Saturday 19 March 2011
How did you use new media technologies in construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
We used lots of different media technologies in the process of creating our media product. During our planning stages, we used social networking sites, such as ‘facebook’, ‘twitter’ and ‘blogger to distribute our questionnaires. This helped us reach a wider quantity of our target audience as a lot of young people use social networking sites to communicate.
When creating our media products, we used numerous programmes to construct them; we used ‘final cut express’ to produce our trailer. This took practice to get used to, as we had never used it before but after a few attempts, we managed to use it correctly. When creating our ancillary products, we used ‘Photoshop’ to edit our photos and generate our magazine covers and posters. This was considerably easy to use, as we had practice from our AS coursework. After we had finished our media product, we used ‘quicktime converter’ to change the file from a ‘PSD’ format, to an ‘AVI’ format.
To film our media product, we used digital camcorders that we then uploaded to ‘Final cut express’. We also used digital cameras to take shots for our ancillary tasks which we uploaded to ‘Photoshop’.
We found that using the internet to construct research was the most useful way of creating a basis for our film trailer. We used search engines such as ‘Google’ and ‘Yahoo!’
What have you learned from audience feedback?
When we presented out first draft of our media product to our focus group, there was aspects that we needed to change, and others that we decided to keep. For example, in out first draft of the trailer, we had one piece of music that was continuous throughout. After showing this to our focus group, they commented that the music we had chosen did not match with our torture scene, and so we had to choose two different pieces that would match.
Our focus group also mentioned that the whole product looked more like a short film, rather than a trailer. To improve this, we added lots of jump cuts in the torture scene and editing of the party scene.
By doing this we managed to achieve a product that looked more like a trailer and less like a film that showed individual and separate stages.
After showing the developed trailer to our focus group, they agreed that the trailer had been improved and looked better with the changes.
During our planning process, we came up with a questionnaire that we handed out to our target audience. From this we were able to distinguish what our audience would like to see in a horror film, and base our trailer around these findings. For example, the feedback suggested that our target audience would relate more to a group of teenagers in distress than an elderly person, and so we decided that we would use a group of teenagers in our film trailer.
How effective is the combination of your main products and ancillary texts?
When I was planning my ancillary texts, I considered that I should have a theme running throughout them. As the trailer is a horror film, I thought that it would be appropriate to use dark colours to suit the mood of the subject. The shots in my ancillary texts are black & white, and I thought that this added mystery, and yet effective. I have used the same shot on both my magazine cover and film poster, as I liked the composition of the photo. I decided that my shots should show a connection with the trailer, and so I used the killer holding a knife as it is shown frequently throughout the trailer.
In my film poster, I have edited the image so that the light is showing in colour. I thought that this stood out, as the rest of the photo was in black and white. I also chose to have this particular photo as there was a lot of focus on the knife, which has significance of the film trailer.
When considering distribution for my film poster, I recognised that my film would be rated 18, and so had to regard where I would advertise. For my poster, I decided that I would place it near colleges, near cinemas, and on buses/bus stops as it would be attracting its target audience- 18-21 year olds. For the magazine, I decided that it would be best fitting to advertise the film on the cover of a movie magazine such as ‘Empire’ or ‘TotalFilm’ as it would be appealing to people who read this magazine.
In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Our media products follow and challenges many paradigms of real media products.
For example ‘Toderov’s theory of narrative’ shows a period of equilibrium, point of disequilibrium, moment of disequilibrium and the new equilibrium. We have chosen to follow this theory, as most real media products conform to this. We think that out product shows a clear definition of each of these
1. period of equilibrium
2. point of disequilibrium
3. period of disequilibrium
For the period of equilibrium, we have chosen to use long, slow shots as this is appropriate for the mood of the trailer at this point. As the trailer progresses to he moment of disequilibrium, we used faster jump cuts which reflect the disposition of the trailer.
We have also followed numerous other theories, for example, Carol Clover’s’ final girl’ theory. Although we did not follow this in the literal sense, we used the idea in our own way. We chose to have a group of final girls, instead of just one [shot].this is shown in the film trailer “The decent” (2005)
4. final group of girls
4a. the decent- group of girlsIn our trailer, we have also used the ‘SEX/ALCOHOL=DEATH’, and differentiated this clearly from the other characters.
5. sex/alcohol= death
The mise-en-scene (costume) also shows this, as we have chosen to put the main character in a short skirt, a convention of a ‘party girl’. This is presented in “Halloween” (1978)
5a. Halloween- sex=deathWe thought that by doing this, it would put more focus on out main character, which follows the opposite convention.
Another convention that we have followed is the ‘mystery of the killer’. A common paradigm of real media products is that the audience cannot see the face of the killer like in “Scream” (1996) .
6. mystery of the killer
6a. Scream- mystery of the killer This conforms to the fear of the unknown, something which is a fear factor in horror films. We chose to follow this as it added a sense of fear to our trailers. The killer is also dressed in a black outfit, something else which is apparent in real media products. Black is often associated with death, and so we thought that it would be appropriate to put our killer in black costume.
Additionally, we used the paradigm of ‘the motive of the killer’ in out trailer.
In real media products the killer has often been provoked to kill/kidnap like in “All the boys love Mandy Lane ” (2006). We chose to follow this convention as it showed that anyone could be a victim, something else that adds an element of fear to the audience.
7. motive of killer
7a. All the boys love Mandy Lane motive of the killer
For out location, we chose to set it in busy environments, such as a school, house, and a pub.
8. school
8a. house
8b. pub
8c. Cherry tree Lane- safe place We thought that this would be effective in our trailer as a pub is often considered a safe environment to be in when there are other people around, and so to put this in a horror film, we thought it would challenge the conventions of the setting being in a desolate environment as shown in “Cherry tree lane” (2010). This adds fear-factor to our trailer, as the audience may then think that it cold happen to them in a ‘safe’ environment.
However, in our torture scene, we have conformed to media conventions, as it is set in an isolated location like in “Eden lake” (2008). This adds suspense to our clip as the victim cannot get help, which is frightening for the audience.
9. isolated9a. isolated location
9b. Eden lake- isolatedThe final convention that we have chosen to follow is that our media product doesn’t show any of the characters being killed, only tortured [shot] as shown in “The Texas chainsaw massacre” (1974). By doing this we have shown the audience that the character is in need of help, but we do not show the outcome, something which is more likely to want our target audience want to see it.
10. tortue
10a.Texas Chainsaw Massacre torture
Friday 28 January 2011
Cast list, Location Costume and Props
Brooke Hunter
Student and Hairdresser part time.
Age 18
Description: Brooke is a very loud out going girl who loves all eyes on her. She takes a lot of pride in her appearance even though some would say it is not a good look. She was never an academic student but has stayed on to study hair and beauty at college and also works at a hairdresser’s part time. She is always skint as Friday she gets paid and parties all weekend so has no money by Sunday but as she is young she thinks it is acceptable to dispose of her money on Drink and cigarettes.
Some may think she can be a arrogant person but she hates nothing more than having an arguments and will do anything she can to avoid this. Her family life isn’t very stable so she think that putting a front on will help her get through her day but inside she is not the happiest of girls.
Pros: She can be very fun to go out with and will always make you feel good about yourself
She is always there when you need to talk to her. And she will always listen to you no matter what.
Cons: She can often feel like you’re not important as she loves all the attention and no boy will ever be good enough for you as she wants them first. She is not the most reliable person in the world. When she has had a drink she can also get very emotional.
Bobby Stembaski AKA Pin (the killer)
Student, Also a part time drug dealer
Age 19
Description: This man is very quiet and keeps himself to him self and near enough no friends as the ones he does have are more like family. On the weekends he works and deals drugs, he hardly spends any money and longs for a girlfriend that will eventually become his wife but he has no idea how to socialise with people so for him the concept of dating is out the question.
Pros: there aren’t really any positives about his character as know one knows anything about him.
Cons: As he has been bullied and had a troubled childhood he thinks that everyone is out to get him.
Lucy Fisher (Brookes Best friend)
Student
Age 18
Description: Lucy cares about Brooke a lot and worries about her also she isn’t the most popular girl in the world but she has no problems making friends, she keeps her feeling to herself most of the time as she thinks that Brooke just wont pay attention to her at all, they have been childhood friends form the very beginning and Brookes family are like her own although Brooke does not show her compassion for Lucy at the best of times, Lucy knows that without here Brooke wouldn’t be who she is today and would still be the lonely geek that sat next to Lucy on there first day of school 6 years ago.
Chloe Smith (Close friend)
Student
Ages 18
Description:
Not as close to the others but still a good friend to both Lucy and Brooke, Chloe is somewhat different from the others she has a different group of friends also that are a bit different and don’t follow the stereotypes of a typical teenager. At the weekends she spend a lot of time with Brooke and Lucy although she is different form the others and has different beliefs they all still click and make a good friendship group.
1. Our first location is in brooks house. We are using one of the actors house for this as it contains all the props we need and is easy to film in.
2. Next we will be filming on the road, we need to capture an image of a red bus to make it clear in the trailer that the film is set in London and this is a very good way of doing it as a lot of people associate red buses with London.
3. We will then be filming in a pub, our local so there should not be any problems filming there as this will be one of the main parts of our filming but it will be up to us the production team to make it look like there is an atmosphere at the pub.
4. There will be a series of clips film all over just random places in the street and homes to try and bring the trailer more together as the film will not be set in just three locations.
Costume;
Brooke Hunter: Short party dress, heels, a lot of make up, and jewellery.
We chose this outfit for Brooke, because as a stereo typical teenager this is what is mostly worn when going out to a party and as the promiscuous one of the group we think this outfit will define her and make people realise that compared to her friends she is the more extravagant and the one that is mostly up for partying and also bring through her out going personality.
Bobby Stembaski AKA pin (the killer): Black hooded jumper with dark combats. Hood is worn at all times.
We Chose this out fit for the killer as we don’t want the audience to see his face, and with him wearing black it is mysterious and leaves much for the mind to imagine. This is like giving the audience a blank canvas so they can use there imagination to think up what he is really like. Also in many other horror films the killer never has and individual style we will always see them in dark coloured clothing as this is not noticeable when in a crowd and will not be recognised easily.
Lucy Fisher (Brooke’s best friend): Wearing heels and a dress also but looks a bit classier.
We choose to make Brookes best friend a bit more classy and not as dressed up, this is so the audience know that she is not the main character it also shows that she is not as self obsessed as Brooke is and doesn’t try so hard for the attention. I think with any friendship that one friend always try’s more hard than the other, but I still think that this outfit still represents the typical stereotype for any 18 year old.
Chloe Smith (a close friend to Brooke and Lucy) : Wearing near another them same as the other girls but has a bit more dignity and does not show her body off as much, Wearing tights instead of bare legs and a dress that covers her assets.
Chloe is more of the innocent one of the group, so we needed to dress her in something that reflects that and reflect her quiet side. She is also a bit individual from the others and her clothing shows her quirky side.
Student and Hairdresser part time.
Age 18
Description: Brooke is a very loud out going girl who loves all eyes on her. She takes a lot of pride in her appearance even though some would say it is not a good look. She was never an academic student but has stayed on to study hair and beauty at college and also works at a hairdresser’s part time. She is always skint as Friday she gets paid and parties all weekend so has no money by Sunday but as she is young she thinks it is acceptable to dispose of her money on Drink and cigarettes.
Some may think she can be a arrogant person but she hates nothing more than having an arguments and will do anything she can to avoid this. Her family life isn’t very stable so she think that putting a front on will help her get through her day but inside she is not the happiest of girls.
Pros: She can be very fun to go out with and will always make you feel good about yourself
She is always there when you need to talk to her. And she will always listen to you no matter what.
Cons: She can often feel like you’re not important as she loves all the attention and no boy will ever be good enough for you as she wants them first. She is not the most reliable person in the world. When she has had a drink she can also get very emotional.
Bobby Stembaski AKA Pin (the killer)
Student, Also a part time drug dealer
Age 19
Description: This man is very quiet and keeps himself to him self and near enough no friends as the ones he does have are more like family. On the weekends he works and deals drugs, he hardly spends any money and longs for a girlfriend that will eventually become his wife but he has no idea how to socialise with people so for him the concept of dating is out the question.
Pros: there aren’t really any positives about his character as know one knows anything about him.
Cons: As he has been bullied and had a troubled childhood he thinks that everyone is out to get him.
Lucy Fisher (Brookes Best friend)
Student
Age 18
Description: Lucy cares about Brooke a lot and worries about her also she isn’t the most popular girl in the world but she has no problems making friends, she keeps her feeling to herself most of the time as she thinks that Brooke just wont pay attention to her at all, they have been childhood friends form the very beginning and Brookes family are like her own although Brooke does not show her compassion for Lucy at the best of times, Lucy knows that without here Brooke wouldn’t be who she is today and would still be the lonely geek that sat next to Lucy on there first day of school 6 years ago.
Chloe Smith (Close friend)
Student
Ages 18
Description:
Not as close to the others but still a good friend to both Lucy and Brooke, Chloe is somewhat different from the others she has a different group of friends also that are a bit different and don’t follow the stereotypes of a typical teenager. At the weekends she spend a lot of time with Brooke and Lucy although she is different form the others and has different beliefs they all still click and make a good friendship group.
1. Our first location is in brooks house. We are using one of the actors house for this as it contains all the props we need and is easy to film in.
2. Next we will be filming on the road, we need to capture an image of a red bus to make it clear in the trailer that the film is set in London and this is a very good way of doing it as a lot of people associate red buses with London.
3. We will then be filming in a pub, our local so there should not be any problems filming there as this will be one of the main parts of our filming but it will be up to us the production team to make it look like there is an atmosphere at the pub.
4. There will be a series of clips film all over just random places in the street and homes to try and bring the trailer more together as the film will not be set in just three locations.
Costume;
Brooke Hunter: Short party dress, heels, a lot of make up, and jewellery.
We chose this outfit for Brooke, because as a stereo typical teenager this is what is mostly worn when going out to a party and as the promiscuous one of the group we think this outfit will define her and make people realise that compared to her friends she is the more extravagant and the one that is mostly up for partying and also bring through her out going personality.
Bobby Stembaski AKA pin (the killer): Black hooded jumper with dark combats. Hood is worn at all times.
We Chose this out fit for the killer as we don’t want the audience to see his face, and with him wearing black it is mysterious and leaves much for the mind to imagine. This is like giving the audience a blank canvas so they can use there imagination to think up what he is really like. Also in many other horror films the killer never has and individual style we will always see them in dark coloured clothing as this is not noticeable when in a crowd and will not be recognised easily.
Lucy Fisher (Brooke’s best friend): Wearing heels and a dress also but looks a bit classier.
We choose to make Brookes best friend a bit more classy and not as dressed up, this is so the audience know that she is not the main character it also shows that she is not as self obsessed as Brooke is and doesn’t try so hard for the attention. I think with any friendship that one friend always try’s more hard than the other, but I still think that this outfit still represents the typical stereotype for any 18 year old.
Chloe Smith (a close friend to Brooke and Lucy) : Wearing near another them same as the other girls but has a bit more dignity and does not show her body off as much, Wearing tights instead of bare legs and a dress that covers her assets.
Chloe is more of the innocent one of the group, so we needed to dress her in something that reflects that and reflect her quiet side. She is also a bit individual from the others and her clothing shows her quirky side.
Analysis of location, props, costume and cast
Cast
We have chosen to focus our trailer on a group of teenagers (18-20) as this is the age that we are aiming it at. Our cast is made up of 6 girls, and 3 boys. Our protagonist acts provocative and promiscuous when she is out, and this follows the convention of SEX=DEATH, which is shown in films like ‘Texas chainsaw massacre’ and ‘Scream’.
We chose to have a majority of females in our cast, so we could show that all of them had different personalities in the group. For example, the shy and timid girls all survive and are unharmed because they are quiet and withdrawn from the group. We chose to have 3 boys so that our main character (Brooke Hunter) can be sexually brazen towards all three of them, which will confirm
That she is a promiscuous character.
Costume
Our initial idea for Brooke was to have her in a “slutty” outfit so that we could distinguish her out of the group as the one who would be in trouble. This is shown in films such as “All the boys love Mandy Lane” She is the most outgoing and vibrant of her friends and we decided that her outfit should reflect this. We chose this so that our audience would know she is the main character. She wears a short party dress, and very high heels; this is the way we think an 18 year old hair dresser would dress on a night out.
For the killer (Bobby Stembaski) we chose to dress him in a stereo typical way for a killer. The black means that we do not know the killers identity and so it acts as a mask like in “Scream”. This enables us to recognise that the killer is an abnormal character in the trailer, as he is dressed differently to the rest of the group.
For Brooke’s best friends (Lucy Fisher and Chloe Smith) we decided that they would be more covered up and classy. This means that we can see the difference between her and her friends, and that we can see exactly who the main character is, but at the same time we are conveying the way we think an 18 year old should be portrayed.
Props
We decided to use a number of different weapons for our props, as out trailer will be based around torture. Our first weapons are pins. We decided this as it could be both a way of inflicting pain on Brooke, and a trademark for the killer too like in “Scream” where the killer’s trademark is his mask.
Our second choice of weapon is a knife. We chose this because when it used, it causes a slow and painful death for the victim. This is shown in “Scream” too.
Our other prop is alcohol. We decided this, as it is a common convention of horror films (The house on sorority row) it is a way to set up the scene to put Brooke in a vulnerable situation.
Location
We have numerous locations that we have decided we want to film our trailer in. Our first scene will be set in a house, in Brooke’s bedroom. This will enable our audience to be fooled into a false sense of security, as the home is meant to be a safe place like in “Paranormal activity”. Our second location will be on a bus. This tells us that the location is in London, but also that the group are going somewhere. This is also where we will be able to see that the killer is following them.
The main location is going to be a pub where we can see the main points of each character conveyed. The pub is also another indication of alcohol, which puts the characters in a vulnerable situation.
We have chosen to focus our trailer on a group of teenagers (18-20) as this is the age that we are aiming it at. Our cast is made up of 6 girls, and 3 boys. Our protagonist acts provocative and promiscuous when she is out, and this follows the convention of SEX=DEATH, which is shown in films like ‘Texas chainsaw massacre’ and ‘Scream’.
We chose to have a majority of females in our cast, so we could show that all of them had different personalities in the group. For example, the shy and timid girls all survive and are unharmed because they are quiet and withdrawn from the group. We chose to have 3 boys so that our main character (Brooke Hunter) can be sexually brazen towards all three of them, which will confirm
That she is a promiscuous character.
Costume
Our initial idea for Brooke was to have her in a “slutty” outfit so that we could distinguish her out of the group as the one who would be in trouble. This is shown in films such as “All the boys love Mandy Lane” She is the most outgoing and vibrant of her friends and we decided that her outfit should reflect this. We chose this so that our audience would know she is the main character. She wears a short party dress, and very high heels; this is the way we think an 18 year old hair dresser would dress on a night out.
For the killer (Bobby Stembaski) we chose to dress him in a stereo typical way for a killer. The black means that we do not know the killers identity and so it acts as a mask like in “Scream”. This enables us to recognise that the killer is an abnormal character in the trailer, as he is dressed differently to the rest of the group.
For Brooke’s best friends (Lucy Fisher and Chloe Smith) we decided that they would be more covered up and classy. This means that we can see the difference between her and her friends, and that we can see exactly who the main character is, but at the same time we are conveying the way we think an 18 year old should be portrayed.
Props
We decided to use a number of different weapons for our props, as out trailer will be based around torture. Our first weapons are pins. We decided this as it could be both a way of inflicting pain on Brooke, and a trademark for the killer too like in “Scream” where the killer’s trademark is his mask.
Our second choice of weapon is a knife. We chose this because when it used, it causes a slow and painful death for the victim. This is shown in “Scream” too.
Our other prop is alcohol. We decided this, as it is a common convention of horror films (The house on sorority row) it is a way to set up the scene to put Brooke in a vulnerable situation.
Location
We have numerous locations that we have decided we want to film our trailer in. Our first scene will be set in a house, in Brooke’s bedroom. This will enable our audience to be fooled into a false sense of security, as the home is meant to be a safe place like in “Paranormal activity”. Our second location will be on a bus. This tells us that the location is in London, but also that the group are going somewhere. This is also where we will be able to see that the killer is following them.
The main location is going to be a pub where we can see the main points of each character conveyed. The pub is also another indication of alcohol, which puts the characters in a vulnerable situation.
Scripting of the major scences
Brief outline:
• Brooke Hunter just turned 18, for the last few weekends they have been out drinking, partying and spending money. This weekend in particular they have planned for a night out in a local town.
• They start of the night getting ready and pre drinking at Brooke’s house this is always the venue for the preparation of a night out as her parents are more lenient, allowing them to have loud music and a substantial amount of drink.
• Following the pre-partying the girls leave the house all dress up. It is a freezing cold December evening but they cannot feel the cold as the alcohol has blocked their senses to this. When they board the bus they have a 45 minute journey but this does not bother them as they have supply’s of wine hidden in there bags.
• When they arrive at the pub there a atmosphere of excitement as people meet and greet each other, the juke box is then put on creating a even more lively atmosphere. The drinking and partying carries on.
• When Brooke is at the bar talking to a mate we notice a strange man just lingering in the background all dressed in black with his hood up. When then witness Brooke rowing with the girls as they have told her to slow down on the drink, and she is refusing to. She threatens to leave and when she realises then no one seems bothered about the fact she might leave, she leaves the pub on her own and sets off home.
• On the way home she feels scared, alone and paranoid.
• She is taken.
• She is bundled in the back of the car.
• Friends try looking for her.
• She is left to be tortured and abused.
Camera shots Scene by scene:
Scene 1: Brooke invites her friends over to get ready for there night out on the town. We can see that they are already drinking and getting themselves all done up. Brook is drinking a tad more excessively than the others.
Camera shots:
Close ups on props such as bottles of drink and make up and clothes to symbolise the partying.
Full shot of them dancing and drinking.
Extreme close up on brooks lips as she drinks her drink.
Mid shot of her opening the door to her mates
Scene 2: On the way to the pub they are all on a bus travelling to a pub in another town.
Camera shots:
Long shot of a London bus to symbolise that we are in London.
A couple of mid shots of them on the bus And a long shot of the man sitting on the back of the bus.
Scene 3:
When they arrive at the pub there all go over to the bar and seating area where they greet the rest of the friends but the man is still lurking in the back of the club.
Camera Shots:
Full shot of the pub.
Mid shots of them kissing and greeting friends.
A shot of brook at the pub doing the shots.
Long shot of the pub and the man standing at the back.
Scene 4:
Brooke walking to the bus stop through dark secluded areas, she then gets grabbed.
Camera shots:
A shot of her walking and a close up of her face breathing.
I mid shot of her getting grabbed and a shot of her getting put into the car.
Scene 5:
The friends then receive a phone call from unknown when they answer It they hear the kidnappers voice threatening her friends saying if they do not find brooke within 24 hours she dies.
Camera shots:
Close up of the phone as it rings
then a close up of the friends’ faces as they are shock with disbelief.
Scene 6:
Brook is trapped in a house.
Camera shots:
Various shots of her struggling and being tortured.
Scene 7:
various shots of her friends running and looking.
Camera Shots:
All types of shots showing the friends looking and caring.
There will also be many tone cards displaying the time that they have lefts. As well as a series of 1 second quick cut still images.
• Brooke Hunter just turned 18, for the last few weekends they have been out drinking, partying and spending money. This weekend in particular they have planned for a night out in a local town.
• They start of the night getting ready and pre drinking at Brooke’s house this is always the venue for the preparation of a night out as her parents are more lenient, allowing them to have loud music and a substantial amount of drink.
• Following the pre-partying the girls leave the house all dress up. It is a freezing cold December evening but they cannot feel the cold as the alcohol has blocked their senses to this. When they board the bus they have a 45 minute journey but this does not bother them as they have supply’s of wine hidden in there bags.
• When they arrive at the pub there a atmosphere of excitement as people meet and greet each other, the juke box is then put on creating a even more lively atmosphere. The drinking and partying carries on.
• When Brooke is at the bar talking to a mate we notice a strange man just lingering in the background all dressed in black with his hood up. When then witness Brooke rowing with the girls as they have told her to slow down on the drink, and she is refusing to. She threatens to leave and when she realises then no one seems bothered about the fact she might leave, she leaves the pub on her own and sets off home.
• On the way home she feels scared, alone and paranoid.
• She is taken.
• She is bundled in the back of the car.
• Friends try looking for her.
• She is left to be tortured and abused.
Camera shots Scene by scene:
Scene 1: Brooke invites her friends over to get ready for there night out on the town. We can see that they are already drinking and getting themselves all done up. Brook is drinking a tad more excessively than the others.
Camera shots:
Close ups on props such as bottles of drink and make up and clothes to symbolise the partying.
Full shot of them dancing and drinking.
Extreme close up on brooks lips as she drinks her drink.
Mid shot of her opening the door to her mates
Scene 2: On the way to the pub they are all on a bus travelling to a pub in another town.
Camera shots:
Long shot of a London bus to symbolise that we are in London.
A couple of mid shots of them on the bus And a long shot of the man sitting on the back of the bus.
Scene 3:
When they arrive at the pub there all go over to the bar and seating area where they greet the rest of the friends but the man is still lurking in the back of the club.
Camera Shots:
Full shot of the pub.
Mid shots of them kissing and greeting friends.
A shot of brook at the pub doing the shots.
Long shot of the pub and the man standing at the back.
Scene 4:
Brooke walking to the bus stop through dark secluded areas, she then gets grabbed.
Camera shots:
A shot of her walking and a close up of her face breathing.
I mid shot of her getting grabbed and a shot of her getting put into the car.
Scene 5:
The friends then receive a phone call from unknown when they answer It they hear the kidnappers voice threatening her friends saying if they do not find brooke within 24 hours she dies.
Camera shots:
Close up of the phone as it rings
then a close up of the friends’ faces as they are shock with disbelief.
Scene 6:
Brook is trapped in a house.
Camera shots:
Various shots of her struggling and being tortured.
Scene 7:
various shots of her friends running and looking.
Camera Shots:
All types of shots showing the friends looking and caring.
There will also be many tone cards displaying the time that they have lefts. As well as a series of 1 second quick cut still images.
Final idea and treatment
Final idea: A promiscuous girl plans a night out with her and her friends; at the beginning of the film we see her and her friends getting ready. At this point we notice that she is the most loudest and confident out of the group. As they are at the pub the group of girls have an argument, the girl leaves the pub being left to walk home on her own where she is followed.
Treatment; Mandy is the most popular girl in school. She is admired by all the girls and all the boys fancy her. There are shots of a boy cutting up photos of her at the beginning of the trailer, and we learn that Mandy has been bullying the boy, and so he has developed an obsession with her. One Friday night they are all getting ready for a night out, and they are all drinking. All of her friends dress casually, but Mandy dresses up over the top and wants to be noticed by all the boys. When they are all on the way to the pub, the killer can be seen in the background behind the girls staring at Mandy.
They all get to the pub and everyone begins to drink. Again, we can see the boy lurking in the background of the pub staring at Mandy while she is drinking and getting lots of attention from the boys that are there. All of her friends are drunk, but Mandy continues to drink. Her friends become concerned about her behaviour and tell her to calm down. Mandy and her friends have a massive feud and she storms out of the pub still drunk. As she disappears, we notice that the killer has too.
As she is on her way home panic sets in as she has come to the reality that she is alone and know one is around, she starts to feel paranoid and notices someone is following her, as she walks down the alley to the bus stop hand grab onto her she try’s to scream but she is such shock she physically cant.
She is taken to a place a very dark place she has know idea where she is! She wakes up in a sort of daze.
When she is found to be missing her friends and family panic as it isn’t the only disappearance this month.
Treatment; Mandy is the most popular girl in school. She is admired by all the girls and all the boys fancy her. There are shots of a boy cutting up photos of her at the beginning of the trailer, and we learn that Mandy has been bullying the boy, and so he has developed an obsession with her. One Friday night they are all getting ready for a night out, and they are all drinking. All of her friends dress casually, but Mandy dresses up over the top and wants to be noticed by all the boys. When they are all on the way to the pub, the killer can be seen in the background behind the girls staring at Mandy.
They all get to the pub and everyone begins to drink. Again, we can see the boy lurking in the background of the pub staring at Mandy while she is drinking and getting lots of attention from the boys that are there. All of her friends are drunk, but Mandy continues to drink. Her friends become concerned about her behaviour and tell her to calm down. Mandy and her friends have a massive feud and she storms out of the pub still drunk. As she disappears, we notice that the killer has too.
As she is on her way home panic sets in as she has come to the reality that she is alone and know one is around, she starts to feel paranoid and notices someone is following her, as she walks down the alley to the bus stop hand grab onto her she try’s to scream but she is such shock she physically cant.
She is taken to a place a very dark place she has know idea where she is! She wakes up in a sort of daze.
When she is found to be missing her friends and family panic as it isn’t the only disappearance this month.
Rough ideas
Rough idea 1; a group of teenagers go camping where an escaped mental patient finds them and begins to terrorise them, slowly, they all begin to get killed off with various weapons. There is a promiscuous girl, and an innocent girl, so it can follow the final girl theory.
Rough idea 2; a promiscuous girl is at school. She is popular, all of the boys like her, and she bullies all of the nerdy kids. She picks on a boy one day who appears troubled, and mysteriously disappears. She is found dead in the toilets.
Rough idea 3; a girl is babysitting and hears strange noises so she films what is happening to her at night on a handheld camera. We see her getting terrorised and possessed by something that is haunting her.
Rough idea 2; a promiscuous girl is at school. She is popular, all of the boys like her, and she bullies all of the nerdy kids. She picks on a boy one day who appears troubled, and mysteriously disappears. She is found dead in the toilets.
Rough idea 3; a girl is babysitting and hears strange noises so she films what is happening to her at night on a handheld camera. We see her getting terrorised and possessed by something that is haunting her.
Media questionnaire and results analysis
1. Do you like horror films?
Yes/no
2. How old are you?
15-17/ 18-20/ 21+
3. What is your occupation?
Student/ Part-time/ Full-time/ Supermodel/ unemployed
4. What is your preferred type of horror movie genre?
Supernatural/ Slasher/ Psychological/ Thriller/
5. What is your favourite horror film of all time?
.......................................................................................
6. What is your least favourite horror film of all time?
........................................................................................
7. Do you prefer to stay at home or go to the cinema when watching a horror movie? Why?
Staying home/ Going to the cinema
8. How often do you go to the cinema?
Once a week/ once a month/ once a year/ when a good film comes out
9. Do you watch a lot of films at home?
Yes/ No
10. Who do you watch horror films with?
Friends/ Other half/ Family/ Alone
11. When watching a horror movie trailer, do you prefer it to be short and not give a lot away, or be long and give some of the story?
Short/ Long
12. How do you find out about horror films?
Adverts/ Friends/ Internet/ Posters/ Reviews
13. What entices you to watch a horror film?
Torture/ Storyline
14. In a horror film, do you prefer the villain to live or die?
Live/dies
15. Who is your favourite villain of all time?
.....................................................................................................................................................
16. What would you expect to see in a horror film?
........................
........................
........................
17. What weapon is the best in a horror film?
Knife/ Meat cleaver/ Chainsaw/ Rope/ Teeth (biting)/ Mind (physiological)
18. Do you prefer the main character to be a male or a female?
Male/ Female
19. What would your preferred type of killer?
Physco man/ escaped mental patient/ Ghost/ Zombie/ Possessed child
20. Do you prefer to see a stand-alone, sequel, trilogy or franchise?
Please circle appropriate.
21. Do you prefer original films or remakes?
Original/ Remake
22. How do you consume horror films?
Download (legally/ illegally)/ Buy films
23. How often do you buy/ download films?
A lot/ not a lot/ not at all
Question 1 We gave out our questionnaire to a total of 20 people we knew liked horror films before we handed them out, as we wanted positive and reliable feed back about the genre. The results show that all of these people like the horror genre.
Question 2 we gave our questionnaire to people near or under the age of 20, as we wanted to base our film around this age. The results show that most people are aged 18 – 20, so this gives us a rough age to aim our trailer at.
Question 3 A majority of people that we asked were either students or in part time work, this shows there age and that there young and this identifies the audience that we are aiming the trailers towards. This also shows that as these may not have a lot of money they are more likely to download and watch movies at home.
Question 4 we asked what type of film people preferred and the majority of the people liked slasher films. This means that when making our trailer we will make it like a slasher film, as this is the type of film that our intended audience liked.
Question 5 We gave 4 options of films and asked what their favourite film was. The results showed that ‘Halloween’ was the most popular. This is a slasher film so we could base our trailer around this.
Yes/no
2. How old are you?
15-17/ 18-20/ 21+
3. What is your occupation?
Student/ Part-time/ Full-time/ Supermodel/ unemployed
4. What is your preferred type of horror movie genre?
Supernatural/ Slasher/ Psychological/ Thriller/
5. What is your favourite horror film of all time?
.......................................................................................
6. What is your least favourite horror film of all time?
........................................................................................
7. Do you prefer to stay at home or go to the cinema when watching a horror movie? Why?
Staying home/ Going to the cinema
8. How often do you go to the cinema?
Once a week/ once a month/ once a year/ when a good film comes out
9. Do you watch a lot of films at home?
Yes/ No
10. Who do you watch horror films with?
Friends/ Other half/ Family/ Alone
11. When watching a horror movie trailer, do you prefer it to be short and not give a lot away, or be long and give some of the story?
Short/ Long
12. How do you find out about horror films?
Adverts/ Friends/ Internet/ Posters/ Reviews
13. What entices you to watch a horror film?
Torture/ Storyline
14. In a horror film, do you prefer the villain to live or die?
Live/dies
15. Who is your favourite villain of all time?
.....................................................................................................................................................
16. What would you expect to see in a horror film?
........................
........................
........................
17. What weapon is the best in a horror film?
Knife/ Meat cleaver/ Chainsaw/ Rope/ Teeth (biting)/ Mind (physiological)
18. Do you prefer the main character to be a male or a female?
Male/ Female
19. What would your preferred type of killer?
Physco man/ escaped mental patient/ Ghost/ Zombie/ Possessed child
20. Do you prefer to see a stand-alone, sequel, trilogy or franchise?
Please circle appropriate.
21. Do you prefer original films or remakes?
Original/ Remake
22. How do you consume horror films?
Download (legally/ illegally)/ Buy films
23. How often do you buy/ download films?
A lot/ not a lot/ not at all
Question 1 We gave out our questionnaire to a total of 20 people we knew liked horror films before we handed them out, as we wanted positive and reliable feed back about the genre. The results show that all of these people like the horror genre.
Question 2 we gave our questionnaire to people near or under the age of 20, as we wanted to base our film around this age. The results show that most people are aged 18 – 20, so this gives us a rough age to aim our trailer at.
Question 3 A majority of people that we asked were either students or in part time work, this shows there age and that there young and this identifies the audience that we are aiming the trailers towards. This also shows that as these may not have a lot of money they are more likely to download and watch movies at home.
Question 4 we asked what type of film people preferred and the majority of the people liked slasher films. This means that when making our trailer we will make it like a slasher film, as this is the type of film that our intended audience liked.
Question 5 We gave 4 options of films and asked what their favourite film was. The results showed that ‘Halloween’ was the most popular. This is a slasher film so we could base our trailer around this.
Conventions of horror films and characters
Paradigms of horror films:
These are the certain concepts that we associate with horror films. They are guidelines that all successful horror movies follow, and without them we would not be able to categorize a film into a specific genre.
Character conventions;
• The killer is normally a shady character with a history. Something has happened in his/her past to make them the character they are.
• They normally have a trademark weapon/characteristic that makes them recognisable.
• The victim is either a virgin/promiscuous (final girl theory)
• The virgin girl is always innocent and always survives
• The promiscuous girl is always the first to die- there is normally a scene that shows us she is sexually active and therefore we know she will die first.
• The ending is always a good outcome in that the good defeats the bad.
Weapon conventions;
• The knife is used as the main weapon in horror films, as it inflicts pain to the victim, but it is a slow and painful death.
• In violent slasher films, there are other weapons that follow the same idea. In “The Texas chainsaw massacre” there are hooks, meat cleavers and chainsaws used to torture the victims.
• The most effective weapon that a film can play on is the mind. By creating a sense of fear for the viewer, they are creating their own interpretation of fear, which is much scarier than and monster or villain.
Setting/Location conventions;
• Stereotypical horror films are often set in “scary places” such as forests, haunted houses, churches ect. This allows the audience to be enveloped by all of the conventions of the genre.
• The most recent horror films are set in “safe” places, which toy with the audience, as it makes the question whether they are really safe or not.
• If a film is set in a “stereotypical” place, it often has all of the typical paradigms that go with it; dark, bad weather, isolation.
20th Century horror
• Pathetic fallacy- the mood is associated with the weather
• Dark, grainy images
• Social commentary- spread of disease- there were often films about vampires (The house of the Devil- 1898)
• Dark, cold, isolation, bad weather
30’s-40’s
• Hollywood were able to budget on films more so films became bigger
• Dracula (1931)
• Sadistic/ Masochistic
• Fear, Heroes/villains, thrillers
50’s-60’s
• More technology so villains/monsters looked real.
• Blood- stereotypical convention used to show pain/ suffering
• Zombies, mutation, nuclear radiation
• Devil and demonic possession- popular topic as it relates back to peoples fear of religion and the unknown.
70’s-80’s
• “video nasties and slasher films”
• More graphic scenes of violence/sex
• Aliens- man went to the moon- fear of the unknown.
• Romantic/sexually explicit- the audience feel safe as they relate to it which makes the horror scenes more effective.
• Sex, evil, schools, children
The 90’s
• Reality- filmed on handhelds to become more realistic
• The Blair witch project (1999)
• Social commentary- racism
21st century
• Psychological horror mixed with reality
• Mind-games, families, children, the home (safe places)
• The ring (2002)
• Paranormal activity (2009)
Examples:
• Psychological- “The grudge (2004)”
• Religion- “The exorcist (1973)”
• True story- “Paranormal activity (2009)
• Monster/gore- “The decent (2005)”
These are the certain concepts that we associate with horror films. They are guidelines that all successful horror movies follow, and without them we would not be able to categorize a film into a specific genre.
Character conventions;
• The killer is normally a shady character with a history. Something has happened in his/her past to make them the character they are.
• They normally have a trademark weapon/characteristic that makes them recognisable.
• The victim is either a virgin/promiscuous (final girl theory)
• The virgin girl is always innocent and always survives
• The promiscuous girl is always the first to die- there is normally a scene that shows us she is sexually active and therefore we know she will die first.
• The ending is always a good outcome in that the good defeats the bad.
Weapon conventions;
• The knife is used as the main weapon in horror films, as it inflicts pain to the victim, but it is a slow and painful death.
• In violent slasher films, there are other weapons that follow the same idea. In “The Texas chainsaw massacre” there are hooks, meat cleavers and chainsaws used to torture the victims.
• The most effective weapon that a film can play on is the mind. By creating a sense of fear for the viewer, they are creating their own interpretation of fear, which is much scarier than and monster or villain.
Setting/Location conventions;
• Stereotypical horror films are often set in “scary places” such as forests, haunted houses, churches ect. This allows the audience to be enveloped by all of the conventions of the genre.
• The most recent horror films are set in “safe” places, which toy with the audience, as it makes the question whether they are really safe or not.
• If a film is set in a “stereotypical” place, it often has all of the typical paradigms that go with it; dark, bad weather, isolation.
20th Century horror
• Pathetic fallacy- the mood is associated with the weather
• Dark, grainy images
• Social commentary- spread of disease- there were often films about vampires (The house of the Devil- 1898)
• Dark, cold, isolation, bad weather
30’s-40’s
• Hollywood were able to budget on films more so films became bigger
• Dracula (1931)
• Sadistic/ Masochistic
• Fear, Heroes/villains, thrillers
50’s-60’s
• More technology so villains/monsters looked real.
• Blood- stereotypical convention used to show pain/ suffering
• Zombies, mutation, nuclear radiation
• Devil and demonic possession- popular topic as it relates back to peoples fear of religion and the unknown.
70’s-80’s
• “video nasties and slasher films”
• More graphic scenes of violence/sex
• Aliens- man went to the moon- fear of the unknown.
• Romantic/sexually explicit- the audience feel safe as they relate to it which makes the horror scenes more effective.
• Sex, evil, schools, children
The 90’s
• Reality- filmed on handhelds to become more realistic
• The Blair witch project (1999)
• Social commentary- racism
21st century
• Psychological horror mixed with reality
• Mind-games, families, children, the home (safe places)
• The ring (2002)
• Paranormal activity (2009)
Examples:
• Psychological- “The grudge (2004)”
• Religion- “The exorcist (1973)”
• True story- “Paranormal activity (2009)
• Monster/gore- “The decent (2005)”
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