ROLES WEEKLY (CREW MEMBERS)

As a group we discuss that we did not like Insidious teaser trailer because it did not relate to our ideas for our teaser trailer.

In addition, we discuss that we liked this teaser trailer because it related to our teaser trailer ideas, also we found the storyline very interesting, also we found  it different to other horror teaser trailer. We thought if we did not do media what teaser trailer would we like, also when we see it on television would this teaser trailer persuade us to go out and watch the film in the cinemas. We answered Yes!

Last week we researched what we are going to base our teaser trailer on (Look at different teaser trailers). Also we discuss together what teaser trailers we liked and disliked, In addition, we discuss what we are going to put in our teaser trailer (Ideas).

As a result, we chose what genre and what narrative we are going to base are teaser trailer on, then we chose 3 teaser trailer we are going to analyse and we put it on our blog as a prelinimary task.

Additionally, we looked at teaser trailers synopsis and took ideas from it and we decided how we are going to make our teaser trailer synopsis.

We researched the effects of different camera angles and how they represent the scene settings, moods and characters we have put together a final plot of the teaser trailer including the different images and sound.

As a group we sorted out how we are going to construct our storyboard and where we are going to take the pictures. Then we went to go find the people that are going to play a part in our teaser trailer to start taking the photos. As camera operator I took charge of taking the photos, also the angle shots I am going to take the photos, to create suspense and tension. For instance: A close-up shot, shows the character mood they are in at that point.

We had an introduction on how to use a camera, and as camera operator this was very benefical because it help me to know how the camera works and how to use it. In addition, we was taught how to use the camera outside, for instance: The camera moves is key to the narrative flow of feature films, and is the Camera Operators' responsibility. Also, as camera operator I am the first people to use the camera's eye piece to assess how all the elements of performance, art direction, lighting, composition and camera movement come together to create the cinematic experience.

This is how we are going to layout out our storyboard (template), so we can get every detail to make it the best it can be!

This week our group has been putting in the pictures that we are going to use for our storyboard, also we have been talking about how we are going to film our teaser trailer and the location we are going to set our story.

As a group we have chosen characters for our storyboard and divided their roles. This week we should go to the location to film our teaser trailer. As camera operator I will be taking care of the camera and structuring the positions of our characters. In addition, I will be choosing the camera shot and angles ( for instance: Medium shot to show the body language of our character) for the scenes in our teaser trailer, after the filming as a group we will do the editing. 

This week our group is researching and planning our ancillery tasks on a magazine and poster based on our teaser trailer.

Here are some examples we thought we can base our teaser trailer poster on...

Here are some examples we thought we can base our teaser trailer magazine on...

STORYBOARD PRELINIMARY TASK

I have learnt how to edit a picture by putting blood on it, as you can see I have done in my preliminary task on picture 5. I used Photoshop to put the colour red on the image, and then I used a brush (liquefied) to make the red look like water, so this symbolises blood. The image I was trying to convey is a sink that is filled with blood, that’s why I went on Photoshop to portray this image.

PRE PRODUCTION AND RESEARCH

Camera Operator

* Reading and Discussion of the finalised storyboard with the director 

* Learning how to operate the digital camcorder

* Booking the digital camcorder and any additional equipment required

* Shooting the shots required for

the storyboarded sequences

* Supplying the editor with the recorded sequences for uploading a Camera Operator or Cameraman is a professional operator of a film or video camera.

 In filmmaking, the leading cameraman is usually called a cinematographer, while a cameraman in a video production may be known as a television camera operator, video camera operator, or videographer.

Cameramen are responsible for physically operating the camera and maintaining composition and Camera angles throughout a given scene or shot. In narrative filmmaking, the Camera Operator will collaborate with the director, director of photography, actors and crew to make technical and creative decisions. 

 Significance Camera Operator Skills: Includes choreographing and framing shots knowledge of and the ability to select appropriate camera lenses, and other equipment (Dollies, Camera Cranes) to portray dramatic scenes. The principles of dramatic story telling and film editing fundamentals are important skills as well. Camera Operator is required to communicate clearly and concisely on sets where time and film budget constraints are ever present.

I am going to be looking after the camera, also I am going to be filming the trailer; with various shots. For instance: Crane, Close up, Medium shots etc... Also, when I'm filming I am going to be using different techniques to incorporate suspence and tension in our trailers, for instance: Zooming in and out to portray an emotional scene and an incident occuring.

Film Producer

A film producer oversees and delivers a film project while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.

The producer is often actively involved throughout all major phases of the filmmaking process, from inception and development to completion and delivery of a film project.

As a film producer in my project of making a teaser trailer I am going to assist with directing the characters in the scenes, for instance: telling the characters to redo a scene because its not how I pictured it. Also as a film producer I am going to be making the decisions on how our teaser trailer is filmed, for instance: sound, lighting, voice and mise-en-scene.

At the moment, because we have not started to film, as a producer I will be making the decisions on what pictures are going to be used in our storyboard, and how we are going to take the pictures for our teaser trailer. In addition, I will be making the decision where we are going to be filming our teaaser trailer and how its going to be filmed.

ANALYSING IMAGES!

                                

In this image there is fire in the background this shows a sense of danger and life threatening situation. The camera work is a low angle shot, this is used effectively because it evokes the audience attention to her situation, and also this highlights a sense of anxiety, pain and struggle. This image is very bright, this shows it’s an important scene in this film and reinforces the danger in this film. I believe the brightness is used effectively because it stands out, so this could mean that this is not a normal situation the girl is in.  The body language of this girl reflects struggle, and because it’s a horror film this could portray to the audience this could be the end of her life. Additionally, her teeth is showing this could mean that she is trying her best to get away from the fire that is coming closer. The girls hair is messed up, this could mean she has been fighting or been abused that maybe the reason why she is struggling to get up.

In this image they is a grotesque monster this could be interpreted that this could be the monster that kills people in the film, also the eyes portray nefarious needs is going to happen in this film. Furthermore, the nose and mouth looks wretched and got red in it this could highlight the blood in this film and the amount of deaths. This image is dark this could reflect evil and this could be interpreted as funeral colours so this could mean a lot of death and grief. The writing style of the number 3 looks like bars and cells this could reflects prison and this could be interpreted that people are going to be cage and cannot escape any punishment or bombardment! The camera work is a extreme close up shot, this is used effectively because it draws in the audience because it’s loud and hideous, also it portrays that in this film there will be no sort of happiness only pain and apprehension.

In this image the props (the chain going through the man’s body) are used effectively because it could play with the audiences’ imagination and fill it up with gruesome and horrible ideas of how the chain got into his body. There is sepia used in this image this could reinforce revenge and conflict, also it could be interpreted that the man is yearning to kill people because he got blood on his body. However, this could also be seen differently because this man could be a victim of tumult behaviour and has had enough so that’s why he got that livid look in his eye. His hair is a bit neat so this could suggest he is on the attack and he is the villain. In contrast, the chain that is gone through his body could show animal imagery because it tells us about his behaviour: wild, reckless, no sympathy and waiting anxiously for its prey! The camera work is a medium shot; this is used effectively because it shows the audience his body language: stern, ready to settle a score and kill.

PLOT SYNOPSIS

After discovering that her boyfriend cheated on her, Shannon and friends, pull a prank on him (Andrew), she fakes her own death while making out with him. He then informs her friends about what has happened who then assist him in taking her body to a grave yard intending on dumping her body there. While digging a hole for the body Andrew (who is unaware that Shannon is still alive) stabs her viciously through the chest with a knife, killing her. What irony! Panicking, the group decides to dump their friend’s body in the River Thames, which was going to be used for the prank along with the knife.

One year later, the girls have put the incident behind them, although one of the girls still feels guilty about the whole thing. After visiting their friends memorial, the girls all receive a picture sent to their phones: a picture of where the girl is buried and the weapon Andrew used to kill the girl. The suspicion falls on the boy, but one of the girls say he’s changed after the incident. One of the girls insists it is merely a sick joke by Andrew.

The 4 friends go missing one by one and end up in a strange room with awkward surroundings the audience is left with a cliff hanger of who the kidnapper is and why they are there.

TRAILERS (QUESTIONS TO ASK)

The genre of my trailer is horror we based our trailer on Sorority Row; where students still in education (university), where a boy cheats on his girlfriend and the girl tells her friend, they set up a prank that goes totally wrong! Saying anything more will give away our story... we do not want that! You have to wait and watch our trailer. Our trailer is going to have happiness, humour and sadness. Our trailer shows how life can change in a flash from blissful experience to sorrow and darkness. Our trailer is going to show how life is a rollercoaster and you should not take anything for granted. You should always do the right thing because if you do not; it will come back and haunt you forever. So it’s best you get your morals right from the start because you do not want to live life with uncertainty and full of apprehension. The message we are trying to convey is that life’s got: its ups and downs, but decisions and choices make you get through everything and makes you stronger.

Our trailer target audience are young adults 15-24 year old market is consistently believed to be attracted to violence, action, shock. The reason why the target audience is not for the young children because they might be mentally immature so they may get indoctrinated and decide to do what they see on television in the real world, where this will be a huge matter which will lead to solidarity confinement. Furthermore, it will not appeal to the 24 years old plus because they are not young not more so they may not find these films interest. The devices that our group will employ to make sure we direct our target audience is how love quickly changes to hatred. This message coveys to our audience to alienate all they bad behaviours and abhorrence; because you do not know how far you will go when you’re angry, and people’s emotions should not be played with; because when feelings are involved it changes a person reaction.

The key genre elements that is going to be employed is blood thirst villain, also loud sounds so we can create a sense of mystery and trying to raise your heart beat so if any slight movement or noise and you will get scared. Furthermore, there is going to be killing and screaming and it puts apprehension into the audience and leaves them clueless when watching the trailer. Also in our trailer we are not going to show the villain (invisible) but it is still causing havoc towards the victims where the humans are flying around without seeing what is hitting them this creates a sense of suspense and inability to read what’s going to happen next.

Additionally, the pace of our trailer is going to change so this could highlight how life changes in a split second. Subliminally we want to convey the message that because it’s a horror trailer we want you to believe that you’re in the film as well, so you can see where the characters are coming from; also what they are feeling and why fear plays a huge part in why a character dies so suddenly; this leaves the audience in anxiety because they are screening through their voices to the character not to do that or it will lead to their death.

We are going to assign our trailer to the Golden Age because in the 1920s to the 1930s it was a very poplar company. We think it will spread the word about our trailer and it will make it worldwide; because the Golden Age is based in Hollywood and that is the City of all the major films and we hope one day our trailer can get as big as all theses worldwide films. We hope we can get our trailer shown just before every film in the cinemas just like an advert. The key marketing points is our theme where we have a unique storyline, where no one has ever seen before! We hope the theme can appeal to our target audience and they can see what we see. In addition, the key selling point of our trailer because it’s a horror teaser trailer we start off with everything going good then tragically it turns for the worst! It is going to be set in a grave yard; normally people do not like the sight of graveyards; because it brings back sad memories of deaths in their family.

The identifiable format in our trailer is going to have happiness then to humour and then suddenly change for the worst, and picturesque images change to grotesque and dead bodies; full of scattered and spilled blood pouring everywhere! The message we are trying to evoke is how life can change in a flash from blissful experience to sorrow and darkness. Our trailer is going to show how life is a rollercoaster and you should not take anything for granted. You should always do the right thing because if you do not; it will come back and haunt you forever!

The mise-en-scene in our trailer is going to be the lighting, how there is light then it just changes to darkness, also flashing light to show disfunctional movements and things not going to how it is planned. Also phones call which makes the victims articulate with the villain, which being a horror trailer is the wrong thing to do because it could lead to dead. The key event in our trailer is how the prank changes into a horrible reality; we are trying to convey that people should be careful for what they wish for; because they will never know when it will come true! Karma will always catch up to you; no matter when, as we will see in our trailer!

The opening and closing screens in our trailer is going to be pitched black, and then the screen is going to start to shake to convey unambiguous behaviour to leave our target audience in suspense and waiting to know what’s going to happen next. This will leave our target audience yearning to watch the film! But I am not going to say anything more because it’s giving away our story...

The ideology we will be promoting in our trailer is that pranks should not be taking to far because it can get dangerous and lead to horrible incidents as we will see in our trailer. Moreover, so it’s best you get your morals right from the start because you do not want to live life with uncertainty and full of apprehension. The message we are trying to convey is that life’s got: its ups and downs, but decisions and choices make you get through everything and makes you stronger.

We will introduce our trailer with a pitched black screen to signify that it’s a horror trailer, and a loud uncanny tumult noise to set the story that there is going to be killing, and horrible things happening in this teaser trailer. Then we will play upbeat music to signify students enjoying life to the fullest to set the storyline and how everything started. Also, our trailer is going to be a minute long. Additionally, it is going to be released on Halloween October 31^st to add to the effect of the storyline.

ANALYSING TRAILERS

I am going to compare Sorority Row with Paranormal Activity three and Saw three through using the techniques like Genre, Narrative, Unique Selling Point, Target Audience, Music, Shot types/ Camera angles, Pace Dialogue, Voiceover, Special effects and Credit and intertitles.

The genre in Saw and Sorority Row is horror; however Paranormal Activity is supernatural horror. Sorority Row is a horror film, because there is killing and screaming and it puts apprehension into the audience and leaves them clueless when watching the film, also Saw is the same because the villain has a blood thirst of humans and leaving people scared for they lives. On the other hand, Paranormal Activity has a villain which is not shown (invisible) but it is still causing havoc towards the victims where the humans are flying around without seeing what is hitting them this creates a sense of suspense and inability to read what’s going to happen next.

The narrative in Saw and Sorority Row is not really that similar. In Sorority Row a group of sorority sisters try to cover up the death of their house-sister after a prank gone wrong, only to be stalked by a serial killer. In addition, Saw: follows Jeff after his son is hit and killed by a car; he is put in a series of tests by Jigsaw in order try and let go of his vengeance on the man that killed him. Meanwhile a bed-ridden John Kramer has ordered his apprentice Amanda Young to kidnap a doctor named Lynn, in order to keep him alive for one final test before he dies of cancer. Furthermore in Paranormal Activity the film is based in 1988, young sisters Katie and Kristi encounter an invisible entity haunting their home. Although it appears friendly, it turns hostile, tormenting the young girls and their family. In my opinion, Sorority Row and Saw has a huge difference from Paranormal Activity because Sorority Row and Saw is using Levi Strauss theory (conflict and fear) and Paranormal Activity is using Todorov theory (suspense and havoc), so this show the genre are different even though it is similar at the same time because of it is horror.  

The unique selling point in Sorority Row is that they made up a fabricated story that the girl was dead, however, the boy decided to kill the girl who was only pretending to be dead. This creates a huge bombshell because no one ever thought he would do that. In contrast, Saw is a story where vengeance is a key factor in this film because he is livid with his son death that he goes through a series of tests just to find his son killer by a grotesque monster. In addition, Paranormal activity is where young sisters encounter an invisible monster haunting their home. I believe that all three of these film have its own unique selling point however, what they have in common is that the villain has unfinished business with the victims and yearns to terrorise the victims life and make it hell. Also these trailers are very riveting because its eye openers; because you will be flabbergasted with what goes on and it engrosses you to make you go and watch the film.

The target audience in all of these films are young adults 15-24 year old market is consistently believed to be attracted to violence, action, shock (as opposed to suspense). Sex and excess in everything: the perfect audience. The reason why the target audience is not for the young children because they might be mentally immature so they may get indoctrinated and decide to do what they see on television in the real world, where this will be a huge matter which will lead to solidarity confinement. Furthermore, it will not appeal to the 24 years old plus because they are not young not more so they may not find these films interest.

The music is Paranormal Activity is not that much really only at the end where it has a loud sound just like the other two. I conjecture that the writer may be giving a sense of mystery and trying to raise your heart beat so if any slight movement or noise and you will get scared. However, in Sorority Row the music starts upbeat; because it setting the scene that its students that are still in education; then, just like Saw the music is low, slow and dull these creates that action is going to occur or something significance in the film is going to happen. The scratching music at the end in Paranormal Activity enlightens the audience on a disfunctional film full of drama and grotesque imagery.

In addition, the pace of all these horror films is slow and quiet like a caesura is happening. This highlights it’s a horror film also it enlightens the audience that something nefarious is going to happen that they should be ready. Subliminally I think that all the writers of horror films perpetually want you to believe that you’re in the film as well, so you can see where the characters are coming from; also what they are feeling and why fear plays a huge part. Also I think that the writers use dramatic irony; to portray to the audience that fallibility plays a huge part in why a character dies so suddenly (there is a door and the villain is waiting for the victim to come in). This leaves the audience in anxiety because they are screening through the voices to the character not to open that door like for instance: in Sorority Row where the girl goes into a room by herself.

The shot types and camera angles in all of these films are close up so the audience can see what the character is doing and thinking at that time (Fear), this creates a sense of sympathy from the audience because they know they are in trouble and they cannot do anything. Also there are medium shots to shows the audience the character’s body language and the props around them; this could inform the audience that a prop is going to be significant in the scene. Additionally, they were wipes this could tell the audience they is danger as we see in Paranormal Activity and Saw, it could also inform audiences that a death has occur as we see in Sorority Row. I believe that the editing techniques was used effectively because it drew the audience in and it left them thinking what’s going to happen next.       

                                                  

There is no really no dialogue in these films, however the voiceover in Sorority Row has irony because the teacher tells them you have matriculated and grown up. So ‘I hope you will always do the right thing’, but instead they are playing a prank about someone death because a boy cheated on their friend. Also another irony comes along when one of the girls says ‘ How long we going to keep this up’, then suddenly the boy stabs the girl, the voiceover plays a big part because it takes the audience through what action is going to happen next. However, in Paranormal Activity it is a retrospective voiceover of the character trying to remember what happened to them when there was young. This is alienated by a villain deep voice taking the audience through the childhood of the sisters and what it done to them, this draws the audience in and makes them interested in the film which makes them go and watch the full film. In comparison, Saw voiceover is a villain voice all throughout this makes the audience engrossed in the story because it informing them why the villain decided to terrorise the victim’s life; and it’s a change from the normal films because it’s from the villain sides.

There is not that much special effects in these film only in Paranormal Activity where the Children and flying because something is throwing them. This creates a sense of an invisible monster with strength, power and subjugating control over the children life. It helps set the tone of the film because they cannot see what happening to them but they are being hurt, this shows that Paranormal Activity is a supernatural horror film because these things do not happen in real life!

Furthermore, the credits and intertitles do not occur in these films only in Paranormal Activity where at the end the title of the film is being scratched and shaking this could show the audience that this film is abnormal and they is a lot of wired and disfunctional events happening in this film.

The reason why my group chose Sorority Row as the film to take key events and put it into our trailer because it has a good twist, where you may think it’s about university students then it just switches to killing and mystery death. So we thought that is not how a normal horror film will go and we wanted to be different; and the best way to get the best grade is to show a unique piece of work. Personally I have never seen a horror film start like that so that drew me in and even made me go and watch the film! So I hope our trailer could be as effective and interesting as Sorority Row.