These are two horror magazine covers taken from Google Images, they were useful in showing us what kind of themes are used on a magazine. We liked the Famous Monsters issue more because it was more realistic and looked scarier. Ruemorgue was also effective however because of it's purple and blue misty colours.
Below is an order of the narrative stages often found in horror films. Most narratives follow this order:
•An 'original' incident, whereby the stage is set for violence
•Fast-forward a certain amount of months or years now
•Someone awakens the beast or murderer and pays for it with their life
•Enter a group of people usually not more than seven or eight, and all balanced in some 'group dynamic' or another (the idea is that their little problems and affairs &etc with each other can be played out through this coming cycle of violence)
•That crew gets isolated
•Via their own stupidity, that crew starts getting picked off one by mysterious one, in spite of one of them warning the others, etc.
•Eventually, after a series of false escapes and other fun, the 'slasher' is faced, and, if not defeated, at least subdued until the sequel. and hopefully the way it's subdued ties back somehow to that original/inciting incident. and, it's not at all untypical for us to find out about secret children, people who should be dead, etc right around here.
•The coda/epilogue usually suggests that this isn't really over
The majority of the sound in the Wolverine Origins trailer was a narrated voice over. It also included various sections of dialogue from the film. Military general ‘Wolverine is a government top secret weapon who cost 500,000,000’, we find out that Wolverine is a government plan who is on the loose. When wolverine stands up from the pool, we hear the noise of ‘wolf’ to remind the viewer about Wolverine. Wolverine is out to seek revenge as the men persuade him to join their group through non diegetic sound. Throughout Wolverine Origins, they always use a close up shot of wolverine.
Tracking shot of sabretooths claws - which is linked to the narrator saying 'Wolverines lover was killed'. This shot is shown previously after to remind the viewer Sabertooth killed her. Close up of dog tag, with the name ‘Wolverine’. This is how Wolverine had his name. The metal claw has came out from his hand shown by a close up, this will remind the audience who wolverine is. One second images of characters who are the special team. Which included The main characters, Wolverine, Sabretooth. The opening sequence is a shot of wolverine which fades to a child, who is Wolverine. Shots last 3 seconds to show the life of wolverine which started with him as a child then changed to himself as an adult in a military uniform.
The characters in wolverine origins are explained clearly. First we are informed of the main character, Wolverine, and his rival, Sabretooth. There are also supporting characters in the film such as Gambit, Deadpool and Wolverine as a child. The trailer has many varied locations which explain the films narrative. Such locations are a secret laboratory where Wolverine is fused with his metal skeleton. Other locations are a house and then a flashback shot of Wolverine in the second world war.
X-men : Wolverine Origins has many different themes. The main theme is Wolverine seeking revenge from the people who turned his skeleton into metal. as well as his arch rival, Sabretooth, who killed his girlfriend. The last part of narrative is Wolverine joining a special group of elite fighters who have asked for his help. The visual style to how X-men: Wolverine Origins is set is Historical. Much information is given to the viewer throughout the whole film, but an understanding of the previous X-men films and as well as the comic books are needed to fully understand the film. X-men:Wolverine has one main genre, Action, but also has many sub genres, Thriller and Romance. We are told the name of Wolverine Origins at the beginning of the film. This is because many people are familiar with the X-men franchise already.
We aren’t told who is starring the film by any text, but i think the director may feel the audience will recognize who the characters are already by watching previous films or knowledge from watching the cartoons or reading the magazines. The type of action we see from this trailer is conventional to many other action films. First of all, Guns and explosions are included in the trailer. As well as many people dying. The music used in X-men Wolverine Origins is orchestrated classical music. The clue this music gives about the film is that it is epic. Because the music is making the audience feel as if something amazing is about to happen.
The trailer starts with a moderate pace which is simple. Later during the trailer, when Wolverine is introduced, the speed of the trailer speeds up. This is to suit the action which is being seen on the screen. The information we are given about Wolverine Origins is how Wolverine got his powers and how he grew up as a child being a ‘mutant’. The information is given at the beginning of the trailer because the audience are very familiar with the X-men franchise through the first 3 films before this movie. I would say the trailer is particularly trying to target men. This is because there is a lot of action with car blowing up and this could easily attract men but also teenagers around 15+. This film could also attract women with the sub genre of romance.
Jeepers Creepers
The trailer directed by Victor Salva begins with an establishing long shot of the open wilderness. By opening with this cinematography it gives the idea of a peaceful and calm setting. The camera then shows a car travelling through this area, inside are two young adults who appear excited to be driving in the open yet also vulnerable as they are alone and unaware of the area they have entered into. The swift movement of the car combined with the faster editing of certain shots builds tension in the sequence.
This is supported by non-diegetic sound which creates a more eerie atmosphere an adds to the darker visual style of the trailer. This mood is deepened by symbols within the trailer such as a black crow that could be foreboding death, the audience is also shown an empty hole dug by a mysterious man from afar. Further to this, there is a low angle shot of a church steeple, from this point the trailer becomes distinguishable as a horror, for it uses the typical conventions expected from the genre. These include the music heightening as the eerie male character is shown more frequently as well as darker imagery and shadows that surround the man. It could be connoted that his more evil presence is now being inflicted upon the two unknowing and innocent travelers. The final instance of this is where the mystery man is seen watching them, noting that he is always one step ahead and in fact in control of the other character’s futures.
Final Destination 4
David R.Ellis’s trailer opens with a tilt shot where a series of fast moving cars drive away from the direction of the camera. This almost instantly sets the pace and mood of the film, for the fast adrenaline cars and arena match the excitement of the narrative. The audience is then shown briefly a banner that reads ‘speedway’, this is another indication of speed and warning. Once the location is established and the camera zooms out to reveal a racetrack, one character is framed in a mid shot, this gives them an amount of significance over his friends that surround him in the crowd.
The crowd builds in excitement as they are captured in wide shots and high angle shots looking down at rows of people, this makes their position unknowing and vulnerable in that they do not know their fate. It is represented to be negative through the use of micro features, for example, the camera lingers on a concrete wall behind them that begins to crack along with the cars moving faster around the track. A quick series of cuts between the group's faces and the wall bridges the relationship that this may pose a danger to them and omitts a sense of tension to the audience. This is emphasised again by close up shots of metal bolts on the race track that unfasten with every lap.
It is the conscious point where the male protagonist senses the threat they may be in, and it is then through his perspective that what will follow in the scene is learned. This confims his importance as a character and the fact that he can almost predict the future, the audience learns this through the use of editing. For instance, black frames are used almost intermittingly in a blinking motion to establish the idea of a premonition and vision. This allows the narrative to be told from Nick's point of view and shows a car derailing and flipping towards the crowd of people.
It is it at this moment that the trailer reaches its climax and demonstrates this through CGI explosions of the vehicles and a rapid series of shots that capture the panic. Non-diegetic sound is used alongside the cinematography and adds a deep bass that is similar to an earthquake, this all furthers the disequlibrium that the characters are in. As quickly as the vision started it ends, with the lead male telling the others to leave the car arena, parts of the crowd move with medium shots as the rest of the stadium is shown in a long shot. They are met on the outside of the arena with the camera and soundtrack linging on one character, seconds later, a car tyre is shown racing towards her head from the sky, to epitomize this final shot to the audience the screen if filled with a red lens effect
Dawn Of The Dead
Many close up shots are used as well as a high angle shot of survivors on the shopping centre roof, low angle of all the zombies in the car park, most of the transitions between different camera shots in this trailer generally last around 2 seconds. The reason these shots are very short because it wants to enforce the genre (horror). However when certain shots are scary, the camera tends to stay in this shot for around 3 seconds for the viewer to get scared.
There are themes of survival and desperation in this trailer as these survivors are desperate and need to find shelter away from the zombies. A woman comes back from work one day to not take notice to a state of emergency broadcast on the radio. The next day she wakes up to find out the whole town have been run over by zombies. She and a group of survivors seek refuge to a shopping centre where they hope to stay until they are rescued.
We are told the name of the Dawn of the Dead film at the end of trailer. The reason the title is shown at the end of the trailer is because The action we see in this film trailer is cars being turned over by zombies. This trailer showed low amounts of action, and the only action shown was short clips of gruesome deaths. The music sounds like a zombie screaming which is very unsettling. This advertises the film as a horror. The voice over being used is a news reporter telling people about the whole country is in a state of emergency. They used a news reporter because they are influential with reporting and telling people about news. using a news reporter made this emergency look as if it was a serious emergency and everyone has to know.
The speed in the trailer starts of very slow and seems casual. However, 30 seconds in, the trailer picks up pace when the zombies are introduced. Later in the trailer the speed slows down again when other supporting characters are introduced. The information we are given about the film relates to the zombies who are killing people. ‘When there is no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth’. This is very unsettling and can be uncomfortable to the viewer. The information is given to the viewer just before we see the zombies terrorizing the streets. This trailer is aimed for adults clearly over the age of 18. This is because of the high amounts of gore, blood, violence and mature language.
Saw 3
Much of the trailer consists of screaming from all of the victims. The trailer has very metal themed music to match the mood of the trailer. The majority of the shots in the Saw 3 trailer consists of close up shots of the victims screaming in agony. To establish the scene, long shots and medium shots were used to show the rooms where these victims are being tortured. Technical shots such as low angle shots made the victims look inferior. The editing included very short transitional shots which consist of medium and close up shots which change from the view of the torture trap to the weapons then the victim. These shots are very short and last around 2 seconds before the shot is shown. This kept the pacing of the trailer very fast and dramatic.
The characters in the trailer included the psycho killer, Jigsaw. The following characters are three victims who have been chosen by Jigsaw. The location of the film is unknown but it appears as if the film takes place in a basement. Victims wake up to find out they’re trapped in a room by a serial killer, Jigsaw. They have to play the jigsaws ‘games’ and survive many traps which could potentially leave them mentally and physically scarred.
The themes of the film are survival and the desperation of the victims being hunted down by jigsaw. The visual style of Saw 3 is made to be an investigation. Many clues/ riddles are shown throughout the trailer to make the viewer solve the “problem” before its to late which leads to deaths of a character. The main genre for Saw 3 is Horror. This is evident with its blood and gore. However, it has thriller as a sub genre as many scenes can make the viewer jump. Another sub genre is crime as the victim being tortured is always investing how to escape the Jigsaws puzzle. We find the name of the film, Saw 3, near the end of the trailer. They wanted to give the name of the film at the end trailer because they wanted the viewer to be shocked by the amount of gore, but also interested by what film it is. With Saw, we are not told who is starring in this film. This was a decision by the director because with previous Saw films, many characters from previous films continue to feature in later films along with a few new characters.
The action you see in the trailer all relates to violence. The action included blades which where spinning and also a victim that was trying to escape a chain constructed trap. The use of very heavy metal music made the trailer look intense. It would put the viewer at the edge of their seat because of the music tempo. The voice over in the trailer sounds very eerie and uncomfortable. The voice is raspy and has a very chilling tone. The trailers pacing varies from the actual film itself. The speed of the trailer does match the film when someone is being tortured.
This helps emphasise urgency in that situation and this is where the trailer compares to the film. The speed, throughout the trailer, does not alter. A biblical reference is used midway during the trailer which will be used to ‘judge’ the victims. This is referring to how Jigsaw is judging these people for the ‘sins’ they have committed. The biblical reference was given at the middle of the trailer just after seeing all the victims that will be tortured in this film. This trailer is clearly aimed at 18+. This is because of the high volume of gore and violence in the trailer.
Saw VI
Saw 6's trailer begins with a flashing circular light, this sets the pretone of the film by both drawing in the audience and inviting them to enter into the game that is Saw. This is reinforced by an unknown man walking through a set of doors as if the games have started and is followed by flashing red alarms as if to note the man's decision as a dangerous one.
As the camera tracks him from behind, there is a medium shot of a child's spinning roundabout on the other side of the room. He and the roundabout are divided by iron rails that are only big enough to see what is going on, this implies to the audience that he can only watch what is about to endure on the other side and not take part in it. Surrounding the room are cameras, televisions and mirrors which help build this theme of voyeurism in the trailer. This idea is mainly told through the mise-en-scene, as windows, rails and chains are all within the room. It is almost as if a gameshow or circus has been set up on the other side and the male is representative of the audience in that he is unaware and unable to change the rules. He continues to walk around the room in a circular motion that creates confusion, more so by using a point of view shot that emphasises the darkness of the room. As the scenery is blacked out and only becomes visible when a television screen flashes up, on the monitors are his face, this adds to both the characters and the audiences disorientation.
This frustration is furthered in the trailer by close up shots of metal machines that show victims of the game being held down and locked in. Through the editing, we learn this angers the man for he is in a weak position of the 'game' and almost being played by the controller Saw. Non-diegetic sound is used continuously throughout the trailer and helps piece the action to the characters emotions. For instance, while the roundabout moves slowly, nursery rhyme music is heard, this is ironic in that a childhood game would never be associated with this type of victim game. The music is what progresses the trailer forward and it is the digetic sound of each 'player' being killed by this machine that is of most use to the narrative. Another example of this, is where the machines re-shuffle in preparation for their next victim, the noise is mechanical and unforgiving. As with every sound, one more body dies building the tension to a climatic point of the trailer. This is where on screen graphics appear that read 'SAW VI' the rest of the shot is black, giving definition and clout to the name and the meaning behind it, as it begins to fade the last graphic appears 'HALLOWEEN 2009' this adds to the theme of horror and acts as the final reminder of the fright in its release.
This is an edited sound recording from one of our locations, as trains passed underneath the railway bridge we used a digital camera to capture the noise of the trains. To begin with, we wanted to experiment with our own sound,
This was useful in gauging an idea of the location sounds and the overall theme of suspence and fear which is created through sound effects in horror films.
- Distributors must consider what a film will earn so they can prepare a budget to release it. They must have a detailed understading of the core target audience but also try to attract a wider spread of audience.
- Distributors must plan the film release according to many factors such as:
- Which other films are being released the same week?
- Are there any stars amongst the cast?
- Is it being released in a holiday period?
- What certificate will the film have?
- Distributors will need to work out whether the film will be shown worldwide in many screens or in very few independent cinemas, according to how popular it will be.
- When the distributor has viewed the finished film and confirms the release plan, the budget is worked out. This is all paid for by the distributor and this includes marketing costs, the cost of prints (35mm or digital) and advertising for post-release. The budget may be itemised in a table as shown below.
FILM MARKETING
- Full trailers may be preceded by early teasers shortly before the film.
- Most films have an official website, if not one hosted by a partner company which provides more information to the public and they see exclusive photos and behind the scenes footage.
- A poster also may be preceded by a teaser poster with the main stars and production values large. The designers must work hard to make each one stand out.
- Distributors may also provide cinemas with other display materials such as cardboard standee's.
- Screenings are held before the film is released for national critics as th epublic offen accepts news stories and features more readily than advertising.
- UK Film Distributors invest around £170M a year in media advertising alone to launch and sustain their releases.
- Awards and Premiers have to be taken into consideration as television channels can have 30minute slots to cast the newest films and stars walking the red carpet. Festivals also are imporant as new titles may be screened to juries of filmmakers and awarded prizes.
- Tie in merchandising can be literally anything. And the more of it there is, the better.
LICENSING FILMS TO EXHIBITORS.
- Every week, distributors hold marketing team meetings, reflecting on the films they have in current release.
- Sometimes, film eductation promotes educational use of the local cinemas by arranging screenings for school parties.
- Cinema operators need to be persuaded to 'stock' the product. Distributors screen their titles and present a date release as well as marketing plans. Potential blockbusters may be booked into screens simulatenously whereas independent, lower budget films may be just for the catchment area.
- 35mm film prints are sent to cinemas which are opened a few days before the first playdate. These are laced onto the projector. Digital screens have data on hard disks which are connected to a projector.
- A film can only be launched once. Usually a film will generate 30% or more of its entrie box-office during the first three days of release.
