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
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
Excellent analysis of how you have incorporated conventions if Thriller genre into your own productions , also clearly linked back to your research . Well done
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