Second cut, with music.

This is the first time I had added music to the version of my trailer I find the most effective. I started with putting the heartbeat in first and altering the speed for different areas of the trailer; I did this so the heartbeat would add intensity to the trailer as the faster paced the trailer goes the faster the heartbeat music is.

Next I added in small areas of the cello, I only added this in small areas as I felt that would make it the most effective as it doesn't directly suit the feel of my individual trailer but more so the genre itself.

I am going to carry on experimenting with the music for my trailer as I do still feel that the cello isn't quite right and doesn't fit as well as I had initially had hoped it would. The next music I am going to try is something that sounds a bit more electric as it will have a faster pace to it.

Issues with filming new shots

After going into local charity shops to find toys that I could use in my extra shots I found that there weren't any that would look as effective as I would need, and would just make the wrong impact on my trailer so I am cutting that idea from the trailer.

I am however still going to film the shots of the images of Dom pinned to trees, I am also planning on burning the edges of some of them. Also I am still going to film shots of close up of words scratched into the trees.

Re-filming

Whilst I was looking through my second draft and have decided to re-film areas to make it look more sinister.

I am doing this re-filming tonight and the shots I am going to film are;

images of Dom stuck on trees (last one being a still from my previous footage)

close ups of words scratched into trees

creepy toys sat at bottom of trees.

Second cut of trailer

This is the second cut of my teaser trailer, with this one I haven't yet added any extra sound effects, but have kept the diegetic sound, this is in order to increase the tension within the trailer it makes the audience more connected with the main character as they are able to hear her panicking.

What I really like about this version and find effective is the transition effects I have used, I feel this works as it is very quick and also keeps the pace of the trailer very quick. Also I think using just little extracts of each shot and placing them in but broken up is effective as it shows a sense of confusion and urgency.

When I re-edit this version of the trailer, rather than re-start it like I did after my first version, I am just going to alter some shots. Next weekend I am re-filming shots, so there are more shots without my main character in it; yet are still related to her. The reason I am going to do this is because I feel my trailer still needs to feel more sinister and creepy and I believe this is the best way to achieve that goal.

Music for my teaser trailer

After watching many trailers for the genre of psychological thriller I have found that the music is either extremely happy and optimistic to make a strong juxtaposition between the film itself and therefore making the audience wanting to watch it; or it is quite quiet and uses a lot of low pitched instruments and starts off with lots of long notes which then begin to speed up with the build in the tension.

I am planning on using low pitched long notes for my teaser trailer and then also incorporate sound effects to increase the tension and to heighten the effects within the shots.

Trying to find a font.

During my first rough draft of my trailer I just used one of the fonts already on livetype, this font however doesn't quite fit the genre and feel of my trailer so online I am researching into the right font to download it.

I'm using a number of different sites;

www.fonts2u.com

www.dafont.com

www.1001fonts.com

www.buried.com/fonts

www.simpleythebest.net

First version of teaser trailer

This is the first version of my trailer, once I took a step back and watched it properly I noticed that it doesn't really fit in with the genre of my trailer, due to this I have already started to re-edit it in a different order and using slightly different clips. Other main changes I am making is to take out the film festival logos as they take up too much time and doesn't stick with the idea of trying to make this a really fast paced trailer. Also I am going to alter some of the sound effects I used in the background as they sound unrealistic and to over the top.

Also I am planning on making the shots a lot quicker and sharper when I do my next

version of the trailer as this I believe fits in with the genre of thriller more.

Call sheet & shot log

Final Storyboard

Below is my final drawing for my storyboard, however I do understand that it might alter slightly once I start filming it.

Analysis' of film posters I find highly effective.

Taxi Driver - Martin Scorsese

The Spirit - Frank Miller

Sorority Row - Stewart Hendler

Inception - Christopher Nolan

Eagle Eye - DJ Carus

Sight & Sound

Sight & Sound is an international film magazine created by BFI.

Wes Anderson issue.

Ewan McGregor issue.

Gangster (Public Enemies) issue.

Inglourious Basterd issue.

Total Film Magazine

Star Trek issues.

Inception Issue

Initial storyboard

Below is my initial storyboard for my trailer, it's only the initial plan as I'm going to ask my target audience, 16-21 year olds to look through my idea and give me their opinions.

Magazine Covers (Little White Lies)

Below are front covers from the film magazine 'Little White Lies'

The Kick-Ass issue.

The Star Trek issue.

Magazine covers (Empire)

Kick-Ass Issue.

Christopher Nolan (Inception) issue.

Science Fiction (Star Trek) issue.

Posters from a range of genres.

Trainspotting.

I believe this is an effective poster as it follows many of the conventions of an effective film poster; such as having eye catching imagery and colours, it shows the main characters/star personas and has a large clear title on it. I also like the fact that it doesn't conform to all the conventions of a film poster such as it doesn't really give the audience any idea of what genre the film is under. Also I like how it doesn't just focus on one character as the main image for the poster but uses many of the main characters from within the film, also I feel that having the characters names next to the images is effective as before the audience have seen the film or even maybe seen the trailer they are already being able to feel included within the film.

Breakfast at Tiffany's.

I believe this poster is highly effective for a modern audience as it is now quite unusual for a film poster to look completely hand drawn, as most are now created with high-tech cameras and then manipulated on a computer. This poster follows some of the conventions as it includes both the title and the lead actress in large clear font, making it easy for the audience to read. Also I feel that having two iconic moments from the film on the poster is effective as it hints towards the genre, the image of the couple kissing in the background image implies that it is a love story, also the text used inbetween Audrey Hepburns name and the film title aslo gives away clues to plot of the film, which is aslo quite conventional for a film to include.

Lord of the rings - The fellowship of the ring.

This film poster seems to follow almost all of the conventions for a effective film poster. It has a clear title that stands out from the rest of the poster as it is a contrasting colour. Also it shows all the characters that are key to the film, this has been done effectively as the characters blend into each other and also it attracts the target audience, fans of the books, as they already know the characters within the fellowship and it shows them who are playing each character. Also the colours used in the poster gives the tone of the film, which shows the audience that it is quite a serious film. Also I like how the release date has been shown, rather than having it taking up a huge amount of space on the poster it's within the area with the production companies, just in a brighter colour, the reason I find this highly effective is that it doesn't distract the audience from the imagery and the title but it is still obvious for them to know when it is released.

This is England.

What I really like about this film poster is that it shows all of the main characters from within the film, I like this as it instantly makes a connection between the audience and the characters as they already will be able to recognise them in the film and know they are key to the storyline. Also the way the characters are all standing together shows that the characters all know each other well and also indicates that they are a group of friends. The tag line used in the poster is effective as it not only intrigues the audience to find out what the characters in the image do to stand out; and also for a different generation can bring back memories on what they did during the 1980's. I also think that using the film festival logos from where the film won is highly effective as some people will then watch the film due to the critical acclaim it has won and reviews it has recieved.

Conventions of a Film Magazine Front Cover

For an effective front cover of a film magazine it must include.

The magazine name needs to be clearly displayed.

It must stand out, attract the audience.

Famous stars as the focal point.

Graphics and colours used be appropriate to the mood of film/character.

Font size/shape/colour must be used effectively to advertise magazine.

Several cover lines should be dotted around page, indicating interesting good content.

Price/barcode/issue number should be displayed.

Conventions of Film Posters

To create an effective Film Poster it needs to include a number of different elements:

It needs to be eye catching.

It needs to have a intriguing focal image.

It must have a large, easy to read title.

It needs to suggest the genre, yet not be too obvious.

Include main actor/s to help promote the film.

It must be clear to the target audience.

It has to have either the release date or 'coming soon' easily visible.

It has to have the directors/production company displayed.

Should have an age certification.

Should have a tag-line.

Trailers for Psychological thrillers

American Psycho - Marry Harron

Taxi Driver - Martin Scorsese

Identity - James Mangold

Hide and seek - John Polson

Ancillary Products

I have chosen to create a film poster and magazine front cover as my two ancillary products.

The reason I have chosen to do these two products is because I feel they will fit well with my idea and also because I believe I will able to create them effectively.

Links into Psychological Thrillers.

Below are a list of website links that have helped whilst researching into psychological thrillers; it helped me find out directors known specifically for Psychological thrillers, gave me a larger variety of films for me to research into and also helped me learn conventions into psychological thrillers.

http://listverse.com/2008/06/23/top-15-psychological-thrillers/

http://www.onlygoodmovies.com/good/movies/50-good-psychological-thriller-movies/

http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Psychological+Thriller

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090503183736AAyClXE

http://www.flixster.com/movie-list/all-time-top-30-psychological-thrillers

http://www.blurtit.com/q888911.html

http://www.couplescompany.com/Features/CT/Movies/Suspense.htm

http://www.ibeatyou.com/competition/477168/best-psychological-thriller-movie

http://www.franksreelreviews.com/best-of-movie-lists/list-of-the-best-psychological-thrillers-of-all-time

http://www.amazon.com/MY-FAVORITE-PSYCHOLOGICAL-THRILLERS/lm/2H2MAB7EUQ4IYhttp://bestthrillers.com/supernatural-thrillers/top-10-psychological-thrillers-on-film

http://www.flixster.com/movie-list/top-100-psychological-horror-murder-mystery-films

http://www.horrorforum.com/showthread.php?t=10571

Psychological thrillers

Psychological – Elements that are related to the mind or processes of the mind; they are mental rather than physical in nature. The tension/suspense tends to come from within one lone character in which the character must resolve conflicts with their own minds. Usually, this conflict is an effort to understand something that has happened to them.

Thriller – Thrillers focus on plot over character, and emphasize intense, physical action over the character's psyche. Psychological thrillers however tend to reverse this, emphasizing the characters just as much, if not more.
Psychological Thriller – Characters are no longer reliant on physical strength to overcome their enemies, but rather are reliant on their mental resources, whether it be by battling wits with a opponent or in the character's own mind. The suspense created by psychological thrillers often comes from two or more characters preying upon one another's minds, either by playing deceptive games with the other or by merely trying to demolish the other's mental state.

The lighting in most trailers for thrillers tends to be low key lighting, this I believe is to make the film seem darker and more threatening.

They use a lot of quick shots, multiple different angles and also montage edits, to create a fast pace throughout the trailer.

It tells very little relating to the story in order to intrigue the audience to want to keep watching.

The music used changes volume throughout to indicate the levels of tension.

Common elements in a psychological thriller are: mind games, stalking, obsession, change in personality, murder.

Stereotypical iconography for a psychological thriller are: old mansions, isolated places, dark settings (night), strange mirror imagery and flashbacks.

New Chosen Genre

Through the research I have found that I feel my ideas would be most effective if I did a psychological horror film. The way I'm hoping to make mine look and feel different is I am going to do it with an independent feel to it, however I do not want it to look like a re-make of films such as 'Blair Witch Project' or 'Paranormal Activity'. This is due to the fact that I didn't find the films themselves that effective, I felt they had clever trailers yet the films themselves were a dissapointment.

Change in genre.

Whilst doing a lot of the research into Coming of Age films, I have come to the conclusion that even though the genre interests me, I feel I wouldn't be able to do it as effectively to if I kept the Independent feel within another genre. This is due to the fact that most coming of age stories rely strongly on the actors within them and who I use in my trailer won't be as strong enough of an actor as I need for it to really work.
Because of this I have started into into the horror genres and also psychological thrillers as those are another two genres of films that I find interesting to watch personally and feel the best way for me to get a good quality trailer is to do it for a genre that I already have an interest in.

Also as I am changing my genre, I have realised that the song I was planning on using won't fit the new genre I am looking into.

Song.

I have contacted an unsigned artist called Holly Taymar and have been talking with her and she has given me permission to use her song 'went to war' in my teaser trailer.
http://www.myspace.com/hollytaymar - this is a link to her myspace site. I got in contact with her because I felt the words in the song really fitted in with the genre of 'coming of age'

Coming of age trailers

This is a range of trailer for films I believe belong effectively in the 'coming of age' genre.

December Boys - Rod Hardy

An Education - Lone Scherfig


My Girl - Howard Zieff


Stand by me - Rob Reiner

I've looked at these trailers as they fit the genre I am planning on doing for my trailer and they all follow a lot of the conventions associated with trailers. The reasons I believe these trailers belong in the genre of Coming of Age is because of the music used in each of them is uplifting, this mood has been created by each piece of music having a relatively high octave and a quick pace to it.

Coming of age?!

Whilst looking into trailers for Independent films, I learnt that a lot of the most effective independent films revolve around a 'coming of age' storyline. So I have started looking into research onto coming of age so it is as close to a typical independent film/trailer as possible

Whilst researching ideas to fit in with the theme of a 'coming of age story' I came across these websites that I found to be especially helpful. This again helped me as it gave me a range of storylines all within the coming of age genre.

http://www.theskykid.com/movies/moviesreviews/the-ultimate-coming-of-age-movie-list/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Coming-of-age_films
http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/movieGenres/drama/comingOfAge
http://www.moviemobsters.com/2009/06/11/top-ten-coming-of-age-movies/

Guy Ritchie.

As I've thought about not using any talking or having voice over in my trailer; yet I want the audience to know who the characters are; I'm looking at Guy Ritchie as he is known for introducing the characters by freeze framing the shots and putting the character name next to them.

From looking at these Guy Ritchie films it does make it clear that his work is very stylized and rather than introducing the characters during a shot he freeze frames it and makes it clear who he is focusing on. To make this effective I would have to follow on from how Ritchie has done it and zoom into or alter the rest of the image to make it as clear as possible who the character is.

Independent Trailers.

Somer's Town - Shane Meadows.

What I like about this trailer is that how even though it's primarily in black and white; when it introduces a new key character it not only then goes into colour but also has their name written on the screen. Also it shows key elements both happy and sad from the film and has quite a happy sounding song; giving the overall vibe of the film as a happy one.

Amores Perros - Alejandro González Iñárritu

What I like about this film is that it has no dialogue only the words in the song; yet it is able to convey enough about the film from the text it puts up on the screen. The translations of the text are; love is treason, love is anguish, love is sin, love is selfish, love is hope, love is pain, love is death, What is love?, Amores Perros (Title), a film from Alejandro González Iñárritu & coming soon. Also what I find effective about this trailer is that after each of the statements it then has a montage of images from the film relating to that statement.

Shadows - John Cassavetes

what I find effective from this is that the trailer doesn't show much from the film itself; just reviews that it has received and the voice over goes along with that by saying who the reviews are from. The clips it does show are only to reiterate what the voice over is quoting from reviews.

Blair Witch Project - Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sánchez

What I find effective about this trailer is that it starts with stating what the audience can assume the film is about by having the whole shot taken up with text. I also like that it shows footage, assumingly taken from the film with reviews written over the top. Also I feel that having the last sound as a chilling scream from one of the characters gives the audience a lasting impression of what genre this film is.

This trailer starts with the same text on the screen as the first one does only this time is has softer music to make it clear that you’re not just watching the same trailer again. The other technique this trailer uses which is highly effective is setting out as though it is a documentary making it feel more realistic. Also this trailer not only has an identical start to the first one but also ends in the same way; including the same music, this starts from where you see the film’s title to the end of the trailer.

Lost in Translation - Sofia Coppola

What I find effective from this trailer is that it is quite unconventional in the sense that it shows bigger blocks of dialogue where as usually you only see one-liners. Also I like how when you see text on the screen, to do with the storyline, they uses similar backgrounds making the audience feel like they are actually seeing it across the lit up buildings.

From looking at these trailers and others, I have learnt that a convention of Independent trailers is that rather than introducing the story it just introduces the characters. Also they all tend to have music in the background that fits the overall mood of the film and they use more text relating to the characters than on the blockbuster films

Article on Independent films in Empire

http://www.empireonline.com/features/50greatestindependent/

Whilst looking into independent films I came across this article from Empire magazines website on their top 50 independent films.

This article has helped me as it has given me more independent films to find the trailers of on youtube so that I can see and research into a range of genres within independent films.

Independent

As I knew I wanted to do a teaser trailer with an independent feel to it and I have found that independent films don't tend to have teaser trailers as they don't having the funding to send out numerous trailers as the Hollywood production houses can, and also don't have the funding to be able to send the teasers out whilst the film itself is still being shot.

To solve this issue, I have chosen to analyse a number of teaser trailers I liked, and am researching into a number of trailers for independent films, this also will help me notice the differences between how a Hollywood trailer and Independent trailer are made and the shots used.

Article on teaser trailers

Whilst I was doing the research on teaser trailers I came across a article online that I found highly useful in not only finding out what makes a trailer effective but also in learning codes and conventions for trailers. The article writes about a variety of genres of trailers which has helped me work out which genre I will be able to film more effectively and which ones I won't be able to film well.

Below is a link to the article.

http://www.noisetosignal.org/film/2007/08/top-ten-teaser-trailers.php

Inception trailer analysis

Finished

View more presentations from A2MediaFisher.

I chose to look at this trailer as it is a trailer that really attracted me into wanting to see this film. Also I liked how the clips used aren't very long and want to include this into my own trailer.The other reason I chose to look at this trailer is because the whole promotional package appealed to me, and this was then something I wanted to use; such as creating a character poster.

Teaser ideas.

The initial ideas I have had for my teaser trailer were to try and make it look like an independent film as opposed to a Hollywood style, this is because I feel it would make it easier to make it look realistic within that style as opposed to a Hollywood one as I know I won't be able to make it follow the conventions from Hollywood genres.

Within this I decided I could portray this through keeping it in black & white, having just music in the background (also conventional of teaser trailers), using stills in the trailer (like in This is England) and to try and base my story on a coming of age theme. These ideas have come from watching trailers from Shane Meadows films as he is one of my favourite independent film directors and I found his trailers highly effective.

This is also due to the equipment I have available to me, as I know I won't be able to use CGI or create high budget effects that are in Hollywood films.

Teaser trailers I find effective

I find this teaser trailer effective as it doesn't give away the story line therefore sticking to one of the conventions whilst still being able to introduce the characters and advertise the film. This allows the audience to re-familiarise themselves with the characters as they are already known to the target audience.

The reasons I find this teaser effective are similar to the reasons for the Toy Story 3 trailer; however I find this one more intriguing is that we don't know any of the characters before this trailer and we still don't learn anything about them. The final reason I like this trailer is that the music in the background is quiet and minimal and only increases when important text is placed on the screen.

The reasons I like this trailer is that even though it uses a lot of speech during the film it gives very little of the plot away and just makes the audience question what they're watching. Also the way the speaking being used over the top is effective as it implies explanations of the speech by the shots shown.

The final teaser trailer is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The reason I chose this trailer is because it gives enough information to make the audience want to watch the film without giving away all the details of the plot. Also the use of the dramatic iconic music, builds the tension without taking away from the speech that is laid over the top.

All of these trailers are effective as they all follow different conventions of teaser trailers, matching the information I have recently learnt about trailers.

Teaser Trailers

From research I have found online I have learnt that the basic conventions of teaser trailers are;

• usually between 30 and 60 seconds long.
• They tend to be released up to 18 months before the films cinematic release.
• They are stereotypically only made for big budget films
• Their purpose is to let audiences know that the film is coming out and to create a buzz from early on.
• They are usually released whilst the film is still in production and therefore some include shots that don't eventually make it into the film.
• The teaser trailers don't give away much of the story line but do tend to introduce the characters
• Often voice overs are used to convey important information
• If dialogue from the film is used it is normally one-liners

Structure.

There is usually a structure within a trailer;

Opening: establishes setting and introduces character
Build-up: relationships established; development of characters and their world
Problem: a dilemma or series of complications: characters faced with an obstacle (or several) to overcome. There may be more than one ‘problem’ in the narrative
Events: a series of events as characters try to overcome obstacles and solve problems. Further complications may arise in the process.

This is the main area where trailers and teaser trailers differ as the majority of teaser trailers have non-linear narratives and therefore don't show all these areas within the teaser

Distribution and Exhibition

Teaser trailers have always been an effective way for audiences to find out which new films will be coming out in the next year to two years.

One of the most controversial exhibitions of a teaser trailer was for Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace; this is due to the fact that the first previews of this trailer was before the film 'The Siege' and many Star Wars fans brought tickets to see the film in order to see the teaser and then walked out of the cinema once it had been shown. Also when this teaser was released there were not the facilities like YouTube to be able to see the trailers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6hOlI9cg4o

Another trailer with a lot of controversy is the first Spiderman trailer. The reason this was surrounded by controversy is because the mini story line within it focuses around a bank robbery at the World Trade Centre, Twin Towers. This teaser was then immediately taken out of cinematic release after the terrorist attack; and since hasn't featured on the DVD as an extra like most film trailers do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0Foz_QZW3w - Original Spiderman trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFtYmWb9FQA - Re-made trailer

A2 Project

For this project we have to create a piece of film work; this can be a music video, a teaser trailer or a short film.

Out of these three mediums the one that most appeals to me is the teaser trailer as I feel it is the one that would most challenge me yet would also be the most interesting to research, plan and film.

However the main reason I am going to create a teaser trailer is that I enjoy watching trailers and already have a small understanding of what I believe makes a good trailer.