Structure of a film trailer

Beginning – act 1

-          Certification screen is presented

-          Setting the scene/story and introducing the character(s)

-          Adds slight humour to show that the film is in-fact a parody

-          Institutional information is given (developers etc.)

Middle – act 2

-          Build up of the actual story

-          (disequilibrium) Introduced to the scream figure who is the “bad guy”

-          Bad things happen like violence and killings

-          Middle ends with a slight climax

-          May or may not be split up with some on-screen text

End – act 3

-          (equilibrium) Mood begins to move into a more comical tone and additional humour is included

-          A montage of many of the things that will happen in the film

-          Powerful/emotional/funny scenes presented with quick editing or slow editing

Interviews for horror market research

Last lesson, we went out with the cameras as we were told that we needed to do some market research about horror films. Due there being so many people in lesson, we decided to interview ourselves as have a substantial amount of knowledge on horror films and it meant that we could practice using the camera etc. Below is a video which combines the multiple "filmings" we made last lesson.



From the interviews, I now understand that action/horror film trailers work very well as many unique features can be included, and it is fairly easy to make something original and different from all other trailers. This would be a good genre for our film trailer because we have a variety of software at our fingertips; thus increasing professionally and enjoyment. My group discussed this matter and we think that an action/horror film trailer would work very well because we all have great ideas, and we are all competent at using equipment/editing software at an average if not above average level.

Filiming experiment - Fight Scene

In our last media lesson, my group wanted to practice some of the skills we have learned throughout the second year of our media A-level course. By using such techniques, we were able to implement our ideas and acquire a general feel for what may be needed in the final horror film trailer. Below is the video we filmed:



KEY ROLES WITHIN THE FILMING AND FINALISING OF THE FILM:


Aaran - Actor & Editor
Campbell - Co Director & Camera Man
Jake - Actor & Director
Alex - Actor & Location Manager

Aaran - As an actor, one of my roles was to forget about the camera filming the scene. This is because we wanted the footage to be as real as possible without any signs that we were filming during a media lesson. I had to work with the rest of the group effectively so that every aspect of the clip looked professional and appealing.
Additionally, I was the editor for the clip which was important as this included: merging clips together, trimming clips, adding effects, and applying suitable music. For this task, I used the Apple software 'iMovie'. This is a very professional piece of software which allows an editor (myself) to easily apply sound and trim different clips. However I have learned that this piece of software will be far too basic for the trailer which we will make; it does not include enough features and would be difficult to use with very large clips. However I was still able to apply things like fast motion, slow motion, soundtrack etc.

Campbell - One of Campbell's roles was Co Director. As Co Director, he had to work in conjunction with Jake and give any inputs to the decisions made which he thought were necessary. There were a number of occasions where this was very important, because it was effective having two different ideas; this resulted in better outputs. Likewise, this also gave him freedom with his camera work as he could decide when and what shots to use.
Another role Campbell took was the camera man. This was a vital role in the filming of this clip as each shot had to be correct. Campbell had to apply an effective range of versatility to the project as there were a number of different shots which were needed. Examples include: long shots, tracking shots, crab shots, two shot and overhead shot.

Jake - Jake had to roles: the director and an actor. Like me, Jake also had to take into account the realism of the video as he tried to forget about the camera being there. He gave Alex and I the different moves to use and when to use them. This was key as we had to take each move "in turns" so that the scene didn't look too complicated.
As director, Jake had one of the most important roles in the array as he had to allocate each of us different roles. Likewise he decided on the mise-en-scene, some of the shots to use, and where each person should be. I believe that Jake was very effective as director, and if he continues, he would definitely suit this role.

Alex - One of Alex's roles was an actor. Although Alex was one of the smaller roles, he was still very important for the filming of the scene. Alex was the actor who usually allowed specific moves to be initiated; likewise he was probably one of the more believable characters; especially when I accidentally kicked him in the arm. If Alex was to work in our group, I think that he would suit the role of an actor very well as he is flexible in the way that he can change character so quickly.
Alex was also the location manager. This meant that he had to quickly and easily identify locations which could be used for the video, as well as using these with key features in the video. Overall, I think Alex fulfilled his roles successfully.

IMPROVEMENTS

Although we did many things well during the filming and finalising of the short film, there are still a few things which could have been improved and should be considered next time we do such a task.

Aaran - I believe that I could have been slightly more accurate in terms of my editing as there are some occurrences in the video where an action slightly jumps. This is because the two or more clips haven't been perfectly merged together. In order to correct this, I would have to use a feature in iMovie called "advanced timeline editing" which allows one to analyse the timeline in as much depth and accuracy as possible. Likewise I could have experimented more with the use of fade in/out, however I didn't think that this was needed for such a small task.


Campbell - I believe that Campbell could have held the camera more steady when he was filming as there is a fair amount of camera shake throughout the video. At some moments, this was intended however next time I think we should have the tripod ready as it is vital shots are steady. Likewise the amount of film time could have been increased as I found it difficult to edit clips well which were only a few seconds on. It would have been better to film too much than too little as it would allow for experimentation.

Jake - I believe that Jake's decisions could have been more direct in the sense that there were periods in which he didn't really know who was going where and when different things should have been happening. Additionally his awareness of the camera could have been improved due to high amount of times where he would smile at the camera after acting a certain part of the video.

Alex - Finally, I believe that Alex could have taken more of a lead role as the locations manager. When we put our ideas across for where we should film the scene, he agreed but didn't really add his ideas or thoughts. However I do believe Alex was very successful at everything else and succeeded very well with the acting in the video.

Planning of the film production

Planning for a film is extremely important as this is the vital process which will determine the film’s success. If planning is skipped, then there will be no real idea on how the film is going to work and what might be included in aspects like trailers etc. Planning includes things like thinking about possible genres, creating storyboards, and finding locations and actors for the film. Planning can take a lot of time when creating a film; however this is expected as it is one of the most important parts in the process. Below are the steps which must be carried out when undertaking the process of creating a film:

1.      Possible genres – action, horror, comedy etc.

2.      Initial ideas – brainstorms, notes etc.

3.      Check if initial ideas are possible to carry out

4.      Advance on initial ideas by finding locations, hiring sets and suitable actors/actresses. Research/popularity. Pros and cons.

5.      Rekey of the locations that may be needed for the film.

6.      Hire the crew which will be needed for filming, editing, costume etc.

7.      Begin to film and make sure all necessary equipment needed for the film is at hand

8.      Create a story board for the film which will help with the planning of shots etc.

9.      Write a script for the film

10.  Meeting with cast and crew and give a shooting schedule. People, time and place

11.  Film

12.  Go through the footage and take out certain clips which are not needed. Re-film if needed

13.  Edit the film to make it look and work like a film

Depth of field

Key words

·         F stop

·         Aperture

·         Focal length

·         Focus

·         DOF

Depth of field depends on:        

·         Aperture size (F -stop) – small number = wider hole and shallower depth

·         Focal length

·         Distance to subject

Deep DOF

·         Allows for a much sharper image

Shallow DOF

·         Wide aperture (Small F-stop)

·         Large focal length (zoom in)

·         As close to the subject as possible

Deep depth of field

·         Use automatic settings as much as possible

·         Use a narrow aperture (large F-stop)

·         Small focal length

·         Stand away from the subject

Audience and audience theories

Audience profile for young male adult:

·         Interests?

·         Hobbies?

·         Favourite genre of film?

·         What budget do you live on?

·         Where do you live?

·         How often do you watch films?

·         What job do you have?

·         How old you are?

·         Where do you live? – how much they earn and what interests they have

·         Favourite film?

·         How do you watch films? – Cinema, DVD, digital download etc.

How to find it out:

·         Questionnaire – Twitter, Survey Monkey, FaceBook, paper, email etc. (use a mixture of open and multiple choice questions).

Classification of audiences:

·         (A) Upper middle class – top management, bankers, lawyers, doctors and other professionals

·         (B) Middle class – middle management, teachers, many ‘creatives’ e.g. graphic designers etc

·         (C1) Lower middle class – office supervisors, junior managers, nurses, specialist clerical staff etc

·         (C2) Skilled working  class – skilled workers, tradespersons (white collar)

·         (D) Working class – semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers (blue collar)

·         (E) People at lowest level of income – unemployed, students, pensioners, casual workers

Categorising people

·         Mainstreamers – make up 40% of the populations. They like security, and belonging to a group

·         Aspirers – want status and the esteem of others. Like status symbols, designer labels etc. Live off credit and cash

·         Succeeders – people who have already got status and control

·         Reformers – define themselves by their self-esteem and self-fulfilment

Audience theory – The Effects/Hypodermic model

According to the theory the media is like a syringe which injects ideas, attitudes and beliefs into the audience who as a powerless mass have little choice to be influenced. For example, if someone is eating a bacon sandwich on TV, it is likely that one will want a bacon sandwich.

There is however a problem with this theory. Not everyone who watches films like Hannibal will go and eat people; likewise they are usually not equated with such acts. The theory is far too simplistic.

We are now part of the media (web 2.0) as social interaction has proved. We are now both the producer and the consumer. We also influence the media as we create products ourselves.

Uses and Gratifications theory

This model is the basis of Hierarchy of Needs identified by Maslow. This theory is a tool which explains why people watch certain media. Bulmer and Katz state:

·         Information – we want to find out about society and the world, likewise we want to learn more about the world

·         Personal activity – we may watch media in order to look for models as well as relate ourselves to characters in that piece of media. If we agree with their actions, we feel better about ourselves

·         Integration and Social Interaction – watching a show helps us empathise and sympathise with the lives of others. We will talk about what we have seen.

·         Entertainment – sometimes we simply use the media for enjoyment, relaxation or just to fill time

Match on action

In our last media lesson, we used the cameras to film examples of the match on action. In my group, we decided to do a chase scene in which two people were running through a school. We used the doors to our advantage as the match on action worked perfectly. To do this, we had to use 3 different shots in similar positions and considering the 180 degree rule. This was important as we didn’t want it to look like the people were running in a different direction. Likewise we used a variety of other shots such as crab shots and mid-shots. Using a variety meant that the chase looked as realistic as possible and the verisimilitude was enhanced.
Definition of match on action: A process of cutting a sequence of the same action together to make it appear seamless. A technique used in continuity editing - Google Definitions.

Below is the video we filmed in the media lesson where we were told to film a match on action: