Evaluation Question 4: How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

For my A2 coursework i have used several different media technologies in order to present and create my coursework. The main technology that was essential for recording our research, planning and production was the site blogspot. Due to previously having experience with the website for AS coursework i had no problems with using it and was able to use the features of the software to it's full potential. By having an internet based coursework folder, it enabled the teachers to easily track progress we were making and give us helpful feedback.

Youtube was also an important piece of technology that was essential to look closely at existing trailers and analyse them for research. Youtube is very helpful enabling access to a wide range of different videos therefore enhancing our knowledge and understanding of what makes a successful trailer. When finding a video we had to use the embed code in order to transform in to our blog, which again was a very simple process.

To begin filming our footage needed for production, we had to use a HD camera which me and my group member were not familiar with. When first using the camera i found it very difficult to use without facilities such as a tripod as the footage was mainly shaky and appeared very unprofessional. Also where i was not used to the technology i found that when filming in the dark the footage was very unclear and therefore we filmed most of the trailer in the day time. However despite finding it tricky to begin with, like mainly all new technologies i got used to it and managed to use it to a good standard. Also the fact the camera was HD provided me and my group member with high quality footage.

The other new technology that we had to use in order to edit the footage and make it into our trailer, was Adobe Premiere Pro. I particularly found this very difficult to being with due to the fact i had never used it before. When first uploading the footage to the software in regards to cutting and dragging the shots in the editing bar i found this very easy. However as we began to experiment with effects this was much more difficult and took a while to get used to.

For the production of my film poster and magazine cover i used a canon camera to take the pictures and Adobe Photoshop to compose both. With previously using both technologies for production of AS work it was not a problem despite taking a little while to reacquaint myself with the software of photoshop, and the effects what the different tools created.

Evaluation Question 3: What have you learnt from audience feedback?

During and after the production it was important to gain audience feedback on our product to see if necessary where to add any improvements or changes. The first audience feedback we gathered was the result from out questionnaire in which we proposed questions regarding our initial ideas in order to see what would be most successful and effective in the final product. Only a small amount of people answered the questionnaire yet the results were helpful and relevant as the majority of people who took the questionnaire were of 18 years old and older, fortunately our target audience. The results mainly re-confirmed our initial ideas which made me learn and realise i was capable of making suitable choices regarding what to include in the trailer that are best suited for a successful product. This was most probably due to the fact me and my group member are very similar to the target audience occupying a similar age group. In addition to the questionnaire we also gathered audience feedback on our final products to see what we done well or not so well. The majority of people said they especially liked the slow paced start which turns into the fast paced rise in action. They said the composition of short quick shots was really good and kept them on the edge of there seats. As a result em and my group member feel like we achieved how a horror video is supposed to make the audience feel. Many people also said they like the choice of music as it fitted well with the story and editing pace. They also liked the way each time the scary character appears a heavy beat sound occurs. Further more several people liked the fact there was only a small amount of character used (3 people) they said this made the trailer less confusing and they were able to easily distinguish the difference in the characters. This reassured me as i felt through production that we could have had a few more characters as it is conventional to show quite a few people in a trailer. When looking at the audience feed back a few people said they didn't like the way the trailer consisted of all girls they thought it would be better if there was a mixed genre. However we used two females as the victims as we thought this would portray vulnerability and fear easier due to the male sex being stereotypically known as stronger and braver.

For our film poster and magazine again there was mostly positive feedback. Many people said they liked the main image of the scary character used on the poster and magazine with the same background of the lake, as it helped them to clearly see they all shared the same theme. Also several people said they liked the way in which we created a watery effect on the text used for the title and captions. The feedback really helped to see what was good about the trailer and things we could have done better if we were going to create a project like this again. However during production we decided no significant changes were necessary as we fortunately gained mostly positive feedback.

Evaluation Question 2: How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

To combine with our horror trailer we also produced a film magazine and a poster to promote the new film. In order to allow the magazine and poster to support our trailer it was essential we kept the same theme in all three pieces of production. We clearly achieved this as on the magazine and poster we used similar images with the same background of the main scary character that are very important and adapted from the trailer. This means the audience will automatically link the two. Further more we also maintained the same font used on each caption and the title of the film in the trailer and the poster. It is a watery font which again is significant as it links to the lake another important part of the trailer. However on the film magazine we used a block arial font as oppose to the alternate font we used in the trailer and poster as much inspired from the ring poster, we thought to make it unique and stand out we would create a title that occupied the victims face in it. However we felt the poster would still be easily recongonisible to the trailer as it included the phrase and picture of the main antagonist, in addition to the victim. We also incorporated captions in our trailer which had the watery text font in a white colour against a grey cloudy background. This caption theme ran throughout the trailer and the film title was also presented in this way. However we didn't use that colour scheme with the title on the magazine despite the fact that may have made it more easier for the audience to distinguish a link between the two, yet the colours did not work with eh rest of the magazine page. However we ensured the same font was used so a link was still easy enough to see.

Evaluation Question 1: In what ways does your media, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

The Trailer

Our media products use conventions of real products that exist in media in several different ways. It was essential we thoroughly anaylsed existing horror trailers that have been successful as this gave us the knowledge to understand that it is clear the aim of the product is to want to scare and panic the audience so as a result they will want to go and see the film. The majority of existing horror trailers in particular, 'Silent Hill' and 'Pann's Labyrinth' follow Freytag's triangle theory where at the beginning slow editing and slow paced music is used create a state of equilibrium and normality, this usually introduces some of the main characters and sets the scene for the trailer. A significant event will then happen in the video to mark the start of the rise in action, which is followed by the rising action and where quick editing and faster music is used to create until the point of crisis as shown on Freytag's pyramid. This allows the trailer to become more exciting and particularly in a horror trailer compel the viewer to feel on edge. Then there is the falling action which allows the trailer to end effectively. Our trailer follows this convention very well, for example at the beginning of the trailer slow dreary music is played and longer shots used to create that state of equilibrium, this is fairly longer then most trailers as we needed to set the story by showing the girl had drowned herself. The point where the two victims are walking down the pathway and the ghost character appears to a heavy beat sound is the start of the rise in action. This is then shortly followed by the rising action where the music turns very jumpy as well as the editing. We used short shots and a variety of different ones to make it look more exciting for the viewer and really create a sense of panic and anxiety about what is going to happen in the film. We then have the falling action of when one victims seems as if she is making an escape. However conventionally of horror trailers there is always a shot at the end where the ghost character comes back to jump the audience. Therefore we followed this convention and after what seems to the audience one of the victims is escaping we show a quick shot of the ghost again.

Throughout our trailer we also used intriguing captions to help tell the story and make it easily understandable for the audience. From my early analysis of existing film trailers i felt the captions really made the trailer more exciting and clearer, particularly in Pann's Labyrinth where there was limited dialogue so the captions where essential. Me and my group member used this convention by using cleverly worded captions throughout the trailer to make it more clearer to the audience what was happen. This was essential in our trailer as we were not going to use dialogue as from our questionnaire our target audience felt that dialogue didn't help make trailers clearer. We decided to use the same font and background for all of the captions, as well as the film title and the release date as this is also commonly seen, it also gives the trailer a more professional look. By ending the trailer with the film name and the phrase 'coming soon' also follows conventional trailers, as this compels the audience to remember the name of the film and when it is out as it is the last thing shown to them.

The mise en scene and setting of our trailer was also very conventional of a typical horror trailer. We set our trailer in an empty forest which had a lake in it and we filmed our footage on a foggy day to really create that ghostly feel to the trailer. This setting is very conventional as it portrays a feeling of seclusion and fear due to the deserted area which inflicts more panic to the viewers as they imagine themselves to be there. The location is also very dark and dreary being filmed in the Autumn/Winter months, there where no leaves on the trees which again made it more effective as the area looked dead, which allows it to immediately fit into the horror genre.

Another way in which we followed conventions of existing horror trailers is the characters we used in the trailer. Much like in several different trailers such as 'The Ring' , 'The Grudge' and 'Gothika' a female is used as the antagonist and is usually dressed up to look like a ghost. Therefore we dressed our main scary character in a long white dress whilst additionally adding dark make up to the eyes and pale foundation to the skin to create an appearance that showed she was dead. Further more we used someone with dark hair to enhance that scary look and we made sure it covered a large amount of the face a lot like how Samara morgan look sin 'The Ring'. By doing this it allows the audience to feel scared as they are not sure what or who the character it, and with only quick short shots being shown of her it forces then to anticipate the next time there going to see the face forcing them to feel on edge. Obviously making the antagonist scary is an important convention, therefore we made sure we took time and effort into making the antagonist look scary otherwise the trailer would not work. Further more we also used two teenage girls as the victims which also follows conventions. For example in 'The house of wax' and 'The Grudge 2' young actors/actresses are used as the are the same age of the typical horror fan audience, this in affect shows the vulnerability of the victim so the audience automatically feels scared for them and themselves as they can relate to people of the same age group.

Me and my group member mostly developed the conventions of existing media trailers, however in only few aspects of our product we challenged them. For example from my research gained from analysing existing products the majority of trailers such as 'The Grudge' opened with an establishing shot to set the scene. However in our trailer the first shot is of the girl drowning as we wanted to set the story by showing the reader what had happened to her. We also felt this would be effective in create a chilling feeling to the audience immediately and would create something unique about our production.

The Magazine

For the magazine me and my group member followed the conventions in several different ways. Firstly we positioned our masthead at the top of the page which is seen conventionally on the majority of existing film magazines. Although from my research i found the film magazines masthead occupied the whole width of the page, we positioned the masthead in the top left corner. This was due to the fact we called the magazine 'FLICK' and with it being short and snappy so it could easily be remembered, when trying to stretch it it did not maintain a professional look therefore it could be seen as challenging typical conventions. However other existing magazines such as 'NME' and 'Q' had this arrangement also. In addition to this we followed other typical conventions such as adding a header at the top of the page. In our header we printed the phrase 'Top ten scariest horrors ever inside' this is also another conventional selling point and most magazines occupy a feature like this to compel a large amount of people to buy the magazine. Other conventional features that our magazine cover contains is a pug, a barcode as well as the date and price of the magazine, making it appear to look more professional. When looking closely at existing magazines it is clear that only one main image occupies the majority of the page and is usually of the main character from the film being shown on the front, for example the 'EMPIRE' magazine features an image of Megan Fox. Therefore we also followed this convention. Further more in several film magazines the title of the film was positioned in the center of the page and across the image of the main character from the film, this allows the main features of the magazine (the film) to be easily visible from buyers, and makes it stand out on the shelf.

Ways in which we challenged typical conventions included the fact we positioned our plus features and cover lines in the centre of the page. It is conventional of magazines to occupy the left hand thirst with cover lines as this is the area of the page that is visible when the magazine is stacked on a shop shelf. For this reason it is important that this section of the page contains information that will attract the target audience at point of sale. However when trying to position the cover lines the picture we used for our main image was dark at the sides where the writing should of been positioned. This meant that if we put our text there following the conventions, it would be hard to read and not easily visible for the reader, therefore we positioned the text down the center of the page along the main characters dress to allow it to stand out and catch the viewers attention. We could have easily used a different picture however we felt that picture was the best one in representing the film as it used the main character and was a clip taken from the first part of the trailer which is a key part to the film.

The film poster

Our film poster also follows several conventions of existing media. Firstly we ensured that it consisted of the release date (coming soon) and a quote from an established magazine or critic which is a convention as seen on the ring poster. We chose to use the quote ' The Best Horror of the Year' quoted by EMPIRE magazine to advertise the trailer and make more people want to watch it. Also, we added the actresses names in the trailer underneath the title which is also a convention of a poster, however we didn't feel the need to put them in big writing as seen on 'GOTHIKA' poster as being media students it wouldn't make much of a difference. Conventionally a film poster should resemble it's trailer in order for the audience to make a clear distinction that the poster is advertising that specific film. Therefore we felt it was essential to use a picture of the main scary character standing by the lake in order to provide a clear representative of the trailer within the poster. It is also conventional to use the same font type in the trailer as the one on the poster, however we used a different font to the main watery effect one, as we created a clever block title that featured the victims face screaming. This was greatly inspired by the ring poster as we felt it looked really effective and unique and therefore wanted to use it on our own production. Although this is contradicting the importance of ensuring the poster resembled the trailer, we felt that due to the theme and picture used on the poster the audience would still be able to easily distinguish the link between the two. Another way in which we challenged typical conventions was by positioning the title at the top of the poster as it is rarely seen there and is usually at the bottom. However this positioning did not work with the image we used and therefore felt it would look more appropriate to have the title at the top. I feel challenging the conventions for the poster worked very well as it allows it to stand out and obtain a unique appearance, which would attract a larger audience. Finally we developed the convention of putting a phrase on the poster which cleverly gives a slight teaser of what the film may be about. For example this is used in nearly every film poster, e.g 'The Grudge' has the phrase 'it never forgives. It never forgets' and 'The Ring' uses ' before you see it you die'. For our phrase we used a quote from the trailer 'those forced to sleep, will one day awaken' we felt this distinguished it from the rest and adds a good selling point to our poster.

Final Film Poster

Final Magazine Cover

Stages of editing for the film poster

After deciding on the picture we was going to use for our film poster we decided unlike the conventional horror film posters the picture was not dark and scary enough therefore our first step was editing the background picture by making it black and white and decreasing the brightness of the picture. This gave the background a darker scarier look and fitted perfectly with the horror genre, it transformed the picture into making the poster immediately look like one advertising a horror film and therefore would draw in our target audience. We also added a plain black box to the top of the page where we was certain we would put the header. We done this as the picture wasn't quite A4 size and there were several problems with making it fit the page therefore the gap at the top was filled with a blak box for the header.

The next stage was to add the quote of the film as it had to be clearly visible and the picture was not very clear after darkening it. Therefore we put the quote of the film which is 'Those forced to sleep will one day awaken' which we felt was very affective as it fits with the title of the film and also obtains very chilling words, which connotes a typical horror film immediately; forced to sleep meaning dying. Putting a phrase onto the poster as well is a typical convention of all the posters i analysed, it allows the poster and film to be distinguished from all the other horror films and is a way of teasing the viewers of what it may be about. We used a different font for the quote as we used previously in our trailer for the title as it was essential the quote stood out and therefore would successfully draw in the target audience. We then added the release date, another important feature of a film poster as it informs the target audience of when the film is available to be seen. We put this also in a clear font which again makes it clear and visible to see.

The next stage was to add the title for the film onto the page. We unconventionally put the title at the top of the page as being so vibrant and standing out it wouldn't have looked appropriate in any other positioning. We decided to produce a more creative unique title, which is inspired by 'The RING' poster which features the victim screaming in the title. This allows the poster to be distinguished from other film posters as well as standing out due to the contrast in the bold title and the black and white picture, yet it also portrays fear and panic and allows the poster to be immediately recognised as one of the horror genre.

The final stage included adding a quote at the top of the poster which is also a typical convention of existing film posters. We decided to add a quote from EMPIRE magazine which says 'The best horror of the year' due to the fact this shows the audience that if an established magazine such as EMPIRE think it's good they will too and therefore is a very good selling point. Also we added the actresses names to the poster and positioned them under the title. This completed the page providing a professional feel to it.