Final Teaser Trailer

This is the final edit of the teaser trailer 'Flat 39' for my promotion package


This is a 'youtube' link to the teaser trailer of horror film 'flat 39'. Whilst viewing this final edit I can establish that teaser trailer conventions are evident from real media texts. Conventions include a slower pace at the beginning to establish set and narrative and then the edit pace speeds up parrelling the adrenaline the audience are made to feel as they view diverse scenes from the film. Intrigue is created due to the nature of the plot and the order of the edits connotes mystery and fright. Another convention that I have used within my teaser trailer is the use of music, non diegetic atmouspheric music is used to set the scene and bursts of loud music are used parallel to the mysterious typography. Conventions such as these constantly reinforce the genre of the teaser trailer so that the audience can establish what type of film this is.

- they are short in length
- they evoke intruige and excitement
- they establish some form of narrative
- they are released a long time in advance of the actual film
- the pace is usually fast or is slow and then picks up

These are the teaser trailer conventions that I researched and I can ensure that each convention is evident within my own teaser trailer. My teaser trailer is 1 minute 33 seconds, so it is long enough to establish a narrative but short enough to 'evoke intruige and excitement' which is another convention and this is followed due to the various scene changes and pace changes.

Audience feedback for ancillary product mock ups

In order to construct a successful poster and magazine front cover feature it is important to get audience feedback so that I know what they think is good and what needs improving, I allowed 10 people to see the computerised mock ups I constructed and the actual photographs that I am planning to put on them and I then got them to complete a questionnaire.
I created it on www.surveymonkey.com

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

After 10 people had completed it I then translated the results onto microsoft excel and created these pie charts to present the results so that I could use them for my improvements.



These results tell me that the thing that most people expect to find on a magazine front cover feature is a dominant, recognisable image. As it is a promotion package I must make sure that there are obvious trends between my teaser trailer, magazine front cover feature and poster. The second most popular answer was 'all of the above' people expect to see all of the features described so I must ensure that I include all of them when constructing my final ancillary product.



Most people said that my poster mock up was effective in looking like a real poster. I will try and follow the conventions of a horror film poster, such as, dark colours, a dominant image/title, simplicity to create intruige and a cast and crew list at the bottom of the poster.




Most people said that the dominant image (girl in the mirror) is the most effective thing on my film poster and the second most popular answer is the dark colours, dark colours are important as I want to portray the genre of my film is the most simple yet effective way.




For this question, the audience felt like trends between magazine front cover feature and poster were the most important feature and as I am constructing a promotion package I agree with this and will ensure that there are obvious trends: colour similarities, the female character. The least popular answer was 'other conventional features of a magazine' I think that this may have been the least popular as the features are so simple and obvious my audience didn't think they were important as they are just there. But I will ensure that even simple things like barcodes, colloquial language are evident to conform to magazine front cover conventions.




For this question my audience were given the chance to voice their opinion on what I needed to specifically improve on my film poster. Interestingly, a few had similar answers and I have generalised their actual text into three answers. The most popular was allowing the title to stand out, I will make sure I do this as this is the point of a film poster, to advertise a new film and the audience need to see clearly what it is called. 'Flat 39' will stand out in an effective manner and the colour red will help it do this.




This question is the same as the one above, yet it is about improvements for the magazine front cover feature. Interestingly, the most popular answer was regarding similar colours on magazine and poster. I think that this is important to my audience as they need continuity to establish that the two products are connected. I will make sure that in my final construction of both products there will be dark colours and red on both.




For effetiveness the most popular answer was 4 and 5 which is encouraging as my audience think that my poster is effective. I now need to make sure that I take the mock up idea and effectively manipulate it on photoshop to create the desired effect.




Finally, for effectiveness regarding the magazine front cover feature, my mock up scored 4/5 which is again, encouraging and I will ensure that I again translate my mock up ideas onto photoshop.

This audience feedback allows me to establish what I need to change for my ancillary products to make them effective and attractive to my audience. I need to make sure that there is a dominant image and title on the poster with strong colours. I need to make sure that there are similar colours on the magazine front cover feature with an effect USP (interview/behind the scenes action)

Computerised Mock-Ups/ Conventions of horror

This is a very basic mock up for the magazine front cover feature that I constructed on a word document so that I could establish where I would place individual typography/graphology. The writing in the white text box simply state what I would have in that area for example, in the middle I would have 'a mid-long shot of the female character looking straight into the camera or down'



This is a computerised mock-up for the poster I will be constructing. The white texts boxes explain what images are going to go where, for example in the middle of the poster there will be a mid shot of the female character looking into the mirror and in the background there will be very slight layers of graphology of the exterior of the flat. On my poster I must ensure that I follow the codes and conventions, for example, I will have at the bottom of the poster in small, undefined font all the members of the cast and crew (the credits)
In researching conventions of a horror movie poster I found that 'darkness' is an important element 'since horror posters inherit a lot of gothic conventions' I also found that 'if someone is shown being menaced it is usually a woman -- the persecuted maiden is often the viewpoint character in those stories.'
And finally 'There is often a picture of the setting of the tale. Not always but often.' I aim to try and incorporate some of these conventions into the construction of my own horror poster for maximum effect.

Production credits

At the beginning of my teaser trailer before it begins I need to ensure that I have suitable production credits to introduce a production company. Here are a few examples that are used in film:




For these production logos I have established a common trend: They all have an establishing shot style landscape with the title placed in the middle or playing a dominant role on the whole image.
For my own production credits at the start of my teaser trailer I will have an image which will be on the screen for 2-3 seconds with a landscape image and the title of my production company.

I plan to use this image as the logo for my media production company. I have decided that in order to indicate to the audience that the teaser trailer they are about to view is of the horror genre I wanted to incorporate dark lighting and a sense of isolation/vulnerablity, a wide open space with nobody around.



I am going to place the name of my production company on the water landscape of the image and make it similar colours to the background so that the genre as well as the company is established effectively. A few names I am considering are 'independent media productions' and 'dynamic media productions' I have to think about the connotations of these words and how they would represent my media company. Dynamic connotes force, energy and spirit. Independent connotes freedom, self governing and self reliance. I have decided that I am going to use 'dynamic media productions' as the title of my production company as the connotations are more interesting and what I would like to associate my production company with.

I constructed my production credits by using Adobe Premiere. I added 'Dymanic Media Productions' as a title over the photograph of the sea landscape and the moon. To make it conform to the horror genre, I then edited the image with the typography on it to darken the water and give my teaser trailer a tense/dark atmousphere from the very beginning through the production credits.

Photographs for poster and magazine front cover feature

These are the original photographs that I took that were then to be manipulated for effect on 'picnik.com' and paint.net On set I decided to experiment with various styles of shots and here are a few of my favourites for my poster:


This photograph would be effective as the dominant image on my poster for 'Flat 39' because it portrays the core of the narrative: The female protagonist possessed by an evil force within the flat. The darkness of the image is effective as it connotes the horror genre perfectly and the use of the mirror as a prop in the image is significant because it is presenting two sides to the female's personality. The facial expression of the female portrays a sinister personality and on photoshop I will be able to manipulate the eyes of the female in the reflection to present a change in persona to the viewer.


For my magazine front cover feature I am going to use a long low angle shot of the female character as she is now recognisable to the audience therefore they will be able to establish what film is being advertised on the 'Total Film' magazine front cover. Also, I have established due to my magazine front cover research that there is usually a mid shot of the main character of the film in a higher key lightig than the poster (if it's horror) as the audience need to easily recognise the character, thus, the film itself. These were my favourite images:


I had to do a re-shoot of the images for my magazine front cover as I needed to ensure that I had suitable photographs to include in the 'usp' section of my magazine of the female character on set and never before seen set and location shots. I also needed to ensure that the image of the female was mid shot and relatively high key lighting so this is the new image that I now plan to use:

First edit of teaser trailer

This is the first edit of my teaser trailer. I uploaded this video onto youtube so that I could obtain some useful audience feedback in order for me to improve it.
It is important for me to get audience feedback regarding my first edit so that I can change aspects of it in order to maintain the horror atmousphere but also incorporate what types of edits/effects/camera shots they would like to see.



From my audience feedback I can establish that I need to make the following changes in order to improve my teaser trailer:

- Add production credits at the beginning of the trailer to establish the company and the genre of the film (through the dark colours)
- Rearrange particular edits for example, I need to add a 'fade to black' from the title shots to their following shots so that the transition isn't as harsh and obvious to the viewer
- Shorten the shots near the end of the trailer so that the build up of tension is quicker and more effective therefore adding to the adrenaline of the viewing.

'Total Film' titles

Here are a few examples of diverse 'total film' titles adapting to the genre of the film they are featuring on the cover. When I construct my film magazine cover feature I am going to ensure that my 'Total Film' title or the title of my magazine will effectively portray the horror genre evident in my film.

Shot list and Edit list

Shot list
1. Low angle LS of flat panning up
2. Eye angle LS of three friends walking
3. Eye-Low angle MS of three friends walking
4. Eye angle MS-CU of friends opening the door and walking up the stairs
5. Low angle CU of friends walking up the stairs, panning up
6. Title shot 'What happens when'
7. High angle CU of female opening the front door
8. Eye angle CU of bottom of the door closing
9. Eye angle CU of female locking the foor
10. Eye angle CU of female putting the latch on the door
11. Title shot 'The people you trust'
12. Slightly high angle LS of main bedroom
13. Slightly high angle LS of kitchen
14. Slightly high angle LS of spare bedroom
15. Eye angle MS of flat buzzer
16. Eye angle MS-CU of female answering phone - 'hello?' 'hello?'
17. Title shot 'Become the people you fear'
18. Slightly low angle LS-CU of female getting out of bed and walking past camera
19. High angle POV shot of looking out of a window
20. Low angle LS/POV of exterior of flat
21. High angle LS of female standing in the gardens
22. Eye angle MS of female running through the hall
23. High angle POV shot of running down the stairs
24. High angle MS of female rocking in the corner of a room
25. High angle MS of female rocking in the corner of a room
26. High angle POV shot of running down the stairs
27. Slightly High angle CU of female looking up in the corner of a room
28. Eye angle POV shot of running in the gardens
29. Title shot 'Flat 39'
30. Low angle MS of female standing in a doorway
31. Title shot 'In cinemas 2011'

Edit List
1. Straight cut
2. Straight cut
3. Straight cut
4. Straight cut
5. Fade to black
6. Straight cut from black
7. Straight cut
8. Straight cut
9. Straight cut
10. Fade to black
11. Straight cut from black
12. Straight cut
13. Straight cut
14. Straight cut
15. Jump cut
16. Fade to black
17. Straight cut from black
18. Straight cut
19. Jump cut
20. Jump cut
21. Jump cut
22. Jump cut
23. Jump cut
24. Jump cut
25. Jump cut
26. Jump cut
27. Jump cut
28. Fade to black
29. Straight cut from black
30. Fade to black
31. Fade to black

Inception - Analysis

For my coursework as well as producing a teaser trailer of 1-2 minutes, I must also produce two ancillary products: a magazine cover featuring the film and a poster.
I am going to analyse the magazine cover and poster for Inception to establish common trends and conventions that I will stick to when I construct my ancillary products.



The title of the magazine 'total film' has effectively adapted to the genre of the film it is advertising: thriller. Through the images of the tops of building which appear to look technological, the audience can establish that this film is of the thriller genre and the title of 'total film' suggests that the film is complex.
Leonardo DiCaprio is the dominant image on the cover suggesting that he plays a huge role in the film and that he is the main character. Through his facial expression the audience can establish that his character is a complex one and the audience can also make an intelligent judgement that DiCaprio is the main protagonist in the film.
The title of the film 'inception' is layered across DiCaprio letting the audience know that he has a dominant role in the film and the typography 'inside the ultimate head trip' is the magazines USP as the audience wish to read about this 'ultimate head trip' as the magazine is suggesting that they have information about it. The magazine also has other sections such as 'Tron, everything you need to know' and 'the 27 most mind-blowing movies ever!' This gives the audience another reason to purchase the magazine as the issue contains other attractions. The text 'Mind-blowing' is repeated twice on the cover to reiterate to the audience that Inception is a film revolving around the mind.



There are common features between the magazine cover feature and the poster. Both include the central image of DiCaprio. Both include the title of the film 'Inception' across Dicaprio's character. Both have similar colours, dark blues and blacks and red. These colours indicate to the audience the genre of the film. They connote a psychological thriller with sci-fi elements and the red colour stands out on both products suggesting that the film includes elements of danger. Interestingly, on the poster DiCaprio as the main character appears vulnerable and overpowered by his surroundings, this potrays more of the narrative of the film whereas on the magazine front cover feature DiCaprio appears very much in control and not vulnerable but quite the opposite, this suggests that film magazine features revolve around the main character and the idea of having a recognisable face/person so that the audience can be drawn to it.
In my opinion, this is very effective of ancillary products as the magazine cover feature attracts the audience through the character as the audience have prior knowledge of the film so know that he represents the film whereas posters are more complex and reveal more of the narrative which attracts the audience as the poster effectively 'speaks more' than a film magazine cover feature.

I will be using this idea for my ancillary products by concentrating more on potraying the narrative on the poster and having a recognisable face/image on the magazine front cover to allow the audience to familiarise themselves. I will also use similar colours on both products so that the genre is constantly reinforced. I will also make the title of the magazine cover reflect the genre of the film, perhaps through colour of style of typography of images within the title of the magazine.

Sounds for my teaser trailer

During the editing process i need to include certain music/sounds to accompany the edits so that the right atmousphere is created for the audience viewing the teaster trailer. I have used www.freesound.org to search for the kind of sounds I want, for example, 'a door banging' and 'eerie music'. I type phrases such as these into the search bar on the website and then listen to the sounds that appear and select the one that I think will suit my teaser trailer best. I then save the sounds and insert them into adobe premiere so that I can edit them to my liking and so that they fit the shots/edits correctly. This is a screen shot with the search bar and an example of a search I made, with all of the possible sounds I can save and insert into my teaser trailer

Completed Storyboard

This is a photograph of my completed storyboard that I used during filming so that I could film the shots efficiently and I am also using this storyboard during the editing process so that I can edit the shots in the order that I have placed them on the storyboard. This storyboard as part of the planning makes the practical task a lot easier and enjoyable.

Stills of set and props

These are my recce shots that I took before my filming so that I could establish the types of shots I would use in the teaser trailer. For example, low angle long shot of the flat exterior and long shots of the individual rooms as well as close ups of certain aspects of the set such as the lock of the door (to establish a focus on security)


This is going to be similar to my establishing shot of the exterior of the flat, it is dark, and the high angle shot portrays a dominance of the flat and makes the audience feel vulnerable and inferior


In my teaser trailer I am going to have a close up of the female character looking and latching the door. This ensures that a focus is on security and is some what ironic as the audience will establish from the trailer that perhaps the inside of the flat in which the character is not safe.


This is an example of one of the long shots I am going to be filming of three different rooms in the flat, in the teaser trailer they will be black and white as to give the trailer a more horror genre sinister feel and to connote that the rooms are not safe. The three photographs will straight cut from one another to establish a quiet yet tense atmousphere within the flat, some what foreshadowing an event that will disturb the peace.

Set/Props/Costume/Actor ideas

Set
The set I am planning to use is the exterior and interior of a flat. It will appear quite isolated as it is surrounded by vegetation and no other buildings which will effectively convey the vulnerability and isolation I wish to portray. I plan to use the exterior of the flat to establish location and to establish that this flat has great significance regarding the narrative and I plan to use the interior of the flat to delve deeper into the narrative and show a complex series of events, for example, draws being opened, doors being slammed, chairs being moved. I plan to focus a lot on security and to portray the notion that even when you feel secure, you may be putting yourself at greater risk.

Props
I am planning to use very naturalistic props to convey a realistic lifestyle so that the audience will be able to relate and therefore become more frightened when things begin to take a turn for the worst. As I am focusing alot on security I plan to shoot a lot of extreme close ups of door latches, keys, door locks. I plan to use chairs, kitchen drawers (as part of the set) the television fuzzing to portray supernatural events occuring. A significant prop that I am going to be using is newspaper clippings that I am going to create to use at the start of the teaser trailer, fading onto the long shots of friends walking into the flat. I will be using these so that the audience have prior knowledge of an event that has happened in this flat and they can therefore establish that something bad is going to happen.

Costume
I plan to use naturalistic costumes such as 'normal' everyday clothes for the friends and I am particularly going to concentrate on the female character and make her dress in predominantly white clothes to potray that she is the potential victim and is vulnerable (gender will contribute to the vulnerability also). As the trailer progresses however I plan for the female character to wear darker clothes to portray that she is adopting a darker side and is therefore not so vulnerable anymore but frightening and dangerous.

Actors
Building upon the gender idea discussed above, my main character is going to be a female victim. Traditionally in films females have always been able to portray a victim very successfully (Drew Barrymore in Scream for example) So i have decided to build upon this stereotype and cast a female as the vulnerable character. I have decided to use two male flatmates as the 'extras', the female's friends who live in the flat with her, I have decided to use two males to show that even when men are present, this will not stop the female becoming more vulnerable and effected by the supernatural. Males will help to enhance the fright and worry.

Ancillary product planning

As part of the promotion package I am going to be making, I have to create a film magazine front cover featuring the film and a film poster. The ancillary products will advertise my film just as effectively as the teaser trailer.

Initial poster ideas
For my poster I am planning to use a dominant image of the flat. I have decided that it would be interesting to use a few layers of graphology on the poster to portray that the narrative of my film has many layers and is not just a simple plot. For one of the layers I am planning to have the flat number '39' somewhere on the poster to draw the audiences attention to that specific flat number and it's significance. As well as the exterior of the flat and the number '39' I am planning to use a close up image of the female protagonist/victim who will be featured throughout the trailer. By using a close up image of her, a particular emotion can be conveyed through her worried facial expression and with the effect of the layer onto the flat it will show that something inside the flat or perhaps the flat itself is making her troubled. I have decided to use very dark colours on the film poster, similar to that on the shutter island poster. I am going to use a lot of black surrounding the flat and the girl, perhaps to convey that the flat itself is part of a bigger 'evil' than first percieved. I have decided to use the bold colour red on my film poster as red has connotations of danger which is what I wish to convey on my film poster so that the genre can be easily established. I think that the composition of images on my poster is going to be one of the most important things as my main aim is to convey a complex plot and to attract my target audience by allowing them to realize that there is a lot to the narrative which makes it appear interesting and intruiging.

Initial magazine cover feature ideas
As I want to establish a sense of branding across the trailer, the poster and the magazine front cover feature I must decide on a dominant idea/image to work with and alter for both the poster and the magazine cover feature. I must do this so that when my target audience views the promotion package they will be able to establish what film it is and it's genre. I plan to have a dominant image of the exterior of the flat as well as the iconic image of '39' and the close up image of the female character as my dominant idea/image. I have decided to be experimental and maybe for the magazine front cover feature, or the poster (I am yet to decide) have an extreme close up of an eye with the faded number '39' inside the pupil.
The use of these layered images will be recognisable for my target audience who would have seen the poster and it's similar style. As the poster can effectively 'speak for itself' because it just features the notion of the film and nothing else, I must establish a unique selling point when constructing my magazine front cover feature. As researched, both the 'Empire' and 'Total Film' magazine front cover features for The Dark Knight have USP's, Empire's being the interview with the character 'the joker' and Total Film's being the use of graffiti to attract the already established target audience for The Dark Knight. For my USP I am going to include 'on set' images and commentaries from characters and the director so that the target audience are intruiged by what is happening behind the scenes of this new horror film.

As well as using my creativity to construct a poster and magazine cover feature, I will also be including conventional text captions on my magazine cover feauture - "coming soon", "most anticipated film of the year", "5 ***** - Empire", "Thrilling - Total Film" are some examples I may use.



Here are some practice 'mock ups' of my initial poster and magazine front cover feature ideas.

Planning my teaser trailer technical decisions

Camerawork

-Long establishing shot of flat building at dawn
-Long Shot of three friends walking/talking into the flat
-Close up/Panning of newspaper clippings - 'Flat 39','Mysterious murder','Shocking'
-Mid shot of friends walking up the flat stairs, LS low angle of friends walking up the flat stairs
A normal atmousphere with a mystery hidden is established, foreshadowing the mystery to be revealed later on
-Close up of the flat door shutting, being locked and latched, a focus on security, are they protecting themselves from what is outside? Or should they be scared of what's on the inside?
-Long shot of individual rooms in the flat to show stillness
-Close up's/Mid shots of doors being banged, pictures being moved, chairs on the floor, LS of all cupboard doors open in the kitchen, CU of fuzzy television
-Frequent close up's of the girl who lives in the flat, focus on her, she is more involved in the narrative, show reaction
-Close up's of other friend's faces, 'what is going on?'
-Long shot of outside, nobody is there
-Long high angle shot of outside, something standing in the gardens looking up at the flat.
-LS of people running outside
-As the trailer progresses, more Point of view shots, running/breathing, a character is more involved in the narrative than first percieved, shown through camerawork
-CU of hands, nervous, on edge
-Long, low angle shot of the flats 'FLAT 39' isolation, vulnerability

Editing

-Fades from the friends walking to the flat, to newspaper clippings, fades to large print 'MYSTERY', 'SHOCKING' to show that something is going on underneath the normal, everyday life exterior.
-alot of straight cuts used to establish a narrative of some kind, quickened pace in editing as the trailer progresses
-use of graphic matching of a high angle shot of a girl in the gardens to the female flat mate standing in a dark doorway to show the possession between the murdered girl and the girl now living in the flat, this shows a complex narrative.

Sound

-Begin non diegetic with piano chords perhaps as there are fades to the newspaper clippings of the mysterious murder, extablish that the event is sad
-diegetic dialouge of laughter, talking between the friends as they enter the flat
-As there are fast paced straight cuts of the door locking etc the music becomes eerie, louder as the atmousphere transforms from natural to paranormal.
-Sharp blasts of music to accompany the discovery of strange happenings such as the chairs being on the floor, the cupboards and drawers being open in the kitchen
-At a point in the trailer when there is the graphic matching of the girl in the gardens to the girl in the doorway, the music slows right down as a tense atmousphere is created
-The pace then quickens as the non diegetic bursts quicken in pace and increase in volume as the POV shots occur and the trailer overall increases its pace therefore tension and mystery.
-As the trailer progresses there will be an underlying non diegetic sound of a girl perhaps singing/laughing to signify that the girl's presence has not left the house, this sound could accompany the straight cuts of the different rooms in the house being empty and silent.
- I will also include if i need to, non diegetic sound effects such as the banging of a door or the ringing of a doorbell to shock the viewer and make the events seem real.
- There will always be underlying non digetic music to signify that even when events seem normal there is an underlying worry/presence, something is not right.
- I plan to get my sound from sources such as records or youtube and use the program 'audacity' to manipulate the sound, change it, slow it down, speed it up to create my desired sounds

Mise en scene

-Naturalistic lighting at the beginning, as i plan to shoot the outside establishing shots at dawn
- naturalistic props will be used in the flat to establish a realistic living area, so that when events do begin to occur they are more shocking to the viewer as the set is so natural yet there events still happen.
-The lighting becomes darker as the trailer progresses symbolising the ever growing mystery and fright of the narrative
- There will be a particular focus on character's body language and facial expressions to show the change in mood, for example, they are initially laughing and smiling, but towards the end they will be nervous and tense to show the change of events, so that the genre is established.

Ancillary product research/planning

As well as constructing a teaser trailer for my film, I am also going to be creating a film magazine cover (featuring the film) and a film poster. In order to be able to do this well, I need to ensure that I understand how a promotion package works in advertising a film successfully.
The Dark Knight.


This is a poster promoting the film.


This is an Empire magazine cover featturing the film.


This is a Total Film magazine cover advertising the film.

A sense of branding is established through the two magazine cover features and the poster. The joker is the main element within all three attracting the audience and making them feel farmiliar with the film advertisements. I aim to achieve a sense of branding when i construct my trailer, magazine cover feature and poster, for example, particular images or phrares evident in the trailer will be evident on the magazine cover feature and poster. 'The joker' is a common trend evident in all three products here, this is to establish that the joker is very important to the narrative of 'the dark knight'. For my ancillary products the common trend will be an image of the flat accompnied with a close up of the female character's face to show the connection and to portray that the flat itself is very important within the narrative of my trailer.


This is the teaser trailer for the dark knight

Similar to the poster and the two magazine cover features, the joker is a very important element within the teaser trailer also. The teaser trailer begins with the voice of the batman but then accompnied with the batman symbol being demolished, the joker's voice takes over followed by a quick CU of a joker playing card. This allows the audience to establish that the joker is one of the main characters and the main antagonist within the film. Overall branding is established through the recognition of the joker as the antagonist.
In my promotion package I aim to achieve a sense of branding through including certain images in the teaser trailer, the poster and the magazine cover feature. This will allow my target audience to become familiar with the narrative and be intruiged to see more.

Target audience research

I am going to construct a teaser trailer of the thriller genre, sub genre horror. I must ensure that I have a target audience in mind so that I know how to entertain that particular age range during the teaser trailer. An understanding of target audience will ultimately mean more money is made as the type of narrative, themes and shots will link to a specific target audience.
I am going to use the website http://www.bbfc.co.uk in order to establish what are the common trends in films of different certificates.
I have researched the certificate '15' and the common adjective used is 'strong' regarding language, violence and 'threat and menace'.

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/classification/guidelines/15-2
This part of the website allows me to research what is acceptable in different aspects of a film such as language, horror and discrimination regarding a certificate 15 film.
When constructing my horror trailer I must have the synopsis of my film in mind as well as the guidlines for a film of certificate 15. As I plan to include the notion of a mysterious murder in my film followed by a disturbing haunting. I think a film of the 15 certificate would be suitable as films of certificate 12 have 'infrequent' threat and I plan for my trailer/film to have more than just infrequent threat/language/horror.
Having researched into horror audiences I can establish that the target audience for most contemporary horror films is roughly aged 15 -18.
I construced a questionnaire on www.surveymonkey.com and allowed my peers and others to complete it so that I could establish the common trends and take these results into condiseration when constructing my teaser trailer.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

This is the questionnaire that I constructed and allowed people to complete so that I could then analyze the results. 10 people completed my questionnaire and the results are as follows:



The majority of people who completed my questionnaire were 14>19 years old which is a positive thing as I aim to target my teaser trailer towards 15 year olds,so their information regarding what makes a good horror film/trailer is useful.



I researched the certificates for each of the films listed above The forth kind, Paranormal activity, The last exorcism, Case 39 and Shutter Island are all horror films of certificate 15 which allows me to be confident in targeting my teaser trailer to 15 year olds. Having researched briefly the content of each film (which most of them were supernatural) this gives me another idea, that in order to attract my audience of 15 year olds,I should include elements of supernatural activity.



These results link to my results from the question earlier. The majority of the people who completed the questionnaire stated that they enjoy horror films with a supernatural element, none enjoyed violence in a horror film and a fair amount enjoyed psychological. I can now plan to include supernatural elements to plot synopsis in order to successfully attract my target audience.



The majority of the people who completed the questionnaire stated that a small amount of the narrative is to be revealed in order to intruige and grasp the audience's attention. Nobody thought that a lot of the narrative should be revealed, so when I construct my teaser trailer I will include enough narrative to evoke intruige but not too much so that the plot is given away. This links to conventions of a teaser trailer.



Half of the people established that the most important thing for them in a teaser trailer is suspense/apprehension/adrenaline, the second most popular was a sense of the characters. In my teaser trailer I aim to please my target audience by including alot of suspense/apprehension/adrenaline which will contibute well to the supernatural aspect my teaser trailer will have. Nobody stated that the most important thing for them was a lot of the plot to be revealed which will allow me to create more intruige through different camera shots/editing/pace and make them question, 'What's going on? Who is that and what are they doing?'



The most important thing regarding a horror film, according to my audience research is a gripping plot. Nobody preferred famous film stars, and only a few stated that an intruiging poster would be of importance to them regarding advertising. In my film I aim to portray a gripping plot through varying pace, diverse camera shots and low key lighting.



Effective music to set the tone and minimal lighting to enhance mystery and fright were of equal importance to my audience regarding a horror film/trailer. A very small amount stated that effective pace was important. In my teaser trailer I will aim to please my audience by using effective low key lighting to create fright and mystery and I will particularly focus on music to set the tone.


I will use all of my primary and secondary target audience research effectively to construct a successful teaser trailer that will attract my target audience of 15 year olds.

Initial teaser trailer ideas/ plot synopsis

I have decided to construct a trailer of the thiller genre, subgenre horror.
I have taken great inspiration from the trailers i have analysed, specifically the last exorcism and shutter island.
The narrative is going to revolve around a group of friends that have recently moved into a new flat. Strange events begin to occur as the friends become more and more convinced that there is something wrong.
The idea of the trailer is that small things happen such as doors banging, pictures moving, objects falling (similar to that of paranormal activity) but they all add up to a climax at the end of the film that one of the friends has actually been possessed by something (perhaps the girl) within the flat and is subconciously making these events occur.
The trailer is going to begin with the friends light heartedly talking and moving into the new place with fades onto newspaper clippings etc of information about a young girl that died in the flat before they moved in, words such as mystery and shocking fades into one another. There will then be a close up of one of the friends locking the door to the new flat. then the tone of the trailer changes as the events begin to occur (doors banging etc) Throughout the trailer the pace is going to quicken as more things start to happen and at a point within the trailer the pace is going to completely slow down as a bedroom door creaks open and there is a shadow of one of the flatmates standing in the doorway.
Within the trailer also there will be close ups of scared faces, hands picking at finger nails all to show the nervous/tense atmousphere. At some point there will be a point of view shot of somebody running and breathing heavily outside to indicate that somebody is trying to get away from something. There will also be a point in the trailer where there is a long shot of a girl standing in the flat gardens looking up at the flat accompnied with a burst of tense music, this will indicate that this is perhaps the girl who died in the flat.
The mise en scene will be quite naturalistic to indicate that this group of friends lead normal lives but as the trailer progresses the lighting will change becoming darker and indicating more mystery until the end shot of the dark figure standing in the doorway.
Throughout the trailer also sentences of texts will appear after certain camera shots in the trailer, my initial idea for this text is 'What happens when...' 'The people you trust...' 'Become the people you fear...'

Poster Analysis - The Last Exorcism

This poster is very minimal and in my opinion this is to draw the audience to the shocking image of the girl with the contorted body. The poster is also minimal as the audience will be familiar with 'the exorcist' films so they have trust in the film's brand as the other exorcism films were a success. The poster is predominantly white which suggests that exorcism has alot to do with victimisation, as we associate white with innocence and purity. There is a dark shadow underneath the girl which could portray that there is a dark side/being within her, hidden but still evident, linking back to the narrative of 'the exorcist' films. There is a crucifix above the girl and this is the only prop evident on the poster suggesting that religion is a large part of exorcisms and that makes the poster look slightly more creepy/sinister as the crucifix is placed under the simple yet effective typography 'believe in him' this minimal use of typography is used to shock and attract horror fans. The use of the word 'him' suggests that we should already know who 'he' is making the poster even more strange and creepy. The minimal use of the colour red suggests that there is danger associated with exorcisms and we associated red with danger.

Poster Analysis - The Strangers

The colours evident on the poster establish the horror genre of the film. Dark colours such as brown and black are used to indicate fright and mystery. The props used on the poster are interesting as they shock the audience, the use of white masks of the 3 individuals is effective as we cannot see their faces so we feel instantly insecure and can establish that this isn't a normal situation. The body language of the three characters standing up suggests that they dominate the other characters and this is furthur implied as we cannot see the faces of Tyler and Speedman, so we know that they are not in control. This poster is particularly effective in establishing a complex narrative. The use of the brick in the background of the poster is effective in symbolising the idea of isolation and vulnerabilty, we can establish that Tyler and Speedman are trapped within their home perhaps. The use of the typography 'BECAUSE YOU WERE HOME' is effective as it again allows the audience to establish a narrative, it is also effective in potraying a mystery.

Poster Analysis - Shutter Island

The layout/composition of the poster is effective as half of DiCaprio's face is hidden by darkness, this poses the question is he concealing something? This links to the thriller genre as a mystery is identified.
This is also suggested through the use of mise en scene, Dicaprios facil expression is puzzled, unsure and concerned, again suggesting that there is a mystery evident.
Through DiCaprio holding the match which shows light this suggests that DiCaprio is trying to shed light on something, it is artificial light so this suggests that a secret is to be uncovered. This is reiterated by the use of typography, the simple sentence 'Someone is missing.' and the composition of the flame being directly under this typography suggests that Dicaprio is trying to solve this mystery. But, it is interesting as this typography is directly across his face, portraying that DiCaprio has more involvement with the mysterious narrative than perhaps firstly percieved.
The colours on the poster fit in with the thriller/psychological horror. The colours are predominantly black and very dark blue and dark red. The associations an audience has with these colours reiterates the genre. Black connotes fright and mystery. The red of 'SHUTTER ISLAND' connotes danger, suggesting that this place is dangerous and the minimal use of white used for the typography of 'LEONARDO DICAPRIO' could suggest that he is a victim within the narrative and perhaps within his own mind as we associate white with innocence.
The layout/composition of the poster is very interesting as DiCaprio's face is over the island, slightly hidden suggesting that he has a significant role regarding the island and he has possible past ties to it, suggesting through the half hidden face. The fact that Dicaprio is placed over the island and the island is surrounded by dark waters suggest that DiCaprio is trapped on the island and he is trapped by events making him stay on the island. The layout/composition is very successful in portraying complex narrative as well as showing the genre of the film.

This poster is successful as a form of advertising as it doesn't give too much away but gives away enough to intruige the audience. The use of the darkness attracts the audience as it connotes mystery regarding Dicaprio's character and the island itself. It is successful in advertising the film as the colours evident potray the genre of the film: thriller. The facial expression of Dicaprio is a successful advertising tool as firstly, he is a very well known and respected actor so people would automatically be attracted to the poster therefore the film. Secondly, his facial expression reveals that there is a complex narrative and this is reiterated by the simple typography 'someone is missing' this is successful in attracting the audience as the mystery intruiges them.

Poster Analysis - Sin City

There is a clear audience established through the image of Jessica Alba appearing sexual and desirable, so we can assume that the target audience is male. We can also establish the certificate of the film as it appears to have sexual references, and the caption reiterates this 'Skinny little Nancy Callahan. She grew up, she filled out.' This would attract the target audience as they are attracted by the sexual elements to the poster.
The layout of the poster is very significant as Jessica Alba is the only image and there is a slight contortion to her body for visual interest, attracting the target male audience. Alba appears as a fantasy figure as she is being objectified and she appears to be moving for the benefit of the 'male gaze' linking back to target audience and genre. Alba's femininity appears purely sexual and she appears as a sex object. This links to Jon Berger's idea that 'men act and women appear' which links to the target audience of men, being attracted to this poster to objectify Alba.
The captions on the poster appear to be comic book style, linking to the genre/style of the film. The poster appears stylistic as it looks like a comic book, sustaining the original comic book audience and it also looks mainstream, connoting the 'action' side to the film. So the comic book audience would be attracted by the comic book style typography.
The colours on the poster are very effective as the poster is monochrome which links back to the comic book style. The genre of the film is being constantly reinforced. The white on the poster connotes purity and innocence. This contrasts with the bold red colour of 'Sin City' which connotes passion, desire, danger and lust. The red title stands out which reinforces different aspects of the film (danger/lust) and the red colour on top of the white background stands out connoting a devil v angel theme.
The typography on the poster is interesting as the lexis used such as adjectives 'skinny' and 'little' deminish Alba's character and furthermore make her more objectified. There are two simple sentences 'Skinny little Nancy Callahan. She grew up, she filled out.' These are euphemisms for becoming sexually active which again links back to the male target audience.
Juxtaposition is evident as Alba appears innocent through the light shining on her but she then appears sinful through her canted body angle.
All of these elements combine and successfully attract the target audience by ensuring they are enticed by this poster through, the canted body angle of Alba appearing sexual, the stylistic comic book features attracting the already established comic book audience and the mainstream look of the poster attracting potential newer male fans, as they are enticed by Alba's sexuality and the sleazy/dangerous look to the poster, conveyed by the colours.
This poster successfulluy advertises the film as it shows that it is going to be action orientated through the body angle of Alba and the monochrome colours used. It advertises the comic book style of the film through the effective typography in strips (similar to that in comic books) and it has the iconic title 'Sin City' in red advertising the film to be in some ways sexual.

Magazine Cover Analysis

The design of this magazine cover is based on the genre of the film - action thriller.
The 'Empire' logo is large and stands out and it fits in with the genre of the film also, as it is cracking in the middle, it is bulky, connoting force and action.
The graphology on the cover is extremely large, the image takes up the whole of the poster, this emphasizes a trust in the brand as the creators of the poster know that only this image is needed to attract and establish an audience - male teenagers.
The layering of the images is very effective as the Hulk appears to be breaking through the actual magazine, giving the cover a 'wow' factor, this also connotes the action aspect of the genre of the film. The verb 'UNLEASHED!' is very effective as it could have two meanings, the first is that the actual Hulk character is being unleashed physically through the magazine and secondly, that the new film 'The Hulk' is being unleashed and shown to us as an audience. 'Unleashed' is a very effective verb as it has connotations of the unstoppable and to let loose which would attract the target audience of teenage males. The bold red colour of 'EMPIRE' stands out against the dark background attracting the viewer's eye to the magazine cover.




A unique selling point is established 'world exclusive!' as the magazine presents itself to be the only magazine interviewing 'the joker' who is one of the main characters in the film 'The Dark Knight,' this therefore attracts the audience from the film to read the magazine.
The text 'EMPIRE' has a strong red colour standing out against the dark background of the magazine cover, it appears bulky and dominant on the magazine so that we can establish a sense of branding.
The typography 'he's a cold-blooded, mass-murdering clown!' This text is small but effective as it is in the style of graffiti, reiterating the fact that the joker is the antagonist in 'The Dark Knight' narrative, which again attracts the audience and establishes the thriller genre.
The colours used are predominantly dark portraying the genre and character traits of the joker character. The dark colours give the front cover a menacing tone which links to the thriller genre.
The composition of the image is very effective as the joker is the main image and he stands out instantly, there is juxtaposition evident as his body language is calm as his hands are placed delicately on his knees but his facial expression is mysterious and menacing attracting the audience as they want to read more about this mysterious character. An audience is already established because those who have watched the film will want to experience a personal setting (the interview) with the joker.

Common trends on both magazine covers:
- They both have a barcode on the front which is a common feature on the front of a magazine.
- They both have the bold, strong coloured 'empire' logo so the audience have trust in the brand as they know what to expect from it.
- The typography links to the genre and narrative of the film 'the hulk' title is strong, bold and domineering as the hulk character is and 'the joker' title is playful yet menacing with different case letters which potray the joker to be a menacing, mysterious, childlike character.
- There is a dominant image linking to the narrative of the film. They are both dominant images of main characters showing that the 'empire' brand have trust in the popularity of both characters to make them the main image on the magazine cover

The only difference is on 'the dark knight' empire magazine cover there are different features included 'PLUS! SWEENEY TODD...' to furthur attract the audience to purchase the magazine and read all features.

Analysis of The Last Exorcism trailer

A chronological analysis of the last exorcism trailer, including aspects of camera work, editing, sound and mise en scene as well as typography.

From the very beginning of 'the last exorcism' trailer we are able to establish that this is a film of the horror genre. This is obvious because: The extablishing shot camera work is fuzzy then goes into focus, allowing us to establish that this is a documentary type of film which suggests that this isn't the norm so we automatically feel slightly uncomfortable and intruigued.
As the camera pans, it allows us to see the isolated setting of an old cabin like house which is on it's own, so we immediately assume that the people associated with this house are vulnerable. Non diegetic etheral music immediately begins accompnied with fades of the man, so we assume that death/memory/loss are themes to this narrative. The muisc is also quite creepy making the audience feel slightly on edge. The horror genre is also established through the fades on the peices of paper and pictures of devils, we instantly know that 'the devil' and 'exorcism' are obviuous aspects of the narrative.
Similar to 'the strangers' the typography is white lettering on top of a black background, suggesting that a vulnerable, innocent character is being engulfed, trapped by a darker spirit (represented by the negative black colour, which carries these connotations). The typography almost explains the notion of an exorcism. As the man is in his car and is driving away after being warned, there are sharp blasts of non deigetic music, setting the tense atmousphere and allowing the audience to know that something is wrong. The editing is very interesting at cetain points, when the reverend introduces himself the transition to the next shot fades to red and connotations of red are danger, so we assume that this man is in instant danger and we are being warned of this, which makes us feel uncomfortable.
As the exorcism begins the editing begins to quicken pace which builds up the tension of the trailer and transitions begin to have more effects, for example, there is a close up of the girl's face which then, through editing, is distorted by black and white effect, allowing us to establish that this film is of the horror genre. The non diegetic music also increases in volume as the girl is standing in the corridoor which builds up the tension and frightened emotions the viewer is now feeling. There is very effective camerawork also, there is a POV shot used when the girl's boots are in frame and she is heavily breathing, this is a good camera shot and diegetic sound (breathing) to use to really increase the tension and make the audience feel a part of the trailer, increasing their intruige. Before 1 minute 44 the camera work and editing changed from slow paced to fast paced to let us establish a narrative and also make us jump with certain random, scary mid/long shots.
From 1 minute 44 onwards the camera work and editing transitions speed up as well as the non diegetic music, allowing the tension to increase and the apprehension. The lighting is very low key for the majority of the trailer, naturalistic at times so that we can establish a narrative and become more involved as the situation appears real but it is low key in order to make the trailer appear more mysterious and frightening.
Props include, a gun, a cruxifix and an axe. The gun and the axe represent danger, they are used to elliminate things that are a threat suggesting that this film is of the horror genre because there is something evident (a devil) that needs getting rid of. It is interesting that the other set/location/props are very naturalistic, the house/barn look normal which is in a way more scary for the viewer as the situations evident in the film appear real/naturalistic which is disturbing, but using naturalistic/minimal props/location it gives the trailer a different feel to normal horror films. It is very naturalistic. By doing this, it makes the viewer focus on the characters more and this disturbs them further.

Conclusion

Some ideas that I am going to utilise in the construction of my teaser trailer are:
The use of the POV shot combined with the diegetic breathing, this puts the audience on edge and allows us to realize how effected the female character is. This is going to be part of my camerawork development throughout the trailer, there will be alot of long shots, mid shots to a lot of close ups and POV shots to convey how the female character is being effected. Another idea that I plan to develop is the naturalistic set and props. I plan to use a naturalistic home setting as well as naturalistic props so that when events do start to occur it will effectively scare the audience more as the setting appears so normal.

Analysis of The Strangers trailer

A chronological analysis of the trailer, including aspects of camera work, editing, sound and mise en scene as well as typography.

The Strangers is an interesting trailer as it initially appears to be of the romantic genre due to the soft non diegetic piano chords and the establishing shots of the lake view and the old fashioned cabin. This makes the audience feel that this is a peaceful place not a vulnerable, isolated place. The fades accompnied with the close ups of the rose petals on the bed, the candle lit dinner and the mid shot of the two characters embracing, as well as the close up of the engagement ring box entices the audience into a false sense of security, but these elements combined makes the audience feel slightly uneasy as the seconds continue, as if we are expecting something to happen.
Our false sense of security is ruined when as there is a close up of the female's back and hands, the camera shifts slightly to the right as if something is supposed to be there and there is a loud bang, this suggests that this peaceful ambiance created is about to be ruined and causes fright and intruige for the audience which is what successful trailers should do, make the audience wonder why things have happened etc.
There is an extremely obvious change in genre/ambiance to what was percieved, to what is now evident, the non diegetic sound of the swing creaking sets up a very creepy atmousphere making the audience feel uneasy and the constant long shots of, the garden and the house, which in some cases feel like POV shots, suggests to the audience that somebody should be there, is there, but we cannot see them which creates mystery and fright. The diegetic dialouge is very effective and realistic 'i'ts okay there's nothing here' suggests that the characters are trying to fool themselves and this makes the audience feel even more on edge, which is what a good trailer does, we as the audience feel like we know more sometimes than the characters do, which allows us to have active emotional involvement, again, building up on the fright experienced.
There is a series of mid/long shots of the woman looking around the house, ending with a CU of her locking the door, this suggests that there is an uneasy/uncomfortable atmousphere being created. This is a very effective long shot of the woman standing in the kitchen and the size of her compared to the kitchen makes her feel very vulnerable and as this shot continues for a few seconds with no movement, the audience feel very apprehensive and uncomfortable as the masked figure appears in the back ground of the long shot. This is again, allowing the audience to know more than the characters, increasing our emotional involvement in the narrative.
The lighting is very minimal throughout the trailer, it is night time and alot of dim lighting and candles are used to add to the uncomfortable feeling that something is there. This is an important aspect to the horror genre, minimal lighting is very effective in making the audience feel frightened. Diegetic sound is used from the record player which adds to the creepy atmousphere and as the trailer ocntinues, elements combine and the pace quickens, making us feel even more frightened. For example, a section of the song from the record is effectively repeated along and quickened accompnied with the fast paced straight cuts from LS of the masked people chasing the owners from the CU of certain character's facial expressions.
What is effective in this trailer, as well as others of a similar genre is that the pace of the editing/music is normal and very minimal at the beginning allowing us to grasp the narrative of the storyline but then as the trailer continues the music/pace of editing quickens, heightening our appropriate emotions of fright/intruige/worry which is what a successful trailer should do.
In the strangers also, the typography used is effective in setting the mood for the film and allowing us to have emotional involvement, the words 'inspired by true events' makes the audience feel very uneasy. Also the typography is white font on top of a black background, this could suggest that the characters inside the cabin are the vicims (white is associated with vulnerability) and the 'strangers' are represented by the black background surrounding the white. The situation they are in is inescapable.

Conclusion

Some techniques that I plan to use in my trailer are long shots accompnied with minimal lighting to give the impression that nobody is there but a prescense it, something should be there. This will enhance apprehension. Another camera shot that I am going to develop in my teaser trailer is the CU of the woman locking the door, I am going to use this idea in my film to focus on security and make the audience feel uneasy. I am going to adpot the pace technique used in 'the strangers' trailer, in my teaser trailer I plan for the pace to begin very slowly but then do develop and the pace of the editing combined with the increase in volume and quickening pace of sound will increase tension and adrenaline for the viewer.

Analysis of Shutter Island trailer

Camerawork:

Long shots are used to establish environment and also cause intrigue/mystery as the LS captures the mist surrounded boat as well as the isolated island, suggesting that this environment is vulnerable.
Close ups are used to capture significant moments, eg, the close up of the gun being passed to the officer suggests that the two men are now vulnerable, their safety is in jeopardy. Another Close up of a small piece of paper 'who is 67?' makes the audience question what the significance of this note means, and the close up suggests that it has a high level of significance furthering the audiences intrigue. Low angle shots are used to make the audience feel inferior to the situation, we don't know what is going on and what we are supposed to know. I have noticed that there are many long shots used throughout the trailer to constantly reiterate the fact that the island is isolated and this links to the idea of the island having significance to the narrative of the film and certain characters. The camerawork draws the audiences attention to specific elements of the narrative shown through the props (gun/paper) and the set (island/cell). There is a dominance of long shots, 2-3 shots and close ups to indicate that the location has great significance to the plot, that the characters have great significance to the mystery of the storyline and that particular aspects of the mise en scene have great significance in enhancing audience intrigue, for example, the piece of paper and the gun.

Editing:

What I have noticed is that the editing begins quite ordinary regarding pace, it is relatively slow paced to establish a storyline or a main part of the narrative so that the audience can grasp an idea of what the plot is about, for example, when DiCaprio is on the boat approaching the island and when he is about to enter through the gates. As the trailer continues, the editing begins to become more fast paced with a variety of jump cuts and fast straight cuts building up the tension and mystery as well as the excitement and energy of the trailer. This suggests to the audience that this plot has a lot more to offer than what can be seen at that moment, adding to the intrigue. Throughout the trailer, the pace of the editing could be at a calm pace and then all of a sudden a fast paced straight cut would occur revealing another camera shot linking to the complex narrative, this contrast in pace within a few seconds also adds to the excitement of a thriller film and the mystery and some what frightening aspect to it. For example, when the 3 men are approaching the gate and the editing is slow paced and then all of a sudden there is a straight cut to a CU of barb wire and a LS of papers flying in a room. Another thing that I noticed in analysing Shutter Island is that there are a number of fades to and from black used in particular places, this could show how the audience are in the dark about certain situations in the narrative and how some characters are in the dark about their position within the narrative. The fades to and from black could also be linked to memory, how memory is a large theme within the plot and the black used could signify how a character's memory is in jeopardy. The main thing about editing regarding the genre (thriller/horror) is that it adds to the build up of tension/excitement/intruige and mystery.

Sound:

The sound is probably, combined with editing, the most important aspect to a teaser trailer of the thriller genre. The sound evident in Shutter Island is a mixture of diegetic dialouge which reveals key mysteries to the plot, for example, 'who is 67?' and non-diegetic sound of bursts of music occuring in sequence to the transition of camera shots through editing to enhance the ambience a trailer of the thriller genre can offer. A few examples of key moments that sound enhances the atmousphere is when Ruffalo says 'all I know is that it's a mental hospital' and there is a series of camerashots seperated by fast paced straight cuts, these are combined by a non diegetic screeching sound and fast paced drum like beats in the background. This music combines with the other technical codes to intruige the audience and suggest a complex/frightening narrative. What I have noticed about this trailer in particular is that it has a number of sudden bursts of non diegetic music after a character reveals dialouge of significance, for example, when Dicaprio says 'for the criminally insane' there is a drop of non diegetic powerful, drum like music to suggest the complexity of the plot and the tension evident. Fast paced non diegetic bursts of music with various layers (a screech and a drum beat) are evident when the editing becomes fast paced. As the trailer progresses the background non diegetic music occurs of slow beats accompnied with diegetic dialouge to show that as the trailer is progressing so is the tension, mystery and complexity of the narrative. In the last 25 seconds of the trailer the non diegetic music quickens in pace constantly until the end of the trailer combined with the editing being at its fastest. This adds to the extreme build up of action/mystery/tension that a trailer of the thriller genre has to offer.

Mise en scene

The mise en scene in the trailer of shutter island is overall what you would expect to find in a trailer of that genre - horror/thriller. For example, the set/location throughout the trailer is an isolated island, dark confined spaces and rooms with minimal detail which could mirror Leonardo Dicaprios state of mind within the film. Props include cruxifix's, uniformed officers and doctors, reinforcing status therefore suggesting that something is evident which needs to be dealt with seriously - in this case 'the criminally insane'. Guns are a significant prop which inforces danger and fright as well as a defensive attitude. Handcuffs, photographs and peices of paper are all props which suggest that there is some kind of mystery evident, something is missing, the peices of the puzzle do not fit together. This causes intruige from the audience. It is important to note that the costumes change significantly throughout the trailer, Dicaprio starts off wearing a costume similar to that of a police officer/detective inforcing his status and ensuring the audience are on his side, but then we see him wearing white overalls suggesting that his individuality and authority has been stripped and he has more to do with the storyline than first predicted. These subtle costume changes cause mystery and add to the conventions of a trailer of the thriller/horror genre.

Conclusion

In the construction of my teaser trailer I plan to use some techniques that I have identified here. I will use LS to establish location, CU to show character facial expression and reaction. For the pace, I plan to begin the teaser trailer with a slow pace and build up in pace throughout to parrallel the build up of tension/mystery/suspense. Another idea that I am going to use regarding pace is, in the middle of the trailer, the pace will suddenly slow down revealing a significant/scary event to enhance audience fright/interest. I am going to use a similar idea of set, isolated, dark rooms and I also plan to use the idea of a significant costume change. I am planning to have the main female character wearing light colours initially, but as the trailer progresses she will be wearing dark coloured clothing to portray her change in character.