Ms2_Productions_Evaluation

MS2 Productions: Abducted horror trailer Evaluation We were set the task of creating our own horror trailer to be filmed and produced in a group but with individuals concentrating on separate aspects of the production. We began with the choice of producing a script or storyboard to plan out the basics of our trailer. We were set a time frame to work within of 6 weeks to undertake research and finalise our finished trailer. The choice of groups was undertaken individually allowing me to choose students I work well with and know will put the effort in. I began with the ideals of what feelings I needed to create within the audience to make a good horror Trailer. For instance fear, anxiety, suspense the use of binary opposites the audience should be constantly kept on edge. These are the key principals I kept in mind while creating the trailer, and obviously the primary focus of a trailer to make the audience want to watch /buy the film. Before we began filming I had to undertake detailed research within the Horror region. I did this through various types of research some more hands on for instance I created a questionnaire. This was handed out to selected age groups so we could understand where the target audience lied. More importantly how we could reach the target audience representing the trailer as a clear horror fulfilling the uses’ and gratifications of the audience signified from the questionnaire. From the questionnaire we determined that our target audience was surprisingly not predominantly male as first presumed but was spread almost equally between males and females ranging from young teenagers up to mid late twenties. But we quickly realised that young teenagers where the primary consumers of Horror style films getting a kick from the thrill the anxiety and the sheer terror they create. I also created a focus group as part of the qualitative research undertaken; doing this allowed us to asked more in depth questions and receive detailed response again focusing on enticing our target audience. I then went on to analyze the responses from different types of horror films and allocate which genre would be the most effective to base our trailer within. I analysed the film butterfly effect and realised this style of film would not be easy to show in a trailer and with the props and equipment available to us would be incredibly hard to make a success as some horrors do not feature as clear codes and conventions as others. Our Trailer was to be within the parameters of the Horror genre although while exploring more sub categories. I decided that our trailer should fall into the psychotic torture style Horror. I made this decision as this type of horror has key signifiers and clear codes and conventions. I also based this decision on the success of the Saw films as the serious of sickening blood thirsty films have given them a huge and dedicated audience this further demonstrating that the this style of horror can be successful. Although are Trailer would greatly differ from this as we could not create the gory sickening scenes of the films, we based our trailer more on an aspect of mistaken identity which led to torture but still with a slightly disturbing edge. We had to aim to keep the audience interested as they are so desensitised to horrific atrocities within films. We would clearly target the audience through the use of, Stock settings; Stock characters, clear codes and conventions and through the use of non verbal communication. The Mise en scene would also be crucial to this the key element allowing the audience to clearly tell it is a horror. To create the trailer I brainstormed a list of possible areas to film allocating them so they would be visually compatible with the horror genre. I then gathered a group of friend took several cameras a standard tripod and a gorilla pod. I filmed with several cameras as we could get the best results in different light conditions. The opening sequence of the trailer starts in the pitch black this colour connoting fear and the unknown for instance black holes. This accompanied with the diegetic sound of a drill and distant voices from the character played over the non diegetic backing audio of the trailer which I will analyse further later. The trailer then over exposes into a CCTV style shot focusing on a struggling victim tied to a chair with hessian sack covering his face. This opening extract is crucial as to signify and to establish to the audience the genre of the trailer and the narrative. This then transitions in to a text slide of a black background with white writing featuring the words “MISTAKEN IDENTITY” This slide is placed in to generate the audience’s early questions to get their minds thinking of what is happening and what may happen. We used the black on white as colour connation wise black is associated with mystery evil and death this then contrasting with the white commonly known as the colour of perfection. This text slide lasts for the duration of about 2.5 seconds conserving the pace of the clip. This then blurs out into a running extract filmed in a World War 2 bunker stone walls abrasive edges and changing in light connoting the horror genre played over this is the non diagetic sound of a heartbeat as the trailer starts to gain momentum this extract is filmed using a P.O.V shot. This clip is based around The trailer then flicks back to another text slide featuring the words “FORCED TO RUN” placed in again to provoke the audience into asking themselves questions due to the codes of the enigma. We tried to allow the audience time to think while still sustaining there interest. This fades out into a clip of a man running through an abandoned quarry. This is followed by another running clip P.O.V shot with the Mise en scene of this section being clearly horror dark silhouettes and diagetic noise of footsteps. The next section was the most rigorously planned and thought out part of the trailer as the selection of clips would build up the tempo of the trailer and be the reason to watch the film. It starts out with the tempo building torture scene reverting back to the saw/hostel style films we already studied but with our own individual twist. The non diagetic soundtrack also starts to gain momentum a text then quickly flashes up then into the high tempo sequence. This sequence begins with a shot of an exposed leg over a skip then instantly to flashing silhouette. Then to an exposed arm extruding from an inspection ditch this series of clips last for a duration of about 4.5 seconds. The extract then goes to a text transition saying “YOU ARE THE HUNTED” this really provoking the audience into asking themselves questions and by this stage seducing them into watching the film. The clip then reduces in tempo slightly as it goes into a P.O.V shot of walking round an abandoned room a load of codes and conventions of horror represented here. This shot and previous flashing shots where done filming while setting flashes of behind using a DSLR camera on manual focus. The trailer then reaches its climax stage as it flicks back to the Hostel oriented torture scene. This turning more intense with the use of a blowtorch and edgy sharp non diagetic music to match then clip then turns slow mo and clear non verbal communication is shown of fear through facial emotions clothing of the victim and proxemics. Now the next clip is an outro text edit like the intro I used a program called cinema 4d to create our own cinematic style film studio intro. Followed with what I think is a rather impressive “COMING SUMMER 2011” into “ABDUCTED” again colour conations red connoting fear danger lust. This scene the blurs out into a pitch black scene and just as the audience think it’s all over a gas mask faced man appears from the darkness. Tilts his head as if he can actually see you puts his hand up to the to the camera and switches it off at this point a sudden blast of white noise comes across the screen this as we have analyzed afterwards scaring our audience almost every time the climax is complete. This scene wouldn’t have been possible with the delights of editing this was the key element behind our trailer our torture scenes where edited with a sc-fi filter and all had to be trimmed down and given certain tweaks. The text slides/transitions where fitted in without good editing software a good standard trailer would not be possible. My role within the group is as followed I allocated the desired filming locations went to them and scoped them out pre filming. I then gathered a group of my friends from outside school and went for a day filming which I directed and filmed this role need me to be resourceful use what was available to me, and have good communication skills with the actors Rhys also over saw some of the filming. My other role was editing we compiled all the clips together and started to work on making a trailer on the Macs, I played a fundamental role in this taking the lead in the major decisions and allowing others to voice their opinions as well. If we where to do this again I think I would have a gathered a wider variety of camera angles and clips there where various angles .I wanted to attempt a shot attaching a camera to a RC helicopter but we did not follow it up, I would also have filmed with a higher quality camera as I was working in limited light conditions although at the time I used what I had. I would of also have liked to do more in depth and detailed research perhaps emailing various filmmaking companies and studios asking for advice for instance. But to conclude I am very pleased with the finished outcome I think it’s very professionally done we worked well as a team and this shows in the finished trailer. We incorporated ideas from parts of the films we had analyzed as we knew this would be a foolproof way of guaranteeing the trailers success form those that had succeeded beforehand.