Thursday, 30 April 2015
Wednesday, 29 April 2015
Stereotypical Fan
Stereotypical Fan
Age: 18-25
This is an idea of what a stereotypical fan of a hybridized genre of horror might look like. By hybrid, we're talking about a horror with all three main genres; action, psychological and gore. This fan, would be typically male, and around the ages of 18-25 so still in his prime youth. They would be bordering on the hipster/socially trending social reach, wearing all the latest gear that becomes popular. Because of this, they would also be tech-savvy, sharing anything they see through social media:- either on their laptop, tablet or phone. Using social media would be a key part of this fan' day, so he would be primarily active on social media networks such as Facebook & Twitter, constantly updating his profile with talk and insight on the latest topics.
As "Broken Mind" is an 18 rated certificate, this fan would be able to go see this film without a parent, and would most likely watch the film with friends, often on a night out with a large social group. This group would all share the same interests as each other. This fan would often be attracted to films with a prior background, and would also be attracted to films with a particular thriller nature, so this film would appeal to them greatly.
Despite being a typically active young person, this fan would also have a private life, not only in films. They could even have a significant interest in video games and other film genres including action, sci-fi and comedy. This fan would be significantly interested in Broken Mind, because it's based on a character whose age is very similar to that of the target audience. Being a sleeper movie, fans such as this would be a key part to the film's success by sharing and interacting in social media to grow the film and awareness about it.
On the other hand, this fan is not interested in genres such as drama and romance, he may have a girlfriend/partner, but as part of his social group they'll all share the same interests, and genres such as those above won't be of the groups interest, so it's a no-go. They'll all stick to the same ideals and interests as there is always a clear leader of the group.
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3rd Personal Trailer Review - The Purge (2013)
NAME OF FILM: The Purge
YEAR RELEASED: 2013
GENRE OF TRAILER: Horror
MARKS AFTER VIEWING: 8/10
What happened in the trailer?
This trailer starts off slow, almost in a mellow tone describing a seemingly perfect world, where crime is low, unemployment is low, and the lives of one family who are a nuclear family (mum, dad, boy & girl) in a pleasant and stereotypically white neighborhood, signaling their wealth. Suddenly, we're cut to a montage sequence of CCTV clips of murder, and rioting as the inter titles read 'One Night a Year' 'All Crime is Legal'. It also shows this family discussing what the purge is, before the youngest child asks why they don't commit murder, and they simply reply 'because they don't need too'. What seems like a normal family wanting to keep out of the murder ensuing on the streets, turns deadly as a passerby is let in by the youngest daughter followed quickly by a menacing gang demanding the return of this person, or watch his family be murdered one-by-one. A quick montage sequence follows, with this gang killing off members outside the building, in all sorts of terrifying fashion, and the family inside the house now simply have to hide, pray and wait for the purge to be over if they wish to survive the night.
Which aspects of the trailer did you think were unsuccessful and would put off it's target audience? How is it disappointing?
Back-story on the 'purge', we simply get a hashed reasoning from the father, saying that it's a way for people to use up the time on that specific day to let out any anger, and hatred they've built up without having to worry about police or emergency services intervening. I think a back-story would have helped, because there's a emergency broadcast that says 'Annual Purge' so we don't really get an idea of just how long this has been going on as a tradition. Second to that, because it goes from being a slow-fast paced edit, in the trailer there's a lot of scenes where it's just hiding and evading capture, this could in theory get a little repetitive and go from being a good trailer, to a bad film.
Why did this trailer receive the mark you gave it?
I gave this trailer a solid 8/10, mainly for the good reasons and the fact that as I've said it's a genre of horror that's not really been explored, there isn't any previous horror films that come to mind if you were asked to compare them to the Purge, so in that sense the 8 comes from the uniqueness of the trailer.
2nd Personal Trailer Review - World War Z
NAME OF FILM: World War Z
YEAR RELEASED: 2013
GENRE OF TRAILER: Horror
MARKS AFTER VIEWING: 9/10
What happened in the trailer?
Brad Pitt' stars in this action-horror which pits him and his family against a world-wide phenomenon that is a zombie apocalypse. Faced with a choice of either staying with his family and fending off the hoard of dead for himself, or helping what's left of civilizations' top minds, he has to uncover the reasons behind this attack of the undead, and help find a would-be cure or face certain extinction as countries around the globe and their populations, perish.
Which positive, clever or interesting aspects do you think you could include in your own trailer? What generic features are fulfilled well?
I think both the music and pacing (collision cutting) are the two strongest factors in this trailer. As it's a zombie horror, it's edited in a way that an action film would be- the first 45 seconds - minute of the trailer is a scene from the beginning of the film, edited in with a accompanying soundtrack that sounds familiar to warning/hazard alarms, which is contrapuntal in terms of what's on-screen. The zombies in this trailer/film are also unlike any other, they're smart - scaling a 30 ft wall in Israel, and also terrifyingly fast working together to attack the uninfected.
Which aspects of the trailer did you think were unsuccessful and would put off it's target audience? How is it disappointing?
Of the unsuccessful aspects, I think there is only two aspects that could be considered 'unsuccessful'. Firstly would be Brad Pitt' character (Gerry), and his family, there isn't enough emphasis on them in particular, from what appears when he makes contact with an old friend and finds refuge on a navy destroyer, that's the end of the story for them, and then contrary to that is Gerry's previous employment. We vaguely make out that he's a former UN staff member, but that's not made entirely clear in the trailer, nor is it why it's up to him to try find a cure for the zombie apocalypse.
Why did this trailer receive the mark you gave it?
I gave World War Z a 9/10 simply because, for the style of genre and the way it's so 'fast paced & in your face' really appealed to me especially, I think the way that it moves along all these previous zombie films in the genre, and re-imagines a world where zombies are actually terrifying to face. It also changes the common stereotype in most horror films where it's consistent falling out and staying alive such in similar films like Dawn of the Dead, whereas in this although it's just up to Gerry - he and a team of people are working together for the same outcome, not arguing and not falling out.
Tuesday, 28 April 2015
1st Personal Trailer Review - Horns (2014)
NAME OF FILM: Horns
YEAR RELEASED: 2014
GENRE OF TRAILER: Horror
MARKS AFTER VIEWING: 7/10
What happened in the trailer?
We get a rough idea of the plot, Daniel Radcliffe' character (Ig Perrish) is framed for his girlfriend's murder, although he claims he had nothing to do with it, and is pursued relentlessly by both her family, tv/media crews and religious figures telling him the devil is coming for him for what he supposedly did. Soon after, he wakes up with horns sprouting from his head as he hunts down whoever really killed her, with bad repercussions happening to whoever he's near.
Which positive, clever or interesting aspects do you think you could include in your own trailer? What generic features are fulfilled well?
One of my favourite aspects about this trailer, is the way it's described more of an action horror than anything else. The music especially, and the way the clips are edited together to display that maybe Ig isn't the villain after all, help transcribe a sense of 'who did the crime' into the audience's perception. I also like the fact that magazine/newspaper reviews are edited into the trailer, perhaps giving the audience a sense of 'Oh, this movie is rated 4/5 Stars, should we go see it?' then elevating the audience appeal, simply due to someone else' opinion. However, although it's portrayed in this trailer as action-horror, the actual film includes more of a gore type lead, I think the mis-interpretation is a good thing and that's something I'd like to see in my trailer, simply because although it's 'tricking' the audience, it could make them see that it's better or worse than it makes out to be.
Which aspects of the trailer did you think were unsuccessful and would put off it's target audience? How is it disappointing?
I think personally, that this is an all round good trailer, and while the good points outweigh the bad ones, there's still some disappointment. I think that, one of the key disappointments is the fact that although this trailer is just over 2 minutes in length, it does give away some of the key narrative of the film, obviously with the town believing it's Ig whose the murderer, and his horns making everyone insane. Also down to the acting/casting choices, as Daniel Radcliffe at present isn't someone you'd expect to take a lead role in a horror film, I think that as a main choice might put people off on seeing the trailer, and then having that idea going into potentially watching the film.
Why did this trailer receive the mark you gave it?
I gave this trailer a solid 7/10 mark, because of the reasons I've explained that are good and bad about the trailer, I have included and going into consideration that I've seen the film, and multiplied that to what an audience might feel if they saw the trailer, then the film that there is some deception on what's displayed from trailer-film. Obviously you can't give away every plot line in a trailer, but I feel a little more narrative work in the trailer might have given this a better score.
Favourite Image Analysis - Carrie (2013)
This still frame is taken from the 2013 reboot of the classic psychological horror Carrie.
In this particular scene, Carrie played by Chloe Grace Moretz has been tormented and humiliated at her senior prom, with a group of the 'popular girls, and boys' at the school dropping a bucket of pigs blood, all over her as she's crowned Prom Queen, in what seems to be a fixed vote. Earlier in the film, having been tormented and chanted at in the changing rooms, a time-line of insulted events causes Carrie to finally snap and she unleashes her telekinetic powers on the school hall, throwing tables and chairs, as well as people that bullied her; flying. This particular still shows a bloodied Carrie using her seemingly paranormal power to levitate herself across the school hall, having brought the stage lights down behind her creating a fiery background and revealing herself as some 'demon/immortal' figure. Especially considering the amount of damage and destruction she's already done. This sits as my favourite image simply because of Carrie' realization that because of these powers, she can inflict terror on those that did the same to her, in some kind of sick revenge. The way she is portrayed through the use of special effects and prosthetic makeup, considering the dark/red blood on her white gown, therefore removing the ideology that she is entirely 'pure' and then throwing in the hell/demon like effect of the fire later on makes this my favourite image in horror.
Thursday, 23 April 2015
Class Poster Idea 2
Here is the final version of our class poster/trailer idea, changed from the original and we've decided on "Broken Mind"
Class Poster Idea 1
Here is the idea for our trailer, or the original version called 'Mind Tricks' and what the class thought of the idea for our trailer & synopsis of the trailer.
Focus Group Screening & Feedback for Broken Mind Trailer
Scores: 3,3,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,6,6,6,6,6,6,6,7
Average: 5.2
Positive Feedback:
Good Inter-titles x13
Varied use of cinematography x9
Effective Jump Scare x8
Gore Effects x7
Loudness emphasis's drama x3
Intense x3
Montage x2
Sound Effects x2
Narrative x2
Editing x2
Suggested Improvements:
Needs music x15
More backstory x12
Tidy up some scenes (editing) x9
More variety of setting x5
Repetitive Shots x2
More dialogue x2
Choice of Trailer & Synopsis
The Idea for
‘Broken Mind’.
We
have decided to produce a highlights trailer as opposed to a scene trailer
because for the horror genre, it excites the audience and creates more
anticipation if you show them all the best bits of the film in the trailer. This
effectively proves that it will be worth watching because the audience for this
genre nowadays is much harder to scare and so horror films have to be worth
watching. It also allows for us to explore the full narrative more and create a
story and idea for an entire film rather than just one scene. Also, with
highlights trailers it is much easier to create suspense and jump scares using
collision cutting which would be harder to do in just one scene trailer. This is done well in the trailer for the feature film titled Alien vs Predator (2004).
Our horror film will fit the three main sub-genres of horror (Psychological, Action and Gory) because the members in our group each prefer a different sub-genre. The foundation of the film will be based on the theme of paranormal, and so psychological will be the most noticeable sub-genre but there will be elements of action and body horror. This has been previously achieved with great success with the psychological/action/gory horror entitled The Thing (1981).
Leo
calls his best friend for help and they try to escape the evil spirit that
haunts his house. It is then revealed that the reason Leo left the police (and
turned to drugs and alcohol) was because he had to shoot an innocent child to
save her from a painful and torturous experience. As the spirit's violence
grows, Leo has to confront his personal issues because the spirit was created
from the darkness inside Leo’s “broken mind.”
Class Research: Favourite Type of Horror
My favourite sub-genre horror is action horror, simply because I like the fast pace/thrill type editing which is commonly associated with this type of genre.
Film Review 2 - Carrie (2013)
Carrie (2013)
Brief Plot Outline: A re-imagined version of the original 1976 classic horror about Carrie White, a shy lonely girl who is also an outcast from her classmates, and protected by her religious mother. Carrie possesses telekinetic powers that she unleashes on the small town she lives in, after being pushed too far at senior prom.
Which two scenes impressed me the most and why?
The two scenes in Carrie, that impressed me the most were the final scene where school bully Chris and her boyfriend Billy try to escape the destruction that Carrie is causing after they drop a bucket full of pig's blood on her as she's crowned prom queen. Carrie then erupts in abrupt rage and smashes up the entire prom hall, throwing literally people around like rag-dolls and pulling the lights from the stage down to the ground, setting them alight then standing as an almost almighty figure above everyone else.
My second scene is the final scene in the film, where those that survived the events of prom night are adjudged before a court hearing, where they challenge that the supernatural powers that Carrie possessed, were even real. We're then taken to Carrie' grave, as Sue Snell puts a flower next to the gravestone that's been graffiti-ed 'Carrie White Burns in Hell' with an arrow pointing down. As Sue steps away, the surrounding ground swirls up and the gravestone breaks revealing Carrie screaming, almost as she comes up from hell. This allows an audience to suspect the possibility of a sequel.
How has watching this film helped you understand this genre of film-making? Which features on the genre checklist did you spot in the film? When? How?
Unlike a lot of the other horror films I've seen, Carrie is very different in the way it's approached. Firstly the start, is very quiet and you expect Margaret (Carrie's mother) to kill Carrie after she's born, but she does not. Further along the narrative, it's clear that religion and the elements of psychological power, especially Carrie's ability to move things with her mind, whether that be objects or people is key to the plot. It's also an element of a waiting game, with the growing pressure that Carrie faces during the film - being bullied by people in her class, and yet further isolating herself when she's asked to prom. As mentioned, Carrie is mostly an psychological/thriller type genre, although the final scene, although gruesome does have some elements of gore in it. However, mostly as I've said it's psychological, which leads to jump-scares, most of those being Carrie's mother and her controlling nature, such a scene where Carrie is locked inside her "Prayer Closet" to repent her sins, or Carrie then locking her mother inside the same closet so she can go to prom without being embarrassed.
Which aspects would you like to INCLUDE in your own trailer? Why?
Our trailer will hopefully contain all three genres; gore, action and psychological so I'd hopefully be able to include the elements of slamming doors and breaking mirrors into my own trailer, simply because it creates a "jump scare" within the audience, especially if it's unexpected, it creates more of a shock and you can use those to effect the emotional response of your audience.
Which aspects would you like to AVOID in your own trailer? Why?
Multiple deaths, or quick deaths. If our main protagonist/antagonist is truly evil and overpowered, any enemy he may face he shouldn't be able to overcome quickly, and then their death should be prolonged as long as possible.
What was the best aspect/more enjoyable moment in the film? Why? Can you recreate this in your own film? How?
Personally the best aspect of this film was Chloe Grace Moretz' portrayal of Carrie. Obviously making a reboot is either make or break for an iconic horror character, although less iconic than the gore icons. With the narrative simply being an updated version of the 1976 original, Chloe still had her own acting style in the role that enabled me to remember it in a good way. I think for us to be able to recreate that, Olly's acting style needs to be authentic and yet although memorable.
How does the film reflect it's institutional or historical context? Analyse two scenes/events that reflect the time which the film was made.
Carrie is solely based on the question of "How far can someone go before they break?" and the most out of the context is bullying, something that's recently come to light as a major factor for people at school especially, which is the year that Carrie is in, for the film's context. She's firstly bullied in the showers after P.E for what her classmates know as her first menstrual period, although she doesn't know that. And instead of helping her, she's bullied to the point of having tampons thrown at her and a video recorded that's quickly spread around the entire school.
Secondly, with the whole ending scene of Carrie losing it all and destroying prom/her school, could be related slightly to the historical context of American schools, and the dreadful occasions where students such as Carrie have either been bullied or taunted to a point where they commit an act of murder or destruction. Most notably Columbine High-school amongst others could be related.
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