As my production is in the horror/thriller genre the magazine will be a horror film magazine. Horror film magazines are more likely to feature more independent and smaller films as they have a niche refined audience.
I will be using the horror film magazine 'Scream' to feature my film. Below is the cover that i will use based off of many 'Scream' front covers i have looked at. As i have yet to have a photoshoot for the magazine i have left where the main image would be, blank. I have included everything that is on a scream magazine cover i.e Masthead, Tagline, Barcode, Issue number, Price, Date, Website, Cover line, Cover story's etc. I have also kept the film's font the same to keep it recognisable and to keep continuity between my products.
From looking at various film magazine covers i have developed an outline for the layout. Magazine covers often have the main image in the background and all of the text apart from the masthead overlapping. The placing of the barcode isn't the same in all magazines, sometimes it is placed on the back cover and sometimes it is placed on the bottom right of the front cover.
The layout for film magazines is more or less the same in every genre. e.g
After researching posters i have decided that i will be creating a theatrical poster as the theatrical poster is often released shortly after the teaser trailer so i feel it would be fitting to do this as it follows the conventions of film and poster releasing.
A film ident is basically a production or distribution companies logo that is played before a trailer or film. It is usually the companies logo animated into a clip between 1-5 seconds, but this is different for teaser trailers as they are very short in length and the idents should be a fraction of the trailer.
I am planning on having 2 idents in my trailer. One for the production company and another for the distribution company. For most production company idents that are included in horror films/trailers they are either companies that make horror films exclusively or they create in a wide range of genres.
Original ident
If a generally production company have their ident in a film they most of the time change their ident to fit with the genre or film subject. An example of this is Lionsgate. Lionsgate create for a variety of different genre films for example action and adventure, comedy, family, Sci-fi and horror. Lionsgate’s typical logo is grey. But they changed their ident and colour scheme to fit with the horror genre when they create a horror film. They changed the background/clouds to be red, this is becuase red is a conventional colour in
Horror film ident
horror films as it connotate blood and death.
Many horror production companies have their idents fit with the horror genre. This can be done with conventional horror colours such as red or black or horror related items such as abandoned houses or skulls. An example is Dark Castle Entertainment, they are known for films such as house of wax or orphan. Their ident includes castles, full moons and dark clouds.
I created a survey on survey monkey for audience research to help me narrow down who my target audience might be and help me tailor the trailer/film to that audience. I posted the link on multiple social media sites which allowed me to gain 17 results.
Overall what i have found from this survey is that my target audience will be a mix between 13-17 and 18-25 years old but mainly the latter and there is no targeted gender. The horror sub-genre will be psychological and the age my cast will preferably mixed however 16-23 years old is also an option.
I used survey monkey to create this survey as it is simple to set up and analyse results. If i were to improve this survey i would add some explanations to the sub genres because i think that some people didn't know what they were e.g body horror. I would also try and get the survey out to a wider audience as i mainly distributed it through my friends on Facebook and other social medias.
I did some research on Pete Buckingham, head of distribution and exhibition for the UK film council to understand more about audiences and audience theory.
Here are some statistics about UK audiences:
Young- 15-24 Year olds represent 32% of the population, but 40% of the cinema audience. By contrast 55+ represent 34% of the population, but only 20% of the cinema audience. 35-44 Year olds who make up 38% of cinema audience represent 35% of the population
Upmarket- ABC1s represent 49% of the population, but 60% of the cinema audience. We can assume the older the audience, the more upmarket.
Frequency- 15-34 Year olds represent 60% of heavy cinema goers and within that 40% are from the 15-24 group. Medium cinema goers are 50% of 25-44 year olds. The 55+ make up 32% of the light cinema goers.
From this information we see there are two main audience types, the young and the upmarket who are older people. The upmarket audience tend to frown upon the younger audience who usually prefer multiplex cinemas because it makes it a more social event. For example the ODEON in Norwich has restaurants and clubs in the vicinity, meaning it is highly likely their main customers are young people. Whereas the upmarket audience are more likely to go to an art house to watch the films, which appeals to them.
Audiences can also be categorised by what are known as clusters. These are groups of people based on averages who follow certain patterns when watching films. They include:
Hero seeker- Don't go out much, place well in advance
Impulsive materialist- Fashion victim, affluent, film-dinner-drinks, word of mouth is key
Film fanatics- Male, pre-plan their trip, 25-44, go in 2s, review-led
Impressionable socialites- Male/Female, under 25, like blockbusters, led by ads
Modern parents- Kids pressuring the parents
Fun lovers- Not film literate, big film and video consumers
Youth of today- See films as soon as they come out
These categories are not entirely accurate as they are based on averages and trends. They don't provide enough information for writers or director to use when deciding on their audience.
Pete asked audiences which activities were more important to them than films, here were the results:
To help me fully understand who my audience will be i researched film certificates and what qualifies a film to be a certain classification. These criteria will influence the decisions i make in my production.
Below is a survey on audience research to help me refine my target audience and to gain knowledge of what my audience like i.e cast age, sub genre Create your own user feedback survey
Below is a flip book analysing the insidious issue of fangoria magazine. I choose to analyse this magazine because the production i will be creating will be of the horror genre and as fangoria is centred around horror films it seems like a good place to get inspiration from.
28 Days Later is a 2002 zombie horror film directed by Danny Boyle. The film is about a breakdown in society after a highly contagious virus is accidentally released, causing an epidemic. Throughout the film we follow four survivors in their struggle to cope with the destruction of their society. The teaser trailer is a minute and a half long which is conventional for a teaser trailer.
The trailer starts by showing the Fox starting sequence and slowly shutting off the searchlights. This suggest evacuation and emergency. Then it shows a caption reading “On the first day” which flashes in time with what sounds like warning alarms. This immediately tells the audience that something bad has happened. Another caption then follows, reading “EXPOSURE”. At this point, the sound consists of ape like noises, and then a woman crying “let me out”. This could connote that the virus which will be released in this film makes people react in an animalistic behaviour.
The dark background is typical of the horror genre, as the dark connotes danger and the unknown. The font seems to vibrate as a siren sounds, which reinforces the immediate danger and intrigues the viewer as to what the emergency is. The fact there is no dialogue in the whole teaser trailer reinforces the idea of an epidemic and the loss of humanity.
It then cuts to a point of view shot lasting a second, in which the camera tracks towards a woman very quickly. This adds to the tension as the speed of the shot allow the audience to believe the point of view shot is from someone who is infected with the virus. It then cuts to another screen caption which reads “Day 3”, followed by “INFECTION”. Again, there is some audio that sounds like some kind of animal. This sound adds to the tension of the trailer because it is the unknown. Not knowing what the noise is specifically would keep the audience on the edge of their seat, wanting to discover more from the trailer.
It then cuts to another shot which lasts less than a second. It is not too clear as to what is happening in this shot due to the speed of it and dark lighting conditions. There are three characters in the shot, two of which are running towards a car whereas the other is stood still. It is unclear as to whether or not the people in this shot are infected or not. There are also, what appears to be rats crawling along the ground in the shot. By adding hundreds of rats in this shot, this could mean that the virus is spreading further as rats are known for carrying diseases. This extremely quick shot adds to the tension from the previous shot in which the audience is left confused, wanting to see more.
It then cuts to another screen caption shot which reads “Day 8”, followed by a quick shot of a woman lying on the floor. Again, the audience is left unaware as to what is going on in the shot. It then cuts back to another screen caption shot reading “EPIDEMIC”. These short screen captions help attract the audience because it doesn’t give away too much about the film. By not explaining in much detail, this makes the audience think about the film more, as they have to figure out what is going on themselves. It then cuts to a low angle shot of people running and then a flash of light. There are also sounds of a what could be defibrillator, this shows us that the virus is killing people and perhaps the hospitals cant help. These extremely quick shots are then followed by another screen caption reading “Day 15”. It then cuts back to another shot of people running in which the camera is tracking alongside their legs.
It then cuts to another screen caption reading “EVACUATION” with the sound of sirens playing implying an emergency. A quick shot of a character swinging a sharp weapon towards the camera is then shown, lasting approximately half a second. In this shot the camera is most likely in an victims or maybe one of the infected's point of view. It then cuts back to another screen caption reading “Day 20”. These quick paced shots between each screen caption continue to build to the tension. By making each shot no longer than a second, the audience is left unsatisfied, wanting to see more from each particular scene.
It then cuts to six shots consisting of different angle shots of a shop blowing up and an extreme close up of an eye opening. These six shots are shown within the space of two seconds. By speeding up the pace of the shots even more, the tension builds even higher than before. It then cuts back to another screen caption shot reading “DEVASTATION” which holds the tension at a standstill for the audience as they wait to witness more. It then cuts to a shot of the man who opened his eyes in a previous shot getting up from a hospital bed. It is shown from a high angle, in which the hospital setting is completely messy. This helps set the scene for the audience and also the character as we are both unsure as to what is happening. However, the audience has already seen half of the trailer before this character appears. This adds adds an irony to the trailer because the audience is aware of the virus already, whereas the character that now appears in the trailer seems to have no idea as to what is going on.
It then cuts to another screen caption reading “28 days later...” , the text os pulsing much like that of a heartbeat. The text could connote that this is where the film/trailer really begins because ’28 Days Later’ is the name of the film. It then shows a series of shots where the character walks around the messy hospital setting where there appears to be no sign of civilization. It then cuts to a series of shots including high and low angles of London in a complete mess, where again there are no signs of civilization except the character from the hospital who is now calling “hello” repeatedly. The man who appears in the trailer is the only person who appears in the trailer for a consistent amount of time, allowing the audience to identify him as the main character in this film. The film title/logo shows up and is not fully clear, it is also red. The font is use on the poster as well as the trailer, which creates a sense of continuity and reinforces the movie as a brand. The use of the colour red is typical of the horror genre as it connotes blood and violence. It then shows the a 'from the creator of' screen, this further promotes the film, as Danny Boyle is a respected directer, and these films are well known and were well received, and therefore fans of his may want to go to see the film based on his reputation and experience of his past films.
A final shot of the man’s face reinforces his character’s position as “hero”. The high camera angle causes him to look vulnerable and frightened. The tagline “the days are numbered” seems like a threat or warning. This also leaves the audience questioning, does the 28 days refer to the characters life span from the epidemic of the “infected”, or how long the infection takes. This leaves the viewer intrigued.
This teaser trailer continuously consists of fast shots and screen captions. No shot lasts longer then a second or two, making the trailer extremely tense for the audience and quite literally ‘teasing’ the audience by not giving away too much so that the audience is left wanting to see more.
For my trailer i would like to use the idea of a disease and the hospital setting used here. I also like the shots showing that the main character is alone and will use them as inspiration for my production. However i will not be using the constant text breaking up the trailer as i feel it removes the audience from what is happening and doesn't allow for immersion.
A Nightmare on Elm Street is an American film remakeclassed as a Slasher. The trailer 2 minutes and 8 seconds long which breaks the conventions of a typical teaser trailer which is usually between 30-90 seconds long. The reason it is still classed as a teaser trailer is because it was released around 6 months before the film was released.
The film centres around a group of teenagers being stalked and murdered in their dreams by a man named Freddy Krueger, eventually discovering they all share a common link from their childhood that is making them targets for Freddy.
The trailer starts with establishing shots of factories. They seem mundane, yet the dark and mist makes them seem typical of the horror genre. A man then appears running away from cars that are chasing him. He is a silhouette against the car headlights and therefore we cannot see the man’s identity. This makes him mysterious and intrigues the viewer. Drums can be heard as non diegetic sound, seemingly reflecting the man’s heartbeat and adrenaline. At this point the villain is shown to be the people chasing him, however, this is misleading as further on in the trailer we learn that the villain is actually the hunted man and he is believed to have murdered members of the mob’s children. The use of dialogue in of the man shouting “Krueger, you sick bastard” informs the viewer that this is the infamous Freddy Krueger of the original Nightmare on Elm Street. Kreuger is shown from a high angle shot, presenting him as vulnerable, and his protests that he hasn’t done anything wrong which presents him as seemingly innocent. A shot of who seems to be the leader of the bob is a low angle, this represents him as having power over Krueger at this point. The introduction to the trailer indicates the movie to be a mysterious and haunting that those people had made a terrible mistake and will pay a price, also the quick close up shot of the woman’s face expressing her reaction which was connoting fear and horrified form her non-verbal communication.
The directors name is then shown, which would appeal to fan’s of the director’s other movies and those familiar with his reputation. The font is use on the poster as well as the trailer, which creates a sense of continuity and reinforces the movie as a brand. The use of the colour red is typical of the horror genre as it connotes blood and violence. There is then a flashing image of three old fashioned little girls skipping, which is a disturbing as they showed an image of children alongside a convicted child murder burning to death which is is disturbingly frightening.
This is then followed by a diegetic dialogue of a girl describing her dreams featuring Krueger. The use of a frightened attractive teenage girl is typical of the horror genre. This is then followed by a close up of the “Elm Street”, further promoting the treatment and brand of the movie. The violent imagery of Kreugers claws emitting sparks and a girl sitting upright in bed screaming presents Krueger as a frightening, supernatural villain. And shows us that he uses dreams to scare his victims. The image of the children that follows this again seems out of place and disturbing.
This is then followed by what the audience assume is the characters dreams, including a huge hand rising out of the bath tub to murder the woman. Diegetic sound of children singing a nursery rhyme is played over this, this has a chilling effect as the rhyme is innocent and childlike, yet is linked to violence and fear. Throughout this sequence there are many shots of children with claw marks on their dresses, this leads us to believe that these are Kreugers original victims and that the singing is from those victims. The nursery rhyme quits and replaced by what sounds like rhythmic breathing, which connotes fear, as a young teenage boy is shown running from Krueger in the factories that were shown at the start of the trailer. This makes the trailer seem circular, and implies that the as a lot of Kreugers behaviour is determined by his past. The iconic claws on his hand are then shown in a close up, implying violence and appealing to fans of the original.
The clips of characters dream’s becomes faster and more frenzied, creating suspense and fully capturing the audiences attention. This is intersected with images of a silhouette of Krueger against a golden light, walking closer towards the camera in a threatening manner. This reinforces his power over his victims as a villain.
The sequence ends with a scream which then cuts to the title which is in the typical red front for the horror genre. The tagline for the movie is “Don't fall asleep” shown in the title font of the movie, helping to create a sense of continuity. It references Krueger’s individuality as a villain, he can only reach his victims through their dreams, which would appeal to an audience, as this is a different kind of horror movie villain.
Although unconventionally long for a teaser trailer i believe
this is very effective as it establishes the main character and location and it shows you just enough to understand the story but still want to see the film.
Paranormal Activity is a 2007 American found footage supernatural film. It is the first out of six in the franchise.
The image used in this poster introduces the audience to the two main characters and the setting. The female character is pointing to a mysterious figure at the door and this highlights that the supernatural will play a role int he film. From first impressions, a sense of normality is created as the setting appears very ordinary and therefore this is more relatable to the audience. The bedroom would usually be associated with comfort and safety however the darkness and mysterious figure creates a sense of fear and danger. The image appears quite grainy and this reflects how the events are being filmed on a video camera the time in the corner adds to this. Using the time in the corner reflects how the events are happening at night and his is a convention of horror as events often happen in the darkness to add to the unknown and eerie atmosphere. The blue tint emphasises that the main horror happens during the night. By having the main image smaller it gets the whole frame of a video camera and further shows us it is a found footage film. It also allows the poster to be unique as most film posers have an image over the whole of the poster.
The poster has a simplistic colour scheme which includes the colours black , white, blue and red. All the colours are dark and gloomy and represent the horror genre. The red and black could signalise danger or death. The use of the black back ground and because the whole poster and main image is really dark it could suggest that the film is mainly set at night. This adds to the fear factor because people think of the night as the scariest time as you don’t know what can happen to you when your in the dark. The white text creates a 'ghostly' feel which is relevant to the demon/possession theme. The colour blue in the text and the blue shade across the image not only highlights the night vision of the camera but also suggests a cold and chilling atmosphere which is often associated with the supernatural and ghosts.
The title is written in a text that is larger and in a different colour compared to the other text on the poster, this enables the title of the film to stand out. Also, the blurriness and glow of the red title reminds the audience that the film is based on video footage. Similarly, most of the text uses capitals suggesting an intimidating tone which again is fitting to the horror genre.
The slogan “what happens when you sleep” directly talks to the audience as it makes them question what happen during the night. This slogan may encourage audiences to view the film because they are intrigued to find out happens to these characters. Similarly, through the line “Don’t see it alone” it tells the consumer that this film is of the horror genre and that watching it alone will be frightening.
This poster breaks a few conventions as the main image only takes up a fraction of the poster, it fails to include the production block and release date. But it does follow the conventions of the colour schemes, slightly revealing images, hints to the genre and film content.
Below i have embedded a slide share of a pdf analysing the theatrical poster for saw 2. I have analysed this to further grasp the makings of a horror film poster and to help me create a realistic and professional film poster for my brief.
Sinister is a 2012 american supernatural horror film. This is the theatrical trailer.
The main image in the poster shows a little girl who has drawn a demonic face out of blood on the wall and this with the tagline 'Once he sees you, you cant be saved' creates a fearful and horrific atmosphere. From this we can guess that the face on the wall is the main character/creature causing the distress. Her Slumped pose makes her look semi-conscious as if she has been possessed. Also the way she is young and creating an image on the wall represents the idea that she is playing some sort of game, or she is allowing everyone else to see what possesses her. Below the demonic face is a broken reel of film, this suggests that the demonic creature/character was released or awoken from the film reel.
Unlike other horror posters, the background colours are light which juxtapose the typical horror conventions.
Although the colours are much lighter the colours are dull and grim which contrast the blood image and makes it stand out. Also the cracks on the corners of the walls suggests that there is a demonic presence that is slowly consuming the girl. The colours play a big influence in the poster. For example, red suggests blood and death, the white is representing the innocence and purity of the little girl and black shows the darkness and a worn emptiness effect distinctively showing the audience that this is a horror film poster.
For the masthead the font is typically creepy as the title has a reflection around the letters that has been faded, this effect makes it look spooky and scary, it suggests to the audience that there might be ghosts or a demonic presence in the film and there will be mysterious things going on. In addition the front reflection looks like as if blood or ink is dripping down from the letters, this connotes that there might be a lot of blood, death and killing involved which shows the audience the genre again.
Other than the background colours and the revealing light the poster follows the main codes and conventions of horror film posters.
Below i have explained the codes and conventions of the ancillary products in my brief and why i have chosen them. The ancillary products i can choose from are:
A website homepage for the film
A film magazine front cover
A poster for the film
Website Homepage Film Magazine Front Cover
Film Poster
I am going to create the poster as one of my ancillary products. I believe a poster is effective and reflects a film well through how it utilises genre conventions and presenting information.
It effectively presents the themes of the film and gives some insight about the film through quotes and reviews which would appeal to a viewer and reassure them of the films worth. I also believe that the many forms and places a poster would expose the film to a large amount of people.
The following table shows a few of the job roles key in the making of live action films. This helps me determine how many people i will need for this production or how many jobs i will have to take on. In this table i have researched what the jobs are, the significance of it and a few examples of people that have taken on these roles.
Below is a theatrical and teaser trailer for the same film, Paranormal Activity: Ghost Dimensions. The theatrical trailer includes the footage from the teaser trailer with added content as it was made much closer to the films release where as the teaser was made around 6 months before release.
