Trailer - Conventions of a Horror Genre

Conventions of a Horror Genre

Horror films are created with the intention of creating extreme reactions from the audience, often a negative mood such as fear. It often deals with themes that are unknown such as supernatural and the terror that occurs from this. Plots often involve a sense of evil, whether that occurs from a specific person, event or place. They also include a lot of beings that are unconfirmed whether they exist or not. This allows fear of the unknown to occur in an audience member. For example: ghosts, aliens, demons, werewolves, vampires, zombies etc. 

Recently, horror has become an extremely popular genre. They are often overlapped with other genres such as fantasy, supernatural and thriller. 

Horror films go back to over 100 years ago and it is the oldest genre recorded to date. Horror films were created as they reflected on stories being told by people about seeing shadows or ghosts. 

Trailer - Conventions of a Romantic Comedy

Conventions of a Romantic Comedy

Romantic Comedy's, sometimes called Rom Coms, are classified as "chick flicks". This is because they are supposed to appeal to a majority female audience. 
It can be seen as a hybrid film as many of its conventions do cross over with a comedy film. 

These films are usually light hearted, humorous films focused on the idea of romance. The plot is usually centered around two characters, a man and a women. Usually, they part ways because of an obstical of some sort and ultimately, they reunite and fall in love by the end of the film. 

One of the biggest codes in Romantic Comedy's is the screenwriters have to make it obvious that the two protagonists are meant to be together. This allows the audience to want to carry on watching to see if they will actually get together and root for the characters. 

Analysis of the Film Trailer "Inception"

Analysis of the Film Trailer "Inception"

I analysed the film trailer "Inception" because of the genre. It is an action film and it would allow me to understand what aspects of the trailer I would need to include in my film trailer. 

Tension is the main thing trying to be built in this film trailer. A lot of this is done through the use of camera angles and camera shots. A lot of the male characters are framed in low angles to start with to connote their dominance and to show how they are feeling towards the situation they are in. As the trailer continues, they begin to be framed in high angles to show their vulnerability towards the situation and that the tables have turned. The female character was framed in a high angle as soon as she was in the trailer to portray her vulnerability and weakness to the situation she has brought upon herself. This could be connoted as a regressive stereotype of females being weak. However, it could be connoted that she has joined a risky situation.

Moreover, canted angles were used a lot through the trailer. This is to portray the distortion the characters were experiencing and help the audience understand what they were going through at that moment in time. 

A lot of the camera shots were long shots to establish the change of setting. This would allow the audience to see the variety of places the film is based in the trailer. This was also done through the use of pan. This allowed the audience to see the whole setting. 

The editing in this trailer was very key in creating tension. There was a lot of quick cuts used to make the audience members heart race. To do this even further, flash cuts were used a few times. This created an atmosphere that was on edge. Doing this really emphasised the genre of the film. It allowed the audience to understand the pace of the film trailer and the pace they're expecting if they watched the film.

Furthermore, special effects were used a lot during this film trailer which clearly showed the genre of the film. These included a lot of explosions, moving objects and levitating people. 

Moreover, the text on screen was often a black background with white bold letters. This connoted a loud and strong film. This was through the use of colours, black connoting violence and death, and white, connoting vulnerability and innocence. 

The use of sound was a major as factor in building tension in the trailer of "Inception". 

To start, there was fast paced non diegetic asynchronous music to build the tension. Over the top of this was a breathy, fast paced diegetic synchronous voice over from Leonardo DeCaprio. This emphasised the genre of action by how out of breath he sounded. This portrayed the pace of the film.

Another way that sound portrayed the film genre was through pleonastic sound. This was often used when a gun shot was fired or an explosion happened. This was to shock and scare the audience into watching more.

Mise-en-scene was also key in building tension. 

The use of lighting was very key. Most of the lighting was very low key which created mysterious elements and made the audience want to know who the characters were. This left enigma codes for them which entices them to continue watching. 

Natural lighting was used in the establishing shots of the new settings.

Props were also used to shock and scare the audience into watching the film. This was done through the use of the size of the guns and bombs used. They were supposed to make the audience scared, just like the people in those situations would be.

I think after watching an action film, I would consider it as the genre for my film trailer. This is because I think some of the aspects are quite easy to include which would really help emphasise the genre of the film trailer. 

Analysis of Film Trailer of Step Brothers

Analysis of Film Trailer of "Step Brothers"

I decided I would analyse "Step Brothers". It is a well known film which is a comedy. Analysing this will help me understand the conventions I need to include into my film trailer if I decide to do it of the genre comedy. I feel as though this genre would be harder to do as not every bodies humour is the same and it would be hard to appeal to a mass audience.

The sound used in "Step Brothers" is always upbeat, loud music and pleonastic sound effects. This creates slapstick comedy moments and, as everything is over exaggerated, allows the audience to laugh at the character in a ridiculous situation. 

Furthermore, the synchronous diegetic sound is an extremely important aspect. The puns and jokes allow the audience to laugh a lot as  well as the slapstick element. 

The lighting in "Step Brothers" is very high key to show the positivity of the piece. The light and positive aspects allow the audience to understand the genre of the film. Moreover, a lot of natural lighting is used as many of the settings are outside. The natural lighting always make the scene seem very positive and portrays a light hearted genre.

The camera shots and angles are also involved in creating a comedy style genre. In the trailer of "Step Brothers" they used a variety of camera shots. The close up shots showed the facial expressions of the characters. Majority of them were laughing or angry. This helped to show the extremeness of the emotion which triggers audiences to laugh.

Some of the angles used in "Step Brothers" were canted. These showed how slapstick and crazy the film trailer and film is. The canted angles helped to portray the wackiness of the film trailer.

The mise-en-scene helped a lot to portray the genre of the film to the target audience. This was done through costume, makeup, props etc.
The costumes were adding a comedic effect themselves by being over exaggerated and frumpy. This portrays the type of character to the audience and the frumpy costumes allow the audience to laugh at the protagonists.
The use of props are very significant in "Step Brothers". This is due to slapstick elements of the film trailer. The props were every day objects such as bunk beds and a drunk kit. However, they helped create funny scenes. I think significant props help to create funny scenes in slapstick comedy's. They should be every day items that don't stand out, but can still make an impact.
The use of makeup was used a little for comedic elements. It was used mainly to show the injury's the two step brothers had inflicted upon each other. This would allow the audience to actually laugh at something and have physical wounds instead of just a reaction.

From analysing a film genre with the genre comedy, I think it would be quite tricky to create these elements. Personally, I don't think I would choose to do a film trailer in genre of comedy as I think it would be very difficult to create something funny for all audiences. 

Analysis of Film Trailer 'Would You Rather?'

Analysis of Film Trailer "Would You Rather?"

I started by analysing the film trailer "Would You Rather?" I chose this film as its genre is horror and that is a genre I am considering for my film trailer.

The lighting in the film trailer tended to be very low key. I believe this would have been done to create a mysterious atmosphere to build tension for the audience. 

On one occasion, strobe lighting was used during a scene. This would be to manipulate the audiences senses. The intention would be to shock and scare the audience.

The sound in the film trailer was one of the most important aspect in terms of building tension. All the non-diegetic music used was loud and fast paced to create the most tension possible. The non-diegetic sound effects were always pleonastic to create shocking moments to scare the audience. Lots of the pleonastic sounds were stereotypical in horror films. These included a telephone ringing, screaming, crying, gun shots, creaking doors and slashing from a knife.

The camera work and editing also really helped to build a tense and scary atmosphere. This was done by the cutting, angles and shots of the camera. 

The cuts used in "Would You Rather?" were all quick cuts. This helped to build tension as the audience were exposed to a lot of shocking footage really quickly and it didn't give them time to process what they had just watched.

The camera angles really helped to portray who was vulnerable and who had the power. All the protagonists were framed in high angle shots to connote their vulnerability. This made the audience sympathies with the characters more as they saw them as powerless. Moreover, it made the audience feel frightened as some of the high angles were point of view shots, thus making them feel vulnerable themselves. The antagonists were all framed in low angles. This portrayed their dominance over the situation. 

The camera shots were mainly close ups or extreme close ups of the protagonists and antagonists. This helped to show the audience how the protagonist/antagonist was feeling. Most of the time, the emotions were extreme. Therefore, having an extreme close up of this would be very frightening and highly tense. This really helps to entice their audience into watching the film.

The mise-en-scene was extremely beneficial to the tension of the film trailer in a number of different ways. 

The costume played a huge role in foreshadow what was going to happen in the film. All the characters were dressed in dark, dull colours such as black, grey and white. The black and grey can connote death and danger. The white also connotes vulnerability. This helps to foreshadow events that are going to unfold in the film.

The main protagonist was a blonde female. This is a regressive archetype as she was vulnerable. Blonde females are often used throughout horror films as they are portrayed as the weakest characters. 

The antagonist were all male which was another regressive archetype. This is because all men are assumed as the 'bad guys'.

The use of props were major in creating a shocking atmosphere. The props used were mainly large weapons to create a shocking atmosphere. These included guns, knives, swords, whips, an electric shock machine and a huge barrel of water. They were often an extreme size to shock and scare the audience. The size paired with the pleonastic sound should really make the audience feel on edge.

Moreover, the use of make-up created a lot of shocking scenes. The fake blood and prosthetics were very bold and creating shocking and gory moments throughout the trailer. This should entice the audience into watching the trailer as they would find it shocking even though it is stereotypical in a film which is of the genre horror. 

Overall, I think this trailer was extremely successful in portraying the genre of horror and included shocking and scary factors which is what an audience member would expect. This will really help me when I create my trailer if I was to pick the genre horror. I would now know what sort of things I would need to include to scare audience members.      

What I Have Learnt From Mapping Trailers

What I Have Learnt From Mapping Trailers

The difference between opening of films and film trailers in mapping is quite significant. You can see how different the credits are. In film openings, the credits are quite extensive and include most or all of the credits in the film and in trailers it has a few main stars.

Most of the time, the credits would include their bankable stars at some point to create more unique selling points for the audience.

I analysed Suicide Squad, Finding Dory and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. All three of the film trailers started with idents of conglomerates Time Warner ( for Suicide Squad and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince) and Disney (for Finding Dory).

 Suicide Squad included the least amount of credits. They only included the idents in the first 30 seconds. Then, 3 credit blocks. 1 was at 2.15 and the other at 2.26 and the other at 2.28, then finishing at 2.30.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and Finding Dory had similar characteristics of their film trailer. This was as both included text on screen which contributed to the trailer. As both films are complete different genres and for different target audiences and that Suicide Squad differed, I wouldn't be able to include this as a convention of a film trailer. However, it is an effective way of engaging audience members to watching and keeping concentration to the film trailer. This is because they actually have to read the text on screen to understand what is going on in the trailer, this focuses their attention onto the trailer more.

From mapping the 3 trailers, I have learnt that I don't need to include as many credits as I first assumed I did. However, I will need to include an ident or two for my film trailer. This is as all 3 included these within the first 30 seconds of the trailer. This is clearly a convention of trailers, no matter the trailer.

I am now also considering including pieces of text to grasp my audiences attention a lot easier. That way I would know they completely focused on my trailer and it would benefit them to read the text on screen. However, I do feel as though it may take away from the audience being immersed in the trailer. Therefore, I am undecided on what to do at the moment. 

Mood Board of Different Genres

I decided to create a mood board for different genres of films. These are the genres I am considering making my trailer and I wanted to do some research behind them. This will help me see what kind of features I need to include on my film poster and in my trailer. By doing this research, I have gained a good insight into what I need to include for each genre. Furthermore, it has helped me to narrow down what film genre I might pick for my trailer. I think choosing a comedy would be extremely difficult to do as humor is very different and would be a risky genre to pick. However, the other genres have quite easy conventions to mimic and would be easier to pick up and make my own trailer including this genre.

It is really easy to see the conventions that are included in each genre just by clips of the films and film posters. 

The first slide, romance genre, includes a lot of strong female leads. This is evident from the film posters and the way the females are framed in high key lighting with happy facial expressions. The film posters and clips are often shot in high key lighting with lots of bright colours in the mise-en-scene, mainly through costume.

The second slide, horror genre, includes a lot of low key lighting in the film clips and film posters. Moreover, they often include close ups of the protagonist and antagonist to connote vulnerability and dominance. Red and black are dominant colours as they suggest blood and death. 

The third slide, action genre, includes a lot of props. These are mainly weapons like guns, swords or knives. Moreover, most of the film posters and film clips are extremely busy. These connote the pace of the film (fast). Futhermore, a lot of special effects are present here. This allows the audience to find the film more realistic.

The fourth slide, comedy genre, includes a lot of high key lighting with bright colours. This is to connote the genre as being upbeat and friendly. A lot of the film posters are wacky, designed to make you laugh before you even see the film. They mostly include pictures of the protagonists with over exaggerated facial expressions. This could show how it is going to be slap stick. The film posters and clips are also extremely wacky story lines, which never genuinely happen in every day life. Therefore, we find it funny as we cannot relate to this story and it is memorable to the audience. 

Mapping Finding Dory

I found that mapping film trailer had a lot less credits than a film opening. Most of the credits came in credit blocks. This meant that most of the credits were on screen at the same time in a block format. This is because in trailers, they have to focus on engaging audience members in a limited amount of time, rather than putting separate credits. 

Mapping Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

I found that mapping film trailer had a lot less credits than a film opening. Most of the credits came in credit blocks. This meant that most of the credits were on screen at the same time in a block format. This is because in trailers, they have to focus on engaging audience members in a limited amount of time, rather than putting separate credits. 

Mapping of Suicide Squad

I found that mapping film trailer had a lot less credits than a film opening. Most of the credits came in credit blocks. This meant that most of the credits were on screen at the same time in a block format. This is because in trailers, they have to focus on engaging audience members in a limited amount of time, rather than putting separate credits. 

What's the Difference Between Film Openings and Film Trailers?

What's the Difference Between Film Openings and Film Trailers?

There are a few differences between film openings and film trailers. 

One difference is the number of credits. In film openings, there is a lot more credits than film trailers.

Film trailers tend to include credit blocks which include the actors names and people who worked behind the camera, distribution, production and exhibition companies. 

In film openings, the credits tend to be separate through the first few minutes of the film. They mostly include the bankable stars first. They are genuinely spread out over three minutes. 

Another difference between film openings and film trailers are the amount of enigma codes. Trailers have to entice audiences in more as they are short clips of the actual film and need to engage and connect with audience members. This is to obtain a mass audience and gain a profit at the box office. 

Film openings do need to engage their audience members as it is crucial whether they carry on watching the film or switch off. However, they don't need to include as many enigma codes in the beginning of the film. They have already mainly engaged their audience,but they need to maintain this throughout the film. Therefore, enigma codes aren't used as frequently in a film opening.

Another difference between film trailers and film openings is the introduction to the actors starring in the film. In a film trailer, we are likely to be introduced/shown clips of all the main protagonists and antagonists. 

In film openings, we are only likely to be introduced to one or a few main stars in the film. This is to build the engagement in the story and maintain the engagement through the film.

Film openings and film trailers are completely different and have different jobs to do. They need to engage audiences in a different way.

Three Targets For My A2 Media Blog

Three Targets For My A2 Media Blog

1. Make sure I ask for feedback all the way through creating my blog. I want to be able to be improving on my blog and film trailer all the way through, not just at the last minute. This would really help to bring my grade up in A2 as I would really like a better grade for my blog than AS.
2. Make sure to film earlier than I did before and get better at the software I am using. I would want to film earlier just because the schools editing software is really slow and difficult to use. If I filmed some aspects really early, I would be able to edit them with out having to rush and could teach myself how to properly edit the film footage. This would also allow me time to mess about with some of the footage to test which way I prefer it edited. Then, I could get feedback from people on the work I had created. The feedback I would get would help me succeed and obtain a better A2 grade. 
3. Make sure the evaluation questions are in depth. I did this last time. However, I feel like I could obtain a few more marks if I focused on the content of the evaluation questions as well as the format of them. Both are very important aspects, but the content is the most important. 

What Was Less Successful in My AS Media Blog?

What Was Less Successful in My AS Media Blog?

• I believe my actual filming and editing could have gone a little bit better than it could have. I feel as though my group were so keen to film, we completely forgot about continuity errors. This included how open the door was after filming each take of the same scene. In some, the door was more open than other scenes. Moreover, there were items in the background that were supposed to be cut out. However, our actors kept moving out of shot and into the place which revealed the items. This made it extremely tricky to cut out and it ended up in showing them in some of our footage. 
• The camera in our filming also messed about when exporting some of our footage. There was a huge water mark in the bottom left hand corner of the screen. This resulted in having to scrap some valuable footage. 
• I also think another negative thing our group did was not ask for enough feedback on our film opening. A lot of it we had to guess whether it was actually good or not. This resulted in being marked down on our opening credits and that is something I will defiantly change in A2 and I will ask for more feedback. 

What Went Well in My AS Media Coursework?

What Went Well in My AS Media Coursework?

• I had put a lot of research in to my chosen genre, horror. This helped me to successfully produce a film opening which portrayed the genre of horror. We made sure it included lots of conventions of horror films which was really helped through the research and planning. 
• I think one of my biggest strengths was time management. This really helped me to create in depth blog posts and do the amount of research necessary to really understand the genre I had chosen to do. As we had filmed quite early, it gave us plenty of time to re-film and edit our film opening to the level we wanted.
•  I believe I for filled the brief we were given in a creative way. I worked with Sophie and Josh, who were both in my GCSE Media Studies class. This allowed us to already have previous knowledge of the subject and working together already helped us too. 
• Also, I believe our evaluation questions went well. This was due to the level of planning that went into each one and its format. We tried to vary how we presented each evaluation question. We decided we would do some vlogs, an interview, some prezzis and some emaze presentations. These allowed for an effective representation of our evaluation. Therefore, I believe our evaluation questions were extremely successful.