Evaluation 3 - What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

Throughout the process of creating and developing all 3 of my products; trailer, poster and magazine cover I made many changes, some suggested in class feedback, teachers, student or on my own accord.

Firstly. after finishing the first draft of our trailer as a group, it was shown to the class in order to gain feedback and other people's opinion on how to improve it. The first suggestion was to add intertitles throughout the trailer to give an insight to the narrative. Despite this after discussion with the group and other class members we decided against this change due to the structure of our trailer and the fast pace. We felt that it would slow down the trailer because of the quick cuts and editing we made to create tension, adding intertitles would mean slow cuts would split up the fast shots so the suspense wouldn't build as effectively. In addition to this, we didn't want to make the narrative too clear in our trailer to add the element of mystery, making people intrigued and want to watch the whole film but adding intertitles might take this away.

The class also felt that the transition from slow to fast pace editing where one music track ends whilst another begins wasn't smooth enough. It was suggested that we edit or change the music so that the tracks blend together better. To fix this we first tried replacing the first track 'If She's An Angel' by Charlotte Campbell with a slower and less upbeat version of the second track we found on Freeplay music. However, we wanted the transition to be sudden and surprising which was lost by doing this so we returned to the original first track. Instead we slowed down the last syllable of the song to make it fade out with an echoey effect as the next song fades in. After experimenting with a few different methods we found that the most effective way of transitioning was to have the first track fade out slowly, pause for silence for a second and then have the next fast pace song fade in.

Our trailer began with a midshot of two characters talking to each other as a voiceover plays over the top. When the class watched this, many people throughout is was supposed to be what the characters were saying in the shot which isn't what we had intended. To fix this problem we swapped the first shot with a  long shot of the characters walking away together. The camera tracks behind them so it is clear that the voiceover is separate to the visuals, avoiding confusion.

For my magazine cover I was given a few things to improve on by the teacher and class. Firstly the smaller text advertising what is inside the magazine was difficult to read because of the thin font. This was easy to fix as I found putting the font in bold looked better and by increasing the size it also filled empty space. Another suggestion was to use Photoshop blending options on the masthead to make it look legitimate and more edited and put together, rather than simple. I found that adding a small white glow around the text helped solve this problem by making it stand out against the dark background and adding layer to the page adding a 3D effect. The barcode was blurry so I also replace that to improve the quality and added a price to the cover too.

First Draft

Final Product

For my poster I only made a few changes from my first draft to final product. The first piece of feedback I was given was that my billing block didn't look legitimate. To improve this I condensed the size of the text making it narrower. From this I learnt that I could include a lot more information still using the same small space at the bottom of the poster. I also made the 'Coming Soon' text bigger and brighter to stand out more. It could easily be missed on the black background as the text was dark red so by making it bright red it draws in the eye but doesn't take the focus away from the title and images because it is still small.

The final suggestion I was given was to add another image in the background as there was a lot of empty space which I agreed with. I decided that adding an image of a candle would be effective by implying the supernatural genre as well as the fact that it is a significant prop from the film. I cut out the image and lowered the opacity level to make it faint in the background but felt that it looked unprofessional and amateur so decided to leave it as it was.

First Draft

Second Draft

Final Product

Evaluation 2 - How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

SCRIPT:
A common element in my 3 texts is the synergised font of the title. We used 2 different fonts, serif and sans serif, for the film title and kept them the same in the trailer and my poster. This allows the title to be consistent and therefore immediately recognisable in relation to the film. In both the trailer and poster the title is large and a main focus on the screen as it is an important piece of information. Although, I didn't continue with this text design on my magazine cover as I felt that it didn't fit with the rest of the cover because of the colour theme. I wanted it to stand out but not look out of place so instead I used a bold sans serif font that was used throughout the rest of my cover in a dark grey colour.

For my poster, I chose only to feature the main character as she is the protagonist of the film and therefore it was important she was the focus. However, I also included the silhouette of a man representing the antagonist despite hiding his identity, implying the good vs bad narrative, and also suggesting the horror/supernatural sub-genres. She is turned away from the silhouette which is positioned behind her and looking down at the floor with a concerned expression. This implies she is scared of something and unaware of the 'man' behind her, giving a vague insight into the narrative. She is wearing a black top with dark makeup as black typically represents death and evil, therefore fitting with the plot as she is believed to be the cause of the crimes.

The main image on my magazine cover is a close up of Holly, the protagonist, but I also included smaller images of screen shots from the film. These include other characters such Amy and Natalie, the small images mean that they don't stand out like Holly does but implies that the cast is mostly teenagers which attracts our demographic as it is a relatable age group. Holly has a worried expression on her face, looking away from the camera implying that she is scared of something, therefore giving a hint at the narrative. Like my poster, Holly is wearing a black top and dark makeup, once again representing evil which fits with the film's narrative. Despite this, Holly wears brighter colours in the trailer as we wanted her to look like a normal student and didn't want her to be represented as evil throughout the entire film.

A common convention of thriller is the use of darkness and black, not only because of what the colour represents but also because it creates fear. Therefore I used this as a common element in my 3 texts, creating synergy. A lot of the trailer is filmed in the evening or edited with low key lighting as well as the intertitles which have a black background. For my poster I chose a grey to black gradient background to fit this theme along with Holly's dark clothes, connoting the genre. I didn't want to make my magazine cover too dark as I want it to draw people's attention and stand out. To do this I make the background solid black but used brighter colours like red and yellowy-green for the text and edited images.

Finally, I kept the institutional information consistent between my trailer and poster to create synergy, however this only includes the credits in the billing block and 'Coming Soon' which is in the trailer intertitles and poster. 'Coming Soon' is written in bold text on both products to catch the eye of the demographic and increase their interest in researching it. By including information such as the production company, actors etc in the billing blocks it creates good expectations based on their previous work, giving the audience an idea of what quality to expect from the film and encouraging them to watch it. I didn't include any institution information for the film on my magazine cover as it was unnecessary and might have over-crowded the page.

Overall, I think my campaign is effective in creating synergy between my main product and ancillary texts. The consistent colour theme connotes that it is thriller genre, therefore drawing in the demographic through all platforms. The use of the same fonts for the title and intertitles means that the products are clearly identified with 'In the Shadows' as well as the clear images of the protagonist, instantly making a connection between them all and advertising the film to the intended audience.

Evaluation 1 - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms of conventions from real media products?

Low Key Lighting

Low key lighting is typical convention of the thriller genre, so it is common for media products, like my own, to be dark or dully lit. Examples of this are in the trailers for Carrie, 1408 and The Gallows, all of which feature dark settings throughout. Low key lightning was achieved in my trailer by filming in the evening or by adding a dark filter over the footage during editing, shown in frame 1. The darkness builds tension and makes the audience feel scared as it limits your senses and creates a fear of the unknown, as well as typically connoting sadness or evil.

Film Title

The film title is the most important piece of information in a trailer, therefore it is common that the title is shown on screen in a large and clear font, easy for people to read quickly and so it stands out. In our trailer we chose to show the title, 'In The Shadows', with a plain black background so that the white text stands out and can't be missed. We also displayed the title on 2 separate lines; 'In The' on the first and 'Shadows' on the second line as during research we found this is common. For example 'Last House On The Left' and 'Panic Room' both have each word on a separate line, making the titles seem staggered rather that too long. The film title is often displayed at the end of a trailer as it is easier for the audience to remember if it is one of the last things to be seen, therefore we displayed the title towards the end before the final shots of institutional information. Black and white are typical colours to use for a thriller title, shown by the titles of 'Se7en' and 'The Ring'. For In The Shadows we chose a white font on a black background, the colours contrast to make the text stand out and black typically represents death and evil whilst white means innocence and purity, fitting with our plot of good vs bad.

Institutional Information
There is institutional information included on both my poster and trailer. The information includes includes credits, the film website, production company and age rating. Displaying the institutional information at the very end of a trailer is a typical convention. It is important information to include but has no effect on the audience reaction which is why leaving it until the last few shots means that it doesn't impact the pace or audience reaction the trailer creates. However, we also challenged this convention because even though the institutional information isn't shown until towards the end, the final shot of the trailer is a single close up shot of the protagonist whispering "help me" to the camera after the information is displayed. We did this because it wouldn't be expected as it is an uncommon thing to do, therefore catching the audience by surprise and helping to emphasise the fear the trailer aims to create.

Bold Masthead
A bold masthead is a vital convention for a magazine cover as the magazine name is the most important piece of information on a cover, immediately letting the reader know what type of information is inside to attract the demographic. Through my research I found that the text is often large and sans serif so it's easy to read and stands out against the other images and text on the cover.

Frame 4 shows my masthead. I chose a sans serif font in a bold deep red colour to stand out against the black background but also match the colour scheme which I found was common for magazine covers to do. As red typically represents blood or danger it also fits with the film and genre of thriller which it advertises. The name of my magazine is 'Closeup' implying that the magazine focuses on every detail and is in depth.

Ancillary Text Images
I chose images for my poster and magazine that would make the overall appearance seem well put together with a similar structure to real ones that I have previously analysed. It is typical for magazine covers to have a large single image from the promoted film at the centre of the page as the main focus to draw in fans and the intended audience. For my magazine cover I used an image of the protagonist, Holly, as she is immediately recognised as a link to 'In The Shadows' and therefore attracts the target audience. It is a mid shot to show the concerned look on her face, implying she is the victim/underdog of the film. It also attracts the 15-25 year old demographic as she is clearly shown to be in this age group, making the film more appealing and relatable. However, I also included smaller screen shots of other characters, props and settings from the trailer to give an insight to the rest of the film.

There are 2 main images on my poster. The first is a long shot of the protagonist looking down and showing a worried expression. It is a typical poster convention to feature the main character as the focus point because as mentioned previously she is immediately recognised as a link to the film. This is also the case on the posters for 'Carrie' ad 'Shutter Island'. However it is also typical that poster include other images which give an insight to the narrative, for example a significant prop or setting. On my poster, I used a silhouette of a man positioned behind Holly to look as though she is being watched by him, giving a brief insight to the narrative. In addition to this, inside the silhouette is an image of the a setting which has a significant part in the film.

Fast Pace Editing
Fast pace editing is common in trailers for thrillers as it helps build the tension for the audience or emphasise chaos or panic. During research I found that the trailer for 'Carrie' does this, but begins slow and picks up the pace as the trailer progresses, creating suspense before the final shots of chaos and fear. My own trailer follows a  similar structure as the pace begins slow, however rather than a gradual build there is a sudden transition from slow to fast  to catch the audience by surprise. Fast pace editing is also used effectively in 'The Gallows' trailer, creating suspense and fear in the audience as they are challenged to keep up with the quick shots.

Props
For our trailer we made sure to include props which connote the genre of thriller such as a candle shown blowing out in a close up shot to imply the supernatural is a significant part of the narrative as well as a black hoodie typically representing anti-social behaviour worn by one of the characters.  An example of a film in which props are of key significance is 'The Last House On The Left' which uses props such as knives and guns, typically connoting the genre of horror/thriller.

Setting/Location
Frame 8 shows a key setting in our film. It is a stereotypical convention of thrillers to be set in the woods and we chose this setting because it creates fear. In the trees the characters are vulnerable because it disables you from seeing far ahead, is it isolated and away from civilisation and often dark because of the sunlight being blocked by trees. Due to well known films such as 'The Last House On The Left' and 'Eden Lake' being set in woods, the audience expects there are dangers in the trees or things hiding. Our film also features settings such as an empty field, once again emphasising the isolation, suggesting there is no help near for the characters and a school setting which is a realistic and relatable setting for the film's demographic. This makes it scarier for the audience as it is a place featured in their everyday lives and keeps the effect of the film with them even after the they are finished watching.

Characters
Our film follows the typical convention of binary opposites - good vs bad, similar to films like 'Saw' or 'The Last House On The Left'. However, we also challenged this convention as the antagonist of the film is unclear to the audience. The audience gets to know the antagonist throughout the film so when it is revealed he is the criminal the audience feel some sympathy for him. This is similar to the character of Carrie in the 2013 film 'Carrie' as she is the antagonist of the film but as is also the main character we get to know her and can feel sympathetic for her rather than the typical character role of good characters vs bad ones.

On the other hand, there is the typical character role of damsel in distress as the main character, something with I found is quite common in thrillers - 'The Last House On The Left', 'Eden Lake', 'The Gallows' etc. We chose to use this convention

Evaluation 4 - How did you use new media technologies in the construction, research, planning and evaluation stages?

The most important piece of new technology we used in the production of our trailer was a HD camera to record all the shots we needed for the trailer. We used it to get a wide range of shots in order to keep the trailer interesting and moving, keeping the audience drawn in. The zoom on the camera became useful when we needed close ups such as the candle as it allowed us to achieve a close up shot whilst keeping the camera away from the flame, however we found that the zoom could only be used when the camera was still to avoid shakey footage.We used the light built into the front of the camera for filming internal shots in the dark. The torch meant that the focus of the shot could be lit well enough to be seen clearly whilst maintaining the dark environment around. In addition, we also used the camera for recording the voiceovers, then during the editing process removed the visuals. This meant that the sound quality and volume was consistent to match what had already been filmed.

The group used Facebook - specifically Facebook Messenger - to communicate through the planning, filming and editing process. This was helpful as it allowed us to plan and discuss decisions as a group outside of school and be in immediate communication with each other when necessary. We used it to plan when to meet up and film, organise who would be responsible for equiptment at any given time, plan as a group ahead of lessons (particularly before presentations or deadlines to ensure timing was never an issue) as well as a platform to share photos of settings, characters, storyboards, etc which we all needed access to.

Direct Message on Twitter was what we used to contact Charlotte Campbell - the artist whose song we use in our trailer for the opening half. She is a friend of a group member which meant communicating and getting a relatively fast response from her was easy. It was important that we contacted Charlotte as her permission was necessary before using her own work for our project, which she granted us.

To find music to use that wasn't copyright, we used a website called Freeplay Music and found a track called 'Pretty Parties' to fit with the fast pace part of the trailer. The website allowed us access to hundreds of tracks of all genres which we narrowed down by searching key words such as 'thriller' to find the track that best suited our trailer. We decided on 'Pretty Parties' after listening to many tracks and felt it was most suiting because of the fast-pace beat to match the quick cuts and helps emphasise the building suspense. The track was then downloaded from the website and transferred to the editing software we were using.

Blogger is an effective platform I used to document my progress in the research, planning and editing of my trailer as well as the evaluations. It is accessible both at home and school which meant any changes/progress could immediately be recorded and is available on computers, phone, tablet etc. In order to use Blogger, I needed a Gmail account, which I created last year specifically for my AS blog. Blogger allowed me to stay organised and keep everything in one place as well as share videos and photos of work done in lesson and easily look back at what research I've done, when decisions or changes were made. In addition to this, as everything is recorded online it means that it is not only easily accessible for examiners and teachers but also means that I can view my own work quickly without signing into my account.

The editing software we used to create our trailer was Adobe Premiere Pro. I had never used this software before due to changing schools after AS Level so it was a challenge to learn how to use it to it's full advantage but as a group we managed to get used to it quickly. Some of the most useful and commonly used features of the software was the cutting tool to delete any unnecessary footage, adding a dark filter to footage that we wanted to look like night time but was too bright and the dip to black transition which we used to create an eerie and ghostly effect during the slow-paced beginning and the transition before the pace of the trailer picks up.

YouTube was helpful for when it came to sharing our project at each step as it is where we uploaded our first pitch, draft trailer and final product. By doing this I could then link the videos to my blog so it is easily accessible and could be referred back to and explaining in a blog post. YouTube was also useful during the research process as I could quickly and easily watch other thriller trailers to analyse, compare and study common conventions to consider using in my own trailer which I also attached to my research blog posts.

As a group we used Adobe Photoshop several times during the research and editing process. For research I used Photoshop to imitate a Total Film magazine cover which promoted the film 'Jupiter Ascending'. I had little experience with the programme so this helped me to discover and practice the different features and methods to Photoshop, the most useful features being the lasso tool to cut images out and paint pot to copy the exact colour from the original cover to my own. I then created a similar cover to promote my teen angst film I made last year at AS Level to practice using the programme more.

The first image that was created for our trailer using this software was the production company logo. This was a simple design of 3 overlapping circles with layered text so it was a short process after a few draft attempts. The film title 'In The Shadows' was also made on Photoshop. The words 'In The' were written in a plain white sans serif font but we wanted the word 'Shadows' to stand out so required more editing. Using the blending options we created a gradient from black to white over the text to resemble a shadow and added a drop shadow so the word reflected in the first line, adding more depth. The institutional information for the trailer was made on Photoshop which mostly involved layering text on a blank background, we added a glow to the background using blending option and shadows to some text and images.

Finally, Adobe Photoshop was what I used to create my poster and magazine cover promoting my film. It was simple enough to create the basic layout from what I had learnt from previous tasks but it became a challenge when trying to make it look legitimate. I found that when using the lasso tool if I increased the level of feathering it blended the edges which helped as well as using blending options to create a glow around text to make it stand out.

Google Search was very useful during the research stage as it was a quick and easy way to research typical thriller conventions, films, magazine covers and posters, theorists etc as well as access to website such as Youtube, Freeplay Music and Blogger.

We needed a USB memory stick to transfer things from computers outside of school to the PC we were editing on and vice versa. This included the production company logo, institutional information and the final trailer so that they could be saved and put in the trailer or on our blogs. It was also a way of sharing things so they were accessible to everyone in the group and teachers for feedback.

Finally, I used my mobile phone during the evaluation stage to record my voiceover reading the script for evaluation 2. After recording it one paragraph at a time I sent each audio clip to my computer to be edited over the top of my trailer.

'In The Shadows' Magazine Cover Final

 

'In The Shadows' Poster Final

'In The Shadows' Poster Draft

 

First Draft

Second Draft

'In The Shadows' Magazine Cover Draft

Changes During Editing

The first change we made during the editing process was to the production company logo. We had wanted to somehow animate it so that the 3 circles which form the logo move together on screen as the logo appears and then disappears. We thought this would make the trailer and editing look professional, implying a higher budget film. However, nobody in our group had enough experience editing with Adobe Premiere software to be able to do it. Therefore, after a while of trying different things we felt it was taking up too much time and decided to leave it as a fade to black transition.

Another change we were advised to make was to swap the first and second shots around. The first shot was a midshot of Holly and Amy talking at a lunch table, however as this is shown the first voiceover of Holly is played. A member of our class noticed that it looked as though Amy was the one saying the voiceover which would be confusing to the audience. The second shot was a longshot of Holly, Amy and Natalie walking away so we swapped the shots to avoid this confusion again.

To begin with, we had almost no camera movement in our trailer but were told that there should always be movement or something happening in each shot to keep the audience engaged. To fix this, we inserted zooms to a few of the shots that weren't very gripping. An example of this is for a long shot of Holly walking through an avenue of trees facing away from the camera. She is small on screen so we included a slow zoom in to fit with the fast pace montage of shots that connote panic as there is non-stop movement throughout.

The final change we made during editing was to the transition from slow to fast pace in the middle which we had struggled with to make it look good. We began with the music and shot fading to black as the voiceover says "what do you mean?" before fading back in again. However, during feedback we were told that it didn't seem smooth enough and it was suggested that we leave a few seconds before the second track cuts in to create tension. We took this advice but found that it sounded best when the first track fades into the next but a fade to black is used between shots as the voiceover is said.

First Draft Feedback

After finishing the first draft of our 'In The Shadows' thriller trailer, we showed it to the class and got both positive and negative feedback to help us improve it.

'In The Shadows' First Draft

• Firstly, we were advised to include intertitles as the narrative wasn't portrayed clearly enough in the trailer. However, after discussion it was decided that there was nowhere appropriate to insert them and it would only make it look messy. We also felt that as our film aims to deceive the audience into believing it is supernatural until a reveal towards the end, including intertitles would either give away the twist or cause confusion for the audience. Overall, the class decided that although the narrative isn't clear, this is effect in creating the mystery and portrays the feeling of the unknown to draw in the demographic so no changes were necessary for this.
• Another improvement that was suggested was to either change the first music track or make the two music tracks fit together better with editing. The beginning of our trailer is slow in order to create an eerie/ghostly atmosphere, therefore it was important we used a music track that was slow and haunting to fit with the footage. We originally chose a song called 'If She's An Angel' by Charlotte Campbell, an unsigned artist whose permission we got to use the song, however the class thought the track didn't fit with the next fast-pace song which it fades into. To improve this, we tried removing If She's An Angel and replaced it with a track similar to the second fast-pace one, but slower and without drums. However, after putting it in we decided that it was too similar and didn't portray the ghostly feeling we were aiming for. Therefore we stuck with 'If She's An Angel' and slowed down the pace making it more effective in creating an eerie atmosphere and fades much more smoothly into the next track.
• The class also felt that the transition in the middle of our trailer needed to be smoother. This is where the trailer moves from a slow pace with long shots to a fast pace with quick cuts between shots. For this transition the music and footage fades out and a voiceover of a character saying "what do you mean?" is played before the fast pace music and footage comes in. It was suggested that instead of the first song cutting straight to the next, the fast pace music and shots come in after a few seconds to emphasise the urgency and panic catching the audience by surprise and drawing them in. After playing around with different methods and techniques, we found that by overlapping the fades so that the second track is playing as soon as the first track fades out sounded best and made the transition much smoother too.
• On the other hand, we received positive feedback for the fast pace editing during the second half of the trailer as the class felt it effectively builds tension and suspense to draw in our demographic. We also got positive feedback on our final shot used to end the trailer. We decided to use a close up of our main character whispering "help me" after the institutional information to leave the audience feeling tense and wanting to see what happens to her in the film.

Institutional Information

To produce the institutional information and intertitles we used Adobe Photoshop as we already had experience in using this programme so it was quick and easy yet made to a good standard. To create the institutional information we looked at the information from other films to get an idea of what needed to be included. We chose a sans serif font so it is clear to read and added our production company logo.

We used the same font and black-to-white gradient overlay for the text 'Coming Soon' to match the title of the film and establish a recognisable text to use for anything in relation to our film (e.g. posters, adverts and merchandise. It was important to include the website and hashtag as this lets people know where to find more information on the film and by using the film's hashtag it provides below the line advertising through social media to spread the word. For this information we chose a similar font but smaller and thinner as it is less vital, however is still clear. A dim glow around the text also makes it stand out against the black background. Our production company logo is the only colour on the screen making it stand out despite being small in the bottom corner where it might otherwise be missed.

During research we noticed that the age rating of a film was always displayed in this way at the start of every trailer we studied. It was simple to replicate for our own film's rating using Photoshop as it uses a basic and serif font, we found the 15 age certificate stamp online and added shadows to the image and text as well as the bbfc website for realism and accuracy.

Designing the Title

During planning we decided that we wanted 'In the' to be on one line and 'Shadows' to be on the line below as we found through research that it was common for thriller film titles to be on more than one line as it makes it seem staggered. We planned to have 'In the' in a sans serif font and 'shadows' in a serif font or italics as we want the eye to be drawn to this word because it implies the genre of thriller. We began testing different designs on Powerpoint to see what fonts looked best for our title, this is an example of some fonts that we tried.

 We decided on a block, sans serif font for the first line as these words are not as important to draw people's attention, yet is still important that it's noticed. For 'shadows' we chose a sans serif font which is gothic, implying the horror genre, and less bold but the eye is drawn to it since the word is longer and the font is interesting, yet clear.

After choosing the fonts that we wanted, we created the final design on Photoshop as this programme allowed us to use effects that Powerpoint didn't. We wanted to make the title look as though smoke was blowing past it as this typically connotes mystery and eeriness because of the conveys a gust of wind (pathetic fallacy for chaos and panic) or fog that something could hide in. However, we found this difficult to do with only our own images so decided against it as we didn't want it to look badly edited. Instead, we found in 'blending options' that we could alter the colour of the text to a gradient of grey to white. This gave the effect of a faint shadow covering half of the word 'shadow' and therefore fitted well. We also edited the text so that a drop shadow of the word 'shadow' was reflected in the words 'In the' which gives the title more depth.

Mise-en-scene

Costumes:
Every character (other than the antagonist) that features in our trailer we aim to be represented as ordinary and relatable students aged around 17. For this to be realistic we had no specific requirements for the character's (including Holly, Natalie and Amy) costumes other than instructing them to wear what they would normally wear to school such as jeans, a plain top and a coat.

However, for Michael, the antagonist we had a more specific request. Although he is not on screen often, it was important that it was clear he wasn't just another normal student. To portray this he wore black trousers and shoes with a black jumper with the hood up to hide his face. Black typically represents death and evil and therefore often worn by the antagonist, shown in The Last House On The Left.

Props:
We used very few props for the trailer but one of the most important was the candle featured as the end as it blows out. We included a close up of a single candle as this implies that the film is a supernatural thriller since candles are a typical convention in these films.

Another prop we included was Holly's mobile phone. We used 2 close ups of a phone along with other shots of characters holding them and a high angle of one smashing. Teenagers are typically associated with mobile phones and always using them, therefore we felt that it is useful to include as a clear indication to the audience of the character's ages. It also implies that the characters are normal students like many people in our demographic, adding to the realism.

We made sure to include iconography for the school setting such as back packs, work books, pens etc shown in shots of Holly working, portraying that she is a normal student at school. Once again, this makes it relatable to our demographic aged 15-25 as it is a familiar setting and therefore makes it realistic.

Lighting:
Low-key lighting is a typical convention of the thriller genre as it creates suspense and tension because of the feeling of the unknown. Therefore, we wanted our trailer to have low lighting which is done through editing but also filming in the evening, however we had to be careful the image was still clear. The theme of darkness is also particularly suitable for our film, In the Shadows, as it focuses on what is hiding in the shadows, suggesting someone is watching and the unknown.

The intertitles have black backgrounds to continue the dark theme and the title also has a shadow across the word 'shadow' to fit.

Script

We decided that in order to make our trailer seem more mysterious and suspenseful we would include almost no diegetic speech and use non-diegetic sound such as music and sound effects to create the tension. This would make the trailer catch the attention of our demographic by intriguing the audience and connote the feeling of the unknown, and make the visuals the main focus. However, we felt that it was necessary to have some speech because we didn't want it to seem boring, therefore short voiceovers of the characters are included. Before filming, we planned a rough script to work around:

(film production logo fading to black)

(cut to Holly)

Holly: *crying & looking scared*
          "Weird things have been happening to me"

(montage of scenes of Holly looking happy, with friends)

(cut to black screen)

Amy (voiceover): "What do you mean?"

(fast-pace montage of 'bad things' happening to Holly & friends)

(cut to black screen)

(film title)

(institutional information)

Holly: *same footage of Holly as previously*
           *whispering* "Help me"

(cut to black)

Shot List

• Age certificate information
• LEV Productions logo
• Mid shot talking at lunch
• Mid shot of tracking behind friends
• Holly and friends mid shot
• Close up of phone
• Long shot of Holly, Amy and Natalie
• Long shot of Amy and Natalie on swings
• Tracking behind Holly
• Fade to black screen (transition from slow to fast)
• Long shot of power cut on stairs
• Tracking Michael's feet
• Close up of phone call
• Close up of pressing doorbell
• Close up off car window
• Mid shot of Amy's attack
• Long shot of empty swings
• High angle Holly in bed
• Mid shot Holly in bed
• Close up of starting car
• Canted angle of Holly running upstairs
• Low angle of lamppost in the rain
• High angle of dropping phone
• Close up of hands banging on door
• Mid shot of Holly sleeping
• Long shot of Holly walking through trees
• Long shot of Natalie walking down alley
• Close up of Natalie's face
• Candle close up
• 'In the Shadows' intertitle
• 'Coming Soon' intertitle
• Institutional information
• Close up of Holly

Music and Sound Choices

In our trailer we used two music tracks as there is a fast pace part and slower paced part and it was important that the music matched the footage and editing to create the most impact. The beginning of the trailer is slower with longer, calmer shots, therefore we needed a slower piece of music. A member of our group who is friends with Charlotte Campbell, an unsigned artist, suggested we look into using her music as we would most likely be able to get her permission. We found a song of hers called 'If She's An Angel' which we thought fitted well and contacted the artist, asking for permission to use the original version of the song which she gave us. We listened to the lyrics and found that they fitted with the storyline of our film. However we aimed for this part to seem mysterious and ghost-like so we wanted the music to seem haunting. To achieve this we slowed down the pace of the song and extended the last note to make it seem echoey and creepy.

The second track that we used for our trailer was called 'Pretty Party' and is much more fast-pace with low drums. It is effective because it emphasises the quick cuts and editing during the second half of the trailer and the beat matches the visuals from one cut to the next, connoting panic and danger to make the audience feel tense and draw them in. The build up of suspense makes the audience want to see the film and find out what happens.

For the transition between the tracks, we originally cut the first song and had a couple of seconds silence before the second track began, although we felt it sounded choppy and badly edited with the visuals. Instead, we faded the songs into each other so that the second song gets louder as the first song fades as it emphasises the juxtaposition between sound and therefore takes the audience by surprise, creating the intended response of excitement and tension more effectively.

We have almost no diegetic speech in our trailer as it was mostly done with voiceovers. We felt including a voiceover was necessary because although we aim keep the narrative unclear as this is an important element of the film, we didn't want it to be confusing. At the beginning of our trailer the main characters says; "Weird things have been happening to me", during the transition between tracks another character says "What do you mean?" and the trailer ends with the only diegetic speech with the main character whispering "help me" with a close up of her face. This implies that film surrounds supernatural events, which is effective as this is what we want the audience to think until the end of the film when the criminal is revealed. Without this dialogue the trailer would be confusing and nobody would understand what it was about, meaning less people would want to see it.

Production Company & Logo

We decided to create a new production company and logo for our thriller project rather than re-using a logo from last year's AS projects because we wanted to improve from last year and agree on the company as a group since we had worked with different people at AS. We named our production company 'LEV Productions' and produced this logo during planning:

However, we decided that it needed to be changed because there was no significance or reasoning for the design. We kept the sans serif font as this is clear and easy to read quickly and the colours but changed the shape when creating it on Photoshop to circles:

'LEV' stands for Lucy, Eva and Victoria - the initials of each group member's first name. We felt this was an appropriate name as it is unique and personal to us as well as being short and memorable. The 3 circles in our logo represent spotlights, implying that our films belong in the spotlight therefore emphasising their great quality. We chose to use the colours red, green and blue as these 3 colours are often associated with technology such as TV and computer screens. This was done as the films we make will be shown in cinemas and on television screens using modern technology.

Although we were pleased with the logo, we felt that it didn't fit the thriller genre of our film so darkened the colours to give it a more sinister and shadowy effect. We are also planning to animate it in the trailer for the logo to form together on screen and disappear as though it is blown off screen to connote an eerie feeling of the trailer, as it is the first thing to be seen.

Mulvey's Theory

Laura Mulvey created the theory of the 'male gaze', claiming that female characters in films are over-sexualised and portrayed as objects admired for their appearance, for the pleasure of the male heterosexual audience. This is done by focusing on particular body parts such as lips, legs or curves and using slow camera movements, giving the audience a male's perspective.

Although a large part of our demographic is males aged 15-25, Mulvey's theory is not applied in our film because it would limit our audience, cutting out the females we target aged 15-25 as we want the film to appeal to everyone. The protagonist, Holly, is presented as an ordinary 17 year old girl who we want to be relatable for the audience, something that would not be achieved by denying the character human identity. We also felt it was unnecessary as most of the female characters are represented as weak and 'damsels in distress' whilst the main male character maintains the upper-hand throughout the majority of the film until at the end.

Editing Plans

Before editing, we planned a rough outline of what we wanted the overall trailer to look like. The first half of the trailer we planned to be slow and haunting. To achieve this, we will use slow shots and camera movements with slow-paced music to create an eerie feeling and scared response. We may also experiment with effects such as slow motion and different transitions to see if this makes it more effective and intriguing to the audience.

Approximately half way through the trailer, we want the pace to pick up. To do this the slow shots will become quick cuts and fast pace editing will emphasise the chaos and panic shown on screen taking the audience by surprise and drawing them in. During research we found that trailers for thrillers, horrors, action films etc include many more shots than trailers that advertise rom-coms, dramas or comedies. For example, overall the trailer for Carrie (thriller) includes 134 shots whereas the trailer for Clueless (chick-flick) includes only 68 shots altogether because Carrie aims to create suspense with the quick shots but Clueless doesn't.

When we begin the editing process the first step will be to cut out any unnecessary footage and order the clips we have. We intend to use normal cuts between shots, however we think fade transitions may be effective where suitable to emphasise the slow, eerie atmosphere, particularly for the transition from slow to fast pace in the middle.

During filming we were wary of the lighting as we wanted most shots to have low-key or external lighting since this is a typical convention for thriller genre to create tension. Despite this, we are worried that some outdoors shots seemed brighter on camera so it looked like daytime although it was actually evening. To fix this we hope to either lower the brightness of the footage using the editing programme or put a dark filter over it.

We have already got an idea of the non-diegetic background music we want for the trailer and we plan to cut the shots to match the beat of the track. I have done this before for previous projects so am certain this will be simple enough to do and make the trailer look professional and well put together.

Production Schedule

We decided to make a production schedule to keep track of when each member of our group and actors were available to film. This made it easier for us to organise when to film each shot depending on the characters we needed.


Friday 11th Dec (first day of filming) - film during lesson time as no other students will be around. Get shots of Holly at school, including in lunch area and corridors for extra footage.

Monday 14th Dec - Me and Viki take photos of settings during media lesson and found more potential settings that could be effective for our trailer.

Thursday 17th Dec- Filming on the backfield with whole group and actress Shauna for shots of Holly walking through the trees. Filming was cut short as Shauna had to leave for a lesson, with the remaining time we found music tracks for our trailer and looked at fonts for our intertitles.
After school we all met up again to film the night time scenes of Shauna walking home and across the field.

Monday 21st Dec - Met up outside of school to film shots of Natalie walking through an alleyway, close ups of Natalie and Amy etc and exterior shots at Lucy's house such as the doorbell and tracking down her street. It was raining so gave us the opportunity to get shots of the rain for pathetic fallacy.

We found it difficult to film during the Christmas holidays because we all had other commitments which meant there was no time when we were all available on the same day to film. We instead used this time to do further research and planning before we gave back the camera and began the editing process.

Monday 4th Jan - Me and Lucy met up outside of school to film shots of Michael as our change in actor meant we had limited time left to get shots we needed of him. We also got shots of Holly in bed and at home, using Lucy's house as the setting.

Wednesday 6th Jan - The whole group, along with all of our actors, went to the park to get shots on the swings and footage of Amy being attacked on the back field. We filmed until approximately 5pm as this allowed us to get footage when the sun was out but also after it got dark.

Thursday 7th Jan - This was our last day with the equipment so we met up after school to get any final shots that we thought might we useful, such as extra exterior shots and Holly at school.

Strauss' Theory

Claude Levi-Strauss created the theory of binary oppositions as he believed all film narratives surround certain binary oppositions, for example; good vs evil, rich vs poor, civilisation vs wilderness etc.

We applied this theory to our film narrative through the characters of Holly and Michael, two friends who are binary opposites. Holly, the protagonist, is out-going, social and upbeat which makes the audience like her and be on her side. Michael, the antagonist, on the other hand is quiet, dull and for much of the first half likely to be ignored by the audience as his role is not portrayed as important until later on. These oppositions make it clear to the audience who to support as they get to know Holly throughout the film, unlike Michael.

Choosing the Title

We found it difficult to decide on a title suitable for our film as we aim to make it seem as though it is a supernatural thriller until around 3/4 of the way through when it is revealed to the audience that it is actually one of the characters who is responsible for the continuous crimes. A few ideas we had were 'Isolation', 'All Eyes On You' and 'Secrets' but all these we decided against as we felt they were either unsuitable or not gripping enough to attract an audience. Some of our suggestions were also unavailable because there were already films made with the title, for example 'Secrets' which is already a TV movie released in 1992.



We finally decided on the title of 'In The Shadows' as it implied neither supernatural thriller or horror but does suggest the feeling of something watching you, therefore tying in with the plot of the film. It has not been made into a film, however there is a film that has been made called 'What We Do In The Shadows'.  Despite this, we feel that they are different enough to avoid confusion between the two film as What We Do In The Shadows is a comedy film based on vampires, whereas our film is supernatural/horror therefore meaning they are quite easily differentiated.