Updates For October

11 October 2010- Our date to film is set; we have arranged film on our day off on the 18th of October at our teachers studio. We have booked a taxi to get there for 9am so this enables us to have a whole day of filming. Until then we are going to continue to prepare for the production of our teaser trailer. Our costume have been arranged and we have also ordered our contacts lenses and fake blood which should arrive this week ( a week before we film-this will allow us to test out the lenses and fake blood).
We are now thinking up names for our film.

19th October- We have now completed our filming for our teaser trailer. We arrived at the studio around 8.30 earlier than expected but this gave us extra time to set up and prepare, the makeup took longer than expected so arriving early had been a huge advantage. Now we plan to start to look at the footage and see what works well and what doesnt. Also we have now all completed our textual analysis for a teaser trailer and are in the progress of doing our Textual Analysis Poster.

Zombie Sub-genre Research (Resident Evil)

IMAX Cinema

For our research we visited the cinema to watch Resident Evil: The Afterlife 3D, so that we could get some ideas on how zombies are presented. When watching the film we studied zombie movement, reactions and how they look, this would help us decide what special effects we would use and the type of makeup needed.

Resident evil: The Afterlife

Part of production team (Micah and Eliza)

Andrew's Textual Analysis Of A Magazine

Textual Analysis of a ‘MOVIE MAGAZINE FRONT COVER’

Because of the front cover of the magazine, this would mainly appeal to an audience of 17-25. This range of people should know more or less about the Max Payne franchise and why the homicide police detective is relentlessly rampaging around New York city solving a series of murders while killing everyone that may have had any relation to the brutal murder of his family.

The image of Max Payne could connote to the audience almost as if he’s pointing the gun towards them to force them to buy the magazine.
The masthead is in contrast to the background colour of the dark night sky. As in all the issues of this magazine, the font remains bold, strong and capitalised so that the audience can always recognise this product. But even though the font is large and bold it always leaves space for the main image of the magazine to stand out.

The word ‘TOTAL’ in the ‘F’ signifies to the audience that it this magazine applies to all the different genres of films. This is the magazines one and only, never changing style, as well as printing the date, issue number, price and website in the same place on every issue with nothing obstructing the view. This style of magazine is consistent throughout all the issues and is even supported image as the gun in his left hand aligns itself with the top of the ‘M’ at the end of the word ‘FILM’.

The colour scheme of the text on this issue are white and yellow font, the yellow font adds a slight variation of colour to the page but overall it stays dim and dark like the way I suspect it was intended to be. The ‘MAX PAYNE’ font stands out not only as a large text with a broken effect applied to it, but also because it has a direct denotation to the image behind it. Quite often with large images the text is on the bottom half of the page, this is so the picture is clear and not cluttered with information. To slice the information displayed on the cover further, the header or the footer would display what's inside the magazine without going into too much detail. To separate the words every other words is in bold font. The bar-code is always in the bottom half of the cover, in this issue its vertical up the left hand side in other issues it's horizontal.

The sub heading under the main heading 'WAHLBERG FINDS HIS BOURNE' could connote that actor Mark Wahlberg has found the bourne inside of himself, this is a reference to another trilogy of movies that he starred in, meaning he has found the courage to do what has to be done, according to the storyline in the

Andrew's Textual Analysis Of A Horror Poster

Textual Analysis of a ‘MOVIE POSTER’

This image of Esther has her face highlighted in certain places such as her forehead and nose to make her look more sinister; around her eyes, jaw and under her nose, there is a black shadow that portrays a somewhat skeletal look around the bottom of her chin round to the cheek bones. The green background could relate to paranormal activity or envy perhaps, revealing the content of the film.
Compared to the trailer the style of clothing is different as Esther’s typical outfit would be some sort of black clothing. These clothes could connote a sense of freedom and make her feel like a normal child. But then again the collar or ribbon on her neck seems to act as some sort of symbol to show that she’s not free and she’s alone and always will be as in her mind be trapped as she still sees herself as an orphan with no family.


There is a white glow around Ester which could maybe connote that she still has a little goodness in her although most of the image shows a disturbed being that would most likely bring trouble.
Another mystery is the way Esther glares at the viewers almost as if she can actually see them; this may give the audience a sense of insecurity but may also seem like Esther is asking the audience if they can keep a secret. Esther's eyes also follow up on the skeletal look that i mentioned before; the shape, positioning and colour all add to her sinister image, as well as the shape and positioning of her eye brows, which connote a sense of curiosity. Can also see the shadow of Esther's eye lashes just beneath her eyes, this shows that the lighting used was at a very high angle for so much shadows to be around her eyes.


However, even though the lighting was well used and positioned, i highly doubt this is the raw image taken, i suspect that this photo has been digitally altered, nonetheless it is still a very good image.
Besides the connotation of the collar on Ester's neck showing that she is a trapped orphan, she has her hair parted in two halves, which could show a connotation that Ester within herself has two parts two her that are similar but different; if you look closely you can see that her hair as well as the ribbons are totally identical on both sides of the image, this again back up my saying that this is not the raw image and has been altered.

The two taglines on the poster are: "There’s something wrong with Esther" and "Can you keep a secret?"The secret or the thing that’s wrong with Esther are not revealed, which leaves the viewers in suspense and makes them want to know the plot of the film.
The target audience of this would probably prefer a psychological thriller. This shows in the poster because it only shows a young girl and no horror, gore or monsters.
The text is white and red, and the title is highlighted as it is in a different font. The scrawled text looks like scratches and indicates violence and horror, but it’s also clear that it was written by a child, as the quality of the writing isn’t too good.

Andrew's Textual Analysis Of A Horror Teaser Trailer

Textual Analysis of a ‘TEASER TRAILER’

Film Title: Orphan
Year of Release: 2009
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Producers: Joel Silver, Susan Downey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Davisson Killoran
Production/Financing Company:
Stars: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard and Isabelle Fuhrman Synopsis: Kate and John Coleman are rebuilding their troubled marriage. Kate had a drinking problem, but is in therapy and is doing well. She has been sober for one year. The couple decides to adopt a child. When they meet the nine-year-old Estonian girl, Esther, at the St. Marina Orphanage, they immediately fall in love with the well-educated orphan. Their young son, Daniel, is hostile to his new sister; but their deaf-mute son, little Max, is enchanted with her - at first. Eventually, Kate begins to feel that Esther is manipulative and possibly even psychologically disturbed. John refuses to listen to his wife's misgivings, and the wounds in their marriage reopen. Kate calls Sister Abigail at the orphanage, and the nun informs her that Esther has a troubled and mysterious history. Kate delves further into Esther's past and discovers she is not at all who she pretends to be.
Length (Seconds): 152 seconds

Mise-en-Scene
The film starts off with a big white house covered with snow, besides the cars and the coats on peoples backs there’s not much colour in this opening shot leaving the shot plain and a bit boring. The shot inside the house shows a very happy environment in which the orphans look happy. When Esther is sitting in the class room alone it suggests she is lonely and this is something that is not surprising as she is an orphan. When Esther joins the new class all the pupils are staring at her. Again showing she is lonely. When Esther is in the toilet cubicle it is a small enclosed space showing connotations of the character being trapped. Esther seems to wear a lot of dark clothing which represents that she is a dark character. The rooms are all dark and the weather is raining and dull and gloomy, this helps create an atmosphere that supports the role of the character that is Esther.

Sound
The first shot open with quiet strings with some pleasant piano chords added in as the orphanage portrays a happy environment for the orphans. The keys become lower when Esther gets angry. We also hear the children laughing at her. The bangs have been edited to make them sound louder and scarier and give the audience a fright. There is a sound that sounds like wind blowing when the location changes. The music builds up to a big bang then goes quiet and we here Esther scream very loud. The music dims down to let us here the voice over. After hearing 'I think there's something wrong with Esther' we here the swings creaking. This gives a creepy effect to the trailer. The music starts to get faster once bad events start occurring around Esther. There is fast banging to go with the fast cuts. It ends with Esther singing which creates a scary tone.

Camera Angles, Movement and Shots
Establishing shots are used a lot to show the location of the scene. There are also a lot of close up shots used when people are talking to each other, this helps the audience get a better view of the characters emotions. There is an extreme close up of Esther and the Mother first holding hands when the voice over says 'connection'. The shot of the family in the car is taken from above which could portray a sense of vulnerability. The camera is also above Esther when she is going crazy in the toilet cubicle; this could show us as viewers peering over to watch her. It pans up to a very high angle when the mother is on the phone to show she is vulnerable. The camera is at a low angle looking up at Esther to make her look powerful when she is by the bedside. Another way Esther is made to look scary is by using a close up of her staring straight into the camera.

Editing
There are a lot of quick cuts used that make the series of shots look more exciting. Fades are used a lot to indicate change in location and also to allow the writing on the screen to be seen. The screen goes all black when the voice over is on. There is slow motion running used to give a　sympathetic view on the mother. A jump cut from a long shot to a mid shot of Ester is also used.

Eliza's Textual Analysis of a ' Teaser Trailer '

                                                ' 28 Days Later - Teaser Trailer '


28 days later is a horror film based around the sub genre of zombies. The teaser trailer last for 1 minute and 30 seconds and was released on the 28^th June 2008 to be view by the audiences on TV.

The Film was produce by film company fox, the story line depicts the breakdown of society following the accidental release of a highly contagious virus known as Rage, and it then focuses on the four remaining survivors to cope with the outcome.

The film starts of by having text appear on the screen reading ‘On the first day’, the font is small but is visible due to the black background , the font is also flashing and fades dramtically away there is then sirens and screaming which can be heard in the background , here there is minimal revealing of what is going on , but the audience can grasp from the sounds that something is predominatly wrong . The constant use of text in the trailer allows audiences to analyse words such as ‘ Exposure ,Infection ,Epidmic ‘ . These are words aid the understanding of what is happening in the text and allows t audience to understand what is going on through each stages of the days listed on the screen .

 The settings of the trailers in the first half are , in dark places which make it hidden and discreet for the audience to see what’s going on , it is made up of quick and fast paces cuts of pictures , which again build up the tension of what is taking place , this is then typical of trailers due to the fact they do not usually show much on what is happening hence the reason ‘Teaser’ this is done as a key selling point for films to be marketed by the producers , by only revealing a small amount encourages  people to have the urge to want to watch the film . The dark settings also creates fear within the person viewing, and allows their own imagination to play on what the assume maybe going on.

Mid way during the teaser trailer, there is an image smashing the screen of a window, this is done towards the audience and is almost as if they are in the car seat experiencing what is happening in full beam, it causes a reaction of excitement from the audience, and possibly a slight jump. This technique was put in place to make the audience feel inclusive in the production and see what is undergoing through a character like experience. Shortly after this the screen then goes blank for 5seconds introducing Day 20. There is an explosion and this is the first scene in which the audience gets a full picture of the scene for more than a glimpse. 

Beyond point 0.47 in the trailer the audience see one of the survivors  getting up from the hospital bed and releasing themselves , they then go on to see them wondering through a disserted hospital on their own and finally up London . Viewers that are familiar with this setting can identify Big Ben Clock In the background as well as the houses of Parliament , the roads are empty  and the busses are turn over on the floor , with the character roaming the streets and shouting ‘Hello’ trying to see if anyone is around  or if he’s the only person .Then music is then played in the background , sounding like harps and holy music , this then changes the mood of the teaser trailer and what the perspective of what the audience is thinking . After this scene the words ‘The Days Are Numbered’ appears on the screen. This gives a sense of tension and anxiety into the hidden message trying to be conveyed.

After this the dark red eyes which is the iconic symbol for 28 days later appears flashing on the screen again alarming the audience and then fades into a black screen .These eyes help establish this predominant icon which can be useful for when selling merchandize related to the film and helping build brand awareness .

Drawing to a conclusion after analyzing 28 days later , I think it does meet the general criteria of a standards teaser trailer , although the length of the film is 30 seconds over the initial 60 second mark that most teaser trailers have it does manage to use similar conventions to that of one . The teaser trailer I think manages to communicate across a trilling image and somewhat an interesting film, to horror like lovers. The trailer has shown me an idea of how teaser trailers effectively attract their target audience and why they are important in achieving a finishing product.  

Eliza's Textual Analysis of a 'Magazine Front Cover '

For my magazine cover analysis I decided to do theindependent film company called Scars. There magazines are published monthly and due to high demand from there fan base they moved online in order to be accessible to their targeted consumers that of which are primarily Caucasian between ages 16-21 which are interested in that of indie and dark culture . They have partnerships with Universal as well as Lionsgate. Scars are noticed for there tagline ‘The Magazine That Leaves Marks’ and cover more than horror. They also help promote cult culture and focus on dark fashion trends.

The Masthead of scars is very vivid. The font is slashed in order to connote the horror like look , due to the name being ‘Scars’ primarily it ties in with the font as if it has scars . The font is white with red as the outline also trying to connote gruesome image. The Masthead is put in front of the main image instead of using the Left Third for its USP , this is probably due to the fact the magazine isn’t well known and isn’t on form with competing with well known horror magazines such as Empire and Fangoria. In addition seeing as Scars only target to a niche market could also be one of the reasons. Underneath the Masthead is the dateline for when the magazine is published, this allowing people who are interested into buying the regular issues, let them know what issue there on. Next to the date line is the price of the magazine, which shows that this is not a free magazine, and is up for regular buy, the barcode in the bottom left corner of the magazine also shows this.

The background of the magazine consist of two colours that of which are red which connotes warning , blood and pain , also black which connotes darkness , mystery and death. These colours are used in order to gain the attention of the readers as well as convey the genre of the magazine and first sight glimpse. The denotation of this magazine is a medium close up of a disfigured girl that is covered in blood; the girl is looking directly at the camera with her eyes slightly rolled back. Her hair falls on top of her face and seems to be drenched. The girls teeth seem to have been knocked out of place and Is covered in blood along side with her chest and parts of her face, from what the audience can make out she is Caucasian and rather pale . Her top is red from where she is soaked with blood. The lighting for this shot appears to be low key and the image is disturbing. From what the audience can make out, it as if the person has been badly injured. This is the main image of the magazine although it is kept to the right hand side of the magazine; the image is used effectively in gaining the attention of the target audience.

Along the left hand side of the magazine, is the Coverlines these are done in bigger font than that of the usually media conventions of most media magazines . The font is very hard to read , however it is very distinctive as to what is in the magazine . The Coverlines take up most of the page and the colours used are red and white , that of which matches with the Masthead also the bloody and gory effect the magazine intends on creating .

Eliza's Textual Analysis of a ' Movie Poster '

The Collector 2009 Horror Poster .

The film; The Collector is an American horror film. The film was released in July of 2009 and was directed by Marcus Dunstan an produced by Brett Forbes, Julie Richardson and Patrick Rizzotti. The film was funded by two independent production companies; Freestyle releasing and Icon Entertainment international. The film was originally called The Midnight Man but was then later changed.

The collector poster sets a calm but disturbed mood for the audience. The poster lighting is very low key and focuses mainly on the character; however in the near distance we see a well lit up house with a person looking through the window whilst in the house. The lighting conveys across a sense of innocence about to be ruptured. The audience don’t manage to grasp much about the film from the poster. The most vivid image that can be seen is a medium close up of a male character which is tighten a head mask with black leather gloves. The connotation of the picture leads the audience to believe that this is probably the bad character in the movie, and is also coming to cause problems within the house as the body language of the character looks as if it is looking out to the house. Paying close attention to the head of the body we can see flesh of the head being covered up by the tightening of the head mask this connotes hided agendas as well as maybe torture and distress in the film .The composition of the image is very central and takes up most posters. The colour scheme is kept very plain and is predominately black which conveys; mystery and fear. The conventions of the poster are kept very clear that it is of a horror genre; on the other hand the audience does not get a clear sense of a specific genre.

At the top of the page there is a tagline in saying “He always takes one “, this I thought linked to the title of the film ; The Collector; this makes it clear to the audience that the plot of the film focus on the taking away of something which can be linked to the taking away of a person. The tagline is in serif font which is plain and rather basic but still gives an impact on the audience as it is all in caps. The main title of the film is basic and is also in capital letters across the image in white, the main purpose of this was to show minimal information about the film. The colour white conveys purity, but in this circumstance I think the colour white was used in order to stand out on the poster. The font isn’t excessively big and is kept very neutral and fits in well with the whole poster. Underneath the title of the film in red reads; from the writer of saw iv, v & vi. This gives acknowledgement for audiences that have watched Saw, and enjoyed it, that then invokes that they are more likely to enjoy The Collector; which will cause and create positive buzz around the film just like that of Saw.

Further towards the bottom of the page are the credits of the producers and names of the actors within the film, these are in smaller fonts in order not to overpower the image created. Also are icons of the funding companies next to the credits. Seeing as this is a teaser trailer the poster is often released early in order not to reveal much and still entice the audience’s curiosity without revealing much about the plot. Thus encouraging the audience to want to buy tickets to watch the film. There is also a website beneath all the credits which I’m guessing was to aid the campaigning of the moving in making sure it was successful and also giving the audience access to gain more knowledge about the releasing of the film and a hint of the synopsis.

On the whole I believe this poster managed to gain the interests of the audience, by enabling them to want to watch the film. This was achieved through many technique s such as showing as minimal information on the film as possible. I think the film was in turn successful considering the budget was less than $3.4 million dollars and they managed to rake in a $7.7 million revenue. More so the fact that it was a horror was portrayed across well despite the minimal denotations . However I do think that the release date should have been included as well as the age certificate to give a bit more insight to the audience.

Micah's Magazine Cover Textual Analysis

Textual Analysis of "Rue Morgue" Horror Magazine Cover

In todays modern media most film magazines cover a wide range of film genres from thriller to romantic comedies or action films. To fully understand the horror fan base from a specialised point of view it is necessary to analyse horror film specific magazines such as "Rue Morgue".

Rue Morgue is a Canadian magazine dedicated to covering horror in culture and entertainment. This includes new and popular horror films to be released such as "A Nightmare on Elmstreet" which is featured on the front of this cover. Rue Morgue is owned by Marrs Media Inc. and published by Rodrigo Gudino. The magazine is a monthly issue keeping horror fans up to date on the latest goings on in he horror film industry.

This particular issue 99 features a comparison article on the old "A Nightmare on Elmstreet" (1984) and the 2010 reboot of the franchise. The article is entitled "Freddy vs. Freddy" which is positioned in large white bold capitals beneath the main subject of the image for clear emphasis on the main article which relates to the image. Outlining this caption are small graphics of stars, this eye-catching technique again highlights the importance of the main article. Between these graphics are smaller captions in an elongated font to state as much information about the main article as possible without ruining the content for fans.

This "Rue Morgue" issue utilises a juxtapositional image on the cover to express the contrast between new and old characters of horror films. On the left side there is the 1984 Freddy Kruegar serial killing character while on the right side is the 2010 remake version of Kruegar. This again relates to the "Freddy vs. Freddy" main article caption placed below. To split the two characters down the centerline of the magazine to create the juxtapositional effect there is a slash mark that comes from the top of the page to the bottom as if Kruegar has slashed the magazine with his own trade mark bladed glove. Horror film enthusiasts will be thrilled by this idea of new battling old and the debate between modern contemporary horror film, making it an attractive part of the magazine cover.

The mise en scene has been texturized on photoshop to give it a sketch like effect as if the two characters have been drawn. This gives the magazine cover an "old-school" style cover which is a way of attracting older audiences (20-35) of the original 1984 release. The lighting of the image is both high-key yet artificial as the image has been layered with filters to create the effect. The colours are very horror based with putrid greens to create a 'dead skin' like effect. The make-up of the two different actors clearly contrast as the right modern Kruegar seems to be more realistic as if the skin is burnt. The left side is also much lighter an cartoon like perhaps highlighting an issue of a lack of effects during the time of the original 1984 release compared to now.

Other captions include the actors names that play Kruegar which are respectively placed either side of the subject of the image. These are again lined with graphic icons for added emphasis to the article. This effect also portrays the star power of the film titles with the two contrasting acting talents, another point of attractions for readers. Along the bottom of the magazine cover are smaller article titles including punch lines to attract readers further such as "The Human Centipede, Sickest Movie Ever?" this informal tone of address draws in a younger horror audience of 16- 25 year olds. The varied font styles and sizes within these captions keeps the magazine dynamic and exciting without distracting too much from the main image.

"Rue Morgue" is conventionally placed along the main header clearly displaying the name of the magazine. The slash effect of Kruegar's hand also goes through this title as if it is reaching toward the reader. This is a dynamic example of bringing a readers attention to the magazine and relates to Kruegar's homicidal intent to kill his victims through their dreams. The main header's colour blend in with the background colours used. The font is a typical Gothic style with cracks and varying letter sizes for an aged and mysterious horror effect conventional to the genre. A border highlights the title and a graphic of a moon is placed between the two words. The moon symbolises gothic horror through its relation to night, darkness, the unknown, werewolves, death etc.

Micah's Horror Poster Textual Analysis

Textual Analysis of "A Nightmare on Elmstreet" (2010) Poster

The "A Nightmare on Elmstreet" 2010 remake was director Samuel Bayer's attempt at a reboot of the original 1984 popular cult classic directed by Wes Craven. The film follows a popular franchise of horror sequels and spin-offs such as "New Nightmare" (1994) and "Freddy vs Jason" (2003). The films always contain the main antagonist/serial-killer of Freddy Kruegar. Kruegar's sadistic looks, bladed fingers and grim attire has created him as a horror icon of modern contemporary film. The Kruegar film's always feature the victims being killed by Kruegar in their dreams which later relates to their death in reality.

The following textual analysis concerns the film poster for 2010 reboot of the original "A Nightmare on Elmstreet". Straight away from looking at the poster we are presented with Kruegars typical bladed glove and slanted hat that have made him so recognised by young adults that watch horror films today. The target audience is also those older horror fans ranging from 20-35 that were fans of the first 1984 film featuring now famous actor Johnny Depp. The star power alone of the fictional character is an attractive part of the poster for horror enthusiasts.

The poster image of Kruegar is a medium close up so that we can view both the trade mark killers head and bladed weapon in the mise en scene. The hand takes up the bottom half of the poster as it is the main 'gimmick' of the serial killer and most recognisable feature. We are not allowed to view many facial features of the subjects face due to the extremely low-key lighting and shadow that is created from the lights used. The is not a flaw of the poster but an intentional technique used to create a feeling of mystery, nightmarish dreams and homicidal intent that relate to the plot-line of the film. Make-up and prosthetics have come a long way since the original 1984 "A Nightmare on Elmstreet" therefore the look of Kruegar in this film is more modern and effective. For this reason, the subjects face is also hidden so that the audience want to see more. This drawing point will create a wider and larger audience to see the film. The distributor and film producers logos are placed in the bottom left and right hand corners (Platinum Dunes and New Line Cinema) which is a typical convention of all movie posters.

The colours utilised in the poster are much more 'warmer' e.g. reds and oranges. Blended in with the black background and with the exposure of the image a texture is created in the both the foreground and background that is dream-like and vibrant. This relates to the way the killer of the film attacks the victims through sleep and kills them in their dreams. The metal of the glove and blades have been given a shimmering effect and brought into the foreground for emphasis on their sharpness and ability to sear the victims flesh. Horror or 'Slasher film' fans will find this particularly attractive as it implies that victims will meet a gruesome and gory end in the film.

The titles of this poster are unconventionally simplistic for a horror poster. Many posters will feature a typical punch-line to draw in an audience or contain the names of actors. This poster simply has the year of release in small block capitals at the bottom in similar colour of the mise en scene of the image. This suggests that it is a teaser poster and is an effective way of attracting a wider audience through mystery and suspense. The lack of information on the poster relates to a fear of the unknown created in the actual film. Also the films website is placed along with the year so that fans can follow up on the latest information related to the release of the film.

Micah's Teaser Trailer Textual Analysis

Textual Analysis of "PREDATOR" (1987) Teaser Trailer

The Predator franchised films have been an exciting addition alongside films such as Alien to the Sci-Fi Horror genre that has become so popular today in Hollywood and among 16-24 year olds worldwide. The genre usually features a main human protagonist facing off against alien adversaries in an isolated environment. While the protagonist is usually the last surviving character of the film, side characters are usually picked off through out by the alien menace to a bloody and cruel end.

This textual analysis focuses on the original 1987 “Predator” film teaser trailer with lead actor Arnold Schwarzenegger as the leading role. There have been many sequels, off shoots and reboots following this original film making the teaser an interesting point of analysis for the time period. The trailer is 1 minute long, slightly longer then usual teasers but not long enough for a theatrical trailer.

The scene of the PREDATOR teaser trailer is set with a medium shot of a helicopter flying above a jungle. We are first introduced to the sound effect of helicopters before we see the shot the set a tense and mysterious atmosphere. The camera tracks backward along the helicopters flight path as if these helicopters are approaching the audience. Next, we are presented with a track through leaves of a group of soldiers in uniform soldiering through the jungle. The low angle shit with obstacles such as leaves in the way makes it seem the audience is looking at the soldier few the view of whatever it is that is lurking in the jungle.

The heavy weapon props and uniforms of the characters suggest these men are stereotypically brave and strong fighters, ready to take on anything. There is a close up shot of a black soldier with very low-key lighting to suggest dark themes of horror and fear. The non-verbal communication of the soldier tells us that he is un-stereotypically scared, suggesting that whatever is watching him, must be a very serious threat.

At this point, the narrator has a serious and foreboding tone of address as he informs us that the Predator can “see the heat from our bodies”. There is incident music that adds tension to the teaser as the narrator explains of the creature in the jungle. The shot then changes to a superimposed image of the soldier where his body is highlighted and stands out from the background. This makes us see the stereotypical male character as now, un-stereotypically vulnerable despite the fact he is armed and hiding.

Following this, there are then a couple of low angle shots of different characters looking up into the jungle; their facial expressions let the audience know they are afraid of the unknown. Cut in with these shots are more shots from the Predator’s point of view using the same superimposed camera shot to give the futuristic and menacing ‘thermal vision’ effect.

During the quick cuts, the narrator then starts to explain that this evil Predator in the jungle “It kills for pleasure, it hunts for sport”. This kind of narrative is typical to not just this franchise but also the whole horror genre as they are drawn in to this new terrifying faceless monster that seems to be terrorizing so many people. It is this effective use of atmospheric music, foreboding mode of address and quick cuts that provides and exciting teaser that leaves the viewers wanting more.

After a final point of view medium shot through the Predators vision, the narrator then changes his mode of address to a more positive one stating that “It’s picked the wrong man to hunt.” A slow motion effected crab shot revolves around the main protagonist Arnold Schwarzenegger. His ‘star power’ alone is an attraction point of the film which is why the teaser in fact was building up to his role as a stoic hero rather then the Predators. Schwarzenegger’s character is rugged and battle scared, his stereotypical buzz cut and muscular build make him the conventional “final man” standing character of the Sci-Fi Horror genre. In the mise en scene, a smoke machine provides an eerie and mysterious atmosphere as if the protagonist is clearing through the some to confront the Predator.

The long take of Schwarzenegger is has 9 quick cuts spliced between it displaying the main character donned in military costume firing weapons in combat through medium shots and low-angle shots to empower him further. Also as the narrator suggests he must become “more then an animal” we are shown a darer more sinister image of the hero perhaps suggesting him becoming on the same level as the Predator ironically becoming the very thing he set out to destroy. The same incidental music from the start of the teaser follows through during these shots while Foley artists have recorded and included machine gun and explosion sound effects amongst the action sequences.

The final featured shot is an over the shoulder shot of Schwarzenegger turning around to face the Predator as he dissolves in to the same heat vision effect used earlier in the trailer on the victims, perhaps suggesting he may meet the same bitter end as his comrades. The title Predator then flies in from the top of the screen on to a predominantly orange and red background symbolising the same heat vision of the Predator. The actors name is in the same bold letters as the film suggesting his importance as a means of attracting a wider audience. The narrator closes the teaser with the statement “Soon the hunt will begin”, a final means of enticing the 16-24 year old, target audience of Sci-Fi Horror fans to pursue this “hunt” and watch the film. This technique symbolises the intention of a teaser trailer for a horror film.

Ashleigh's Textual Analysis Of A Horror Magazine

Textual Analysis of A Horror Magazine

Fangoria

Fangoria is a hugely popular internationally distributed American Magazine based solely around types of horror. The name instantly is recognised as a horror magazine and has everything from horror news to horror reviews.

This magazine follows the typical conventions of a magazine; its portrait, has a barcode along with a masthead and sub-heading. The picture is located in the centre of the page and shows a man with a skeleton mask on his face looking very creepy- this is a close up . At fast glance to the audience it would just look like a mask but closer we can see the ears of the person so we assume its a guy in a mask. The image is a shiny grey along with black and this creates a creepy dark look but also stands out to the audience. The lighting used on the skeleton face allows the image to stand out. The face is big enough so that it stands out and is used in a classic way, although we cannot see the eyes of the model we get the impression they are giving us full eye contact. The background along with the picture is mainly black with a few faded lines in the background, this makes it look less plain. The dark background gives a sense of horror to the magazine and also help the image to stand out.

The title of the magazine is “Fangoria” and this would be used on all of the magazines and as well as being the front cover title it is also used as a logo for advertising and branding. The title is done in a specifically designed way so that it is recognisable to its audience. The red text against the black background works really well in helping it stand out, and it is also a symbol uses a lot in horror as it represents darkness and the red represents blood and danger. The text is also in sans serif font which creates a more modern and up to date feeling, this would make younger audiences more likely to buy it as it shows they are up to date with trends.

The main cover line of the magazine is “Laid To Rest He Kills You Best”, this makes reference to the image and they work together to advertise the film. The cover line has two different fonts and covers and this may be to spread out the sentence as it is rather long.

A fair amount of magazines use a lot of coverlines for their magazines to attract the audience and also to fill the page, Fangoria doesn’t use that many and this may be to make the picture stand out more. Sometimes magazines overrun the image that is on the front cover too much with font and use too many colours in text that they become invisible; Fangoria doesn’t do this and has stuck to two basic colours Red and White. The sub-cover lines are in white and this isn’t because they aren’t as important but simply because they aren’t related to the main image on the page.

Also mentioned in the magazine is Harpers island a horror series shown in America and the UK, as well as mutant chronicles. The barcode is in the bottom left hand corner and connotes that it needs to be purchased. As the magazine is international not just American it ensures it uses films and television series from all over.

Ashleigh's Textual Analysis Of A Horror Poster

Textual Analysis of A Horror Poster

SAW 3D

Saw 3D is the last of all the Saw films and is released in October just in time for Halloween, all the saw films are timed very specifically to parallel with Halloween and this helps to create“hype” around the film. The films which are created by Twisted pictures generally control the whole Halloween season and so this helps when dealing with competition and gain a huge lot of attention. Film posters are advertised on billboards, in magazines, on the internet and even in cinemas. The main reason of a poster is to sell the film and to gain interest from the public. Posters are a device to sell a film.

The particular poster that I am looking at could be described as a teaser poster as it doesn’t release any information about the plot or the actors, the only information it gives is the release date and a tagline “The traps come alive in 3d”. As this poster has been released a little while before the film comes out we get a taste of the film by the tagline, the word traps gives us an idea of what could be in the film.

The colours in this poster are mainly white along with red text and are sans serif fonts which create a more modern feeling. Although the poster is quiet plain its effective in making the audience curious as it doesn’t show anything about the film, and so doesn’t give anything away. The text is fairly basic but the small detail of the word “Saw” in different boldness makes it stand out more to the audience. The red text connotes blood and anger and the typical colours used in horror films, and with the focal white colour which creates a sense of space mystery and emptiness in the background it gives a feeling of the blood of the innocent. This poster is effective without an image from the film as the audience for this film will already have seen the other Saw films and be intrigued to see the film already.

This particular poster hasn’t done what most of the Saw posters do, which is illustrates roman numerals, but we could say they “w” in “Saw” has been presented in lines to give us a feel that is connects with all the other posters from the other films.  This poster also hasn’t given us the typical photography that many of the other posters have which gives us a little taster of the film.  Below this is the release date and the tagline which are in smaller font.

The close up of the eye is main image on the page and the camera focuses heavily (harshly) on this. The eye is positioned in the middle of the page, they image has been given a splattered feeling that creates a better affect than just a plain eye. The splattered splodges could be associated with tears and this could mean fear. The image shows an eye that is really focused and we get the feeling the eye is looking right at us. The image connects with the tagline “the traps come alive in real 3D”, especially the word “alive”. Being the last installment of the Saw films they may have choose to make the poster a teaser so that they don’t give anything away, and make people more intrigued to see it. Although there is no pictures the text of the words “Saw” would relate to the fans and they would know what the film is.

This poster informs the audience that the film is coming and doesn’t give anything away to the audience, the poster possibly could have been more persuading if it had a gruesome picture which would have made it look more like a horror poster and intrigued the audience more. Also the age certificate should be present on a poster to inform the audience and maybe anchorage which would have helped to understand the context of the image.

Ashleigh's Texual Analysis Of A Horror Teaser Trailer

Saw 3D

Horror Franchise by Lions Gate Entertainment

Length Of Teaser Trailer: 57 Seconds

Saw movies are extremely popular horror films that hold all the ingredients to which audients like to see in horror films. Saw has produced 7 movies; one of which is being released in cinemas as the final (2010). The films contain a lot of gruesome scenes and have influenced many other films and they way characters style themselves. An example of this would be The Joker in the “The Dark Knight”, whose makeup somewhat reflects a similar picture.

The Saw film I will be focusing on for my teaser trailer is Saw 3D. The fact the trailer is in 3D reflects how advanced technology is getting and makes the audience more intrigued to watch it. Also is gives the audience a feeling that they are there and makes it more realistic. The teaser trailer is 57 seconds long which is under the “sixty second mark” that most teaser trailers have.

The teaser trailer opens with complete darkness and we hear the typical voice of Mark Hoffman. His voice is instantly recognisable and most cinemagoers would recognise his voice and relate it to Saw films.  He opens by saying “You can’t hide” which sends a thrill down the audience’s spine and greats the tension and the feeling of wanting to know more; which is the main aim of a teaser trailer. The words also give the impression of what genre the film and get an idea of what to be aware of. The moment he says this we are struck with a loud sudden non-diegetic sound which is there to make the audience jump and pay full attention.

The trailer uses words on the screen which fade in very dramatically and quickly with music which creates the emphasis that something is going to happen and it also makes the words stand out more for the audience. Fans of the Saw films will relate to the music as it is used in all the films and this also helps people link the films together.

Fades in and out join the shots together and the editing is done in a way so that it all flows together. The fades connots a sense of tension as they are very dramatic and give us an understanding of what genre the film is.

The shots throughout the teaser trailer are very quick(brief)  so that they don’t give too much away but they are very clear to the audience, and they have edited it so that every time the non diegetic (Mark Hoffman) finishes his sentence the fade flashes to another shot. The music continues to be sudden and suspenseful and they also add in what sounds like a women screaming.

Throughout the trailer we hear a lot of non-diegetic sound and the only diegetic sounds from the characters are mainly screams and sounds of pain. The fact they don’t say much creates a mysterious feeling.

The setting is a mixture of places in the trailer, most of which are placed in dark gloomy places with props such as axes, sharp things and generally gruesome machinery. Typically Saw is all about unusual machinery and shows a lot of different machinery that is very advanced , although teaser trailers typically don’t show much this trailer shows a lot of machinery but this may be to show that it isn’t getting any prettier and it only get uglier.  As the setting is very dark and gloomy we assume the scene is set down below in dark areas, this generally gives a spooky feeling as no one likes to be trapped or likes being down below. However as we cannot be sure where the location is we are left to assume and make up our own minds.

The film is all about suffering and death so throughout the trailer they show males and females in “sticky” situations where they are going to be put through pain and have to escape; either way they get tortured but one leads to them surviving and the other to a painful death.

The victims tend to be a mixture of males and females and this challenges the stereotype that women are always the defenceless ones that need rescuing. An example of another stereotype that is being challenged in the trailer is seeing a man locked in a cage ; usually men are the heroic ones , so this challenges the typical popular convention for horror movies.

As there is a voiceover in the trailer the audience tends to concentrate on that, it also has titles throughout the trailer which cut between this pictures and this is a lot for the audience to take it but it does create the feeling that there is a lot going on in the film and creates a vibe of excitement for the release of the film. Throughout the trailer we see a number of characters in danger, however the camera shots don’t show close ups so we don’t see the true fear of the characters, this may have been done as so not to show too much and also so that we can see the situation they are in as well as the character. As the machinery is so technical and dangerous we are almost drawn to it as the audience and we tend to concentrate on the machinery more than the characters themselves.

During the trailer most of the shots used are long shots or medium close ups and this is used so that we can see what’s happening around the character.

Throughout the trailer the pace is quite fast, but the music makes the pace quicken as the music progresses and the clips begin to get faster and faster which leads to a climax finish. A lot of the quicker shots are long shots and although we cannot see everything for long it is the main key for the trailer; it leaves the audience wanting to see more.  The non-diegetic sound is used to show the audience how dangerous and scary it is for the characters and the kind of situation they are in. At the end of the trailer just as the audience think it is going to end swords cut through the title Saw 3D and this helps reach the climate peak and keep the audience on their toes.

The majority of the shots are long shots either set directly facing what’s going on or as a aerial shot. This allows the audience to see what’s happening all around and although the shots aren’t close ups, the shot is held long enough for us to take in the distress the characters are having, and allows us to sympathise them. The trailer allows us to see the distress the characters are in before abruptly cutting to a pitch black shot with a few words on the screen that in a way tells the story, before cutting again quickly to another image. The trailer uses a lot of cutting of knives/axes and screaming to create an atmosphere.

Cinemagoers that are fans of Saw will recognise the voice of the villain and this helps to identify the film. Throughout the trailer we do not get to see Mark Hoffman and although we have seen the villain before it still creates tension for us and a mysterious feeling.

Just as the audience think the trailer is other knives come flying through the title of the film and then cuts to when the film is being released, but in the background we can see blood dripping down which continues the gruesome and shuddery feeling the audience are having.

In conclusion after identifying and analysing the main elements of a teaser trailer i have come to an understand of the different techniques used and how editing is extremely useful in making the trailer shots flow effectively and discretely. This teaser trailers have shown me that you don’t need to show the whole plot of a film to entice the audience and that in doing so it creates more tension and suspense towards the film. The trailer has shown me how important it is to choose what to show in a trailer so that you don’t show the audience too much so that they know what’s going to happen but also make them intrigued and want to see the film.

Treatment

Working Title: Epidemic

Production Team: Reactions Productions formed of Micah Hinchliffe, Andrew Igwe, Eliza Seriki and Ashleigh Curtis

Format: Film Teaser Trailer

Genre: Horror, also under the sub-genre of zombie horror or zombie thriller. The film is typical to the franchise featuring mutated undead creatures terrorizing the main protagonist and minor characters due to a lust for human flesh.

Length: 40 - 50 seconds

Synopsis: The film revolves around a zombie epidemic therefore the production team decided to feature various zombies in the teaser. Our teaser requires a team of actors from our team. The teaser trailer would start as a zoom in shot from a high angle using a crane to turn it into an eye level shot, zooming into the picture of one of our actors eating the other one, with their backs turned to the camera, during this master shot, there will be 5 shots cut in between the main zoom in shot, these shots will be extreme close ups, medium shots and over the shoulder shots of the zombie dragging a victim into a dark and isolated room. When the audience can view the master shot clearly, our zombie character turns around toward the camera to thrill the audience and the teaser cuts.

Intended Audience: Our intended audience is between the ages 16 - 24, mainly male but also female. We believe it is necessary to target people of this age range because they are usually the ones interested in the horror genre films due to the excitement and thrill factor. There is no main sub culture targeted in the film besides those that enjoy going out with friends, being scared and have active and creative lifestyles.

Content

We intent to create a teaser trailer for the film where we will be introduced to one of the zombies involved in the film along with one of the main female characters. The teaser will be mainly composed of a long take zoom into the back of a zombie eating a female corpse. Other close ups and flashback shots will be featured also in the teaser to demonstrate the suspense that will be created from the film.

Feasibility

We will use a set of filming equipments including lighting, cameras, tripods, props and sets to shoot the teaser trailer. Light will be utilized in the mise-en-scene to create an authentic horror film atmosphere. Make up and props will be applied to the actors involved for a realistic and dark horror effect. The setting is a grim and low key lit room where the victim has been taken. This could be either be achieved in a cleaning/equipment cupboard or studio.

Rationale

We believe we can bring a newfound fear of zombies to the zombie horror genre. With careful filming, quality acting, props and effective use of the mise-en-scene, Cannibals will reboot the zombie franchise into a new and more horrific genre for all young adults to enjoy.