EVALUATION - Our progress so far...

I think our group have worked well together and that we have achieved a sufficient amount of work in the time we have had so far.


As shown below we have done a lot of research into teaser trailers; we have done this by analysing trailers (teaser and theatrical) of different genres, created a poll and a questionnaire. We have found the results for the poll and questionnaire extremely useful as they showed the opinions of our target audience.

We have learnt a lot from our previous tasks and are therefore able to make this trailer more professional than our past work. We are now more comfortable using the camera equipment and have a higher knowledge of camera angles etc and what looks effective on screen. This means that we can experiment with new ideas when filming, each shot we have filmed we have filmed it from a number of different angles, we have done this so when editing we have a wide variety of shots and can therefore chose the best ones to make our trailer look the most professional.

We have completed most of our filming and plan to start editing immediately therefore we will be able to note any problems and still have the time to re film any parts if necessary.

Rach

RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Silence of the Lambs Teaser Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OKARuRfWis (embedding not enabled)


The teaser trailer gives little away in terms of the narrative, however it does deliver a general gist as to how it sets itself up. This "gist" is told to us by the narrator by speaking the lines,


"Trapped in a killer's world. Guided by a madman's logic. Searching for a victim's cry."


On the outside it appears to be a rather simple description, however consider what it tells the audience. Trapped, Guided, Searching. The protagonist, Jodie Foster, has become part of Hannibal Lecter's (Anthony Hopkins) world. She's guided by his clues and ideas to aid her in finding a victim of another madman. If you look at it carefully, it tells the audience that the protagonist allies with a killer, perhaps in attempts to get in the mind of another. This alone is interesting to look into as it's not too often good/evil combine. This may be read in various ways by the audience either negative or positive. (Future post to come on this!)


As for what can be seen, there isn't a great deal although it is relevant to both the plot and poster. As the narrator speaks, wings flap across the screen, acting as a transition which open up to credentials which fade into a rotating image. Only as these wings flap more, does the image slowly come into the view - various woman in different poses in a seemingly artistic painting. A few seconds later, the image fully rotates into view as these woman slowly zoom out to reveal the design of a moth's body and the wings flapping to the side of it. At this time, it's also clear that the position of these woman form what appears to be a skull, again a reference to the thriller genre and theme of death. As Silence of the Lambs is displayed across the screen, the image returns once again of the moth as it quickly zooms out to display Jodie Foster with the moth over her mouth - the same as the poster.


Overall the teaser trailer is effective as it does create interest as well as give some of the narrative away if you look into the script and depictions enough. This is rather different to our teaser trailer as I feel we may not have been quite subtle enough in terms of revealing some of the narrative. We were a little in-your-face with the details however having said that, we did leave a lot to be answered with our enigmatic scenes.


-Dale

EVALUATION - Reference to interviews

I have learnt a lot from the interview which I conducted with our lead actress Jen, who plays the character of Megan.

It was important that we ask our actors opinion of what we are filming as, firstly we need to know that they are happy with what is being filmed, and secondly it is extremely useful to us to hear their opinion on setting, costumes, lighting etc. as they have so much experience on the stage. Jenny was more than happy to answer my questions and her comments were very useful; I plan to try to incorporate the feedback she gave me into our filming sessions. Thanks so much to Jen for her helpful contribution, the time you have given us to help with filming and everything else is much appreciated! Later on I plan to post Raf's (Eric's) answers, and I hope we will be able to use his comments just as effectively.

Both their contributions are not only helpful because they are so experienced in this area, but also because, when filming, it is useful to have someone who hasn't been involved in the many hours of planning to be able to stand back from the finished shots and give their honest opinion on what does and doesn't look professional enough to make the final cut.

Lucy :)

RESEARCH AND PLANNING - ET, The Extra Terrestrial Trailer Analysis

I have decided to analyse this trailer because it is an old film and it is interesting to see how times have changed, and stayed similar, in the way in which the film trailer uses different techniques to attract a large target audience.

In ET they have a narrator telling the audience what to expect, whereas now the film trailers tend to have more music influence and captions, with lots of fast, quickly editted shots montaged together, to create excitement and intrigue.

This trailer starts of with a voice over narrating the previous film that Steven Spielberg has directed. This may entice the audience who have enjoyed his previous work. Whilst the narrator is naming these films, there are clips of outer space, flying through the stars, and towards the earth. As he announces the name of Steven Spielberg’s new film ‘ET, The Extra Terrestrial’, there is a clip of a spaceship landing on earth in the dark night.

There is then a series of short clips from the film, as the narrator tells the audience what they will encounter throughout this film. These clips show all the different elements of the film, which can appeal to a large audience. There are clips of the action, surprise, and mystery, leaving the audience intrigued as to what has landed on earth from an alien planet and befriend a little boy called ‘Elliot’. We never see the extra terrestrial that has landed, so the audience are kept interested in what it may be and will see the film in the cinema. Throughout this series of clips the music is very dramatic, with an orchestra playing, and emphasises the storyline very well, as it changes to match the mood of these short clips. After the last clip, it fades to black and the very iconic theme tune starts. This theme tune is now recognised all over the world as it has become very famous, and linked to ET.

The credits appear on screen telling the audience which studio produced this film ‘Universal Pictures’. This is in small, simple, white font, so it is easy to read next to a black background. Then the title of the film appears in large, blue font, ‘ET’ and, ‘The extra Terrestrial’ underneath. Then the final credits appear and dissolve off screen as the music comes to an end.

Overall, I think this trailer is effective as they leave the extra terrestrial as a surprise, we never see him, only shadows or part of his hand, with his long fingures. There is lots of shots showing the action and friendship which occurs between the alien and the young boy.

Here is the link on YouTube :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4yUQJeKZNs

By Nikki Stock

EVALUATION - The Questionnaire Results

What is you favourite genre of film?

· Thriller-20
· Action-17
· Fantasy- 4
· Sci-fi- 0
· Romantic-13
· Comedy-16
· Autobiographic-0
· Horror-11
· Other -2

As you can see, the most popular genres out of eighty-three, were thriller then action. This is because the action, keeps the audience interested and amazed with the stunts and special effects, along with the suspense and tension created from the thriller.

2. Which trailers do you find most effective, in the way in which they leave a lasting impression?
The trailers which were seen as most effective were the trailers which built up tension throughout the trailer and hit the climax at the very end, leaving the trailer on a cliff-hanger, so the audience were left wanting more.

3. Which is the most common way in which you consume film trailers?
· Television-26
· Cinema Advertisements-15
· Posters- 12
· Internet Sites-30
· Other- 0

The results show that the most common way to consume films is via the Internet. This shows proof that the You Tube generation is real, and that the multiplatform ways in which the media is converging has been very successful. The Internet is accessible to nearly everyone, especially the teenagers using it daily, finding out about the films they like and can watch on the Internet.

4. Which type of trailers draws you to go to see the films in the cinema?
· Cliff hangers-40
· Enigmas- 15
· Comedy moments-15
· Action clips-6
· Romantic clips- 6
· Other- 1

This shows that the thing which draws people to the cinema is the cliff hangers at the end and also the comedy moments. This may be because with a cliff hanger, it leaves the audience wanting to know what will happen next, and with a comedy, the jokes, if they make you laugh, they may want to hear more and enjoy a funny film.

5. What type of films do you normally go and see?
· Thriller- 26
· Action- 30
· Fantasy- 3
· Sci-fi- 0
· Romantic- 5
· Comedy- 18
· Autobiographic -0
· Horror - 1

This shows that action and thriller films are very popular as they are exciting to watch and full of dramatic events.

6. In your opinion what genre of film is most popular?
· Thriller- 26
· Action- 30
· Fantasy- 3
· Sci-fi- 0
· Romantic- 5
· Comedy- 18
· Autobiographic -0
· Horror - 1

7. How does the music affect the mood of the film?
· It creates the atmosphere and feel for the mood of the film.
· It creates the tension and rising climax.
· Matches the action with the film to make it more exciting.
· Tells the audience how to feel.

The music is a very important part of films. It tells a lot to the audience. It can reinforce the audience feel the emotions of the characters in the film. It can make the audience feel tense as the tension builds or make the audience relax if it is a light-hearted song.

8. Which techniques are most likely to get you on the edge of your seat?
· Fast paced editing-10
· Music-16
· Sound effects- 6
· The snippets of action occurring-28
· Cliff-hanger at the end/ unanswered enigmas-23

The snippets of action and cliff-hangers are most likely to get the audience on the edge of their seats. This is because the action is what excited the audience and the cliff hanger leaves the audience wanting more and wanting to solve this enigma.

9. How do the camera shots of a character portray their characteristics?

The high angles show the characters to be vulnerable and in danger, and low angles show the characters to be in power and superior to others. Two shots may portray characters on how they interact with each other, and close-up shots show the characters emotions.

10. What influences you to go see a film?
· Is it the action occurring-26
· The actors involved in the film-24
· The director or producers of the film- 3
· The production company- 2
· The narrative-28
· Other- 0

This shows that the narrative of the trailer is the most important to influencing someone to see the film. So, in order to make the consumers go and watch your film, even if it isn’t that great, the trailers has to portray every element of what the audience wants to see. This includes: action for the boys, romance for the girls, thrills to keep the film exciting and a complex narrative to give the audience unexpected surprises.

By Nikki Stock and Lucy Howard

EVALUATION - interviewing our Actors

As you can see below Lucy and Nikki has asked Jen (Megan) about what she thinks of our trailer, one with Raf's (Eric) answers will be posted.

It was important for us to know what our actors thought as there advice and feedback would be extremely useful to us.

They helped us when filming and suggested what they thought looked good and what didn't we took there opinions into account and found their suggestions extremely useful. As they both do drama they are extremely interested in films and therefore knew a lot about teaser trailers - their insight was much appreciated

Rach.

RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Leon trailer analysis

Despite being produced in 1994 this film is still seen as extremely popular in 2009. The way in which the trailer is constructed is crafted specifically to appeal to more than just thriller fans.

The use of a child like handwriting to show the producing company's name and the makes of the stars tells the audience that one of the leading rolls of the film is played by a child. The simple background music played throughout is subtle and barely noticeable yet helps to set the scene. The transitions between shots are simple and effective, and are designed to be unnoticeable so as not to detract from the narrative of the film. The music quietens when the key dialogue is played but grows louder imediately after wards so the audience notice the change and reslise the significance of the words which were just spoken. The way the trailer ends on a large explosion which fills the entire screen and then fades to the name of the director which is again writen in that childlike typography, could represent the contrast between the two lead characters, she is small and inoccent and he is intimidating and destructive. This is a very effective teaser trailer.

Lucy :)

This trailer can be found through the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc1KzpMnuX0&feature=fvst

RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Teaser trailer analysis

I have chosen to analyse the Teaser trailer for this film as I have already analysed the Theatrical trailer and it will be interesting to see how the analysis of each of these compares. This is an extremely famous film, as our the ones which came before it and i think it is important to investigate what it is about these films which makes them so attractive. The trailer of any film helps greatly with its intake to the cinemas for months after its release. It will be very beneficial for our filming to research how the main trailer differs from the teaser.

Having read all of the books myself I find it very unsurprising that it was not long before a film company wished to transfer the magic of J K Rowling's Novels from paper to the screen. The unique way in which she perfectly captures the sheer imagination of her ideas and is able to preserve them on paper for everyone else to enjoy, shows just how clever she is in her writing. The narrative of each of these books is so vivid and well written, that it is that much easier for the producers of the films to recreate the books on screen. However the complex story lines must be difficult to sum up in a trailer, as there is so much pressure from the fans of the books for the films to do them justice. They must make the trailers seem dramatic enough to make them appealing to those who havn't read the books, but also make some clear references to the books to keep the readers in the audience satisfied.

I think the editors of this particular trailer have done extremely well in capturing the essence of the books and managing to sum it up in under 2 minutes.

The start of the trailer opens with a high angle shot of the "Hogwarts Express", a familiar image to any who have seen the previous films, this alone instantly informs the audience of what they are watching. The music which accompanies it, played softy in the background, helps to set the mood and is also recognisable as it has been played in every other film. There is then a birds eye view of the school, looking down on the turrets and corridors from the outside, this is a stunning image, with the snow falling from either side of the camera, and sticks in the minds of those watching. The camera then sets the scene, with shots of the inside corridors of the school bustling with students, which leads onto a shot of a glass cabnet, presumably in another room of the castle. The voice over then states that the viles of liquid we are looking at are "memories" and Harry, the main character, must view them. The scene ends with Dumbledoor's words "Id like you to see it". the shot cuts to black instantly with the ominous beat of a drum. The music starts again with a dramatic drum beat as the Warner bros. pictures logo flashes onto the screen, set in a background of dark swirling clouds. The camera zooms forward and moves as if to dissappear into the center of the logo, but before this a shot of harry's face apears on the other side of it, as though we have moved through the logo and this is what laid beyond.

Harry's face appears to sink into a pool of water, and the images which follow suggest that this pool was a pool of memories, and, by immersing himself in this water, harry has been immersed in a memory. The camera is then following an unknown character down a dark raining street, and we, as the audience, follow him into what seems to be an ophanage. All the lighting used is dark and ominous, creating a tense atmosphere and mirroring how the character must be feeling. The camera is then positioned at the top of a stair case and we see the same character, what appears to be a younger version of the man we were just viewing in the room of the castle just moments before.

The unsettling sound of the violin in the background as we first lay eyes upon the child which this man has come to visit, adds to the unsettleing atmosphere. The dark lighting has almost a greenish glow to it, making the character seem even more eery and unapporachable. The captions used are writen in an oldstyle font and appear in capital letters for extra impact. While the background is a swirling mass of dark colour, showing the dark narture of the film and possibly representing the pool of liquid, as the colours swirl and ripple like water. The voice over is that of the little boy, the phrase "your the doctor arent you?" suggests that the boy is not quite normal as he suspects that he is being examined. The short sentenses that the boy utters, show that he is very forward and comes streight to the point, this again emphasises how unusual he is. The instruction "Proove it" shows how much control this character, even at such a young age, has over others, however the way in which he is impressed by the magic which Dumbledoor performs shows that Dumbledoor is still in control, despite the hungry and greedy expression in the boys eyes as he watches the wardrobe burn. This is followed by a quick montage of shots, stitched together with fades to black inbetween each of them. The shots are poorly lit and fast moving, making it difficult for your eyes to focus on them all. The boys voice still pllays over the background, and the phrase "I can make things move without touching them" confirms the audiences suspicians that this boy is unusual, however the way he almost whispers the words, accompanied with the unsettleing shots of darkly lit fields and people running, makes him seem intimidating and threatening. The shots become more shocking and agressive as his voice and the music increace in volume. As he says "I can make bad things happen to people who are mean to me" there are several shocking images of characters lying unmoving on the floor and fire circling someone stranded on a rock. Right before the images again abruptly cut to a black screen there is an image of a person with a snake like face. The next succsession of shots mix the two characters togeth, flickering between the face of the young boy and the derranged snake like man. Just as these images play onto the screen the music reaches the hight of its tenssion and breaks into a startling beat to make the audience jump. It then cuts off into silence as the picture again cuts to black, creating a tense atmosphere as the watchers wait for what is to come. A flash of thunder echoes as the well known theme of Harry Potter" music fades into the background.

A faint light the comes into view in the background and the name of the film graducly comes glittering into view, As though a bright light is being shone from behind it. The voice of the main character then plays over the top, "did you know sir, then?" and the answer begins quietly, "Did i know i had just met the most dangerous dark wizard of all time?" in this pause there is a single drum beat as the release date flashes onto the screen, before the final word echoes into the silence. "No".

This dramatic pause creates a longer lasting impression on the audience, and as the watchers sit on the edge of their seats, eager for more, the producers answer their unspoken question as the webadress for the film appears shining in the center of the darkened screen.

Lucy :)

This trailer can be found through the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68H5xSZ9dPA&feature=fvst

EVALUATION - Trailers

Our task is to make a Teaser trailer, the short version which is released before the actual Theatrical trailer.

Teaser trailer ~ doesn't aim to disclose the narrative (give away the story line) it aims to inform the audience of a films release, to generate hype and awareness of the film. It will often try to re-enforce a films genre and a films branding e.g. Toy Story trailer analysed below. A teaser is shorter than the main trailer, and is designed to create excitement, suspense and impact.

Theatrical trailer ~ will often rely on narrative. They are around two minutes long and gives audiences a detailed account of plot and character.

In order to create an effective Teaser trailer we must keep it simple and short, but also reveal enough of the plot to engage the audience and generate excitement.

Lucy :)

EVALUATION - Interview with Actress Jen (Megan)

Questions:

Q1. What do you feel are the most authentic attributes of your characters?
Jen ~ "the most authentic aspect was probably my costume which you asked me to wear, it turned me into the character you wanted me to be, not the character i wanted to play. "

Q2. What do you think is most effective about our setting?
Jen ~ "the fact you used an actual house! i thought the lights were good (although they were only the lights in Nikki's house?!) because they were VERY bright, and added a sense of urgency to the trailer. "

Q3. What aspects of a film trailer are most likely to make you want to go and see it?
Jen ~ "the bit where Eric knocks on the door! its scary!"


Q4. What genre of film do you think produces the most effective trailer?
Jen ~ "probably comedy to be honest, because horror/thriller is a bit predictable, but comedy could go anywhere. "

Q5. What made you wiling to be a part of this film production?
Jen ~ "other than doing it for my friends? personally, wanting to be in the business, it helped me grasp what filming with professionals would be like, especially considering how professional each filming session was."

Q6. In your opinion which genre of film do you think is most popular?
Jen ~ "I'm not sure? i think its probably likely to be something rubbish like Rom-com...it SHOULD be horror!"

Q7. How do you think the music will affect the mood of your scenes?
Jen ~ "i think the music will make the point of the trailer more apparent, i think it will add tension to the scenes i was asked to act in."

Q8. How do you think the camera angles influence the way in which your characters are portrayed?
Jen ~ "the erratic change in angels adds to the idea of the erratic change in the characters relationship - it adds to the mood of the film"

Q9. Which actor has been the biggest inspiration to you?
Jen ~ "Johnny Depp. as weird as it sounds, he can act any character, not just one that has his name changed from film to film."

Q10. If you were a professional actor, what type of film would you most enjoy being a part of?
Jen ~ "i would most enjoy being part of a thriller, or a reality one like 'Billy Elliot'. that would be amazing."

Thanks SO much to Jen for her help in completing this interview, it will help us loads with our filming! :D

Lucy and Nikki :)

RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Toy Story 3 teaser trailer analysis

This is a perfect example of a typical teaser. The clip is no more than 2 minutes long, and barely even hints at the narrative of the film. Since Toy Story is such a well known feature the producers can afford to display the date at the end of the trailer, the words "June 18, 2010" are displayed clearly across the screen at the end of the trailer. As most teasers wouldn't even give a year of release, let alone a specific date, this trailer is made really unusual. The short clip shows fans several familiar characters and gives enough time for each of them to show their recognisable personality, meaning that the audience is instantly awake and exited, knowing this is a date which they want to remember. The trailer even has some comical elements to make it memorable, even though it uses no clips from the film and is created purely for advertisement purposes.

Lucy :)

The trailer can be found through the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f-MYl-HzNw

RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Comparing Keith teaser trailer and theatrical trailer

This is a link to the teaser trailer for Keith:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ3mc5z7NX8&feature=related

This is a link to the theatrical trailer for Keith:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEDY_l8E1Do&feature=related

The theatrical trailer is 2:04 mins long whereas the teaser trailer is 1:56 - that is not a big difference which I was surprised at - normally there is a larger time difference between the trailers.

One of the first differences I noticed was that there was a lot more scenes taken from the film that kept there dialogue whereas in the teaser trailer they had dialogue but it was spread over a number of different shots from various parts of the film.

The theatrical trailer shows the personalities of the characters for example the audience knows that Natalie plays tennis all the time and Keith calls his teachers by his first name etc

The theatrical trailer shows less of the fighting and dramatic parts of the film, it also doesn't shows Keith and Natalie being that affectionate towards each other - this leaves the audience wanting to go and see the film to find out what happens

I think both trailer are effective but I also think that in this case the teaser trailer is more effective in attracting an audience than the theatrical one.

Rach.

RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Keith Trailer

It is a modern finish which was released a couple of years ago, however it was not released in the UK, when i first watched this film I really enjoyed it and therefore that is why I have decided to analyse the trailer. It has romantic elements and therefore has links to our trailer.

On YouTube there is also a short summary of the film:
Natalie has it all: yearbook editor, scholarship to college, star athlete, reigning social queen. Then Keith enters her life. Secretive and enigmatic, he slowly lures her from her comfort zone. The more Keith holds back, the more Natalie becomes intrigued with figuring him out. In her head, she's determined to keep him at arm's length, but in her heart she can't resist him. As Natalie's world slowly unravels, both their lives are changed forever in this powerful love story.
That was the summary for the theatrical trailer, this is the summary listed for the teaser trailer: Internationally acclaimed music star Jesse McCartney stars with Elisabeth Harnois (Pretty Persuasion) in the coming of age story of two high school seniors who are torn between their dreams and the reality of their lives. After rocking the film festival circuit, KEITH will premiere in Las Vegas with a LIVE Jesse McCartney concert, September 13th. www.TheMovieKeith.com
I will compare these trailers in another post.

These are the notes I made on the trailer:
• Starts with a VO (Keith is speaking): “I feel really good about this one Al” – there is non diegetic music - guitars
• During this there is a long shot of Natalie sitting by a tree at school this then cuts to a mid shot of her
• Fade to black – when image appears Keith states “It’s a girl” – he is playing ‘pool’ with a middle aged man(Al) Over the shoulder shot – cuts to Al as he asks Keith ‘what’s she like?
• Image fades to Natalie working at school as Keith answers him – “You know smart, beautiful, popular” as he talks a caption appears on the right hand side of the screen ‘She had it all figured out’ the caption stays as the trailer shows Natalie at school (smart), looking in the mirror (beautiful) and laughing with her boyfriend (popular)
• Cuts to Natalie and Keith sitting together in science class as there is a VO of Al “So what’s the plan?”
• Cuts back to Keith playing ‘pool’ as he takes his shot he states “I’m going to have fun with her” – diegetic sound of shot and screen goes black
• Cuts to Keith walking out of a class room – captions appear – ‘She then met someone’ – as he turns the corner he is confronted by Natalie – she does not like him “Who do you like you are?”
• Cuts to Natalie lying down outside, can see some of Keith next to her – she looks over at him – Keith VO: “Who do you think I am?”
• Cuts to Keith pointing at the camera (POV shot – Natalie) and smiling as he walks to his truck – caption fades before shot ends
• Image fades to Natalie and Keith walking towards the camera – she tells him that she can’t and he states that it’s not a date – as he says that another caption appears: ‘with nothing to lose’ – Natalie turns round and tells him “maybe sometime” he shouts after he “Friday”
• Cut back to them in class room, Natalie asks Keith what he will do after high school he states “Sky’s the limit” sarcastically and caption fades
• Shot of Keith putting a bowling ball by someone’s house – Natalie VO: “there’s something wrong with you isn’t there”
• Cuts to Keith as he answers her – she is standing up whereas he is kneeling down to get to his locker – shows that she is getting to him – low angle shot and he says “with me?” cuts to mid shot as he stands up – “definitely with you”
• Natalie’s mother asks who Keith is – just a lab partner – Shot reverse shot
• Cuts to Natalie in Keith’s truck as she tell him that she likes him – cuts to Keith – she continues to talk as shots change – her VO states that she wants to be a part of the plans – Keith tells her that there are no plans – 3 different shots of them together as she talks
• VO ends and Keith driving gets dangerous – shot of yellow truck
• Shot reverse shot of Natalie and her boyfriend – he is worried Keith likes Natalie and she tells him that he as a ‘crush on his truck’ – he warns her not to encourage him – over the shoulder shots are used
• High angle of Natalie as she lies in the sun with her friends and boyfriend – camera spirals and tracks downwards to show her confusion and how Keith is ‘turning her life upside down’ – stops spinning when gets to a mid shot – she opens her eyes
• Fast montage cuts between her lying there and Keith’s yellow truck after about 3 shots of each editing slows and audience can see that Keith is holding a sign out of the window it says ‘5pm’ on it
• Cut to Natalie lying in the back of Keith’s truck – she panics as she notices the trucks moving cuts to Keith he is smiling and calm – he mocks Natalie as she panics and tries to get out of the truck – she shouts that he is going to get killed – as truck reaches the edge trailer cuts to next scene
• Keith wears science goggles as VO (Natalie) asks:”You don’t care what people think” – during different shots of them together and a mid shot of Natalie
• Cuts to Natalie speaking as they sit together – “You’re just you” – cuts to Keith and then a mid shot as they kiss
• Cut to Natalie in the car with her boyfriend – Shot reverse shot – he asks about Keith, she gets defensive
• Natalie and Keith are back at school – she asks if he is depressed – over the shoulder shot- cuts to Keith as he mocks her – over the shoulder shot – cuts back to Natalie (SRS) she is being serious – looks worried
• Cuts to Natalie banging on a door screaming to Keith to let her in
• Cuts to Al in a store – he asks Natalie how Keith is doing – she says she doesn’t know
• Natalie fights with her boyfriend – he is shouting at her and has grabbed her arm – violence
• Cuts to Natalie she is upset and feels as if everything is falling apart
• Cuts to mid shot of Natalie and Keith he states that: “I wanted to make you as miserable as I am” cuts to CU of Natalie’s reaction as Keith continues to talk “and that is exactly what I did”
• Shows Natalie crying – she slides down her down until she is knelt on the floor – Keith has destroyed her life – this is a shot that we plan to use in our trailer – it was very useful to see it in a professional one
• Cuts to her fighting again with her boyfriend – she is in a car and he is not – she tells him that it has nothing to do with him and he says “It has something to do with Keith” – she drives off into oncoming traffic and nearly causing an accident – shows she doesn’t care anymore
• Fade to black
• Image of Keith appears - he looks kind of upset but camera tracks towards him and he smiles slightly and the caption: Jesse McCartney appears in the bottom right hand corner of the screen
• Cuts to Natalie walking, caption appears in the bottom left of screen: Elisabeth Harnois
• Cuts to Al – caption bottom right: Michael O’Keefe
• Cuts to Natalie’s mother – caption bottom left: Jennifer Grey
• Cut to Mid shot of Keith – Natalie is in the background she says “I don’t care if you’re crazy” image changes to them kissing as she continues speaking “I just know I want to be with you”
• Image fades to back and the title Keith appears on the screen then cuts to credits
• Non diegetic soundtrack changes slightly throughout trailer – starts simple just guitars the piano and strings join but it is also quite quiet – emotive music audience can sense this film might be a tragedy as well as a teen romance.

Rach.

RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Wolfman Trailer

I chose to analyse this trailer because it is of the horror/thriller/supernatural genre and these elements could be useful for our teaser trailer.
Next to the trailer on YouTube there is a summary of the film, it states: "Lawrence Talbot's childhood ended the night his mother died. After he left the sleepy Victorian hamlet of Blackmoor, he spent decades recovering and trying to forget. But when his brother's fiancée, Gwen Conliffe, tracks him down to help find her missing love, Talbot returns home to join the search. He learns that something with brute strength and insatiable bloodlust has been killing the villagers, and that a suspicious Scotland Yard inspector named Aberline has come to investigate. As he pieces together the gory puzzle, he hears of an ancient curse that turns the afflicted into werewolves when the moon is full. Now, if he has any chance at ending the slaughter and protecting the woman he has grown to love, Talbot must destroy the vicious creature in the woods surrounding Blackmoor. But as he hunts for the nightmarish beast, a simple man with a tortured past will uncover a primal side to himself-one he never imagined existed."

Below I have made basic notes on the trailer:

• • There is a non diegetic soundtrack – rock genre – tense
  • There is then the Universal sign with the world – the word turn to clouds and the world turns to a moon – genre and plot line indicator
  • There is a voice over, over this “She exerts enormous power doesn’t she?”
  • Fade to black
  • Cuts to a man who looks like he is in pain – sitting on a bed in dungeon – man standing in shadow
  • CU of moon light through barred window – low angle shows power of the moon – genre
  • Different VO – “Do you believe in curses?” – fade to black
  • CU of the man lying on the bed – in pain – he was the man who spoke
  • Mid shot of old man in dungeon – he laughs
  • There is then a establishing shot of an old house – not well looked after – creepy looking
  • Man who was in pain walking towards the house – outside – daytime but dark - grey
  • Cuts to the old man walking through the house – there are prisoners – men with shot guns – danger – darkly lit
  • Cuts to show stone floor – could be wall – cantered angle – shadow
  • Swipe cut to forest – orange glow – mist
  • High angle of stream train – cut to man in a carriage of train – looks dangerous – cuts to CU of him taking out bullets
  • Point of View shot - holding a torch (flame) - in a cave?
• fade to shot of half changed man climbing up onto a bed
• cuts to shot of women - sex appeal - lit by candles
• Cuts to old man he leans towards camera - goes from mid shot to CU
• High angle shot of carriage - shows wheels and horses legs - actual carriage is not show - mystery
• Long shot - night time - full moon - see man standing on rock edge
• Long shot of man running away from the camera - wolfman hand appears at side of the screen
• Black screen with caption: BENICIO DEL TORO
• Extreme CU of mans eye - bulges into wolfman eye
• Cut to wold hand - it brakes and dislocates - genre scary - diegetic sound of cracking bones
• Black Screen with caption: ANTHONY HOPKINS
• Low angle of the old man (Hopkins) - shows his importance in the film
• Black screen with caption: EMILY BLUNT
• Mid shot of Blunt in the woods - camera tracks towards her - she looks afraid
• Black screen with caption: HUGO WEARING
• Mid shot of Wearing with people running and screaming around him - diegetic sound
• Cuts to wolfman jumping from buildings - mid shot as he lands on a gargoyle - see whole of the wolf
• cuts to black screen - the soundtrack changes slightly
• Tracking behind men wheeling the wolfman - he is strapped to a table
• Upside down shot of wolf man - in pain
• There is then another VO, old man speaks "Never look back Lance, never look back"
• over the top of shot of gardens - animals made out of the bushes - camera CU of lion (could be wolf?)
• fade to black
• Old man walking in the gardens - CU of moon then cuts to old man and 'lance' looking through a telescope at moon
• The wolfman is locked in a room - CU of lock
• fade to black
• the next montage of shots show what looks like to be a torture room - wolfman is strapped to achair - see CU of hands changing - during this there is the VO of the old man: "run free" "kill or be killed"
• POV shot of wolf attacking a man and then there is a low angle shot of the wolfman attacking him
• black screen with caption: FROM UNIVERSAL PICTURE
• the next montage shows the wolfman after he had changed - torn clothes - shows men running through woods hunting the wolf - CU of shot gun - mid shots of hunters - then a man being chased by wolf in the woods
• Another supernatural part of the film is shown - stone women moves - genre indicator
• Black screen with caption: WHEN THE MOON IS FULL
• the next shots show villages running and screaming - diegetic sound -shows the wolfman being hit by men - mix of mid shots long shots CUs - an ExCU of eye - there is a quick shot of the wolfs face - intrigues the audience
• During this there is another black screen with a caption: THE LEGEND COMES TO LIFE
• There are shots of the wolf man being tortured - hard to watch - horror genre
• action genre - wolfman fighting - jumping from roofs
• There are shots of the man and the women - romance part of the film - shot of wolf man standing over her
• CU of wolf through the fire - danger
• Shots show the women crying and having to be held back and the hunters with their shot guns in the woods and men fighting the wolf
• Black screen: THE WOLFMAN the O is a moon
• cuts back to wolf in forest - VO - "It's glorious isn't it?"
• Cuts to credits and then to black screen with only 02:12:10 on it

There is a non diegetic soundtrack throughout this trailer - the soundtrack slightly changes half way through but returns to its original soon after. There is the diegetic sound of people screaming, bones cracking and the wolfman growling at various points in the trailer - this builds tension. The editing is extremely quick with some shots lasting no longer than 2 seconds - every scene in the trailer is darkly lit even when filmed in the day time, looks very grey and dark - makes the film seem more scary. This trailer is successful in attracting the audience to the film and it clearly shows that this is a horror supernatural film with romance and action elements.

Rach.

RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Nowhere Boy trailer

Nowhere boy is a film that portrays the life of the famous British rock star John Lennon, it was also filmed in Liverpool, England, this is where Lennon was born. John Lennon was one of the founding members of The Beatles, he died in 1980 at the age of 40.

I have chosen to analyse this trailer as I am interested in the film as it is about such an iconic man, I also thought it would be interesting how they tried to make the film appeal to an audience as they would have to attract a younger generation as well as the older generation who were the original Beatles fans.

These are some basic notes I have made from the trailer:

• The trailer starts with a voice over – the voice is of a young man, he tells the audience of his parents’ divorce and that he was brought up by his Auntie.
• During this VO there are a number of different shots; first is a long shot of a man on a pier looking out to sea, the camera tracks towards him, there is then a mid shot of the young man and then a fade to black – it is clear this is the young man that is speaking in the VO – the image of the young man and a older women walking down the street – there are several different shots of them walking and there are edited and cut together so that they are in time with the non diegetic soundtrack
• Cuts to Auntie shouting at the young man saying that he would be in a children’s home if it wasn’t for her – there is a shot reverse shot cutting from her to the young man’s expression and then back to her again
• The VO states that he met his mother again at 16 – the shots show this happening – camera tracks forward to a mid shot of the young man’s back as he stands in front of a house, mid shot of a women (his mother) opening the door and then a mid shot of them hugging.
• The trailer then cuts to his Auntie stating that “she’ll hurt you” – cuts to the young man’s hurt expression
• There is the a quick shot of his mother – she has her back to the camera but can see her face in the mirror
• The trailer then shows the young man’s troubles at school – teacher? Telling him that he is ‘going nowhere’ – links with title of film – shows the young man punching a wall in school uniform then cuts to the same man leaving a house and slamming the gate angrily
• Cuts to a CU of guitars in a shop – camera tracks away from them- VO says that you’ll never make a career out of it – this is what John Lennon’s mother used to say to him
• Cuts to a black screen with caption: DISCOVER THE UNTOLD STORY
• Cuts to the young man telling his Auntie that he wants to start a rock group
• Cuts back to black screen with caption: OF JOHN LENNON – now know who the young man is
• Cuts to a shot of Lennon walking down a corridor at school smiling - then cuts to a shot of Lennon telling a group of boys his age that they are in the band
• Cuts to an over the shoulder shot of Lennon walking over to a young man holding a guitar – he introduces himself and the young man shakes his hand and introduces himself as Paul (Paul McCartney) – a shot reverse shot is used here
• There is then a shot reverse shot of Lennon being taught how to play the banjo – this also shows the comedy aspect of the film
• Trailer then cuts to a CU of someone playing the drums
• Cuts to a CU of someone playing a guitar
• CU of drums (different setting)
• There is then a mid shot of the band playing on stage
• Cuts to audience watching them – all girls – fan base
• Cuts to a shot behind the band – they look almost like silhouettes as they are all wearing black and the ground is wearing brightly coloured clothing
• Cuts to Auntie telling Lennon that his ‘little friends here’
• Cuts to McCartney playing guitar – mid shot
• Cut to Lennon putting on glasses
• Cut back to McCartney playing guitar – he looks up at Lennon
• Cut back to a CU of Lennon he states it’s his ‘Buddy Holly’ look – intertextuality and also shows comedy in film
• Cut back to a CU of McCartney – comic factor
• Cuts band to band playing on stage
• Another shot from behind the band looking into the audience – finished set – holding up guitars
• Mid shot of Lennon and McCartney – holding their guitars up
• Fade to black
• Black screen with caption: A FILM BY SAM TAYLOR – WOOD
• Cuts to image of McCartney holding a guitar – he suggest that if they are going to be in a band then they should write their own ‘stuff’
• Extreme CU of an eye opening – Lennon’s eye?
• CU of Lennon – he states that he write his own stuff; stories etc – as he talks image changes – cuts to shot of him on top of a car or bus, looks relaxed – cuts to him and a girl kissing and then back to him speaking
• Cuts to McCartney – he states; ‘add a tune to that and you’ve got a song’
• Shows band in a make shift recording studio – different shots of them playing including a mid shot of Lennon and a mid shot of McCartney
• Black screen with caption: MEET THE BOY
• There is then an over the shoulder shot of Lennon and his mother hugging
• Cuts to argument with Lennon, his mum and his Auntie – quick shots – shows all of them to be upset – last three shots first she his mother crying then cuts to his Auntie crying and the a CU of Lennon as a tear rolls down his face
• Black screen with caption: BEHIND THE MAN
• CU of playing guitar – at this point in the trailer the editing speeds up
• Cut to girls screaming and jumping in the crowd
• Back to shot of band playing on stage – shot behind the band
• Cuts to shot of Lennon with a girl
• Cuts to Auntie crying – all these shots are about 2 seconds long
• Cuts to Lennon punching McCartney and then cuts to a mid shot of McCartney on the floor – mid shot
• Mid shot of Lennon then cuts to Lennon and other young man lying on top of a bus while it is moving – mid shot then cuts to a long shot
• Black screen with caption: BEHIND THE BEATLES
• Trailer then cuts to a mid shot of Lennon and McCartney and then a shot of a girl running up to Lennon and hugging him – then there is a shot of them dancing
• Cuts to Lennon in school uniform, he is smoking– mid shot – VO – “Are we ready boys?” cuts to Lennon speaking – reflection in car window
• Mid shot of the band playing guitars – shot reverse shot of band and audience
• Cuts to a shot of Lennon running toward the camera
• Mid shot of Lennon walking, he is smoking and carrying his guitar – ‘cool’ image
• Trailer then cuts to Lennon telling his Auntie to is going away to play a gig which his band
• Cuts to the band carrying their instruments and walking down the street – Auntie is talking over the top of this
• Cuts back to Auntie – she does not know about the band – ‘all sound the same’ to her
• Cuts back to the band playing in the make shift record studio – there are shots from different angles before image fades to black
• Black screen – title of the film appears; NOWHERE BOY
• Then cuts to screen of credits
• Last screen is a black screen with the words: COMING SOON on it
• Trailer ends.

There is a non diegetic soundtrack playing throughout the trailer until the last shots, this is where the soundtrack fades and the sound of a crowd cheering and clapping like they would after a gig is played over the top of the credits.

The captions alone tell the audience what the film is going to be about; it is about John Lennon's childhood and how he formed The Beatles.

I really like this trailer and think that it is effective in attracting both young and old generations to the film.

Rach.

RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Spiderman trailer analysis

I have chosen to analyse the teaser trailer for the film Spider-man as i think the way in which the trailer is composed is extremely clever.

The start of the film appears to be a typical bank robbery crime drama, before the trailer nears its end and the trailer is revealed to be for a sci-fi film, as the surreal shot of the web and the action shots of him swinging dramatically between buildings take you by surprise.

By revealing the name of the security guard at the beginning of the trailer it draws you further into the story line and re-enforces the idea that this is taking place in reality. The routine of their everyday life is juxtaposed against the action and confusion of the attack on the bank, leaving a more powerful impression on the audience, as they see the attack from the victims point of view rather than just observing a typical action film.

The flash transition between the logo of Columbia pictures and the next shot cleverly breaks the audience into the action, setting them up for the excitement which is to come. This is perfectly synchronised with the start of the electric guitar being played in the background which adds to the drama and mounting excitement.

The view of them walking out through the point of view of the security cameras demonstrates the amount of security the bank has, and how professional the thieves must be to get through it, this further emphasises how powerful Spiderman must be as he defeated them easily despite their ability to successfully complete such a clever robbery.

The flicker of the screen on the security camera as the bank is attacked shows how the high measures of security have been overcome, and the villains are taking over.

The close up shot of the villain using a mobile phone shows their reliance on modern technology, meaning that the teenage audience can relate.

The bad guys are shown in masks, this is a stereotypical image of villain, making it clear to the audience that they are evil and still managing to make them appear intimidating even though it is so cliched.

The canted angle of the camera, and the quick movements and hand held camera work, creates confusion, and implies that this could be being seen from the point of view of a bank worker. The short shots show the hectic activity which is taking place, and again show confusion and fear.
A high angle shot of a woman below them as they sore up on a rope to safety shows her vulnerability, whereas the low angle shots of the helicopter as they fly away show their power and success.

The close up of the evil guys face in the helicopter as he glances towards the camera, shows confidence, and the phrase "sit back and enjoy the ride" could also be intended to be directed at the audience, suggesting that when they go and see the film they can just sit back and enjoy it.

The high angle shot of the helicopter as it is caught by the web shows they have been defeated and that there is now i higher power than them in control.

The close up of the faces of the bad guys shows their confusion, reflected in the fast confusing stuttering movements of the helicopter blades. A wide shot shows overview of what is happening, making it clear to the audience that something is going wrong. The helicopter in reverse could represent their reversal of fortune, they were making progress and now they're not. The sound of the characters panting is played loudly over the top, emphasising the characters fear, the absence of music adds to the tension as the camera slowly pans outward.

The way in which the camera is zoomed to start with means that the audience cannot see the full view of what is going on and is confused, mirroring the feelings of the characters.

The slow zoom out of the camera reveals the full image as the audience realises what film they are actually viewing the trailer of as the giant web comes into view.

The way in which the helicopter blades are trying and failing to continue spinning, shows the thieves failed attempt at the bank robbery. At the time the twin towers were an iconic American image, so it is as though Spiderman is defending America, they also symbolise height and power, mirroring Spidermans character. The spectacular image of new york skyline also makes the overall image more dramatic.

The music reaches its climax as captions begin to appear on the screen, showing their significance and making them memorable. The close up of spider mans face is an iconic image of him, everyone should recognise it. It is shown straight after the signature move of his character in the comic books as he shoots web, as anyone who was a Spiderman fan would recognise.

The use of the word spin is a clever reference to the spider side of him, as is the music in the background, the lyrics "I wanna take you on a roller coaster" mirror the way in which he is tumbling and throwing himself between the buildings. The way he swings towards the camera involves the audience in the shot, he also swings above the cameras view, symbolising his agility and speed as the camera cannot keep up. The zoom on the title "Spider man" makes the lettering seem powerful and intimidating like the character.

The fast paced and dramatic music throughout this composition of shots creates an adrenaline rush, and reflects the fast paced nature of the film, the electric guitar helps to attract the teenage audience.

The final dramatic image of him as he soars towards the camera before the date flashes onto the screen is extremely effective.

Lucy :)

This trailer can be found through the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-r7qymfa0Q

EVALUATION - Reference to Preliminary Task

For our preliminary task our brief was to create a video of our school to represent it in a good light. We learnt a lot from the production of this piece and we plan to use this information to help us in developing our plans for our teaser trailer into an effective professional piece. The comments on our preliminary task from other members of our class enabled us to create a selection of points which we must keep in mind when filming and editing our trailer. Although the overall intended effect of our trailer and the clip of Therfield School are completely different, the purpose of both pieces is to advertise. This means that we can use similar editing techniques in order to make our work effective and professional.
Lucy :)

RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Nightmare on Elm Street the original trailer

I am now analysing the original trailer to the 1984 original version of Nightmare on Elm Street. I have compared and contrasted the similarities and differences between this trailer and the new remake which is being released in 2010. From this we can see how the trailer grabs the audiences attention in different ways, and the techniques used to keep the present audience interested and even more scared, even though they may already have seen the original.

The trailer starts with the production company flickering on the screen, which immediately tells the audience that this trailer may be scary, and a horror genre. The first clip is of young girls playing with skipping ropes in the street. The music starts of high, then descends down, creating anticipation. There is a voiceover narrating to the audience what is about to happen to ‘the kids in Elm Street.’ There are then clips of the individual teenagers encountering Freddie Kruger as he murders them one by one, through this group of friends. The music changes to futuristic type theme, as the police are trying to solve this mystery of murders. A the main victim, falls asleep in the bath we see Freddie’s gloved hand with knives on the end creep up through her legs, ready to get her, but then she wakes up. From a birds eye view shot of the girl in the bath the title of the film appears on screen. It fills most of the screen, with ‘A Nightmare’ written in red, capital letters, and ‘On Elm Street’ in smaller white letters. This shows that Elm Street is the innocent area, which is being haunted by the nightmare of Freddie Kruger. We see a glimpse of Freddie jumping out of a mirror, in his famous red and black stripped sweater. The new trailer also showed this iconic jumper, which represents the character and his deathly danger.

We see his gloved hand with long knives scrapping along a pipe. This shot is also remade in the new 2010 trailer. We also see the silhouette of Freddie with his very long, extended arms in the darkness. The use of close up show the characters scared emotions and reactions to the actions happening. The narrator says ‘no one will survive.’ There is then a close up of Freddie Kruger as we see his eyes, from hiding behind an object. We are then exposed to his whole body as he attacks the girl. There are more clips of the girl screaming as Freddie comes to get her, then there is a fade to black and the title of the film again appears, with the people who wrote, directed and produced the film.

Here is the link to this trailer on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Adgp0v_mfTk

Nikki Stock

RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Nighmare on Elm Street 2010 Trailer Analsis

The music starts very low and mysterious, which matches the location and the atmosphere of this film. The first shots are of derelict buildings in the misty darkness. This setting immediately tells the audience that this film is of the horror genre, as it starts of dark and empty, which makes them uncomfortable and slightly scared already. There is the sound of breathing then in an extreme long shot, a man runs onto the screen, as if he’s running away from something, always checking behind him. There is a strong beat as he appears on the camera, which builds up tension, as he then runs towards the camera. Cars are then seen chasing him. There is a whole mob after him, and a man shouts, “Kruger, get back hear, you sick bastard”. This shows their anger towards him as the all move closer to where he has hidden inside one of these neglected buildings, carrying a bar, which presumably is to hit him. Freddie Kruger is on the other side of the locked door as the mob shake at it violently, trying to open it. They start yelling at each other, as Freddie yells in desperation “I didn’t do anything!” The man is then seen lighting a can on gasoline on fire, to burn the building down with Freddie inside of it.

The music changes into a screech, as Freddie trapped by encircling flames, rips his jacket off, revealing his famous outfit, of the red and black stripy top. These two colours represent danger. There is an explosion and the music stops, with a fade to black. A beat of music and red captions appear, splattered with blood, with the words ‘From Producer Michael Bay’. This encourages fans of Michael Bay’s work to see his newest project. The dynamic then changes as the clips are then split by fade to blacks and the strong heartbeat emphasised each individual clip. This builds up a tense climax as eventually the heartbeat changes to make the audience feel incredibly uncomfortable. There is a character explaining how she sees Freddie in her dreams, which gives the audience an incline about what the film is about. There is an extreme close up of the ‘Elm Street’ sign, as a child, who makes this trailer very scary, sings the key theme song. There is a series of short clips quickly edited and which show glimpses of Freddie Kruger in his burnt form, for example we see is hand in a glove with long knife fingers scraping along a wall. We see a group of teenagers in different scenarios, meeting Freddie, and trying anything to not fall asleep.

The music suddenly stops as the tension is a its climax, and a teenage boy is walking alone, in a boiler house, and Freddie grabs him from behind to kill him. We see outlines/ silhouettes of Freddie, but never his full body or face close up. This leaves suspense for the audience, who will see this film in the cinema. At the end, after man quick shots, with the changing heartbeat, there is a scream from a girl and Freddie then scraps across the screen, as the title appears ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’ in the red font with scratched marks on top of it, to give the impression that Freddie Kruger is out to get you. We then hear Freddie talk as he moves in on his victim, claws our, and we then catch a glimpse of his burnt face. This may shock the audience, however it is very short so it keeps the mystery alive.There is another caption, which directly communicated with the audience as it says ‘don’t fall asleep.’ Then the date appears ‘4.30.2010’. This is very precise showing that the film is very sure of when it is to be released, expecting a large audience.

Here is the YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-tSvrkKx2Y

Nikki Stock

RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Nightmare on Elm Street Analsis

The generic concepts of the original trailer include:
The music, which creates tension and anticipation
The short clips of different characters being tortured
Only slight glimpses of the evil character, Freddie Kruger
Screaming
Fast editing

The generic concepts used in the new trailer include:
Fast editing
Dark lighting
Scary music (and a child singing the well recognised theme tune)
The sound of a heartbeat which changes to make the audience uncomfortable

How the two trailers are similar:
They both use similar images and clips
The music creates the same scary emotions
Fast editing to create tension
Very brief glimpses of Freddie Kruger

How the trailers differ:
Less of the plot is given away in the new trailer, this may be because the audience may be aware of the narrative already as this new film is a remake.
The new trailer shows the death of Freddie, whereas the old one doesn't.
There is a child singing the main song, which gives an even more scary effect.
the new trailer achieved the feeling that Freddie Kruger was the victim as he was killed, and it showed him being chased and tortured at the beginning of the trailer by the police.

Nikki Stock

RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Twilight clip analysis

I love this particular clip from the film twilight. The producers of this series of films never make any effort to hide the way they have manipulated the editing to reflect the mood of each scene. Any tricks and camera movements are clearly emphasised, and are possibly meant to mirror the way the vampires move in the film. This technique is most pronounced in this clip, as the narrative is describing to the audience how different the vampires lives are to their own. The camera angles and movements reflect the movements of the vampires. I have chosen to analyse this clip because i think the editing is so clever. For example, the editing starts out simple and plain at the start of the scene, as the characters move about normally and appear to be just like any other humans. However as the pace of the scene speeds up, and the true nature of the characters become more apparent, so does the editing. The music choice is loud, modern and exiting and mirrors the cheerful but exiting scene which is taking place. The first noticeably unusual shot is that of the baseball as it spins towards the waiting Rosalie, who stands with the bat ready in her hands. The camera zooms forward, emphasising the echoing crack of the ball as it comes into contact with her bat. After quick shots of the other characters reaction to this, the camera then cuts to a view from the perspective of a person who could be chasing the ball as it streaks through the trees. A close up of Edwards face shows him watch the ball as it vanishes between the trees, and then shows him dash past the camera in a blur of colour, the camera makes no effort to track after him, emphasising his speed. The zoom on Rosalie's feet as she speeds around the pitch also shows how fast she is. These techniques continue throughout the trailer. Towards the end of the clip as danger becomes apparent, the is a fast zoom in each of the characters faces to show their reaction to the situation. A low angle show of the approaching danger illustrates that these new comers are mysterious and dangerous, and a currently in control of the situation. The sharp jerky movements of the camera from then on are used to show the characters fear and discomfort. We hope to use some of these techniques in our filming.

Lucy :)

This clip can be found through the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LojUvzfR1gA

RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Robin Hood trailer analysis

I have chosen to analyse this trailer as it is put together specifically to come across as dramatic and exiting, just like the end of our trailer. The trailer starts with background music building gradually in sound. This is unsettling to the audience, as it is played over a tense scene of the camera panning through a dark forest. The whinny of a horse is heard over the slow drum beat as the shot cuts to the of sinister looking riders on horse back cantering through the trees, mist adds to the disturbing atmosphere. The shots grow faster as dark figures become visible among the trees, and then cut out altogether with a flash as you see someone run into what looks like a sheet of metal spikes. after the transitioning flash of brightness which blocks out this horrific image before your eyes have time to fully focus on it, the screen fades immediately to black. This startles the watcher, and sets them up for what is coming. After this quick montage of terrifying images they are tense and on the edge of their seats, meaning that the slow shots and slow music make the edgy and nervous, wondering what is to come next. The sound of every action is amplified to add to the tension before the music reaches its climax and fades out altogether, the silence is even more unsettling than before. This is the moment which the editor decides to display the name of the director for ultimate impact. This is followed by continued action shots from the film, interjected with scenes of romance and tragedy, during which the music is loud and fast paced. right after this a slow motion shot of an arrow being shot from a bow is placed, to give a hint of what the film is before the words "Robin Hood" flash onto the screen.

Lucy :)

The trailer can be found through this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qK1tVLVaqFs

RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Sherlock holmes trailer analysis

The composition of shots in this trailer is very cleverly constructed so as to mirror the pace of the film. The start of the trailer is pieced together in a way which makes it clear to the audience the genre of the film as soon as the trailer begins. The music played in the background from the start adds to the effect of the transition from blank screen to the opening shot. It is eerie and unsettling and the deep voice which is played in the voice over take you by surprise. As soon as the words "Sherlock Holmes" are spoken everyone is instantly aware of what they are watching as this is a well known name. The composition of flash shots which follow are designed to make the audience jumpy and exited as they have heard a name they recognise and now need to be impressed. the quick beats Incorporated into the continuing background music match the flashes in the shot transitions and add to the overall effect. To start with the lighting is dim and creepy, adding to the atmosphere and putting the audience on edge. However as the film progresses it lightens to match the mood, as more comical scenes are shown. All sound effects are emphasised and played loudly to add to some of the shocking images which are revealed. Action shots are shown to entice those who are perhaps more interested in action films than typical "Murder Mysteries", and there is even a flicker of the occasional love scene, hinting that the film would be appropriate for both men and women. Comical elements are also interjected to lighten the dark impression of the film which is first left upon the audience. Familiar names of actors and actresses also flicker onto the screen towards the end of the trailer, and after the succession of dramatic action scenes, involving attractive women and shocking stunts, the trailer closes on a comical scene, leaving the audience with a lighthearted memory of the upcoming film. Since the film is so well known the producers are able to end with a set date of the film, rather than needing to leave the audience in suspense.

Lucy :)

The trailer can be found through this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUQbmFAE5WI&feature=related

RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Questions in preperation for the Interview with our actors

Questions:

Q1. What do you feel are the most authentic attributes of your characters?

Q2. What do you think is most effective about our setting?

Q3. What aspects of a film trailer are most likely to make you want to go and see it?

Q4. What genre of film do you think produces the most effective trailer?

Q5. What made you wiling to be a part of this film production?

Q6. In your opinion which genre of film do you think is most popular?

Q7. How do you think the music will affect the mood of your scenes?

Q8. How do you think the camera angles influence the way in which your characters are portrayed?

Q9. Which actor has been the biggest inspiration to you?

Q10. If you were a professional actor, what type of film would you most enjoy being a part of?

Lucy and Nikki :)

RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Questionnaire Questions

Here is a questionnaire Me and Lucy created, in order to find out what our target audience views in a trailer, and what makes them want to see the whole film in the cinema. This information is our primary research, which can help us make our trailer, to meet the audiences tastes.

1. What is you favourite genre of film?
· Thriller-
· Action-
· Fantasy-
· Sci-fi-
· Romantic-
· Comedy-
· Autobiographic
· Horror
· Other

2. Which trailers do you find most effective, in the way in which they leave a lasting impression?



3. Which is the most common way in which you consume film trailers?
· Television
· Cinema Advertisements
· Posters
· Internet Sites
· Other

4. Which type of trailers draw you to go to see the films in the cinema?
· Cliff hangers
· Enigmas
· Comedy moments
· Action clips
· Romantic clips
· Other

5. What type of films do you normally go and see?
· Thriller-
· Action-
· Fantasy-
· Sci-fi-
· Romantic-
· Comedy-
· Autobiographic
· Horror

6. In your opinion what genre of film is most popular?
· Thriller-
· Action-
· Fantasy-
· Sci-fi-
· Romantic-
· Comedy-
· Autobiographic
· Horror

7. How does the music affect the mood of the film?
·
·
·
·
8. Which techniques are most likely to get you on the edge of your seat?
· Fast paced editing
· Music
· Sound effects
· The snippets of action occurring
· Cliff-hanger at the end/ unanswered enigmas

9. How do the camera shots of a character portray their characteristics?

10. What influences you to go see a film?
· Is it the action occurring
· The actors involved in the film
· The director or producers of the film
· The production company
· The narrative

By Nikki and Lucy

RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Production Timeline

To organise our filming we created a timeline, which guided us throughout the whole process of planning, filming and editing.
We had until the 11th December to complete our planning.
This included:

• Analysing other trailers
• Mind mapping ideas
• Primary research (questionnaires)
• Analysing the mise-en-scene (location, actors, costumes ect. with photos)
• Choosing music
• Captions and font
• Storyboarding
• Scripting
• Choosing our target audience
• Referencing our influences from other films
• Referring to our preliminary tasks and show how we are going to improve from them and our year 12 coursework

It took time to chose when we were all available to film in correlation with our actors. We chose to film on Wednesday 25th November with Jenny, so that we could film all of her sequences on Megan bag packing and getting ready to run away. Then on Tuesday 1st December we filmed with Jenny and Raf with their scenes together. The week in between gave us an opportunity to reflect back and re-watch what we had filmed, to see whether we needed to re-film anything. The only clip we now need to film is the 'meeting' shot, by a postbox, but due to poor whether conditions and the evenings turning dark early, we have been unable to film this scene yet, however we have plenty of time to do so.

We then have until ... to edit our teaser trailer, and complete it.

Nikki Stock

RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Black Narcissus Trailer

I have chosen to analyse this trailer as the film changes its genre like our film would if it was real. At the beginning of Black Narcissus the audience is unaware this it will turn into a thriller, this is the same with our film. This film was made in 1947, I thought it would be interesting to look at an older trailer as we have only looked at modern ones so far. This is a theatrical trailer as I could not find a teaser trailer on YouTube, however it could be that this is the one and only trailer for Black Narcissus.

This is a link to the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_tH3FaoLcU

These are basic notes i made from the trailer:

• Trumpets – announcement, celebration
• Caption; ‘the outstanding combination that gave you’
• Picture of some sort of parade in the background - people are standing still - diegetic sound of the trumpets
• Other caption fades and a new one appears; ‘A matter of life and death’
• Music changes to strings as the image fades (non diegetic soundtrack)– mountains appear
• On top on the mountains the names; Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger appear – these are British film makers
• Writing scrolls off screen and image cuts to a lake and woods behind it - camera tracks along as more captions appear – ‘again produce another screen achievement’
• Captions cut of screen then image cuts to image of mountains in the mist and the title of the film appears ‘ Black Narcissus by Rumer Godden’
• Image of a nun holding a cross appears – she is praying – VO(voice over)- ‘This is the story of a high endeavor that tried and tested a women’ The person speaking is a man - he speaks old fashionably and in a posh British accent
• This image changes to nuns gardening in the mountains – VO- ‘in the remote background of Asia’
• Cuts to an Asian man and women hugging –VO- ‘the story of a prince and a beggar maid’
• Over the shoulder shot- Cuts to a women looking insane holding a mirror and putting on lipstick – VO- ‘and of a nun who gave up here vows’
• Cuts to a nun – she is only light by candle light – she is trying to reason with the nun who has given up her vows – they are not the enemy – cuts to ex nun she is deluded- thinks that they are all jealous of her – light angle putting her in shadow – hinting that she is insane
• Cuts to two nuns and a man –VO- ‘the clash of strong personalities’ – there is then dialogue to show the clash of personalities between the man and one of the nuns - there is a shot reverse shot of a mid shot of the nuns with the man’s back to the camera – this cuts to a CU of the man then back to the mid shot.
• Image fades to nuns walking – VO- ‘the contrast of present peace and self denial with the rice memories of the full years that have past’ – during this VO there is the shot of the nuns walking this cuts to a shot of the nuns in the chapel praying and then cuts to a shot of dogs running (assume this is the ‘past’) and a man and a women riding horses
• Fades to a high angle shot looking down on the nuns eating and preparing food – VO – ‘They renounce the world of men but found that the world was not to be denied’ – during this the high angle shot cuts to an over the shoulder shot of the ex nun talking to the man – after the VO she tells his that she has given up her vows – he turns around and the camera follows him – there is then a CU of the ex nuns face as she says she loves him - this cuts to the back of the man’s head and he sharply turns around in shock (CU) – clear he does not love her
• Cuts to mid shot of nun talking to man – slightly over the shoulder – can’t see the nuns face – she then turns around – she is telling the man of her failures in this place – she is very upset – the shots go from a mid shot to a CU and then back to a mid shot as the man states that he said that this was ‘no place for a nunnery’ – he then talks of the place that they are in as if it is cursed
• The trailer then cuts to an image of the main actress before she name a nun it states her name and who cast her – at this point the soundtrack changes from the eerie strings to a flute sounding instrument.
• It goes through the main actors in the film and each has their own shot; ‘Deborah Kerr, Sabu, David Farrar, Flora Robson, Jean Simmons and Kathleen Byron’
• This fades to an images of the nuns running in the wind and rain at night, the bells are ringing – shows panic – the string soundtrack starts up again
• Cuts to high angle shot of the ex nun ringing the bell and struggling with the main nun, they are very close to falling off the edge of the mountain – shows danger – the nun is then only holding on to the rope as the ex nun manages to push her off the edge – there is cloud beneath them to show how high they are
• Cuts to CU of the ex nun trying to make the main nun let go of the rope and fall – cuts to their feet as the nun tries to climb onto the ledge – there is then a low angle shot as the nun tries to climb up
• Cuts to a picture of the mountains seem at the beginning and shows the title of the film once more- the caption also states that the film will be shown in Technicolor – this shows the age of the film
• Then it cuts back to the lake and you can see a lot of people walking along side it – the credits are shown on top of this- as the music comes to a finale the trailer ends


This trailer gives a lot of the story line away, an audience knows from watching this trailer that although the nuns try they will not make a success of the nunnery in Asia and the one of the nuns will turn insane. It is also clear that the film has a romantic element because of the shots shown between the man and the main nun, also with him and the ex nun. It is also clear that the films genre changes away and becomes a thriller as it is clear that the ex nun is going to try and kill one of the other nuns as you see her dangling off a mountain. It does not however give away what happens in the end and so therefore still intrigues an audience and attracts them to go and see the film. It therefore serves its purpose.

Rach