket sales. The audience because they get a range of products for a certain movie and so it makes the movie more enjoyable the more things you see of it, especially if it is a movie like Suicide Squad where the audience have favourite characters.

movie posters

Think Twice: Storyboard

shot 1. establishing shot of new hall valley, showing that it is the way the two girls get home.

Shot 2.

penny and jade are walking home from school, they are just talking about their day and having a laugh.

The will walk towards the camera in a medium shot, and the camera will pan when they walk past it, so it follows their movements. the shot will last around 3-5 seconds.

Shot 3.

Penny and Jade are walking, and it is revealed they are being followed by someone. The long shot will show this and it will last around 3 seconds. Their laughters and talk can still be heard.

Shot 4.

close up/shot reverse shot on penny and Jade. here, jade is talking to penny about how she disagrees with her view on cara. this will last for 15 seconds, as it is a quick conversation due to jade not listening to penny.

shot 5. this is the same as shot 4. it shows that penny is upset

shot 6. this is a tracking shot, it follows penny and jade, and shows that they are still being followed.

shot 7

in this over the shoulder shot, jade is still talking to penny about cara.

shot 8. in this low angle, it shows that jade was the dominant one in the conversation. she says goodbye to penny. this last around 5 seconds.

shot 9. in this high angle, penny is being looked down upon due to her being inferior to jade. she says her goodbyes to jade, but her expression reveals that she is still uneasy about their conversation. this is within the same time length as shot 7.

shot 10.

this shows jade walking away, into her home. this shot will last 2 seconds. it will be in a medium/long shot.

shot 11. penny is left on her own when jade leaves, and she waits on the sidewalk before walking away herself in a point of view shot from cara. this show will last 5 seconds.

shot 12. the close up shot is then put on cara, who's weapon is revealed. the object of significance is shown and will last 2 seconds. it will be short as it will be shocking and tense.

shot 13. this is the extreme close up from penny who turns around and sees cara following her. she is shocked by this. this shot will last 3 seconds.

shot 14. this is also an extreme close up shot of cara's face, who is looking angrily towards penny. they are at a distance from each other, but cara's agenda is still obvious. this shot will last 3 seconds.

Tuesday, 14 June 2016

Preliminary task: Horror/comedy
Location: New Hall Valley
Characters: Hannah as Penny, Kiran as Jade and Trinity as Cara
Plot outline: Penny and Jade are walking and are discussing the new girl to their friendship group, Cara. Jade is saying how she likes Cara, but Penny disagrees and she gets a bad feeling from her. Little do they know that Cara is following them this whole time. Jade then reaches her home and goes inside, leaving Penny to walk the rest of the way on her own. Cara then comes out of hiding and Penny turns around and sees her.
Costumes: Penny and Jade dress in posh/expensive clothes, makeup, with boots/heels, handbag. Cara is dressed in black.
Props: Knife

Shots:
1. Establishing shot (panning)- New Hall Valley by the bridge

2. Medium Shot- Penny and Jade walking, laughing

3. Long shot- Penny and Jade walking, revealed they are being followed by Cara

4. Close-up (shot reverse shot)- Penny and Jade talking about Cara
5. Tracking shot- Cara following them, moves back to Jade and Penny

6. Over the shoulder shot- Penny and Jade talking, switches

7. Low angle shot & High angle shot- low angle on Jade because she is superior, high angle on Penny because she is inferior

8. Medium close-up- Jade walks to her door, Penny stands for a moment on her own
9. Point of view shot- Cara's point of view looking at Penny as she walks away
10. Low angle shot/Close up- object of significance with a knife, shows she is planning to use the knife on Penny

11. Extreme close up- Cara's face, and then Penny's face.

Script- Think Twice

OPENING SCENE- NEW HALL VALLEY

the audience have an establishing shot of new hall valley as the two girls walk into it. the shot then changes to a medium shot of penny and jade walking, laughing with each other. a long shot reveals that someone is hiding in the bushes around them, watching them.

Penny

(bitterly)

So what do you think of that new girl? Cara, i think thats her name.

shot reverse shot begins during this conversation in close up.

Jade

Oh yeah Cara, shas a really nice girl. I'm looking forward to hanging out with her at Jason's.

penny

Are you serious? I have a really bad feeling about her.

tracking shot across path, revealing a shadow. then goes to over the shoulder as penny and jade stop walking.

Jade

(confused)

Oh shut up, why you saying that?

Penny

I just have this feeling like-

Jade

(low angle)

Oh stop being jealous, Penny

Penny

(high angle)

Can't you just listen to me for once?

the two carry on walking, getting closer to Jade's home. Jade walks in front of Penny

Penny

Honestly, I think we should stay away from her. Please just listen.

Jade

(rolls her eyes, medium close up)

Fine, whatever. I'm going home now. See you tomorrow, love you

Penny

(sighs)

Love you too, Jade.

the camera then goes to a point of view of cara, watching Penny walk away. Once Penny is on her own, cara speeds up after her. there is a close up on cara's hand revealing the knife. cara trips over, hurting her knee.

Cara

Oh sweet nibblets, i cut my knee

Penny

(extreme close up of her as she turns around and sees cara)

Oh shit!

penny then breaks into a slow mo run

cara jumps back up, and slowly runs after her.

Monday, 13 June 2016

Preliminary Activity

You will be producing a moving image product for a short narrative within a genre of the following:

A western gunfight
A horror chase
A romantic encounter
A gangster deal

The product must be no longer than 60 seconds and the work should be planned and divided between the group. All members must develop their practical skills in the use of the camera, tripod, editing and sound. Each member of the group will produce their own edit.

The project must include;

a shotlist
a storyboard
a script
2 characters
use of all of the camera shots/ angles and movements listed below
dialogue
titles
a soundtrack
mise-en-scene
a final product

Shots that you must include:

1.Establishing shot

2. Long shot
3. Medium shot
4. Close-up
5. Extreme close-up
6. Low angle shot
7. High angle shot
8. Medium close-up
9. Tracking shot
10.Over the shoulder shot
11.Point of view shot

Project Brief

Project Brief:

20%- research and planning

60%- made up of 40% for main products (movie trailer and teaser trailer)
10%- ancillary products (billboard poster and A4 poster)
10%- ancillary products (movie magazine front cover and a DVD front cover)

20%- evaluation

in the A2 course, i am going to be involved creating a new movie idea, which includes coming up with the ideas and developing a script. i will have to decide what genre i am going to be working in, getting the actors and sorting their costumes and props, choosing locations etc. i will also be working in a project that is made up of a promotional campaign, that will aim to advertise the movie.