1. My Evaluation By Katie Greaves

2. Does my use of conventions indicate what other trailers have influenced my teaser trailer? Trailers that have influenced my trailer are: Paranormal Activity: My trailer evokes a foreboding sense of doom from the outset. The use of sound such as the footsteps and the build up of sound with a sudden bang, aim to not only shock audiences but to generate a sense of absolute terror and horror. Similarly, in the Paranormal Activity Trailer, sound also has a huge impact in portraying the conventions of a horror film. The use of the heartbeat reflects that of the audiences, how their hearts may too be racing as they watch the trailer. A beating heart has connotations of fear, and terror and is a usual convention in a horror movie. Again, like the Paranormal Activity trailer, the narrative is subtly introduced without revealing too much, this effective in that, the audience are aware of the storyline, but are left with a feeling of intrigue as the plot may be still ominous to them. The lost signal effect in the Paranormal Activity trailer I felt is extremely effective in implying the genre as well as the critic reviews that reflect the conventions of a trailer such as Terrifying etc. Often used by industries to promote their film. I have imitated this in my trailer to give a more authentic appeal. I also thought the location of a house, usually a safe haven was effective as in this case it was a dangerous place to be, the woman is totally vulnerable in her bedroom, as the girl who wants to possess her is watching over her in a sordid, creepy kind of way. The use of low key lighting also helps to create the night time atmosphere, dark, eerie and fear of the unknown. 3. Does my use of conventions indicate what other trailers have influenced my teaser trailer? Trailers that have influenced my trailer are: The Ring: The Ring trailer, a lot similar to Paranormal Activity again mostly featured in a what is meant to be a safe location, the home, and the use of low key lighting again creates an eerie atmosphere. However the main element of the horror genre I picked up from this trailer, was the girl and the use of mise en-scene. I based the girl in the attic in my trailer on the girl featured in the ring and this impacted my trailer greatly through the use of horror conventions allowing for the audience fearing what is in fact a young girl dressed in white. 4. How does your media product represent particular social groups? The social group I have represented in my trailer and on my poster is women: The Victim: I have very much played to the stereotype in my trailer, presenting the main female protagonist as a vulnerable, passive victim. This representation is portrayed almost immediately as the high angle shot, of her laying in bed whist she hears the footsteps above her, give her this this immediate inferiority to whatever it is she is afraid of. I have used many high angle shots as I believe that they work really effective, in cultivating a distressed woman victim. Paranormal activity was the inspiration for this character as the main female character is similarly victimised and eventually becomes possessed by some superior force in which she has no control. Through the use of Mise-en-scene it is evident that in both trailers, the woman is not considered special in anyway, she is an ordinary middle class woman who appears to be randomly victimised by something of the supernatural. The Girl: It could be argued that in my trailer the stereotype is almost reversed, as this young girl holds all the power, she is to be feared, I tried to portray this through the use of low angle shots especially the mirror the scene whereby the audience are looking up at her and it is evident she is in control. Young girls in horror films are usually the ones who are victimised such as Sorority Row etc. But by looking at trailers such as The Ring and Jennifers body, it is not always the case. 5. Who would be the audience for your teaser trailer? My target audience would be males and females aged 15+: I would not classify my film as an 18 as there is no gory, bloody elements, so the 15 certificate seems appropriate. I would not class it any lower as some of the content may be too frightening for younger views: because of the haunting and possessing themes and the plot although not very complex does need a level of understanding that 14 years olds and under may not fully be able to comprehend. After careful consideration and research of all classifications on the www.bbfc.co.uk the adjective strong was used on various occasions when describing language, violence and threat and menace After research www.bbfc.co.uk/classification/guidelines/15-2 this part of the website concluded what was acceptable in a 15 rated film such as: language, horror, discrimination. Overall, after researching all the terms and conditions of each classification I was able to come to a decision and the 15 certificate seemed most appropriate, all of the other trailers I looked at: Jennifer's Body, Paranormal Activity. The Ring, Sorority Row were also all rated 15 too. 6. How did you attract/address your audience? I attracted my audience in a variety of ways: Through my use of camera work I revealed specific things and concealed specific things. I introduced my trailer with a POV shot I feel this was effective as immediately the audience, and the protagonist both know as much as each other, there is a ominous sense of foreboding and the suspense is evident from the outset. I also used lots of high and low angle shots. The high angle shots portrayed the protagonist's vulnerability as she enters the attic, both her and the audience unaware of what is lurking in the shadows. The low angle shots I used when the girl in the attic was present, as it makes her seem powerful and as if she holds all control. Throughout my trailer I used a lot of long shots, and by using these shots, I revealed things to the reader that the protagonist was unaware of for example; the scene in the mirror, this adds to audience anticipation and creates a foreboding sense of doom. 7. How did you attract/address your audience? I attracted my audience in a variety of ways: Through my use of sound/editing/typography: Sound effects: Editing: I have used various non-digetic The fades to black in my trailer sound effects in my trailer that are highly important in terms are specifically relevant to the horror terms of audience suspense as genre. The ominous background noise they help to conceal bits of that is constantly present creates a creepy, bits of information that does not eerie atmosphere and adds to the sense need to be shown in a trailer. of foreboding doom. I have also included Similarly the fast pace editing more obvious digetic sound conventions further on in the trailer again such as the loud footsteps in the attic, that gets the audiences adrenaline Again create suspense as both protagonist pumping. And audience realise they are not alone. I Have also included build up sounds for Typography: example the mirror scene and the final The use of typography evident bedroom scene to really create audience evident in my trailer gives the anticipation. The digetic dialogue adds to the audience almost film reviews eerie atmosphere especially when the girl almost again making the audience casts a spell on the protagonist as she whispers want to go and watch it. in her ear as if to possess her. Similarly when It also plays a vital part in the main character asks Mark is that you? and introducing the genre of the there is no reply, the audience and protagonist film. are left in with a sense of the unknown. 8. How did you attract/address your audience? Here is my Little White Lies magazine cover. As you can see I have kept the usual conventions of a magazine such as the cover star with direct address as the main part of the magazine. I used a dominant midi shot to reveal her scary features but also wanted to conceal the rest of her so the audience are intrigued. The cover line The Intruder gives an automatic indication of the genre and compliments the main cover photo. and title of the film. However Little White Lies have a specific style which I have kept within the theme of my magazine. I made the cover star look almost abstract in a creative Style and based it very much on this original cover of Little White Lies The Master I attracted my audience in a variety of ways (Magazine): 9. How did you attract/address your audience? I attracted my audience in a variety of ways (Poster): I attracted my audience by effectively following the conventions of an existing film poster. I used a dominant main image to intrigue the audience and fit with the horror genre. It also portrays a complex narrative as very little has been revealed. I have used dark colours such as grey and black but then contrasted them with white so the poster stands out from generic horror posters. The use of direct address intimidates the audience but also entices them. It is evident from the presentation of the picture and the film title, that she is The Intruder The credits at the bottom are also a regular convention on a film poster, and I feel it attracts the audience as it makes the poster appear authentic and look realistic. 10. How effective is the combination of your main products and ancillary texts? I tried to create a consistent theme throughout all ancillary products especially the film poster and trailer. The magazine however I knew would be a complete contrast to the trailer and poster. Because of the company Little White Lies on each magazine they create an almost abstract very creative quirky front cover and I felt that it would be a bit different to perhaps have a contrast to film poster and trailer. My ancillary products are effective: 11. How effective is the combination of your main products and ancillary texts? I wanted to create a consistency throughout all my products, by making the girl in the attic the main feature on both my magazine and poster. I feel this type of branding is very important to consider when approaching the target audience especially when it all specifically related to one main product. The Direct Address from the Cover Star on the magazine and on the poster, are very effective in portraying a threatening, creepy character. Similarly in the trailer the narrative is kept concealed which is highly effective arousing intrigue within the audience similar to both magazine and poster which do not give away too much information and reveal a mysterious Character whom the audience may be fascinated by. My main product is effective (trailer): 12. What have you learnt from your audience feedback? I composed a questionnaire for my first part of research, I then went and spoke to the manager of HMV in Birmingham Bullring and asked if I could ask some of the customers browsing the horror genre in the store a series of questions. I felt that by through doing this I would get a more accurate answers by approaching the actual target audience rather than asking just family and friends who may not be interested in the genre. I came up with a series of questions that would enable me to construct a perfect trailer for the horror genre for example: What elements of a horror film bring about the most fear? The most common answer for this question was the supernatural and horror conventions such as squeaking doors and footsteps. Target Audience feedback I feel was personally the most important as they are the people I am aiming my trailer towards. I have learnt in order to make a successful trailer, their opinions are the most relevant. Similarly, when I had made my first attempt of a trailer and poster, and magazine the opinions of my peers and their constructive criticism allowed me, to be able to improve my work profoundly and taking all their advice on board also helped me to realise what needed improvement and how I could approach it. From my audience feedback I have learnt: 13. How did you use new media technologies in the research and planning, construction and evaluation stage ? www.kategreaves72.blogspot.co.uk Through approaching my coursework in a blog fashion I was able to include YouTube videos, existing trailers, photos, film posters and magazines and my questionnaire results. My blog enabled me to include all these resources in a concise and easy accessible way. Through constant use of the internet, and my blog, I was able to access different horror trailers on YouTube as well as film posters through various websites but mainly through Google images. Therefore the internet played a key role in my research through looking at existing products as well as accessing information quickly and easily. I also downloaded the E Blogger App on my Iphone and therefore was able to access it any time of the day and could update it whenever. I presented my research and planning on my blog: 14. How did you use new media technologies in the research and planning, construction and evaluation stage ? Construction I decided to use a digital camera in the filming process of my trailer. I liked the handheld effect it created and was similar to that of paranormal activity a film that influenced my trailer hugely. I also felt that using the digital camera provided better quality and I could do all kinds of different shots with it at different angles. I had never used a digital camera before but found it easy to work and get to grips with and I also enjoyed some of the features such as zoom for the close up shots and zooming out for the long shots. I originally used Moviemaker to edit my clips and but them all together, however although I felt confident using this software I felt very limited in terms of editing and adding sound effects etc. I then decided to use a programme called Movieplus, this had loads of different editing features and tools I could play around with. Although I was not as confident using this software as I was using Moviemaker, by the end of my trailer I was able to do all kinds of Editing such as increase the brightness, change the colour and add texts and credits. It was through my audience feedback that I decided to change software and it was the right choice as my trailer would have been nowhere near as effective and look as good if I wouldnt have listened to them and stuck with Moviemaker. I used a digital camera to film my trailer: 15. How did you use new media technologies in the research and planning, construction and evaluation stage ? Construction For my Ancillary products I decided to use the software Paint.net. I had used this the previous years for both my GCSEs and AS coursework. I felt confident using it and liked all the tools and effects that it had. Last year when I was having a play around with it I came across a tool called colour aberration. I tried it out on a picture of Megan Fox. I really loved the effect it created a kind of retro vibe but it didnt fit with my product last year so I could not use it. This year however, Little White Lies Magazine has a retro kind of vibe so I used the colour aberration and it complimented the magazine cover perfectly. 16. How did you use new media technologies in the research and planning, construction and evaluation stage ? Construction My film poster I also created on Paint.net again I felt confident with the tools it provides and had a play around and experimented with the contrast/brightness etc. I decided to use Paint.net for both my film poster and magazine as I feel it is the most accessible to me, easy to use and looks professional. Evaluation I used Microsoft PowerPoint to create my evaluation then uploaded it onto www.slideshare.com I was able to include pictures, hyperlinks, posters etc. And feel this software is the most accessible and easiest to use. 17. Looking back at AS what do you think you have learnt from the progression of your construction in your A2 coursework? Research and Planning I have been a lot more efficient this year in terms of research and planning, I feel I havent wasted any time on unnecessary information and have used my time management skills a lot more efficiently. I have used titles on my Blog posts to keep all my research conceive and havent just put lots of the same posts with the same things I have been able to combine different areas of research together for example: Instead off posting lots of blogs of film trailers I put them all in one blog and wrote about them. I have received more accurate audience feedback by approaching my audience directly instead of asking friends and family who may not be interested or may know nothing about the genre. Overall I feel I have managed my time a lot better, found only essential/required information and had a lot more audience feedback. Construction In AS I was told to do a music magazine, however in A2 I didnt feel as limited I could choose if I wanted to do a trailer, advert, radio production or music video, there wasnt a specific genre so I automatically felt more passionate about my coursework as I had the final decision on what I wanted to do and the choices I made. As I made a magazine last year, this year it almost came naturally to me, I wanted to do something a bit edgy and slightly unique and thats when I decided to do Little White Lies it is not a very mainstream magazine, so it was a risk trying to create the abstract, artistic design that is evident throughout all the copies. I think the risk paid off as I am very pleased with my final product. I have learnt from my progression from AS to A2: 18. Looking back at AS what do you think you have learnt from the progression of your construction in your A2 coursework? Construction Similarly, with my film poster I felt confident using Paint.net I have used it various times in my media lessons. However this year I experimented more with the different tools that perhaps at AS I hadnt used. I played around with the colour and changed the brightness/contrast. My Trailer was something completely new that I had never done before. Using the digital camera I could create loads of different shots such as POV and Close Ups and well as High and Low Angle shots which all contributed to the climatic trailer I eventually created. Similarly using the programme Movieplus instead of Moviemaker I could edit the footage I collected and add in Fade to black shots which played an intricate role in being effective editing. POV Shot High Angle/Close Up Shots Low Angle Shots Long ShotFade to black 19. Evaluate technical decisions of your teaser trailer Camerawork Through my use of camerawork I successfully revealed the narrative through moving image. The different camera shots I used such as Close Ups revealed heightened emotion which is a conventional aspect of the horror genre. Similarly through the High and Low Angle shots I was able to establish characters and their roles within my trailer. The POV shots help the audience have more of a relationship with the protagonist as they are in a sense seeing events unfold through her eyes and are therefore more in touch with the character. Editing Through the use of the slow editing pace at the start I was able to build up a sense of foreboding and create an ominous atmosphere. As the editing pace increases and fast pace editing is evident within my trailer the cuts to black conceal part of the narrative arousing intrigue within the audience something that a trailer is supposed to achieve, my trailer ends with a climatic finish leaving the audience in complete suspense so they feel they must watch this film. The cuts to credits in between my trailer I feel are a very effective editing technique as terrifying scariest film of the year establish the genre if not already been done. Technical decisions for my trailer: 20. Evaluate technical decisions of your teaser trailer Sound Using freesound.com I collected various sounds, to create suspense and a foreboding atmosphere, I feel the sounds I have used have achieved this. The digetic footsteps are commonly associated with the horror genre. I also used a background non digetic sound that is quite ominous, making the audience feel on edge are they too are unaware of what is in store. In Paranormal Activity, a non digetic heartbeat is used, I thought this was really effective in terms of audience anticipation, as it is almost a reflection of their own heartbeats as they are terrified of what is about to happen. The digetic sound is what is to be feared the most, when the girl whispers in order to possess the woman there is a chilling feeling that follows. Similarly, when the woman asks 'Mark is that you?' but because of the earlier footsteps it is evident there is someone else intruding. Mise-en-scene: Lighting: I have mainly used Low key lighting to create an eerie, dark atmosphere and fear of the unknown, it is again a common trend within all the trailers I have been looking at. Especially in The Ring. The use of natural light in my trailer is used to create a natural environment like in Paranormal Activity, but it also creates suspense as normally light is associated with being safe, but I have gone against this so the audience feel perhaps relieved as they think bad things don't tend to happen in day light but the mirror scene in the attic is perhaps a slight contrast to the usual conventions. Location: My trailer is set in a house, it is in a sense isolated as the woman thinks she is alone, but it is not a stereotypical horror, haunted house, as it is fairly modern and not necessarily in a forest in the middle of nowhere. However, the attic is perhaps quite a stereotypical convention as attics/basements are usually where murders etc hide waiting for their victim. Normally a house is seen as a safe haven for people, where they are safe from everything, but when the girl descends from the attic the woman's vulnerability is in full force as the girl is no longer hiding but in the place where people feel most safe, this invasion is what creates such terror and suspense within the audience. This is also where the name 'The Intruder' came from, as the girl is in fact intruding as she is no longer stereo-typically hidden in a dark creepy attic but in the open space of a bedroom. Costumes and props: My main female protagonist is dressed fairly ordinary, to show she is not special, she is just an average middle class woman, this evokes fear within the audience as they think that could be me? it also a lot more relate-able. The girl in the attic, I dressed in white, to portray her youth, she is youthful, pure? I also based her on the girl from the ring. I messed her hair up so she looked scary and dark eye makeup and a pale face so she look dead. 21. Discuss possible improvements that you could of made on your promotion package? Trailer I feel in my trailer it takes too long for the first credits to show. I also feel that the footsteps are too constant. I have also misspelled the word Terrifying in the credits Poster I feel I could have made lots of improvements on my poster: I liked the photo I used in my poster however all through my Research and planning I expressed on my blog how I wanted to use both the womans face and the scary girls face and combine them together so it like a good vs. evil. However when I tried to do this it didnt look how I imagined so the poster I feel was maybe rushed as I quickly had to come up with a new idea. Magazine Although Little White Lies is very minimalistic in terms of taglines etc. I feel maybe instead of keeping to the exact theme maybe just adding a little more text. I maybe could have also used the Colour Aberration slightly more effectively so the picture is more clear. Improvements I could have made: