Assignment 3 - Conventions of horror trailers

I believe that the majority of horror films follow the conventions of the genre to create more chilling and horrific film that the audience will enjoy.

Characters/ Scenes

1. A possessed character, item or monster.

Most horror movies focus around this convention, because the items used are usually found in every common household, causing the demographic to be more frightened, the same thing applies when a human is possessed as the audience begins to fear if this would happen in real life. A monster of some sort (a spirit, a killer or a creature) is always used as the thing that is the source of the terror or fear inflicted on the characters.

2. A religious figure, ie priest.

This character is often used to solve the horrific problem, usually possessions by performing an exorcism.

3. Jumpscares.

These are filmed to leave the audience shook and terrified after a painful moment of silence or a scene lacking action.

Shots/ Cuts

Shots that contain horrifying material are usually edited together with quick cuts to depict a constant feeling of fear and the idea that the characters are always being terrified, these are prevalent especially in chase scenes. Other scenes that consist of normal everyday actions or conversations between characters are edited in the normal way, the technique that is used in all films.

Setting

Trailers in this genre usually have the setting of an abandoned or haunted house to make the audience feel unsettled at the idea that something as average as houses could be the source of the character's terror, along with this the idea that all these terrible things are happening in or because of the house, it gives the idea of endless horror and hopelessness for the characters.

Graveyards are popular for movies containing the undead like zombies or vampires, as they in general are places people like to avoid, and in the movies are usually locked at night and obscured by thick mist, to create suspense.

Woodland or Forests are popular for movies with monsters that come from nature, like a swamp monster or werewolves. They are used because they are huge and the protagonist(s) usually find it difficult to navigate in them. Along with this, the trees are used as camouflage for the monsters and also provide difficulty when characters are running, as they have to dodge in and out of the trees to escape, diegetic sounds like the snap of a branch or the crunch of leaves are emphasized or singled out amongst silence, creating moments of suspense or tension as they alert the monster of the location of the character(s).

Lighting

The lighting in these trailers is almost always low key, as most of the scary things occur in the darkness or at night time. Scenes that depict daytime use high key lighting from the sun to make the scenes look realistic.

Assignment 3 - Film trailer analysis

Genre

Nightmare on Elm Street is a hybrid film. In this case, it is a crime, drama and horror film, which is also a famous remake of the 1984 movie of the same name. Much like other horror trailers, it follows conventions to make the demographic interested in the movie, like how it begins with a scene that provides the audience with insight to how these people are affected in their dreams and then in real life too before proceeding to more fast shots and cuts as the tempo of the music rises.

Mise en Scene

Different settings are used, like a restaurant, a school and doctor's room, but they are all places where we trust to be safe and protected. The idea that people are getting attacked in these places, and their dreams no less, scares the audience as they usually trust these places and makes the demographic realise how vulnerable the victims are before and during the time the spirit attacks them.

All characters besides the killer wear the same typical clothing for their age, but all the clothes are in darker colours to emphasise the dark and scary tone of the trailer, because their clothing reflects on how they are feeling and if the clothes were bright and colourful it would take away some of the trailer's effectiveness as it would indicate the characters are happy and cheerful. The killer, however, is always seen wearing the same clothes: a full sleeved shirt, pants and a hat, this indicates that the killer is stuck in this idea of revenge and murder, much like he is stuck in the same wardrobe. It also makes him easier to recognise, aside from his burned features.

Many props are used to relay the story, like how one of the students finds a book with a drawing of the exact same hand with claws she dreams of, and other drawings or video blogs on one of the characters computers which help her understand that she is not the only one being haunted by the vengeful spirit. These props help the victims realise that they are not alone and are all being hunted in their dreams. The killer himself has a prop of his own: his claws, which help him harm the victims, its his very own murder weapon attached to his own body, meaning he's never without it or vulnerable, causing the audience to become more terrified for the lives of the main characters.

The NVC in moments of suspense directly relay how the characters truly feel, causing the audience themselves to feel what they are feeling and make them aware how vulnerable the characters really are. The NVC in some scenes depicts realisation, which allows the audience to realise how much trouble the characters are really in.

The lighting in all scenes is low key, even in those that are filmed in the day, have cloudy skies or just dim sunlight, suggesting an overall dark and morbid tone. Many of the shots have lighting which appears to be a greenish blue, depicting a cold and desolate atmosphere, which is perfect for shots portraying the dreams, or how the characters look when asleep, this is seen in some of the above photos. The trailer follows the convention for low key lighting in horror films as it sets the perfect backdrop and feeling to certain scenes, specifically the ones containing horror material.

The overall mise en scene is very typical for this genre as horror is defined by many of these conventions and films rely on them to create the perfect atmosphere and feeling of suspense from the audience when filming these scenes.

Narrative/ Voice-Over

Rather than narration the trailer relies on the conversations between characters to tell the story, some of the character's speech is overlaid on scenes that are relevant but quickly cut together, to summarise what the character means to the audience, this creates a bit of a voice over, but not really. The narrative is presented in a fragmented order to create a larger sense of chaos and terror in order to spook the audience, it also allows the audience's attention to be undivided from the trailer.

Characters

All characters who are victimized are seen as vulnerable, paranoid and frightened, this shows the audience how the spirit can terrify any type of person, demonstrating how truly powerless the characters can be against him. This representation accurately fits in the genre, as there is always someone who is paranoid i.e. the video blogger, usually girls seen helpless i.e. blonde haired student and girl patient and those who are brave enough to try to face the monster himself. The spirit is portrayed as someone ultimately powerful over the main characters, in control of the situation and who usually has some sort of vendetta or reason to be haunting these specific characters, here it is because their ancestors burned him alive. This is the general stereotype/ conventions for the monster or evil entity in horror films.

On-screen Graphics/ Captions

All the vital information is revealed through the characters themselves, the onscreen captions merely add to the sense of fear through the use of the font and color mirroring the color of blood and the font being sharp and modern, reminding the audience of a weapon.

Editing and post production

The pace of the trailer increases rapidly much like the background music does, the pace is changed through the use of quick cuts between short scenes, which cause the shots to seem fragmented and scarier as the audience sometimes does not fully understand what is going on in them. Special effects like the black mist when the victims fall into their beds or when the blonde haired student suddenly begins dreaming it looks like the dream is taking over violently invoke feelings of terror in the demographic as it is clear there are supernatural forces, which we do not understand, at hand here.

Music and other sound effects

The music in the background of the trailer sets its pace and affects the heartbeats of the audience, causing them to become more scared when watching the trailer. Other sound effects like fragmented screams and the scraping of the claws against metal are emphasised to make these scenes more intense and frightening.

Camerawork

Many reaction shots are used, as the audience directly related to how the characters feel, especially when they are terrified. Dolly shots are used to track cautious movement and build up suspense for the demographic as well and are also used in scenes where the characters are running away, giving the effect that they are being chased as they look back behind the camera frequently whilst these shots occur. Some shots are also wide to show how alone the characters are in a setting like when the man walks across the restaurant, to make them seem vulnerable and build up tension and suspense. Some camera angles are taken from a high angle so it looks like the spirit is towering over the victims and others are from a low angle, like the shot at the end where the doctors hand becomes a claw, to show that the spirit is in control and has power.

Assignment 2 - Explanation

The target audience are females in between 12 - 16 for my magazine article and album cover alike.  The magazine interview appeals to my demographic because my artist relates to my demographic because she talks about her past experiences through responses to the questions I asked. I feel that the quote catches the audiences eye because it seems like a nice and inspiring thing to say. I only used two main colors, to keep the interview appear more professional but simple, the colors I used are pink and blue, which help the page look brighter and more appealing, making my artist seem more fun and easy going but serious about her music - like how I tried to portray her in the photo on the right side of the interview.

I think it could be suitable to feature in a magazines like Tiger Beat or others - which are targeted at a younger teenage audience, who perhaps like my artist, are aspiring musicians looking fro their big break, and as my interview is set after she released her debut album, it could be inspiring to an area of my demographic, whilst the others (in the demographic) would just be looking forward to being introduced to a new musician.

I followed the convention of using one whole page for a photograph and of using a drop cap to start my interview because it attracts the eye of the demographic immediately, causing them to read on. The photograph portrays the artist in a good light, encouraging the audience to read the interview to find out more about the subject. 

My album cover is appealing because it connotes very emotional thoughts, and I feel that it portrays my artist as sweet, inspirational and intelligent and because I used indirect address, which makes it seems like her thoughts are private, personal and important - like the person the everyday teenager wants to be. They would look up to her, as if she were a role model. I also used a widely known landmark - the Big Ben - as the backdrop because it connotes ideas of adventure and it also fits in with the title of the album - Timeless. 

In both my interview and album cover, the artist is represented as down to earth and sweet, as mentioned before they both make her seem thoughtful by using indirect address in both photographs, creating synergy between them.

Assignment 2 - Magazine page

Assignment 2 - Interview

Recently, we got the opportunity to sit down and talk to one of the most recent rising superstars in the music industry. She became a big hit during her days on X-Factor before she disappeared from the public eye...but now she’s resurfaced and climbed to the top of the charts with her debut album Timeless. It’s Ash Bourne!

When and how did you first become interested in music?

I first became interested in music at very early age, about when I was 7 years old. It’s actually made a very big impact on my family. So, my dad owned an instruments shop in London, before we moved to Oxford. Right before we moved there, my dad gave me a guitar. I was always interested in my dads business, but when I started playing the guitar, I realised I wanted to do it for a living.

Did you face any obstacles in pursuing your career?

Yes, definitely. I remember there was this one instance where I really doubted my chances at success. It was when I was eliminated from X Factor in the semi finals. No record label was giving me a chance and my agent nearly gave up. Luckily, Kronos Records gave me a chance. I just hope my album will receive a positive reception.

Did you learn something from your elimination on the X Factor?

My elimination caused me to face the fact that I wasn’t prepared to proceed to the next round and career, so I contacted a vocal coach and started to train my voice to become more stronger. My voice cracked on the song I was singing in the semi final because I couldn’t reach the high notes in it. I’m actually happy that I went through this experience because it helped me feel better about my chances for a successful career due to the hard work and effort I put into those classes.

What are your musical influences?

Zendaya’s dual career in both acting and singing was so successful that it inspired me to pursue a career that balanced both of these things as I grew up loving them equally through my childhood. I also grew up loving Michael Jackson, he made such a big impact on the music industry and really shaped how music is in the present. He is one of the most famous and inspiring legends ever. I really hope to put my own mark on the industry and leave a legacy behind just like he did.

How do you write and compose your songs?

Well, first I compose the music by trying out a few chords together on my piano and then I add in any other instruments I think would make the song sound better. Then, I pick out an experience that Ive gone through and jot down any lyrics that come to mind on the nearest object I can write on, most of the time it’s in my journal.

Do you have any advice for any young, aspiring musicians, like yourself?

Yes. I do. Never give up on your music and yourself, despite what others tell you. Music is a way to express yourself freely, without holding back. That’s what I like best  about it. Never let anyone stop you from achieving your dreams.

What’s the inspiration behind your album?

I wanted to write songs about the different phases in my life and how they all made me the person who I am today. I wanted to show my appreciation for my childhood and my life so far and the only way I could do that was through my music. The memories from those times were - are eternal, always to me.