Horror moodboards

Todorov's narrative theory in relation to our horror film

Equilibrium:

-       Young fragile girl in house

-       Cooking food

-       Normal evening

-       Cold, misty, enigmatic atmosphere

-       Raining

-       Set in a normal neighborhood

Disruption of equilibrium by some action:

-       Slasher/ stalker is standing outside the house

-       Slasher/Stalker rings doorbell

-       Slasher/stalker and young girl have a confrontation

-       Numerous stalker related attacks and killings within the neighborhood involving young teenagers (very stereotypical within the hybrid movie type)

Recognition of disruption:

-       A series of stalker type killings within the neighborhood take place within the trailer

-       Speed and cut shots heighten the tension within the trailer 

-       Diagetic sounds such as screaming are evident and become louder

-       Police identify the antagonist as their number one suspect and combine together a mass search party in order to cap off the killings which are taking place

-       Frantic killings and stalker attacks begin taking place within the neighbourhood  

Attempt to repair disruption:

-       Evidence provided from within the trailer of shots of struggling between the antagonist and protagonist are shown to the audience in order to reinstate the normality within the neighborhood

-       Police begin to nail down evidence against an individual within the neighborhood who they feel is the stalker of the victims

-       Arrests and warrants are issued by the Police in order to track down the individual responsible

-       Friends and family members of the victims from the attacks begin to take extra precaution in order to prevent similar events taking place to themselves and others

Reinstatement of equilibrium:

-       Neighborhood retains its norm of togetherness and everyone now feels a lot safer

-       Police have now apprehended the stalker who killed the teenagers within the neighborhood

-       Less stalker related attacks occur within the film once the attacker was caught

Twist:

-       Where everyone situated within the neighborhood believes that normality is taking place, a young girl gets killed again and becomes the victim of another stalker attack

-       This will then lead a sequel being created of the film

Audience demography

Before media institutions release and promote a product, they must conduct market research about their audience whom they wish to target specifically. If this is not done successfully it could result in a poor demand and response rate upon the release of the promotional package thus resulting in a waste in resources and media institutions not meeting their company’s aims and objectives along with not satisfying and meeting the consumers demand.

There are different ways in which media institutions divide their audiences, this is called audience demography.

Genre and audiences:

1.       Audiences have certain expectations from the media

2.       Audiences tend to know what they like

3.       Audiences enjoy the familiarity of conventions

4.       They also like an element of surprise

5.       Audiences like to be able to define the media by genre

6.       Audiences use their knowledge of genre to help them make choices  

Horror trailer analysis 2

The film trailer which I have decided to analyse is called the Ring, which is an American psychological horror movie directed by Gore Verbinski and released in October 2002. The narrative of the movie consists of a woman who watches a tape which then puts a curse on her and she only has a week to try and break the curse. However the film takes a sudden twist when her son watches the film and now the woman’s motive is to not only save herself but her son from the terrifying curse. The film consists of many award winning actors who play the roles of; Rachael (Naomi Watts), Noah (Martin Henderson), and Anna Morgan (Shannon Cochran). 

The Codes and conventions/shot types and angles:

·         The first common convention visible to the audience within the trailer is the colour black. This colour connotes to the audience of that something dark and mysterious is going to occur within the movie. The darkness of the colour black also symbolises to the target audience of danger and death which is also a reoccurring theme throughout the film.  Lastly, black also creates enigma for the audience which ultimately attracts them and creates demand for the film upon its release.

·         Another convention which occurs throughout the trailer is the use of the close up shots. I believe that Gore Verbinski has incorporated these shot types due to the fact that having close up shots creates an uncomfortable atmosphere for the audience and it also allows the target audience to see the facial expressions created by the iconic figure within the shot frame. This shot is very effective in the horror type genre trailers as having close up shots for the audience to see creates excitement and creates demand for the movie as the audience would like to see why exactly the iconic actor/actress is feeling that type of emotion, which in most cases is fear.  

Editing:

·         Within the trailer, editing has been used to build up and heighten the tension created. As the trailer begins not much editing has been used as no jump shots or cut shots (common shots and editing types used to heighten tension within horror genres), are evident.

·         However, as the trailer begins to pick up pace, jump shots and cut shots become more frequent along with the timing of each shot also decreasing.

·         By using a variety of shot types and shot lengths, it speeds up the trailer and also makes the audience see less of the scenes which occur within the film. This creates enigma for the audience and ultimately makes them want to see what happens within the film.

·         As the trailer reaches its climax near the end, the soundtrack used also speeds up which builds up and emphasises the tension created which grabs the audience’s attention and creates demand for the movie. 

Sound:

·         The soundtrack used within the trailer consists of a voice over with some eerie music mellowing behind it. The reason why Gore Verbinski has decided to include this is to slowly build up the tension to the audience as by having the voice over immediately engages the audience’s attention. In addition, by having the eerie soundtrack playing it connotes enigma and suspense.

·         As the trailer continues, the eerie music begins to pick up pace and this also has a direct link with the cut shots shown within the trailer. This creates excitement for the audience along with the tension being created steadily increasing. 

 Mis-en-scene:

-         Within the trailer, the clothing worn on the iconic actors makes them easily identifiable to the audience what role they are going to play within the film.

·         The antagonist is dressed in dark black colours which connotes to the audience that this woman is dangerous and mysterious. In addition, due to the black and white colours used within the trailer, having the antagonist following the same colour theme makes the audience want to know who this woman is and what link she may have with the film.

·         The protagonist is dressed in neutral and natural colours which connotes to the audience that this woman is innocent and pure.

·         By having the lack of makeup put on the antagonist, it creates enigma among the audience as generally within many horror genres the antagonist is easily identifiable due to the heavy makeup used in order to connote some sort of danger is around this person. By having colours of black and white, it could mean that this female may be purely innocent.

 

 

URL:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuH5FaUpFm4


 

Horror trailer anlaysis 1

The film trailer which I have decided to analyse is called Scream 4, which is a horror movie directed by Wes Craven and released in April 2011. The narrative of the movie consists of a new sequence and storyline to the notorious “Woodsboro murderer” who returns to kill Sydney Prescott’s nearest and dearest. The film consists of many award winning actors who play the roles of; Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell), Dewey Riley (David Arquette), and Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox).  I have decided to analyse this horror movie as it contains many codes and conventions which are identical to the movies released today within the same genre.

The sound/music:

•  The music used within the trailer consists of a face paced track. The reason why Wes Craven has decided to use this type of eerie and dramatic music is to heighten the tension within the trailer and to create suspense in order for it to appeal to their target audience and create a massive demand for the movie. The music also supports and is directly related to the scenes which appear throughout the trailer. For example, due to many cut shots used within the trailer, the sound also picks up pace and begins to become louder. By doing this, the scenes which appear on the screen appear more dramatic and also keeps the audience at the edges of their seats.
• The use of synchrous sound as the voiceover coming directly from the antagonist grabs the audience’s attention immediately as it feels as if they are also being addressed along with the iconic actor/actresses within the scene.
• In addition, the voiceover being used is a common convention as this is used throughout the Scream films
• The voiceover used within the film by the antagonist also acts as a sound bridge within the trailer as it connects the different cuts shots together, building the tension
•  Furthermore, sound effects are also used within the trailer such as police sirens for example. This creates tension within the trailer and also connotes to the audience that some sort of danger is going to result in the film and somebody is going to end up in an ambulance or police car.
• Due to the variety of different sounds used, it helps build up and maintain the tension of the trailer which keeps the audience at the edges of their seats and will result in a demand being created upon its release 
   

The Codes and conventions/shot types and angles:

• The common code and convention seen throughout the trailer is the colour red appearing. By using this colour within horror trailers it connotes to the audience many things such as; death, blood, red, danger etc. As the trailer continues using this constant colour throughout, it emphasises that this movie contains a slasher type theme as blood is associated with constant murders and death.
• Another common convention which is not only evident within the Scream trailer but also throughout horror genre films, are close up and extreme close up shot types along with high angles. These shot types occur throughout many horror trailers due to many reasons. Firstly, by having the extreme close up shots it makes the audience feel uncomfortable as being this close up into someone’s face is unnatural. The use of this shot is also accompanied by the sounds of loud and fast paced breathing which immediately connote to the audience that the person is in some sort of danger and in need of help. In addition it also creates some enigma as the audience cannot see what else is occurring within the scene such as where the scene is taking place and who is attacking the person who is screaming. Another reason as to why the close up shots occur within not only this trailer but many other horror trailers is due to the fact that the audience can see the facial expressions of the actor/actress being shot. Wes Craven for example, has incorporated this many times within his trailer of Scream 4 so the audience can see how the actor/actress is feeling. Within the trailer we can see a lot of fear within the victims’ eyes which connotes to the audience that this person may be in some sort of danger and therefore encourages the audience to go and see the movie in order to find out who may be causing the particular actor/actresses the distress. In many cases this turns out to be the antagonist.
• The main type of angle used within the Scream 4 trailer is a high angle. Wes Craven has decided to use this angle repeatedly within his trailer when filming the actors and actresses. By using the shot constantly throughout the trailer it connotes to the audience that these people may be in danger as the high angle connotes low status and lack of power. Furthermore, by having fear and distressed shown as the facial expressions on the actors faces it also connotes to the audience that these characters may be in some sort of danger.  

Editing:

• Within the trailer, jump cuts and fast paced editing is used by Wes Craven. By having many jump cuts it connotes and symbolises to the audience that something is unnatural. In addition, the series of jump cuts are accompanied with fast paced editing along with fast paced music. This all speeds up the trailer and heightens the tension making the trailer seeming more dramatic. This technique is used throughout many horror trailers as it attracts the target audience and instantly creates demand for the movie once it’s released.

 Mis en scene:

• The mis-en-scene within the trailer also symbolises to the audience that this trailer is for a horror movie.
• Firstly, it can be seen thorough the costume wore by many of the characters. For this teen/slasher subgenre movie many of the target audience would expect to see an iconic figure (the protagonist), many teenagers (victims) who are represented through the use of stereotypes. The characters can be easily identified by the way that they are dressed, for example, the bimbo teenagers in high school are represented successfully as they are wearing low cut tops along with blank facial expressions and blonde hair. They fall into the common stereotype of “all blonde teenagers are busty and dumb”.
•  The setting of Scream within the trailer takes place and is base around a neighbourhood filled with teenagers within America. This is a common convention within horror films
• By having it set in a neighbourhood it signifies to the target audience that the teenagers are highly venerable as the houses that they live in are “too big” for them and highly deserted which creates a perfect location for a antagonist to strike.
•  The décor and lighting  used within the trailer consists of mainly low key lighting and dark colours at times where the teenagers are seen lonely and answering the telephone which has the antagonist on the receiving end. By having the low key lighting within these specific scenes it connotes to the audience that something bad is about to occur and heightens the tension created within the scene. This is a common and reoccurring convention and signifier within horror movies.
•  The props used within the trailer of Scream are a major signifier to the target audience
•  Within the trailer, the main props consists of; knives, a mask, and a telephone
•  By including these props within many of the Scream films it connotes to the audience  that something enigmatic is about to occur which mostly results in the antagonist being involved.    
• The type of lighting used within the Scream is generally low key type of lighting. This type of lighting makes it hard for the target audience to see the antagonist during scenes within the trailer. Low key lighting is dark and places a heavy and dark shadow behind the antagonist which therefore emphsies his dominance and enigma. The reason as to why Wes Craven has included this type of lighting througout the Scream trailer is to highten the tension and to sustain a good level of suspense which will therefore create demand for the media instituition.
• Another type of lighting which has been used within the Scream trailer was low fill lighting. This type of lighting had maximised the amount of shadow created within scenes of the Scream trailer to connote to the audience darkness and engima which is a common convention throughout the majority of the Scream films. By Wes Craven using this type of lighting it successfully connotes what the movie is about which is, darkness, mystery and an enigmatic atmosphere.

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

What is Horror?

What is involved within a horror genre movie?

A movie which is classified as a horror genre are movies which are intended to play with audiences feelings and include some form of audience interaction. The main objective of horror movies are to frighten, shock, stun, and terrify the target audience.  Many horror movies today achieve this successfully by inheriting and exerting the common codes and conventions found within horror movies today such as; blood, red, screaming, killings, antagonist and protagonist etc.  

What are subgenres and hybrid genres?

A hybrid movie is a movie which integrates two media genres into one. Many horror movies are a combination of two media genres which attract and appeal to a wider target audience. An example of this within horror genres are;

-          Horror & slasher

-          Horror & thriller

-          Horror & erotic

A subgenre is a type or category of film within a bigger genre of a film. An example of this can be seen within horror where a movie contains two types of genres such as; Shaun of the dead which is a horror movie of two genres consisting of horror and comedy.

Introduction to my project

What is the task?

My task this year for the A2 Media Studies course is to create a promotional package for a new film which is going to be released within the horror genre. I must successfully compose together; a teaser trailer, a film magazine front cover which features the film, and a film poster. In order to successfully complete my task I will be using new media technology and a variety of media platforms in order to appeal to my target audience. Gathering this data will be carried out through using primary and secondary data.
I have decided to choose to create my promotional package in the horror genre for many reasons. Firstly, just like many of the film industries and institutions have a budget to work with and try to release a good promotional package for an upcoming film by spending the least amount of money possible, the majority of their research and data gathered is through secondary data. This is data which has already been collected and analysed for another purpose. This means that because many of the horror films today have identical target audiences, most of the research such as what attracts them to watch their particular horror movie rather than others, has already been collected. This will not only save money for an institution, but for myself it will save a lot of time as I will not have to waste money and resources on collecting data. This is just one of my reasons for choosing horror as the genre which I will release my promotional package for my upcoming film. Another reason as to why I have chosen the horror genre is due to the fact that the codes and conventions are very similar. By deciding to do a horror promotional package, appealing to my target audience is crucial therefore by choosing a horror genre this should not be a problem as the many horror films today have identical audiences as they all contain the codes and conventions associated with the horror genre such as;blood,violence,thrill,suspense,red,protagonist and antagonist etc. 
I believe that I will need to think about what the audience and consumers would typically expect to see from a horror promotional package in order to make my promotional package highly successful. I believe that I will achieve this by conducting market research and analysing both data collected from primary and secondary research which will then allow me to successfully meet the consumers needs. In addition, I believe that by applying a few media theories such as the hypodermic needle theory and Maslow's hierarchy of needs, this will also allow me to appeal to a wider target audience which ultimately creates a successful media promotional package as I will be satisfying the audiences needs and demands from a horror promotional package.

 

What is a marketing campaign and why is it needed?

The film making industry is very expensive and a competitive market, therefore many films will need a sustainable amount of box office revenue in order to cover the cost of production, pay the investors and shareholders etc. The marketing campaign plays an important role as it informs the target audience of an upcoming film's purpose which should encourage them to go and see the film once it has been released. If a marketing campaign is successful, which therefore means people are paying to see the film, it will mean that the distributors (these are companies who distribute the film around the country through loaning it to many different cinema's.) will have the best chance of the film making a huge return on investment as awareness about the film is being made along with interest from many people at the same time. This in the long run will guarantee huge profits for investors and stakeholders which ultimately makes a successful marketing campaign.

 

Why is the trailer important?

Successfully campaigning and promoting a film can be achieved through using a variety of media platforms such as posters, newspapers, billboards etc. Some media platforms are more powerful than others in order to interact and gain an audience's interest. For example, posters are important in order capture an audience's interest immediately and is a good use of push media which means that the audience have no choice but to consume the media being advertised and promoted, and if this is a successful film poster for example, will attract them to watch the film. However in comparison to a film trailer, a poster does not portray the excitement and atmosphere of a film which a film trailer does through the uses of moving images, sound, and stunning mis-en-scene.