Assignment 3 - Questionnaire results

Assignment 3 - Costume props and planning

Assignment 3 - Proposal

Film Trailer Proposal

Our film trailer follows the genre of horror, furthermore, also following the basic codes and conventions of a horror film trailer. Our film trailer will not be a hybrid genre film. We will follow genre conventions Usually set in isolated areas such as ghost towns, eerie streets and basements. Locations are often chosen anywhere that has an unnatural feeling to it. An isolated location where there is no help available from whatever the character is facing with no hope of finding somewhere to escape is also popular. The soundtrack to a horror film is often very slow and mysterious.

 A typical convention of a horror films soundtrack is when you have the music in the background at a gentle and unnoticeable pace that then allows the volume to speed up when the action kicks in. The effect of this is to keep the audience tense, on edge and intrigued. In a horror film there is always a threat of death, danger a curse or worse however the characters at some point often conveniently put this out of their mind. For example someone may have just been killed yet they will go on as normal and go to a party to play scrabble with friends in the location where the murder was.

We are calling our film ‘insomniac’ we chose this title because the word insomniac has a eerie feel to it plus it means ‘a person who is regularly unable to sleep.’ We will reveal a decent amount of our film in the trailer just so we can keep the audience intrigued and want to watch it. A tagline is a catchphrase or slogan, especially as used in advertising, or the punch line of a joke. We haven’t thought of a tagline yet but we might use on during the transitions of shots on a black background.

Our target audience is probably for young adults or teenagers or anyone who is interested in the horror and thriller genre. Our trailer will represent a couple male and female characters of about 13 and 14 years old. We will show that their interests will be in music and relaxing with friends. We will follow the codes and conducts of a typical horror film genre as stated in the first couple paragraphs of this film proposal.

Assignment 3 - Storyboard

Assignment 3 - Shot list

Assignment 3 - Moodboard

Assignment 3 - Film trailer analysis

Genre:

This particular film belongs to the horror genre. This is evident from the various conventions it uses in the trailer. For example, it takes an ordinary object and turns it into something eerie and creepy. At 0.42 for 4 seconds there is a close up shot of a ticking clock that suddenly stops. At this point the sound stops and the silence creates a frightening and disturbing feeling for the audience. The style and iconography is classic horror. For example at the start we are taken into a basement with only a flashlight. This is a situation that takes place in countless horror films, as it limits what the audience can see and adds suspense. This reminds me of the ‘Blair Witch Project’ where you can only see what the flashlight shows.

Mise En Scene:

One convention of horror films is the use of a secluded location. We see this at 1.05 with the reveal of a decrepit farmhouse. The reason behind this long shot is to show where most of the film will take place, and how the characters have nowhere to run when the danger or action arrives. The lighting throughout the trailer is dull and dark which creates a tense feeling for the audience. The trailer doesn’t rely on high-key lighting but instead uses low-key lighting, which uses a lot of darker tones, shadows, and blacks. The costumes for all of the characters are old fashioned clothes as the film is set in the countryside in 1971. This also creates a rustic and rural vibe throughout the trailer, and suggests that most of the characters are simple-minded and will not be accustomed to the fantastical events about to take place. The props used by the Warrens to film their evidence are seen throughout all of the trailer. These are modern technical things that contrast with other objects such as the old-fashioned clock and an old, broken piano.

Narrative:

As apposed to some of the earlier trailers for the film, this particular trailer and it’s narrative is presented in a much more fragmented order. Like many other horror movie trailers, this trailer does not follow Todorov’s narrative theory and instead starts it’s trailer in the middle of a ‘disruption’ instead of an ‘equilibrium.’ This is done to get right into the action and grab the audiences attention.  Another benefit of revealing the story and narrative in this fragmented order is that it creates mystery and intrigue as the audience is never give any answers or resolutions.

Characters:

The characters featured in this trailer are very stereotypical of the genre. For example, we have paranormal investigators (a character type used in countless films such as ‘Insidious’ and ‘Poltergeist’) as well as a victimised family who are witnessing these supernatural events. However, while they are stereotypes of the genre, the paranormal investigators are represented differently here. They are not just expendable characters who help solve a problem like in many other horror films, but instead take centre stage and share a bond with each other that makes the audience care for their wellbeing.

On-Screen Graphics/Captions:

28 seconds into the trailer a black screen appears and captions tell the audience that the film is “based on the true story of the Warrens.” More text follows and says that this story is the most disturbing of all. The font is modern and not scary, and acts as a way to detail information and context. In contrast towards the end of the trailer the producers use a larger traditional horror font that fades in through darkness and smoke. This style of title and font is more stereotypical of the horror genre, and is foreboding in nature.

Camera/Editing:

The camera and editing techniques used in the trailer make the audience want to watch more. The first shot in the trailer at 0.05 shows us the main two protagonists in a dark, dank basement.  After these 2 people are introduced the action starts, the music speeds up and gets louder, and we have our first jump scare. This jump scare is effective thanks to how each shot is cut to match the musical beats, with the short silence before the scare creating a lot of tension for the audience. These jump scares continue until the end of the trailer, where one of the main characters is told to look into a mirror where a ghost will appear.  After, a short while, the protagonist pulls the mirror away to reveal the paranormal creature looking into the mirror. This jump scare is terrifying because the director has deliberately put in a few quick cuts that makes the audience jump while the protagonist first looks into the mirror.

Assignment 3 - Conventions of horror film trailers

Location

Usually set in isolated areas such as ghost towns, eerie streets and basements. Locations are often chosen anywhere that has an unnatural feeling to it. An isolated location where there is no help available from whatever the character is facing with no hope of finding somewhere to escape is also popular.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack to a horror film is often very slow and mysterious. A typical convention of a horror films soundtrack is when you have the music in the background at a gentle and unnoticeable pace that then allows the volume to speed up when the action kicks in. The effect of this is to keep the audience tense, on edge and intrigued. 

Shots

During horror films long shots are used which often show the unusual and eerie scenery around the character. Shots are often used that show the audience something that the character can't see. This is often joined by quick audio that keeps the viewer on edge throughout which could make the relationship closer between the character and the viewer 

Characters forget about the threat

In a horror film there is always a threat of death, danger a curse or worse however the characters at some point often conveniently put this out of their mind. For example someone may have just been killed yet they will go on as normal and go to a party to play scrabble with friends in the location where the murder was.

The fake scare

The fake scare is a very famous convention in horror films in general, For example someone could jump out from somewhere or something could be rattling in a bush but it turns out to be a friendly dog

Assignment 2 - Explanation

Who is your target audience?

My target audience for my album cover is aimed at anyone who wants to listen to my music. I haven't really got a target audience that I am specifically going for in my album cover or my interview. Anyone can listen to my music and enjoy it it comes down to opinion, also my album cover doesn't really talk about any issues that young kids can't understand or won't like. My album cove is colourful and




Conventions of Album covers + interview

The stereotypical conventions of indie rock are very basic, areas of the music video include editing techniques such as fast paced choruses and then cuts back into the slow pace verses; these are often followed with a variety of camera angles such as close ups to allow the audience to view the emotions on the characters faces this is done to fit in with the tones of the bands voices as indie rock music videos tend to be very dark and gloomy. The overall tone of the album cover is dark and low key, to give the video an edge and signify genre. The album cover is very performance based and there is rarely dance routines or a strong narrative. A typical convention of indie rock music videos is seeing jumping around with guitars, live performances with lots of enthusiasm and energy. Iconography for indie rock music videos include the band members having piercings, tattoos and wearing dark clothes however, in this video the members of the band are seem topless which often matches the darker deep meaning of their song lyrics.

Assignment 2 - Album cover

Assignment 2 - Interview

How old where you when you started to get interested in the Music industry? 

When I was 13 years old both my mum and dad started showing me some of musics greatest solo artists and bands, this really made me want to start making some music of my own furthermore be alongside those greats,

Who were those solo artists/bands? 

At first my parents made me listen to bands such as 'Oasis' 'Pink Floyd and 'Radiohead'. My favourite out of those three was probably 'Oasis', simply because there first two records 'Defiantly Maybe' and '{Whats the story} Morning glory?' didn't have an below average song.

Can you give us any hints about what your album is about?

My album is mainly about Teenage adolescence and what young adults have to go through during there secondary school years, plus what teenagers have to go through in terms of friends and relationships with there parents.

What genre is your music and what audience is it aimed at. 

In this album 'Us and Them' the genre is rock/alternative because I feel it was the best way to make my album sell more records and win more awards. My target audience is mainly aimed at teenagers but my music can still be enjoyed by anyone who wants to listen in.

Where did your name come from 'Joshie'?

Well my full name is 'Joshua Thom Gallagher' so I thought 'Joshie' would be good furthermore it is short snappy and gets to the point.

What would you suggest to new Artists as good tips for succes


Practice makes perfect. I spent most of my free time sitting behind a close door trying to make new songs and new original lyrics. In the Music industry there is no such thing as working too much or 
too hard.

How highly so you rate your album compared to others that are out at the moment?

I rate mine very highly because it talks about real life issues and things that are going on right now, Whereas others bands and artists go on about stupid things that don't really have any meaning.