Evaluation activity 4

Computer software - IMovie.
As a group we decided to go against the schools software (Adobe) and went with a software we felt that we knew best from previous movies we have made, this was IMovie. By using IMovie it meant that we were able to know everything on there well as we used it last year for our Opening Two minutes. This meant that we saved time as we didn't have to get to know the software and we could edit our film quickly and successfully to make sure our final product looked professional. Initially we were going to use one of our team mates brother to play the Ukulele for our soundtrack however, we were able to find non-copyright music and many sound effects on IMovie which went with our trailer well and made the production as a whole a lot more successful. We were also able to create our own institution which was very good for us as it meant that everything that is shown in our trailer has been created by us. For example, some of our classmates found a non-copyright institution which meant they were restricted on how they wanted it to look and come across to the audience. This was not a problem for us as we were able to design it the way we wanted it to look. By using IMovie we were also able to edit out some mistakes that we did whilst shooting the film on set. For example, in some clips we did not have the correct exposure (too light or too dark). However, this was not a problem as on IMovie you can edit this to get the exposure/lighting just right for the mood that you want to pursue to the audience.


Camera - Nikon D3100.
We used the Nikon camera for all of the elements that were involved in our A2 media course (magazine cover, poster and trailer). This was a great choice for us as this camera allows you to change exposure which was a great help as sometimes we were not able to film at the same time which meant the lighting was slightly different. Another good thing about this camera is that it had a manual focus, this meant that we were able to change the focal length lens which allows you to put different things in the shot in focus. For example on one of our shots we have the background in focus which shows the antagonist walking and we foreground blurred which shows a close up of the protagonist face. We also used this camera to decide on what we wanted our final location to be filmed in. We went to various different locations and took short panning films of it and took some pictures so that when we got back to school we could refresh our memory on what it looked like and pick our favourite.

Evaluation activity 3

This is our audience feedback for our trailer 'Betrayal'. We asked our peers to watch our trailer through and comment on certain aspects of it and tell us our strengths and improvements that we could have done to make our trailer more successful.
This was very useful to us as it allowed us to find slight mistakes that we have done in our production and will help us develop our skills when we make videos in the future.

Positives; 
- Fast pase editing was successful
- Music art the beginning worked well with the target audience.
- Sound effects worked well throughout the trailer.
-Enigmas are shown well a couple of times throughout the trailer.

By having these positive feed-backs, it helped us realize that we did meet nearly all of the conventions for horror films which allowed our trailer to be successful.

Negatives; 
- Sound could flow a bit better (when the girl screams - could have let it sound bridge over into next shot)
- Could have used more of a range of camera angles.
-You are introduced to a character and then don't know what happens to her (narrative could be quite confusing)

These negative feed-backs that we were given were things that we had already looked upon however decided to do it this was as we thought it made our production look better. For example; The girls scream we decided to cut short because we thought that when we used a sound bridge to link it into the next shot, it got rid of the adrenaline that the fast pase shots were giving the audience. This shows that we trailed and errored this part of the production.

We do agree that we could have used a higher range of camera angles to make our film come across more dramatic and link into the conventions of horror films - we will be sure to do this in future films.

However the reason we decided to leave one of the protagonist characters out of some of the trailer after introducing her is because we wanted that to be an enigma, leaving the audience asking questions, which we have proven successful as from our feedback they picked up on this.

Evaluation activity 2.

This is our film 'Betrayal' running commentary. During this commentary we talk about how our trailer links into our final film poster and final magazine and the reasons as to why we chose to do specific things to make our trailer link into the conventions of horror films.

Evaluation Activity 1.

Screenshot 1 
This screenshot is of our opening/establishing shot. We have angled the camera so that you can see slightly down the road however the car is initially out of shot. As the car comes onto the shot the non - diagetic sound comes in from quiet to loud, this goes with the flow of the car as the camera panns slowly following the car round. The main reason we wanted to show our characters in a car was so that the audience could get a feel for the age of the characters and therefore  sympathize or relate to them. This will make the impact on the audience even stronger.
Screenshot 2
Screenshot 2 is of our institution. We were able to design and create this institution our self which enabled us to show our genre well. The main reason for this is because we have dark and gloomy colours shown which conforms to the conventions of a horror institution.
Screenshot 3
Screenshot three is of two of our protagonists. It is a medium shot and allows the audience to really see the characters which will allow them to relate and get to know the characters. This will then allow them to find the trailer more scary and intimidating to watch as they will either feel as if they know the characters of feel as if it is happening to them as they can relate to them.
Screenshot 4
This screenshot is of our font. We have kept it the same font as our main title which allows us to have a recognizable feature of our film and therefore when the audience see's this font title they will be reminded of our film. We have chosen to have our font colour white with a black background because it means that there is a high contrast in colour and therefore means that the writing stands out well and is easy to see for the audience. Another reason why we chose to have our background colour black is because it will them easily flow into our next shot as we have tried to keep our shots fairly dark so that it conforms to the conventions of horror films and will come across more creepy to the audience.
Screenshot 5
The reason i have taken a screenshot of this shot is because it is one of my favourite shots as it creates suspense and conforms well to the typical conventions of a horror film. The diagetic sound works well with the camera angle and the length of the shot because we have used deep music with the non diegetic sound of a heavily breathing gas mask. As this shot is one of our longest shots, we wanted to make sure the suspense was built up the correct amount in the audience to make sure that the finale shot where we want the audience to be most scared is effective.
Screenshot 6
The reason I have screen-shotted this shot in our trailer is because I think that it is a very effective shot. It has been put in during our fast pase editing part of the trailer which means it can only be viewed for a short period of time by the audience however I think that this makes it even more effective. the way that we have angled the camera (low angle) helps emphasize to the audience that the antagonist is extremely terrifying because the low angle makes the audience feel vulnerable because they are being looked down on by the antagonist. I like how there are the outlines of the trees in the background as it reminds the audience that they are in the middle of the woods which can make them feel even more scared as they'll know that the protagonist is isolated with no one to help them.
Screenshot 7
This next screenshot is one of my favourite shots of the trailer and has also been one of the most recognisable and favourite shots from the public. The main reason for this is because it leaves an enigma, creates suspense and causes the audience to jump during the fast pase editing, this intrigues them into watching it and makes it very memorable. By having the shot at a low angle it means you can really see the girl being dragged however can not see who is dragging her. This leaves an enigma and make it even creepier as there is a hidden identity.
Screenshot 8
This is a long shot of our antagonist swinging on a swing in a park. This comes across as a establishing shot because it is a change in location which leaves an enigma to the audience as to why and how he got there. The gloomy sky on the background makes the shot even better as it conforms to the conventions of horror films as they tend to have gloomy dark skies.
Screenshot 9 
This was our last shot of the trailer. This meant we wanted it to be very memorable and really scare our audience. We therefore made it a close up to allow the audience to really get close to the protagonist as see the fear on her face from the reflected light coming off of the lighter. We made this shot the longest shot of the trailer to build suspense so that when the antagonist covers the girls scream and the non-diegetic sound comes in, it will have a huge impact on the audience.
Screenshot 10
This screenshot is to show the font titles and colour of them. We have kept the same font to make the trailer link and flow well. However on this title page we have put two words in the colour red. This conforms to the conventions of horror films because red connotes danger, blood and fear which are all conventions of the genre, horror.
Screenshot 11
This is a screenshot of out main titles. We have used one of our main antagonists as the background image to make it flow into our trailer better as we decided to have a different shot as our ending shot. This has been done in a few other horror trailers however we decided to do it to make out film original and not the same as all of the other horror films. We have put an effect on the titles so that it flashes an inverted colour. This looks creepy an can link into the flashes between life and death which makes the audience be intrigued into seeing what happens in the actual film.

Audience Theory.

My film 'Betrayal' is a horror film and adheres to several codes and conventions of the horror genre. For example; we have an antagonist and a protagonist. The protagonist is seen as vulnerable due to the mise - en- scene that we have used. The girls that are shown in the film are seen wearing the usual teenage clothing which will allow the audience to relate to the characters and allow it to link into mundane realism more clearly. Our antagonists are shown wearing masks to hide their identity which links into the conventions of a horror film because they would usually have a hidden identity so that it comes across more creepy towards the audience. We have set our film in a campsite that is empty. This makes the setting look very abandoned and secluded making passive audiences not want to be in that sort of place alone or with a group of friends as the trailer shows a group of friends and they still get harmed.


According to the hypodermic needle theory, a media text injects its messages straight into a passive audience. This means that the audience is seen as passive mass who will immediately accept the presented version of texts.Therefore, from watching the film 'Betrayal' the passive audience will be lead to believe that as the characters are all friends, that your group of friends will be hard to trust and likely to be only pretending to be your friend. It would also lead them to believe that if you were to go camping in a deserted place in the evening that you would be likely to be harmed as it is seen as unsafe through our trailer. The passive audience will also be lead to believe that girls are vulnerable because all of the protagonists who get harmed are female. You are unable to see what sex the antagonists are because they have a hidden identity from the masks that they're wearing.


Horror films are rated '18' because those messages are deemed too frightening for a younger audience. As a result my film 'Betrayal' is also rated '18' because it is a horror genre and has lots of frightening moments of which could scare a passive audience drastically. For example, the clip where the girl is dragged along the floor backwards screaming and digging her fingers into the ground to try and stop herself from being taken. A passive audience might see this as real life and will therefore be effected by it.

Audience Theory Evaluation

Betrayal is set in the middle of the woods, this makes the scene look very deserted and creepy. The group of friends are going camping. This could make a passive audience think that if they were to go camping or for a walk in the woods that something like this is likely to happen to them. Also this is why our film links into George Gerbner's 'mean world syndrome'. The masks that feature in our film could also link into George Gerbners mean world syndrome as the audience will begin to relate the masks that we have used with people that are violent, evil and murderers.



Our trailer promotes to the audience that the world that we live isn't safe and you can not trust anyone. The main reason for this is because the group of friends end up getting chased and murdered by their friends. As they are in a place that you usually wouldn't expect murders to happen as well as the beginning of the trailer juxtaposed the ending of the trailer. This links into the hypodermic needle theory as the audience are believing what they see in the the trailer and linking it into real life.



The audience would choose to watch our film in order to gratify the need for entertainment.The reason for this is because they would be able to escape their everyday lives and focus on the creepy jumpy scenes that they're being shown. This is Bulmber and Katz (1970) - uses and gratifications theory. Another need that our trailer will link to is the social need. For example. people will want to watch our film so that it is something to talk about with their group of friends so they feel involved with the conversation and part of the group.



Laura Mulvey's theory of 'the male gaze' argues that women in the media industry are used to make the male audience happy and more likely to come and watch the film. For example, if a sexulised female is shown starring in a film, the male audience are said to me more likely to want to watch the film. If the women was seen as a damsel distress it is also likely that a male would like to go and watch it as the male character is usually seen as a hero meaning he would want to go and watch someone that he can relate to being seen as a hero. Women are seen as vulnerable in our film which link into stereotypes of women being weak and needing a man for survival.

Claude Steeles theory of the stereotype threat is shown in our film as people will begin to associate the murderers in our film as the people who they can relate to in real life and begin to think that the stereotypes are true. As the group of antagonists are supposedly friends, it could make a passive audience start to think that their group of friends might actin the same way. This could be a bad effect on the audience as it could hugely effect their lives.

Stuart Hall had a reception theory, he states that there are three reading that the audience can adopt when watching a film, these are; Preferred reading - this is when the audience respond to the product the way the producers expect and want them to. Negotiated reading is when the audience partly agree with the message or product but may disagree with other parts. Oppositional reading is when the audience is in complete disagreement with the product/message.

WMJC Presents Our Theatrical Trailer...Betrayal

WMJC Presents Our Final Poster.

We decided to go with this photo as we like the simplicity of it and how that made it very effective. When we first started to create our film we thought that the main mask we would use was going to be gas mask because generally they are very effective in horror films, but we enjoyed working with the white hockey mask more and therefore chose it for the film poster. The colour of mask is what we thought was most effective, light bounced off and reflected on it which meant that it caught shadows. The main reason we used this photo was because we liked how the camera only grabbed the light of half the mask leaving us with a striking eye looking straight at us but also with the other eye in the dark making the character look even more creepy. we took this photo at night time which meant for this photo especially we didn't have to do much editing because we could use the dark lighting to our advantage at the time. This meant that we only really had to make the background a little dark but also fade out the jumper of the antagonist. We chose to keep the numbers on the jumper on display because they looked a bit like a concentration camp identity badge which we thought would give off enigmas to the audience. Who is this person? Where are they from? and What are they doing here?  if you look closely you can see that around the mask there seems to a ring of light, this made it look like there was a light shining just on the mask. The blood stains on the mask make it clear to the audience that this is a horror film and that killing or abuse is shown in the film.

The font we used for the title of our film is called 'Ring bearer' . we used this font because it was simple yet is still showed a hint of the stereotypical horror film font with the pieces of the letters being left out, this gave the font a distressed look. We chose the font to be white because it stands out against the black background but also matches the colour of the mask. Having a light text also means that the distressed look stands out more. We chose to have the title at the bottom of the poster because we had a lot of spare space that we needed to fill but it also meant that we were able to have it larger and more central making it stands out even more. We didn't want to go down the really stereotypical path of using a lot of red because it has started to become a bit tacky, however we used it for our slogan and for the release date but made it a very deep red rather than bright. The slogan we made up is quite evil sounding so the colour red works well with it because it the colour of the devil. We also used it on the release date because we chose to have a that in a small font but the red means that it stands out enough for the audience to notice when the film is coming out. Friday 13th is also very well known to be used in or for horror films because its supposedly an unlucky day and therefore the colour red connotes blood, fear and danger. We chose to have the slogan, release date and actor names in a very similar font to our title font because we didn't want to make it to complicated and busy.

WMJC Producation Presents Our Final Magazine Cover.

This is the magazine cover that we all created together.


Main Picture
The picture we chose what taken whilst filming scenes for our trailer, we thought this was a good photo for a magazine cover because it shows one of our main antagonists but also lets the audience get a better idea of what this character is like. The background is of the woods were we filmed, this a great background because it conforms to creepy conventions of a horror movie. We chose to dress our antagonists in dark clothes such as the grey hoodie and black gas mask that you can see in the magazine cover because it will make them blend in more with the surrounding but also hind their identity. What we really liked about this photo is that it subverts the normal choice of photo, most people would choose a picture that is face on with the character looking straight into the audience to make it seem more personal however we thought that our choice of photo went better with the idea that the person is hiding their identity.Choosing our weapon was quite a quick choice because we thought it made the character seem dominant and scary, but it also is a clear indicator to the audience about what genre of film the magazine is promoting.
Font/Puffs

We also went with the grey/dark theme for our text as we didn't want the poster to stand out because of bright colours because this wouldn't suit our genre of film, instead we went for strong bold fonts that will make the cover stand out instead. Although most of our text is in grey/white we used different shades so they would all stand out still, for example our puff is dark grey so we put a light grey font over this so you could still clearly see the text. We would of rather of used a wider variety of dark colours such as black and dark green however the background was too dark for them to be shown clearly enough. We chose to have the 'Empire' placed because our antagonists head because it gives a 3D effect to the cover and make it look like they are coming off the page.We added the glow to the font because it gave a supernatural effect that would work well with the horror genre. We were unable to use our official font that we used in our trailer for "BETRAYAL" so instead we chose one similar enough but also one that was different enough from the other fonts so it stood out the most.

Underneath our title we added some photo's from both of our old opening 2 minutes we thought this would be a great way to incorporate both 2 years of our work but also make it seem like those films are coming out in cinema and the audience can see a sneak peak. Putting the photo's in a film roll lets the audience know that these pictures are from a film.

Essentials

Like all magazines there needs to be a price, bar-code and issue date. We added these using a standard font so it didn't stand out but made the buyers aware. We chose to price the magazine at £3.99 because from our research of film magazines we found that they were quite pricey, so we continued this to make it seem realistic.

Soundtrack research

Hoodie Allan - No Interruption

This was one of the non - copy right music that we found. We found it on YouTube which was helpful as we were able to find a rang of songs easily and able to download them quickly without any trouble.  This was the first track that stood out to us as a group. We like how it is quite Hip-Hop/ pop as this conforms to the stereotypical music that teenagers listen to and makes their age group stand out to the audience. As this song will be playing for the first few seconds in the trailer when the group of friends are in the car driving to their destination, it will allow the audience to link it into their lives as they would most likely of experienced driving in the car with their friends with loud music playing. This will allow it to be more effective towards them when things begin to go wrong as they will see it as themselves. this is mainly because of the link into mundane realism. The music is sound bridged across the three different shots that we are using in our trailer of the car driving and pulling up into the destination of the car park that is in the camping site that they are staying in. 

This is another non - copyright music that we found through YouTube. However, although we liked the music, we didn't think it flowed well in our trailer as it didn't link into the stereotypical conventions of music that teenagers would be listening to in horror films. This therefore meant that if we were to use it, it would mean that the audience wouldn't be able to link their own lives into it as they wouldn't have listened to it as much as the conventional music that we have also looked at. Therefore making it be less effective on the audience which would make the creepy things that happen in the film not be successful as the audience wouldn't feel it the way that the characters in the film would be showing it. However, we did the the fast paste beat that was in the music, the main reason for this is because it would go with the fast driving that would be shown in the trailer as it is teenagers driving with friends in the car. This is one thing that we made sure we looked for when we did further research into finding a soundtrack that suited our trailer and all the conventions that we want to show.

This was the third soundtrack that we found, Although it could possibly link into our trailer, we decided to go against it. The main reason for this is because it had no lyrics in the music. This meant it would be harder for the audience to link and put them selves in the characters shoes as they will not be able to compare there own music into the music that they are listening to in the trailer. It also took away the scene that we are trying to create as it makes it seem as if the teenagers will be set in a club when in fact they are driving to a campsite which is completely different.

Overall

We decided to choose our first sound track that we found (Hoodie Allan - No Interruption) because we thought it went well with the setting of our trailer and linked well. It also created the right atmosphere that we wanted it to create within the audience which builds on the effect and tension that we want the trailer to further show.

Final Antagonist Costume.

This is the leader of the antagonists, due to wearing a distinctive gas mask, contrasting from the other antagonists. We chose the gas mask due to seeing a gas mask used repeatedly in actual horror films, therefore we were following the conventions of a horror. During the editing stages we also would darken the eye holes so you could not see anything but darkness for their eyes. This would create a scary atmosphere of which would make the character effective, as these will be the last eyes you see. This mask also hides the identity of the character therefore suggesting it could be anyone behind it. The gas masked antagonist is also wearing a black hoodie, which connotes to death and murder. this connotation was to suggest that this antagonist is the ring leader and the most evil of them all.

These are our final costumes for our antagonists, of which there are three. Two of them consist of the grey hoodie and white mask, and the other consists of a black hoodie and a gas mask. These grey hoodie antagonists, act as the sidekick of the gas mask one, which creates an unnerving atmosphere as it makes them seem as they are a family- a murderous family. The use of the hoodies, creates a vibe that these antagonists could be anyone, which adds to the scare factor, ideal for a horror trailer. We used white masks, to firstly hide their identity so would create enigmas of who they are and why are they doing this. Secondly, we thought within darker shots where lighting is low, this mask would stand out and contrast so would be visible, but would create an image of darkness surrounding evil. On the white masks there is also blood smears and splatters, to illustrate that blood will be shred but from who...

So next time you're camping in the woods, you may not be camping on your own...

Institution - WMJC production

This is our final institution we are using for our theatrical trailer. As you can see we have used a 'Vignette' effect on the out edge of the screen, which creates a eerie daunting atmosphere due to the black shadows created. This makes the institution effective, especially for a film with the genre of horror.
As you can see, from the comparison with our AS level institution, we have changed the image, animation and the name. The name is due to having an additional person who joined MJC Productions', therefore we thought it was only right to add her to the institution. The means that the institution stands for: 'Welsh, Marskell, Jones, Clark Productions'; emphasising how we are a team.
We also changed the image from clouds to icy mountains. This was to make the institution appear more eerie, which would suit a genre of horror more effectively. From our research into trailers, we discovered that horror institution were repeated dark, which is why we changed the image into something which connotes to more danger and eeriness. We also changed the typeface we used, which is due to following conventions of a horror as they usually use bolder and white coloured font. This institution was also made by us, which involved finding the image of the mountains, adding the vignette effect and adding thr animation for the font. This didn't take to long as we used Adobe Premiere to do this section, as it provided us with all the resources needed to achieve this. We added the stars to act like a rating, which we though looked fairly professional. This institution will be within and during a our trailer, so the audience would know who made this trailer and therefore increase popularity of our company and the film.

Final Font Analysis

We decided very early on the process that we wanted to use a simplistic choice of font. We found that the more simple it was the more sophisticated and grown up it looked. In the 80's a lot of horror films used very detailed and intricate fonts in a bright read to signify blood, now that's it’s become over used it has started to look incredible tacky and cheap looking. Because the film is a mix between horror and thriller it also means that we have to combine ideas from both genres. Although simple is normally portrayed as bold, we have chosen a quite thin text which makes it seem more sophisticated, but so it’s clear what genre of film our trailer is for there is a bit 'wear and tear' making it look scarier. The text is also not completely straight which makes it looks like someone may of wrote it the uneven look could signify the ups and downs in the story. Like I said earlier in the 80's they used red fonts however we have chosen very plain colours, black and white depending on what looks best with the background. Both colours go with anything however one may work better or stand out more than the other. Having the font in capital letters also means it will stand out more and make more of a statement.

Final font - producing our final font.

Producing our final font

Titles are vital for trailers as help maintain the continity of the trailer, but also broadcasts the sdlogan and the title of the film. This means that it is essential for them to be readable and clear so that they contrast from the background and can be read from different distances; close to far. 

The first step into making our font was finding the font we wanted to edit. We did this by using 'Microsoft Word' to find our bold font we wanted to use for our trailer. The font we chose was to use was 'Yu Mincho Light', which provided us with a block bold typeface, which was ideal for what we wanted to do with it. 

The next step we did was to copy and paste the font into 'Paint' which would allow us to add small texture into the font. We did this by adding little cuts in the lettering, by using the 'line tool', which was white, so it would match the colour of the background. This would provide texture within the font, which would create a slight eerie and old effect, connoting that it horror events may occur, therefore following the conventions of a horror film. 

We copied this image into a document in the software called 'Photoshop'. This is basically a much more advanced editing software than 'Paint', as it allows you to edit it with fine detail and definition, altering images drastically by the range of advance editing tools. What we did was we used the 'select tool' on which allowed us to individually select letters . This therefore allowed us to stretch the letters to make them thinner and longer, which we thought would make the font look more ideal for a horror. We also smoothed the white gaps we made in 'Paint' as we wanted the font to look professional. As you can see from this picture, the background was white, in which would mean if we placed it onto a shot, there would be a white block background; this would not look professional and would disrupt the continuity of the film trailer. This meant we used the 'Magic Wand Tool', that you can see in image above. This allowed us to remove the background colour, therefore making the background transparent. This meant when we edited the titles onto our trailer you could see the shot behind them, therefore not disrupting the atmosphere of the film trailer.

This is our final font, on which we are using throughout the trailer and on the poster/magazine (due to making the title recognisable). It is black and bold which is ideal for our horror trailer. Having it in capitals furthermore makes it stand out but also emphasises the negativeness of the word 'BETRAYAL'. 

Final costume - protagonist

Final Costume- Protagonists
This is the final costumes we decided for our protagonists to wear within our theatrical trailer. As you can see, we chose everyday clothes which would make the protagonists relatable and realistic as this is what people would usually wear when going camping- especially when it's freezing cold!
The uses of the coat connotes to the weather being of a cold climate but also does not reveal what is underneath, which could be important within the film as they could be used to identify each character. The cold climate is also reinforced by the use of scarves and gloves. We also had them carrying props, such as the D of E bags and roll mat, as these are the items which are usually taken when camping.
Our protagonists consist of blondes and brown hair girls, which makes them come across innocent due to them both being females. Having the use of blonde hair automatically makes her seem innocent and needing protection, as this is a stereotypical view of a protagonist within horrors. The use of colours also connotes many things, the use of the white t-shirts connotes to purity and innocence which we want to continuously present as that is the stereotypical view which is portrayed in horror films. Also the use of blue connotes to sadness and despair, therefore suggesting sad events will feature within our film. Red colours would connote to death, love and blood, which could create enigmas due to two opposing connotations; blood and love. However it is the stereotypical colour of which is used within horrors, as well as the colour black, which is also used to connote murder.   Within our trailer there are other protagonist's which all have similar costumes, of everyday camping clothing.

Animated titles - experimenting with titles.

Titles within trailers would have to suit the film's genre as they should not affect the continuity of the trailer. This explains why we experimented with different titles and transitions on how it is shown on screen, so we can avoid disrupting the atmosphere we create during the theatrical trailer. 

Title One -  We created all the titles on IMovie as we felt it had the right effects and tools to create a title we would be satisfied with. Our first idea is to incorporate the settings and location of the movie with the titles so the theme is consistent, by cropping one of photographs we took when creating the shoot for our poster, it left us with a sinister background that was good to experiment and work with. We then changed the this image to black and white by double clicking on the shot and adjusting the saturation to -100%. We then added our title on top with our chosen font; the title stands out well against the white cracks between the trees but is still camouflaged against the trees. To make the entire word stand out we decided to make the background image blurred. We then added the sound effects of the gas mask and the sound of a broken TV. The end transition we used is fading to black as it leaves an effect on the audience but also finishes the trailer in a conclusive way.

Title Two - This second edit was more complicated to achieve as we decided to incorporate one of our favourite shots of the less dominant antagonists. The reason we didn’t use our main antagonist (gasmask) is so we could hide his/her identity to create enigmas on who they are, allowing the audience to question the characters and plot. The natural lighting takes away the tension from the shot as it is idyllic; however we have edited it to invert the colours to increase fear. We only used this effect for seconds at a time to create a flashing effect; this also allows the title to stand out as we didn’t show the text in the whole clip. We decided to create the flashes increase the tension as it links into pathetic fallacy as it connotes the shock of a lightning strike. We used the same sound effects for each title ending as it relates to our theme of the gas mask and hints the main antagonist without actually showing him/her on screen.

Title Three - Edit three is effective because of the simplistic visuals which makes the sounds more noticeable, creating a more lasting effect on the audience. Again we used the same sounds as the other two titles because we feel they link best with our theme. To create this title we first made the background black with no image which connotes mystery and the unknown. We then decided to make the font white as it stands out against the black and also connotes the slight innocence we see in the trailer of the protagonists. The transition of the text links to one of the sounds (the static TV) as they both show the bad communication between where the movie is located and the "outside world" because it is known that there is never any good connection when you're located in a forest especially in a horror movie. The text also zooms forward towards the audience slowly, this is to create suspense even when the trailer is over. 

Video Diary 3.

Questionnaire

These questionnaire's gave us an insight and guidance on how to distribute and produce our theatrical trailer. The first graph shows us what age certificate our film should be and what age we should aim our film trailer at. From these results we found that we should aim our trailer at 15 to 24 year old partly due to these results but also to the regulations from the BBFC.

The second graph shows that the horror genre is mainly aimed at males rather than females, however they are similar results. This tells us that we should have an equal amounts that appeal to both gender. This would make our trailer more effective and increase popularity of our film as it creates a wider audience as there would be elements which appeal to both genders. For example, we could have strong masculine characters which appeal to the female audience whereas for the females we could use blood, gore, action (through fast pace editing). These first two questions are very important as it is essential to portray the film to the correct age group successfully.
 The third question is quite a broad question as to what people prefer to see in a horror. 'Jumpy' was the most popular as shown through the results. This tells us that we should have frequent jump and scary parts within the film/ trailer as it would appeal to the audience. This question is fairly weak and not that effective as there are many other options a horror film could be, such as horror thriller, psychological horror etc. However we would be editing scary shots within the film.
The location question provide us with the insight on where we should set our film trailer. The results tells us that we should have the location within the countryside or city. This is due to countrysides being a very hostile secluded area, suggesting there is no escape or help from the horrifying events which could happen to the protagonists. The city location could also be used so that the trailer would show there are different locations within the film. Also people can relate to the city locations as some of the audience would be residence within cities. Also having set a horror film within these location would make the trailer ore scary as the audience would think these events could happen to them. From this research we will be using location similar tot he results as it would make our trailer scary therefore following conventions of a horror trailer but also appealing to our target audience.
The editing question provides us with the information vital for the post production stage. In our minds as media students and from previous research, having a mixture of editing paces makes a horror trailer more frightening and appealing to horror audiences and fans. From our questionnaire results, they support our finding and therefore gives us confidence into using different editing lengths; slow pace editing and fast pace editing.
From these questionnaires the general public had a mixed response on to what is the most important factor within a horror film. The options for this was; locations, actors, characters, music and plot. Plot resulted in the highest meaning that our audience prefers to having a decent story behind the film more than the other factors. This tells us that through our theatrical trailer, we should provide a sense of a good plot to our film. Actors and music came close second which therefore important information we should consider when making our film. Good actors would lead to good characters, which would make the trailer seem professional and more realistic. This reinforces why we interview different people, so we could get an understanding of who they were and if they would fit into our production. The music is another factor we need to consider the music would emphasis the scare factor which are captured within the shots. This means would have to do a lot of research into which music would be suitable for our trailer. Location was the feature which resulted in the lowest, which could be due to the other features being more important. From our horror trailer research we discovered using everyday locations would be ideal for a horror trailer as it would be easier for the target audience to relate too. From this questionnaire, we have decided to use different locations throughout our trailer so that it would be more realistic and suggest that there is plot/story-line to the film. Also during the planning process of making our trailer also agreed that the plot and music would be vital for a successful trailer as the music would create and aid tension to the shots but the plot would entice the audience into watching our production. This questionnaire therefore has aided us into the right direction of what our trailer should consist of and what the audience would like to see.
The general public stated that they would prefer a film to be more realistic than surreal. This could be due to the genre being a horror as, they need to be relatable to provide the scare factor which they set out to achieve. If the trailer was surreal it would mean that the audience wouldn't believe or feel as if it could happen to them, which is the opposite response of what a horror film wants to do. Making our trailer realistic would, firstly attract our target audience (15-24 year old) due to it being relatable, but secondly; due to what we found in our research into horror films as they are all very realistic and could happen to people. From these results we will be ensuring that our trailer is as realistic as possible.
The next question we asked was vital as we wanted to ensure we got the right music for the correct shots but also to keep continuity within the trailer.  From our results we found out that they would prefer mixed pace; slow and fast. This was also our initial thought as it would build adrenaline if we used both. as going from slow deep toned music to a sharp fast tune. This means during our music research we should concentrate on finding fast and slow music which both flow together but also emphasis the scare factor within the shots.
The final question we asked was what name our trailer could be called. From our results 'Silent Scream' and 'Betrayal' were the most popular. These both provide enigmas which would follow the conventions of a horror film which would be ideal. 'Pitch 31' was the least popular, which could be due to connoting a sci fi like genre film. Getting information and feedback from the general public gives us an indication of what they would like to see in a horror, therefore giving us the ability to provide it as best we can.

Soundtrack producation

To make our soundtrack more unique and special we have decided to create our own music. The sound will be created using a ukulele and will be played by Charlotte C's brother. Making our own sound track comes with both benefits and disadvantages. The benefits mean that we are able to base our music on our plot, but making it also means that we need to right the music but also organised the time to make and edit it. The main reason we want to create our music is so that it works well with the pace of the trailer. This means we are able to finish the trailer without the music then base the music around the pace of the clips on the trailer ,if we hadn't made our own we would find it hard to find music that would match the trailer well. We are planning to make the soundtrack so it has a variation in speeds and pitch's to create tension.

Not only will we have a creepy soundtrack we are also planning to start our trailer with a typical teenage pop song. This music will be played by the protagonists, therefore is diegetic music, and will be put on over clips of the teenagers driving to the common, this will reflect their excitement and eagerness for the days ahead.

The juxtaposition between the two types of music will also put an emphasis on how they were feeling before and what's going to happen to them. It help to make the trailer more interesting and not bland.

Evaluation of Questionnaire

The questionnaire was very helpful for us in deciding some critical decisions in the making of our film. For example, it was very useful having the audience views and opinions in what they think would be best for our film. We found out the main people who were answering our questions were between the age group of 15-24. This is good as this is our target audience for our film as we are doing a horror and studies have shown that this particular age group are the one who are most interested in horror film.

Some questions that we asked in the questionnaire was "What do you think the elements of horror should be set - daytime or night time?", the majority of the answers were in the night time.
This was initially very helpful as we were then able to make sure we timed when we went out to film correctly. This is because we were able to make sure we filmed when it was just getting dark, however not too dark that you couldn't see anything. We were also able to use torches to create the right lighting when it got slightly too dark, this meant the lighting that was created showed suspense and tension as you could only see the protagonist or antagonist depending on what the shot was.

Another very successful question that we asked was about the title of our film. We had seven different potential names that we showed them and got them to say which one they thought suited our film best. 'Betrayal' was the most successful title. I think that the reason for this is because the name itself comes across quite creepy and leaves an enigma to the audience before they have even watched it. For example,they do not know who is betraying who and will want to find out. Campsite 31 was another companion however was the least successful. I think this is because it is quite similar   - least amount of votes



 silent scream

Influences on our film producation

There have been many influences and inspiration, which has aided us into making our theatrical trailer in this certain way. Through extensive research involving analysing trailers from various genres, watching horror films, seeing behind the scene exclusives, we have decided  that our theatrical trailer was going to be a horror. this research phase was one of the important elements into directing what path our film trailer should go.

The concept of our idea; a group of friends within a wood, camping, came from many influences primarily from horror films. Friday 13th is one of the main influences due to the appearance of the antagonist wearing a gas mask and the primary location of where the film is set, in a wood. We develop this idea by making the antagonist more relatable and realistic, by the use of mise en scene, through clothes. We achieved this by using black hoodies, and trousers, which connotes to evil and death, but using such an everyday piece of clothing makes the audience feel as it could be anyone. We decided our antagonist should wear a gas mask similar to the one used in 'Friday 13th', as it hides their identity which would create an enigma but also add the scare factor for the audience as they do not who it is behind the mask. When using this gas mask we would add diegetic music of  someone heavily breathing, which could become the iconic sound for our film, as when you hear it, you know the antagonist is around. We decided to use a location similar to 'Friday 13th' film as the woods is also very relatable; therefore would make the audience feel frightened whenever they go into a forest or wood after seeing this film. We also chose a wood as there lots of scary places which we could film, which we discovered through our research and planing stage.
Another influence was the film 'The Strangers', which is where three antagonist victimise a young couple. We used the idea of having three antagonists as it creates a sense of no way out, so 'unescapable'. It also means that we could use different masks for each antagonist meaning they have their own identity, which could possibly link to the type of weapon they use as well. Have numerous numbers of antagonists would create an eerie atmosphere as they could come across as a family- scary. This film, 'The Strangers', also builds lots of tension by using many meduim and long shots, with the antagonist's hiding in the background. We have decided to use a similar technique as it would make the audience want the protagonist to look behind them, therefore making them feel on edge and unnerved.
Our protagonist's was inspired by horror films such as 'The Cabin in the Woods' and 'Scream'. This is because both of these films involve using a group of protagonist's which are getting hunted down the murderous antagonists. Having a large group of protagonists would enable there to be lot of suspense and tension due to many murders occurring; which follows the conventions of a horror film. Some of the protagonists also wore white clothing within these films, which connotes to innocence and purity. This inspired us to have some of our protagonist's within the film trailer to wear white as it would make the audience sympathise with the characters. These films also have mixed gender groups, which we decided to do aswell. This is because it would make it more realistic and relatable as a group of friends does not always involve just boys or just girls. It also makes it relatable as both male and female can relate to both gender of characters. 

Betrayal animated titles

Title One - We created all the titles on IMovie as we felt it had the right effects and tools to create a title we would be satisfied with. Our first idea is to incorporate the settings and location of the movie with the titles so the theme is consistent, by cropping one of photographs we took when creating the shoot for our poster, it left us with a sinister background that was good to experiment and work with. We then changed the this image to black and white by double clicking on the shot and adjusting the saturation to -100%. We then added our title on top with our chosen font; the title stands out well against the white cracks between the trees but is still camouflaged against the trees. To make the entire word stand out we decided to make the background image blurred. We then added the sound effects of the gas mask and the sound of a broken TV. The end transition we used is fading to black as it leaves an effect on the audience but also finishes the trailer in a conclusive way.

Title Two - This second edit was more complicated to achieve as we decided to incorporate one of our favourite shots of the less dominant antagonists. The reason we didn’t use our main antagonist (gasmask) is so we could hide his/her identity to create enigmas on who they are, allowing the audience to question the characters and plot. The natural lighting takes away the tension from the shot as it is idyllic; however we have edited it to invert the colours to increase fear. We only used this effect for seconds at a time to create a flashing effect; this also allows the title to stand out as we didn’t show the text in the whole clip. We decided to create the flashes increase the tension as it links into pathetic fallacy as it connotes the shock of a lightning strike. We used the same sound effects for each title ending as it relates to our theme of the gas mask and hints the main antagonist without actually showing him/her on screen.

Title Three - Edit three is effective because of the simplistic visuals which makes the sounds more noticeable, creating a more lasting effect on the audience. Again we used the same sounds as the other two titles because we feel they link best with our theme. To create this title we first made the background black with no image which connotes mystery and the unknown. We then decided to make the font white as it stands out against the black and also connotes the slight innocence we see in the trailer of the protagonists. The transition of the text links to one of the sounds (the static TV) as they both show the bad communication between where the movie is located and the "outside world" because it is known that there is never any good connection when you're located in a forest especially in a horror movie. The text also zooms forward towards the audience slowly, this is to create suspense even when the trailer is over.

Video Diary 2

Makeup tutorial - bruises and cuts

This research is to investigate what kind of make up we could use to add the effect of injuries and brutality, which occurs during the opening scene. This video I discovered from Youtube, which is very reliable to use as this was broadcast on a BBC show, which is aimed for children; this means it is easy to do even for children.

How to make cuts? - Online tutorial.

 As you can see throughout this tutorial the equipment needed to produce an effective cut is fairly easy to require, as to begin with moisturiser and make up wax is needed. The equipment also includes make up foundation ( preferably the same colour as the actors to ensure the cut looks as gruesome as a real cut), paintbrushes, cotton buds, spatula, red- brown paint and fake blood. This is all equipment which we can purchase from local shops and off the internet, with little expense.

This process is very easy to do as this tutorial was aimed at young individuals, which means the process would be easy and quick to do, with high quality results at the end. This would mean that we can focus more time on filming as this make up process does not take that long to achieve. As it is an accurate but quick process it would mean we can do quite a few of these on the actor, to show the brutality and fatally they faced, during trying to defend themselves. However as this is research these elements may not be used in our final production.

I believe this is very effective as these cuts can be added either on the antagonist or on the protagonist. Adding this make up on the antagonist, would create an enigma as the audience would not know how and where the antagonist gained these injuries. This could suggest that this is not the first time the antagonist has striked, meaning this is not his first victim...

Using this make up effect on the protagonist, could add many engima's for the audience as well. Firstly we 

could use them to suggest that they have been in a fight previously but who with. They could also be used to suggest domestic violence, or something which has occurred between someone,which the audience wants to know desperately.

How to make bruises? - Online tutorial

This piece of research is to see the effects of bruises would be ideal for our opening scene. 

Throughout this tutorial you can see that the process is relatively easy to do due to the use of make up brushes, and the technique of using them. 

This could be effective to use on the antagonist to make they seem as if they have been in previous fights with their previous targets and victims. It could also be use for the protagonist, for the same reasons for using the cuts on them. This could symbolise violence occurring in the characters life, which could occurred by their partner or other sources.  

Soundtrack research - used in films

The Cabin in the Woods

In recent years many horror film trailers have started with some cheery music such as the film 'You're next'. This film involves happy non diegetic music while on screen people are being attacked and murder which contradicts each other. This contradiction creates an eerie unnerving atmosphere as the music implies that what is happening on screen is positive and a good thing, which it is not. This upbeat music is sometimes followed by and leads into creepy, normally slow paced and high pitched, music. In The Cabin in the Woods the trailer starts with a popular pop song, this mirrors the mood of the college students, reinforcing the realism of the scene. This has been done to emphasis the contrast in moods between the beginning and the end of the film. The rhythm and upbeat of the pop music gradually decreases and develops into dark slow paced music which has random snippets of a high pitched tones; this adds an individualistic style to the dull music. This music then progresses into the sounds of something ticking or counting down complimented with action music. The music then becomes more intense which contains loud, quick paced and low pitched sounds thus creating suspense and tension.  The music again changes to a rock/ screamo genre of music, this will attract an audience who enjoy this genre of music. Therefore through the use of pop and screamo music they would have attracted a broad audience.

The Purge
Again the purge used the new stereotype of using a piece of actual music, although classical music a lot of the time it comes across as creepy as the music they chose was calming and soothing when horrible event are occurring on screen. Later on in the trailer it becomes a bit darker however throughout the music it sounded a bit like music used in an action movie trailer due to the upbeat and heroic tune. This made it seem more sophisticated compared to most horror films. The use of sirens and digital sounding noises makes it seem more than a horror film therefore could bring a broader audience due to the mix of genres. The church choir music which is very slow paced makes the characters look like heroes due to pureness within the voices of the choir. The ambient diegetic sounds of screams and weapons contradict the calm non-diegetic music in the background and mirror the mood of America before the purge and now.

Deliver Us from Evil
for the first half of the trailer there is a very slow paced, quiet and eerie piece of music played, this builds up tension as the audience will be waiting for the scare big factor to be reveal. Whilst the slow paced music there are pauses within the music therefore breaking up the rhythm of the music, creating suspense due to the jerkiness generated. For some of the second part of the trailer there is use of a fast paced beating sound which gives the impression that something is going to happen, this is a contrast from the slow paced music from before. This use of fast paced music makes reflects the tension and the fear which would be present within the trailer. Ranging the tempo of the music keeps the audience on each throughout watching it. This could be ideal and effective to use for our trailer as it would create the same suspense technique which is very effective as it would appeal to horror fans, our target audience

Soundtrack research - scream sound effects.

For our theatrical trailer we need music, diegetic and non-diegetic music which compliments what we capture within our shots. This means we have to research into the soundtrack in lots of depth as we don't want music which takes the audience away from the trailer, we want them to lose themselves when wathcing this. This blog is about finding the right scream for our trailer, so we have an idea of what scream we can produce when making our own music.

Scream #1 

This scream was the first one I researched. This could be ideal for our horror film trailer as it can be edited in during our fast pace editing as it would reinforce the tension filled horrifying atmosphere we want to create at the end of the trailer. This scream is powerful and emphasises how frightened or in pain she is due to the strain of her voice. This tells me when producing our diegetic music, if we use a scream it should have feeling within it, so it would make the trailer seem realistic, therefore the audience actually believe this could happen to them. 

Scream #2

This is scream 2 which is a group of children screaming. This would not be ideal for our trailer as it comes across tacky and more suitable for a comedy. However, it may have been suitable for a demonic horror film as if the pitch and the tones were altered into a higher pitch it would create an unnerving noise, which does not sound human. We could create something similar to this, by using older voices which would provide us a deeper tone, as they are young adults. However, due to the  plot we have for our trailer this is not suitable for our trailer, therefore we would not produce something like this. 

Scream #3

This scream is very effective due to the scream building up in power and anger. This create many images, such as, him realising the pain he's in or it could come across as if he is going mad. This scream may be good within the fast pace editing at the end of the trailer as when the shots increase in speed, this scream can be editing over, revealing the last shot of him finally screaming. Due to the effectiveness of this scream we may create one similar to include within our production. 

Scream #4

This is one of the most effective screams I found during researchign scream sound effects. This is effective because there is an undertone of a squelching of what we presume to be is flesh which would be ideal for our trailer as it is a horror therefore following the conventions of this genre. THis tells me when we are producing sound effects for the diegetic music, we should involve more than one effect. 

Horror soundtrack - used in films

Insidious Soundtrack
This is the soundtrack for the horror film, 'Insidious'. At the beginning of this soundtrack there is a constant low whirling noise, acting as though it a ghastly wind. Complimenting this is a quiet low tone violin tune, like the bumble bee effect. Due to these, it automatically creates an unwelcoming atmosphere, in which is ideal for a horror film. As you continue to listen, the violin increases in volume, and the rhythm is increasingly getting faster. Due to the frantic noise created it makes the audience feel tense and full of adrenaline. Combining this with a horror scene, it would create an effective and terrifying shot which would most indefinitely woudl scare the target audience. The shrill tone of what I assume is a violin, pierces the audience ears, ensuring constant concentration but overwhelming them too due to the sharpness of the sound. After listen to this soundtrack, I believe we should have sections of our soundtrack in this sharp high pitch tone, as it goes straight through you, suggesting the fear will too. Also I like the use of the violin instrument, as you can create an erratic tune which is off putting and scary, which would be ideal for when our antagonists are revealed during our trailer.

A Nightmare on Elm Street
This is from the film, 'A Nightmare on Elm Street',. As you can hear, this is soundtrack goes for a different approach as they use someone's voice for the music. Using a woman's high toned voice singing, could imply the innocence of the protagonists which would appear in the film. However, in my opinion it create a more supernatural atmosphere, implying that it involves aliens, which would confuse the audience when hearing but also ruin the affect of the shot and continuity of the film. In comparison to the 'Insidious' soundtrack, there is a similarity, which the sharp high pitch tone, which is in the background of this soundtrack. Due to the repetition of this sound effect, it tells me that it is very much associated with horror films, which may be ideal to use for our trailer. Within this soundtrack, there are the sound of metal chimes, which could be a metaphor for the sharp blades of the antagonist's murder weapon within the film. However, this sound, to me, again applies that alien event could occur, which can create confusion over the genre of the film.

Dead Silence
This soundtrack is from the horror film called 'Dead Silence'. At the start of the soundtrack, a nursery like tune is used, which creates an innocent but unnerving atmosphere as there is no other music combined with it, creating a silent but chilling effect. This can remind audience's of childhood, suggesting the film links with childhood fears. This nursery rhyme then increases in tempo, and a lower tone is added furthers the unnerving atmosphere which is effective, especially for a horror film. Continuing on during the soundtrack, the nursery tune gradually fades out, introducing a low droning tune, with a few choir like people singing. This could suggest the that evil is consuming the innocence. The nursery rhyme is re-introduced which keeps the continuity of the film. If my trailer involved a haunted, abandoned house or had ghostly little children, I would follow the approach, of this film soundtrack. Unfortunately, I am not, so this soundtrack may not be ideal for our trailer.

It
This is the soundtrack from the film 'It', which involves a killer clown, which targets its prey mainly at children. This soundtrack doesn't really need to much analyse due to the simplistic element to the music. The soundtrack is obviously a circus like theme tune which is constantly played at circuses and fun fairs which is ideal for the antagonist of the film, a clown. Having such a jolly happy song for a murderous clown, automatically contradicts with each other which creates a fear factor, as it suggests that things aren't as they seem.