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Wednesday, 5 October 2011

Film Trailer Analysis

The Trailer opens with the non-digetic sound of a school bell, which already establishes where the setting of the trailer will begin/take place. This already gives the impression to the audience the targeted audience has been aimed at young adults as they can obviously relate to the sound of the school bell. This is then followed on by the opening shot of a low angle, which shows the audience a male shutting his locker door which is followed on by the use of the digetic sound of a teacher talking.



The camera then pans in, while the teacher is talking and shows the students doing their work. This all looks normal of course but the non-digetic sound, of a continues high pitch note creates a tense atmosphere for the audience whether they subconsciously notice it or not. Already the beginning 10 seconds of the trailer follows the conventions of a horror trailer as the audience know that something is going to happen. 


A Jump cut is then used to pan along one of the students faces.
As the camera pans across, the audience can see the student’s features which do not look “normal” and is hidden away by his “hoodie”. Additionally, the digetic sound of the teacher’s voice is continued as the camera pans slowly, this has purposely been done as the word ‘grotesque’ can be seen to describe the boy, which already gives the audience this false impression about this male character. 



The high pitch non-digetic sound is continued as the audience see a high angled shot of characters talking around a fire. This creates a uncomfortable atmosphere for the audience as they start to question what is happening and what they are doing there in the night. The use of darkness is significant as it follows the conventions of a horror film and is a cliché, as the audience know that “bad” or “evil” things happen during the dark. 

Another jump cut is then used to show students laughing at one character, the audience here can see that he is being “picked on” or bullied, which positions him with a low status in the classroom.







Furthermore, a significant shot is then followed showed to the audience as the camera pans across and the audience see a streak of light (from the fire) which shines on a characters face. This image used here is quite powerful as the “bullied” character is contrasted from his earlier status. He is now seen as powerful, dominating and in control as he is in the centre of the shot and is perceived to the audience as confident.














Below are some examples of lower status students being “bullied”. The medium shot used here shows the facial expression clearly on both characters. The audience can see who the victim is and who the "bullier" is.




















The analysis of the trailer helped me understand what shots to use so that I can make sure that my horror has the same effect on the audience. Through analysisng the trailer I can see what kind of shots are used to create the horror 'atmosphere' for the audience. The shots also show me how I can keep my audience in suspense for example, the bird-eye shot makes the audience feel like they don't know what is going on which effectively keeps them in fear and suspense. The mise-en-scene follows the horror conventions, an example is the woods that the victims sit in. The audience know that something dark will begin to happen. The shot used is another bird-eye shot which makes the audience feel as though they are spieing on the characters. This creates suspense for they want to find out what is happening. Suspence within horror films is a significant element as it creates fear and makes the audience want to follow the plot. This shows me how I will need to make my audience feel within my horror trailer, and will use these elements of horror to succesfully meet the requiments and needs for my target audience.







Monday, 3 October 2011

Age Restriction for our film/trailer

The chosen age restriction for our film/trailer is:



15

No one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.


Horror

Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.

British Board of Film Classification


Universal – Suitable for all



It is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. But a ‘U’ film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. ‘U’ films should be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.

Horror

Scary sequences should be mild, brief and unlikely to cause undue anxiety to young children. The outcome should be reassuring.




Parental Guidance

General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children


Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children.

Horror

Frightening sequences should not be prolonged or intense. Fantasy settings may be a mitigating factor.



"12/12A"

Suitable for 12 years and over

Exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them.


The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult, and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult.

Horror

Moderate physical and psychological threat may be permitted, provided disturbing sequences are not frequent or sustained.


15
No one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.


Horror

Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.

18



No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema.
No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video.



African-American Horror Movies
African Americans have starred in all-black horror movies since the begin of the 20th century. Most of the films have been low-budget, Independent and have reached a small target audience. However, by the end of the century, major studios got more interested in the sub-genre and started producing films such as, Bones and Tales From the Hood.

Horror Anthologies
Horror anthologies are films that combine 3-5 short stories into one film. Horror anthologies are known for containing morality tales where the protagonist commits an injustice doing and thinks he has gotten away with it. However there is a twist at end of the story. Here are some examples of Horror Anthologies:



Exploitation Movies 


Exploitation is a term for movies that "exploit" immorality, showcasing and some would argue, glamorizing crime, violence, sexuality, drug usage, nudity, torture and general antisocial behaviour or taboo topics, often with heightened realism for shock value. 










Torture Porn














Rape-and-Revenge









Splatter Films












Erotic Horror












Serial Killers

















Zombie Movies
A zombie is, in the simplest sense, a living corpse. In cinematic terms, it differs from a vampire in that it doesn't have the same powers (shape shifting, fangs) or weaknesses (sunlight, holy water, garlic) and usually lacks much brain function. The term "zombie" was introduced into American public consciousness in 1929 as a Haitian Creole world for a corpse reanimated by voodoo; soon thereafter, it was exploited by the motion picture industry in an array of horror films. The form and function of cinematic zombies has shifted throughout the years, but the presence of the zombie film within the horror genre has remained a steady force since the early '30s.



Sasher Movies

Slashers are among the most prevalent types of horror movies, especially on video, and they're a particular favourite of modern horror fans. The definition of a slasher film varies depending on who you ask, but in general, it contains several specific traits that feed into the genre's formular