Final Ideas For Characters

After gaining feedback from our target audience which type of characters would be most effective in a horror trailer we decided to use two girls as the victims and one girl as the scary figure.

We decided to use a female as the scary role as after looking at existing media products this is very conventional. We though this would also be most effective as It creates a very frightening image to the audience. Due to the long hair for example, the ring and the grudge, it causes confusion to the audience as they can't quite tell what it is and in affect causes fear as one of the thing that is feared the most is the unknown. We decided to dress her in an old fashioned victorian style outfit to allow the audience to distinguish that she is from the past and to clearly show the movement of time within the trailer. To show vulnerability in the character at the beginning of the trailer (when she is drowning herself) we decided to use a teenage girl as the ghost, this also will attract the target audience who are of a similar age. It was essential we made her look scary therefore we chose to make her skin pale white to show death and pain. We then using make up drew cuts around the lips and eyes , whilst also using brown eyeshadow to portray a bruised look around the eyes. We then also made the hair of the ghost cover her face so it is hard for the audience to tell what it is, allowing her to appear more scary. The overall affect of the hair and make up was to make her look soulless and scary, so this would make the audience jump when she appears on screen, typical of a horror trailer.

For the two victim characters we initially liked the idea of using one boy and one girl to act as the victims, as we thought this would be affective in targeting a unisex audience. However when receiving feedback from our questionnaire it seems the majority of boys and girls of our target audience thought it would be more affective if two girls were acting as the victims. When seeing this i realised that it would be more effective due to the fact the audience would really be bale to relate to their fear and worry which girls very well. Where as the story of a young teenage girl haunting a boy may seem a bit unrealistic as they a sterotypical male character would try not to act scared. Despite the male audience not being able to relate to a male character within the trailer, it will seem more believable that two females are running and screaming due to the haunting of a ghost. We decided to dress the two girls in ordinary clothing to make them look like normal everyday teenagers. This allows the target audience to relate to them and feel further engrosses into the trailer, this makes it more frightening for the target audience as they will put their selves in the characters position. We decided to dress them in dull clothing yet still dressing them in fashionable items. This way, the clothing would still fit in with the dark genre of the film, yet the fashionable clothes allows them to appear as just ordinary teenagers yet again.

Final Ideas For Music For Trailer

The music we needed to use for our trailer needed to fit in with a horror genre so using my knowledge gained from my analysis of existing horror trailers i realise it needed to start off slow and sad then gradually get faster to add that stereotypical drama effect which is evident in all horror trailers. It was important that the faster piece of the music was dramatic and therefore added due to several reasons. Firstly from my questionnaire i received feedback that the majority of my target audience thought slow music which got faster and dramatic would be more effective but also this adds the excitement factor to the trailer which in affect makes it memorable. This will therefore attract my target audience who are typical horror film fans and enjoy that excitement and adrenaline the fear and suspense brings. Further more we needed to find a suitable piece of music which was eerie and provided that ghostly feel to it as it would be inappropriate to use music which was more dramatic in the sense of an action film.As a result we researched famous composers which had already composed music for existing horror films, and found lots of music by Hans Zimmer who composed music for famous horror films such as 'The Ring'. We managed to find a song called 'This is going to hurt which consisted of an eerie tone which portrayed a ghostly feel to it, yet also contained drama and was a perfect combination for our video. The song starts very slow and therefore portrays a very sad tone which is perfect for the start of our trailer as it is going to be showing the scary figure drowning herself. At around 26 seconds into the song instruments which seem to be violins make up the next part of the music, the fact that violins are used makes the sound of the song seem very cold and chilling showing the audience even just by the music that something is going to happen. This sudden change in pace and sound of music is also ideal for distinguishing the past (when the girl drowned herself) to the present (the two present day girls going to investigate what happened). In the middle of teh song there is a bit of silence which is good for creating suspense and representing how the characters feel for example teh silence represents that they are feeling numb, trapped, desperate and many more. The ending of the song is very dramatic which is perfect for adding that essential stereotypical climax editing and panic scenes at the end.

Final Ideas on Setting/Location

When brainstorming initial ideas for the setting of the trailer, i thought of a lake, forest type location which was greatly influenced by my analysis of location for Eden Lake as it forces the audience to fear for the characters as it is so secluded. When discussing with my other group member we found that this would be an ideal location for the story to take place. Luckily we were able to find the perfect location which had both the imitating looking woods and the lake in which the main character in our story drowns in.

The two main locations we are going to use are :


We felt this location was perfect due to the way in which the lake connotes death and drowning. Also the way in which the lake was surrounding by forest made it feel and look hidden and mysterious adding that eerie feeling to it, which is essential for a horror film setting. This is also a good location as it reflects the mystery surrounding the ghost drowning. As you can see from the picture the time in which we had to film our footage was winter therefore the lake had a cold look about it which was perfect as it reflected the ghostly story that happens around it. Also where there were no green leaves on the trees the colours of the lake and it's surroundings where very dull which again creates a great dull setting for our trailer.

Audience Feedback on Ideas

After me and my group member brainstormed a few initial ideas to use in our own film trailer, we constructed a questionnaire to receive feedback on what would be the best techniques to use for producing a successful media trailer and aiming it at our target audience.

What gender are you?
The general feedback to this question was a mixture of the two which is good as we are aiming our product at both genders. This also is good as we know both boy and girls took the questionnaire and therefore we are gaining feedback on what our target audience would want to see.

What Age group are you in?
The majority of people who took the questionnaire were aged 18-26 which again is ideal as then me and my group member can clearly work out form the questionnaire what our target audience specifically want to see as we know that our target audience are the majority of people who took the questionnaire.

Do quick noises (such as screams, thumps etc.) help to build up tension in a horror trailer?
The majority of people who took the quiz answered yes to this question and therefore i will definitely use this technique in my own trailer.

Which characters do you feel would be most effective in a horror trailer as the victims?
After looking at the results from the questionnaire the majority of people voted that they feel having two girls as the victims in a horror film is more affective. Therefore i will make sure i use to girls for the victims in my trailer.

What types of music helps to build up drama for you in a horror trailer?
Most people decided slow paced music which then builds up into fast paced climax which is the one i intended to use anyway. However several people also said that music with heavy pulse beats would also be effective, therefore i will now try to find a song which includes a slow pace at the start and as it starts to fasten the dramatic heavy beating music is also played.

Do you prefer editing at a quick pace or slow?
For this question half the people chose slow and half slow fast. Therefore for my trailer i will try to incorporate both types of editing.

Does dialogue help you to follow a trailer better?
Surprisingly for this question the majority of people picked no for this question. For my own trailer i was intending to use dialogue as previously shown in my initial ideas however seeing as it seems my target audience do not find these easy to follow i will try to use a less dialogue in my trailer as possible to avoid confusion.

Do captions help you to follow a trailer better?
Most people chose yes for this question which again has forced me to change my original idea of using dialogue to help make the trailer and what is happening more understandable and use captions instead, as understanding the trailer and what is happening is essential as the audience what to understand what is happening to make them want to go and see it.

What is the main element that excites you in a horror trailer?
I felt this question was very important as making the trailer exciting for my target audience is essential in making it successful. The majority of people voted that lots of flashes if the main scary character and a fast paced escape is exciting for them. Therefore i will make sure i try to incorporate these scenes as best possible.

After analysing the audience feedback from what they would most like to see in a horror trailer video, me and my group member will use this information to choose our final ideas for our trailer and ensure it is as successful in attracting our target audience as possible.

Storyboard

For the first shot on our story board we decided to use the conventional opening of 'This fall' as it firstly shows the audience when the film is coming out, and also is typical of successful existing trailer. We decided to print the caption in white font against a black background so it would stand out and was clear for the viewer to read, the colours are also typical of the horror genre. We was then going to use a long shot of the main scary character standing in front of the lake about to drown herself. This is unconventional of a horror trailer as from my research the majority of first shots are establishing shots to set the scene. However we added a little twist to ours to make it more interesting and to immediately capture the attention of the audience. We also plan to make this clip black and white to show that this happened in the past. The next shot is character falling in the lake and drowning herself. This shot will also be in black and white to provide continuity between the two shots. We are also going to slow down the time with this shot as we feel that will add to the drama. The next shot is a close up of an old fashioned news paper article to show the audience more clearly what has happened. We have used a close up to make the camera appear as if they are the protagonists eyes. Following this shot is an establishing shot of the lake to now set the scene showing where the action is going to take place. Following this will be the caption of 'mysterious drowning' to make it again clearer for the audience to follow the trailer.

Following on an upward tilt shot of the lake will be shown to provide the audience with another good establishing shot which now emphasises this setting is significant to the film. This will then be followed by another caption of the same style before to make it look more professional and realistic. Then there will be another shot of the lake followed by another caption. The next shot is a long shot of a normal looking street where the two main protagonists will pull off in a car starting there journey, and drive out of the shot. This will make it look like the audience are following them and therefore place thereselves in the victims position. The next shot is over the shoulder of both of the victims, which again compels the audience to put themselves in there position as it is as if they are in the back of the car with them. The music we will play at this point will insinuate something is going to happen to them, which will make the audience be on the edge of their seats.

The next shot will be a point of view shot from the victims as they are driving down the road to the lake. This will again be effective in forcing the audience to put themselves in the position of the victims and eventually feel the fear they are feeling. The next shot will be the two victims walking down the pathway. With the music getting faster here these shots will be quicker and add the the build up of tension. A caption will then appear But what is , followed by another jump cut of the two victims further down the pathway, followed by the caption 'forced to sleep' then a further shot of them down the pathway.

The next caption will be 'will one day awaken' which poses a series of questions in the audience's mind such as what will awake? which will make them want to watch more of the trailer. This will be followed by a shot of the ghost character appearing which will be in time with a heavy beat in music to scare the audience and make it look more dramatic. This will also be significant as it will mark the start of the rise in action. The ghost will appear on the same path the characters have just walked on to make it look like to the audience she is going to get them. The next shot will be an over the shoulder shot of the scary character to the victim which again suggests the idea to the audience that she is going to get them, which in affect makes them on edge and start to be scared. Following that shot is a close up from side view of the victims face running. This will be slow motion to emphasise her fear and the side profile view differs to all the other shots used so far, therefore it will provide versatility and inform the audience that something bad is happening. The next shot is a long shot of the victim running in slow motion to again emphasise her fear and the drama at this point in the trailer, forcing the audience to continue to watch. The next shot marks the point of crisis where the ghost is crawling along the floor out of the lake to show the audience she is not normal and scary. We will cut this shot and speed up parts of it to make it look more jolty and scary for the audience. As it will be very quick it will compel the audience to keep watching anticipating when they are going to see the scary character again.

As the crisis point has began the editing has now become very fast. The next shot will be another quick flash of the deserted lake which will remind the audience this is where the ghost killed herself. Following on will be a quick medium close up shot of the ghost appearing in front of the lake to jump and scare the audience. The next shot will be a new establishing shot of a scary looking woods. It is important for the audience to see this locations as they understand this is where the next series of shots will take place. It also shows that the action has change to a new location and makes it more interesting for the viewer. The next shot is a point of view shot from the victim looking upwards at the sky and trees whilst spinning around. This connotes a sense of confusion and despair within the victim which due it being a point of view shot, the audience will put themselves in the victims positions and be further engrossed into the trailer. The next shot shoes the ghost character far away in the trees, it is essential we make the music beat every time she appears in the next sequence so a dramatic affect is created. In the next shot the victim is sliding down a tree holding her head in despair showing the audience how she is scared and fearful.

The next shot will be a close up of the victim spinning around to further create a sense of panic and fear. The following shot is of the scary character in the woods again but closer which should scare the audience as it seems as if she is getting closers. Also the contradiction between the shots, for example the victim running whilst the ghost is getting closer, creates a real sense of panic and fear with the audience as without having to create a chase scene which would look unprofessional we are showing through fast paced editing and a variety of shots that the ghost is getting closer and closer. The next shot shoes yet again the victim running away yet this is from a high tilted again which portrays the vulnerability and insinuates something is going to happen to her. The next shot shoes the scary character getting closer yet again followed by a quick shot of her pulling the victim into the lake. This is very typical of horror trailers to show an attack and force the audience to wonder if she escapes or what happens to her, thus compelling them to want to keep watching the trailer and then go and see the film. A close up of the ghosts face now appears for the first time, but it will be a very quick shot in order to jump the audience.

The next shot is another point of view shot but spinning again, to enhance the sense of fear and panic. This is followed by another quick flash of the scary character then another spinning shot to again show that desperation feeling. The following shot is very significant to the trailer, it features broken shots of the victim running back to the car and this is very typical of horror films as it makes the audience anticipate whether the victim is gong to escape or not. The next shot will be an over the shoulder shot of the victim looking in the rear view mirror so the panic and fear in her eyes is represented to the audience. Following this shot the victim looks into the mirror and now sees the ghost which jumps the audience and creates an exciting end to the trailer which will make the viewers want to go and see the film.

The two final shots will be of the title which will move so it looks more interesting. The next shot is following typical conventions showing that the film is coming soon and showing the website of the film.