Research into similar products: mise en scene

Last year I completed my AS coursework and exam. For my coursework, we had to create a music magazine that fit our genre using mise en scene and camerawork. Furthermore in our exam, we had to analyse a clip on the codes and conventions used including sound, camerawork, editing and mise en scene. In our A-level coursework, I am going to be creating a film trailer. In this I will need to use the knowledge I gained throughout GCSE and AS level including making sure my mise en scene, camerawork, sound and editing all fit my genre. In this blog, I will be consolidating my knowledge from last year enabling me to create a successful film trailer.

Examples of Mise en scene:

Body language - This is the way a character or an actor expresses himself using his body. This allows the audience to determine what a character is like from the way they present themselves which is what I will need to think about for my film trailer and the characters I include

Blocking - This is the way the characters are positioned within the shot so this will give the characters the knowledge of the importance of the characters in each scene.

Costume - Costume,hair and make up can give an insight into a characters personality and you can normally deceiver the genre of the film trailer through this.

Lighting - Lighting can help create a tone and genre to the film trailer. For example, typically horror films will have darker low key lighting whereas comedies tend to include naturalistic lighting. 

Props - props are good to add extra emphasis to a characters personality and can also add to the genre of the film genre. For example: for a romance film, it is unlikely there will be a serial killer with a chain saw. 

Facial expression - These are expressions on someones face to highlight how someone is feeling and can give the audience an insight into how a character is at a moment in time. For example, in a film trailer, facial expressions could highlight happiness or fear.

Location - the location of the film trailer is also quite useful for determing the genre of the film. This can link to the lighting used within the trailer. For example: Horror films are normally set in quite isolated and abandoned places like haunted houses and forests.

Drafting and Planning: MoviePlus Editing Task

These two videos are the original short film 'Monday' and my own edited version of the short film but I changed it into a film trailer as this is what I am going to be doing for my actual project.

Today I was set the task of re-editing a short movie called Monday using the MoviePlus Software to get myself used to the software that I could be using in my own film trailer. I changed the short film into a sort of film trailer which was 5.50 seconds to 1.33 seconds. I started by cutting down the parts of the short film that I liked as they fitted together well and used excellent camera shots such as a long shot of the arm dangling down and dropping the phone. I decided to start the clip of with loads of ringing phones to show that there was a man stalking and constantly ringing her. I then decided to add some text to convey my own narrative to the short film. I decided to wait for the end of the clip before the protaganist seems to have enough with her stalker before she pulls out the gun. The last sound you hear is the gunshot which gives it an effect that something more is happening. I think that the short film/trailer is quite easy to understand and has my own spin to it

This is the last shot of the film trailer. I think this is one of my favourite shots because it blurs out the woman in the background and the shot solely focuses on the gun. The prop shows how the woman is sick of the obsessing of the guy who keeps calling her so she does something quite dangerous like using a weapon.

Using this tool, I was able to add some text to make my short film have its own narrative. We could decide the font and write anything with a certain size to it.

This is another interesting camera shot that was in the short film, I used this quite near the start of the short film because I thought it looked like a good opener to the film as it is just a simple long shot of a phone with text above it indicating a text message of a reminder to meet a guy but he keeps obsessing over the woman to the point of her using a gun.

This task has now given me a clear understanding of how to edit something and now I can take on the skills that I have used and create a film trailer with the camera work that obtain. During editing, you can add text, add other sounds over the top of the clip, rearrange the scenes I have filmed so it creates a narrative that is easily understandable and take out parts of the camerawork that you don't really like (as I did in the editing above).

Research into similar products: Ancillary Products: Film Posters

As well as the moving image product that we will have to create, we have to create two ancillary products which are a film poster and front cover of a film magazine. In this blog post, I am going to be analyse several film posters so I can compile a list of the generic codes and conventions of film poster. A film poster is used a promotion method for a film. Film posters are used in magazines, on billboards, on bus stops etc.

 

The main image used on this film poster is a photo of the main character in the Black Swan. There are feathers on the top of the poster which suggests that the film is something to do with a bird and the woman's face is cracked like china. This is used to reveal a little bit of the fate of the character in the film. On the film poster, there is a quote from a UK film magazine that says "AN EXTRAORDINARY INTOXICATING MASTERPIECE". The quote is a reliable as it is from a well known film magazine. Awards are always put on the film magazine like the main character of Black Swan is Academy Award Nominee Natalie Portman. This makes audiences want to watch the film because they will expect the acting to be good and award winning. There is also the small print that includes information for the audience but in small text so it doesn't divert from the main image. This tells us any information such s producer or director. The actors are written at the bottom of the poster just above the title of the film. These give extra information to the audience and make them want to watch the film.

The main image on the film poster has the main character from the film with bruises on his face which would make the audience want to know what has happened to him. The tagline for the film poster is "How Do You Wake Up From A Nightmare If You're Not Asleep?" which is directed to the audience and makes the audience want to know what happens. The small print is used to give information to the audience about the film. 








Codes and Conventions of a film poster:

• Image - a film poster always contains a main image that is used to attract audiences. The main image is either a still from the film or a character or iconography that reveals the films genre.
• Title - a film poster usually has the title of the film on it so people know what the film is called and so they can find out information on the film
• Director and Producers - especially for well known directors and producers they are displayed as a main selling point of the film
• Actors - Well known casts are usually on the film poster to sell the film further
• Quotes, Recommendations and Ratings - once a film has been screened to critics, film posters are recreated to include the positive reviews, ratings, feedback and ratings
• Awards -  an award is good to include on film poster as it would make audiences be more interested in seeing the film as it is award winning so must be good
• Taglines - in film trailers, taglines are used to emphasis something about the film as well as hint to the audience what will happen. They are also quite memorable.
• Dateline - so the audience will know when the film is out
• Small Print - normally contains the directors name, producers, actors, soundtrack,, production company, screenplay, rating, website and much more. It is written in small text so nothing is taken away from the image

This is the small print from the film poster of Fight Club

Research into similar products: Title

I have decided to do a serial killer storyline in my film trailer so I have decided to look into real films that are around the same topic and look at the titles of the films to help me come to a decision on my own name for my own serial killer movie.
These are a few movie titles that I looked into:

                                     

• The Snowman
• The Deal
• The Calling
• The Voices
• The Town That Dreaded Sundown
• Chained

Most Serial Killers in films tend to be driven by something that they do after they have killed someone or what the person getting killed is like. For example: in the Snowman - the serial killer leaves a snowman so murders only happen in winter.

For my own serial killer film, I think I like the idea of my own serial killer to my driven on time so I think to incorporate this I could get the kills to happen at the same time and after each kill the serial killer leaves a clock and the serial killers room will have a main feature of a clock in the middle of the wall. 

I have also decided on a couple of names that I could potentially use for my film:

• Time's Up
• Time
• Time To Die
• Ten O'Clock

In another blog post, I will get some peers to help me decide which is the best name for my film.

Research into Similar products: Mother!

I have decided to look into the codes and conventions used in the film trailer "Mother!". This is a horror film with an age certification of a 18 and brought out in 2017.


    

• Genre; horror and thriller 
• Non diegetic sounds - quite eeiry music is used
• Length - The film trailer lasts 2 minutes 15 seconds
• There is a strong sense of Juxtaposition between the start and the end of the film trailer as it starts off almost in a romantic way as it is quite naturally light and includes a close up of the two main characters kissing and it has a voiceover which are codes and conventions of a romance film. 

The close up used to fool the audience maybe into thinking the film is a romance rather than horror or thriller

This long shot gives a more dark tone to the film trailer as they are being attacked by loads of people who are after them

• Camerawork:

This is a medium close up of all old photographs being burnt. The photographs symbolise something strange going on in the house as they are old pictures of the husband. The audience do not know why the photos are being burnt so the film trailer isn't giving away too much.

A close up is used when a mysterious black thing covers the house. The audience are given another cliffhanger as they don't know what it is and why it is taking over the house. 

  

A close up is used to emphasis feelings of the character through the photo of her eyes which allows the audience to feel something similar to the character

• However towards the end of the trailer, it takes a dark and sinister tone to it as blood is involved and there is a long shot to emphasis the amount of people trying to get into the house
• Cast - The two main characters are played by actress Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem. These actors are quite generic to the genre of thriller that the film is.
• Target audience - mainly older teenagers and adults but can be seen from any age over 18 as it contains strong violence
• Editing - mainly fast paced editing is used to add a sort of weird and uncomfortable tone to how fast the trailer which is used so the audience cant take everything in at the one time
• Props - blood is used to highlight the genre of the film and make the audience feel quite nervous and unsettled towards the whole film and an old photograph that the wife finds and questions her husband about but there is something strange going on when the people visit them

Research into similar products: Genre

I'm going to be looking at several different genres of film trailers and see what the generic conventions for each genre are. The three genrees of a film trailer that I'm going to be looking it are:


Horror
Romance
Comedy


Comedy

• Settings - normally set in a bright and colourful setting known for social event's

• Lighting - normally naturalistic lighting or commonly bright light as it creates a realistic environment

• Props are vital for comedy such as slapstick comedy

• Characters - Most comedic films include a group of friends where one character is normally an idiot who gets in trouble whereas one character is normally very socially awkward and one character is normally very witty and comes out with sarcastic comments

•  Diegetic sound - dialogue is used loads in comedic genre as it is used to make it funnier 

•  Camerawork - close ups of characters to show emotion and laughter // long shot to show group of friends // establishing shot to highlight where the film takes place so this is essential and in most films

The codes and conventions used in this film are:

• Characters - the group isn't what you would normally see as bridesmaids or friends: Annie, Rebecca, Megan, Helen, Lillian (Bride)
• Diegetic sound - dialogue "I'm glad he is single because I'm going to climb him like a tree later"
• Diegetic sound - burps
• Non diegetic - cheery upbeat music

Research into similar products: Genre

I'm going to be looking at several different genres of film trailers and see what the generic conventions for each genre are. The three genrees of a film trailer that I'm going to be looking it are:

Horror
Romance
Comedy


Romance 

1. A typical 'boy meets girl' storyline
2. Main characters are introduced in the first few minutes
3.  Normally romance films are aimed at a predominately female audience
4.  Often a voiceover is used to introduce the love theme
5. Usually the characters have a fight or disagreement but are reunited
6. Normally ends with a happy ending
7. Lots of symbols that connote love such as hearts and flowers and the colour res
8. Non diegetic sound - happy upbeat music in the background throughout the whole trailer
9. Something to overcome like in the film trailer Everything Everything, she overcomes her illness to go outside

The codes and conventions used in this film trailer:

• There is a girl meet boy story line where Olly moves next to Maddy who is forced to stay in her house in the safety due to an illness she has
• Camerawork -Establishing camera shot of the house which Maddy is forced to never leave
•  Diegetic sound - dialogue used between Maddy and Olly to show that they begin to fall in love with each other
• Non diegetic sound - voiceover to explain the story
• Non diegetic sound - cheery upbeat music to emphasis how happy the trailer is
• The theme is'you would do anything for love' and this is a big part of the narrative

Research into Similar products: IT

I have decided to look into the codes and conventions used in the film trailer "IT". This is a horror film with an age certification of a 15 and brought out in 2017.

• Genre; horror - created using mise en scene such as the props used like missing people posters and the red balloon popping up in different places to emphasis that the clown is everywhere and the old book where the clown is in and the blood. 
• Mise en scene - the trailer uses a good technique of turning some very common, innocent and everyday things into quite scary and sinister such as Clowns and the red balloon. Also half way through the travel, one boy is seen eith kego that he drops which to me makes the film stand out as it includes children as the main characters and so has a child snd youth theme
• Setting - Through the use of an establishing shot, the film is set in a town which has weird and creepy stuff happen to it like missing children and abandoned houses to go in

• Diegetic sounds - such as screams and the motto which is heard throughout "You'll float too". Pennywise the clown also speaks with a weird voice that gives the trailer an eery edge to it.
• Non diegetic sounds - voiceover and eery music
• Length - The film trailer lasts 2 minutes 42 seconds
• Camera angles - establishing shot  which is often used at the start of horror films to show the audience where the action is taking place so for this film trailer a town// long shots are used often in this film trailer. One is used to show the boat in the water in the gutter and as the paper boat is on its own, it highlights its importance as this is where the clown is seen by Georgie.
• Main antagonist - The main antaganist in the film is clearly Pennywise the clown but to give some suspense and tension to the trailer, he is only seen in bits and pieces of the trailer and doesnt fill the majority of the trailer
• Credits - allows the film makers and producers to be known. 
• Film Name - IT and it is written in blood red colour and eery writing so gives it a horror theme feel to it
• Target audience - mainly older teenagers and adults but can be seen from any age over 15.

Research into similar products: Annabelle

I have decided to look into the codes and conventions used in the film trailer "Annabelle". This is a horror film with an age certification of a 15 and brought out in 2014.


The codes and conventiond used in this film trailer are:

• Genre; horror - created using mise en scene such as the props used like the dolls and blood
• Diegetic sounds - such as screams which are used to make audiences feel uneasy.
• Non diegetic sounds - kids toys playing in the background so links the film trailer strsight to the fact that kids and family is involved in the film.
• Length - The film trailer lasts 2 minutes 32 seconds
• Camera angles - establishing shot  which is often used at the start of horror films to show the audience where the action is taking place// final camera shot is a close up of the dolls face to allow the audience to feel scared
• Credits - allows the film makers and producers to be known. As well as lets the audience know if it is a continued film like Annabelle continues from the Conjouring. This can be helpful to gain a tsrgrt audience as a film has already been released so a ready made audience is waiting 
• Target audience - mainly older teenagers and adults but can be seen from any age over 15.

Research into Similar products: genre

I'm going to be looking at several different genres of film trailers and see what the generic conventions for each genre are. The three genrees of a film trailer that I'm going to be looking it are:

• Horror
• Romance
• Comedy

Horror

1. Settings - most horror films are set in small towns or isolated homes or historic places that have been abandoned for years. These settings are normally away from civilization so there is no hope of running for help to anyone. 
2. Mise en scene//Props - used to create a dark and sinister scene especislly through the use of weapons or photographs
3. Lighting - the lighting used in horror films tend to be low key lighting which makes the scene seem scarier and more tense.
4. Audience - usually for people aged 16-24 and are normally not suitable for viewers younger which is backed up by the normal certification of 15 and 18.
5. Weather - in horror films normally it is quite dark and stormy which reflects the horror amd scariness. However some horror films use weather to juxtapose the feeling of the film so sunny and bright weather compared to a dark and twisted film trailer.
6. Camerawork - normally starts with an establishing shot to show where the action is taking place and to highlight the creepiness of the place. Close ups are used regularly in horror film trailers to show that something may seem innocent but is actually quite sinister and spooky. 
7. Sound - normally horror trailers start with quite simple and innocent music but end with quite sinister and eery music that tends to build up suspense and tension within the trailer
8. Editing - most film trailers use both fast and slow paced editing. Fast paced is used when something is happening to cause tension and drama and maybe scsre you but slow paced is used to create tension between each scene.

Research into Similar Products: Camera shots and angles used in a horror film

Camera shots and angles

There are some very general camera shots and angles used in a horror film for different effects. The main shots and angles are:

• Birds eye View/High angled shot - This shot is used especially in horror to show expressions of people especially if the character is               powerless and vulnerable. This can be used to show the terror in the characters faces.

• Close up - This type of shot is used to show the reactions of the actors and can be useful to       capture details in important scenes.

• Tracking or panning shot - This can be used effectively in horror films to make a character look like its either being followed or watched by a strange. This may be useful for my own film trailer because I want my own characters to be running scared.

• Tilted angle - This angle is used to add and create tension in the scene. It is a good camera angle to use to see from a characters Point of View if they have fallen.

• Long shot -  This shot is mainly used as an opening shot as it can be used to set the scene highlighting how deserted or isolated the town is etc.

• Low angles - This shot can be used to highlight how scary the villain is and simultaneously how powerless another character might be. This can add to the horror theme as it can be used to create the knowledge of an antagonist and protagonist so allows the audience to know whose side they are on.

• Hand held - This shot is used to make the audience feel involved as it makes them feel like they are with them in the scene. It would be a good camera shot to use in a chasing scene as it gives a sense of realism to the scene.

• Point of View - This shot is used to allow the audience to feel involved as the shot allows the audience to be put into the shoes of the chsrwcter and know how they are feeling. This could be used to highlight the vulnerability of a character. 

• Zoom - This shot is used to create an element of either tension or fear for the audience as zooms are normally used to highlight something gruesome or gory. 

• Over the shoulder - This shot is used to create tension especially to see a figure standing behind the main character. 

I may use some of these camera angles and camera shots to create my film trailer and give it an authentic horror film trailer feel to it.

Organisation: What my project is going to be?

I have decided that I am going to be doing a film trailer for my main product because I think it will be the most enjoyable and I think I can create the best film trailer possible. I have a few ideas already for a film trailer. Firstly I will have to decide a genre, plan, cast and location for my film trailer.