Secondary ResearchLucy-Anne Richardson

A2 Media

Teaching Trailer Secondary states that “the combination of moving image and sound, especially when experienced through the advanced equipment of the

cinema auditorium, is an exciting experience”.A trailer is designed to entice the audience into watching the entire film. It does

this by giving information but doesn’t tell you the ending. This can be seen in Todorovs narrative structure as the equilibrium is disturbed. However, a trailer

wouldn’t show you the solution otherwise there wouldn’t be any point in seeing the film.

Often, people watch trailers and try to look at certain aspects that would put it in a particular genre, for example, blood would be assumed to be horror.

Film Trailers

Using trailers would be a movie’s best advertising feature. Although posters and adverts on TV are also effective, they

aren’t as exciting. “Posters are important in capturing the initial interest of the

audience and drawing them into the cinema, but they cannot convey the excitement and atmosphere of a film in

the same way a trailer does.”

Film trailers are mostly found on the TV and internet as advertisements. However, one of the main ways in which they can be seen is through the cinema. Before a film is

played in the cinema, there is about twenty minutes worth of trailers/adverts for upcoming films.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gBeG31fX40

Film trailers often follow the same structure as the film itself. Looking at Todorovs Narrative Structure (1969), we can relate this to almost every trailer and film’s storyline.Stage 1 – There is a balance/equilibrium.Stage 2 – An action of some sort causes a disruption.Stage 3 – The characters try to find a solution to this disruption.Stage 4 – The characters try to overcome obstacles in order to fix the disruption. Stage 5 – Equilibrium is restored (usually a new equilibrium) and the conclusion is shown to the audience.

This would be the usual structure of a film and a trailer is most likely to follow the same path. However, the difference with a trailer would be not giving the audience a solution/conclusion (stage 5) as this would defeat the purpose of going to see the film.

Within my trailer, I have decided to use a young girl around the age of Eighteen. The reasoning behind this would be from inspiration from other films and due to my story. However, one of the main reasons would be for visual pleasure for the audience.

Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze Theory (1975) would be evidence for this as she believes the use of women within magazines, films, trailers etc. would be for male attention within the audience, even possibly an inspirational figure for women. The use of an attractive female, or even an attractive male will attract the attention of many viewers just because of their appearance – especially if they are a celebrity.

Women are also used in films as they are seen – or have previously be seen – to be weak and less dominant. So they are used for characters such as the young, blonde girl in Scream to represent girls in general. However, more recent films have been defying these scary, conventional elements and have been using women for more dominant strong characters such as Paranormal Activity 2.Within this film, the woman sets out to find the solution herself rather than being the victim. I will use elements of Laura Mulvey’s theory by using an attractive young woman to enable a bigger audience. I am also going to use a more conventional character to portray the woman. For example, a blonde haired girl screaming whilst being in the dark.

My genre is horror/thriller by using supernatural events such as a spirit. I want the camera angles, Mise en Scene, acting, clothing etc. to be very mysterious and potentially frightening due to my storyline.

Shadows – unknown characters Candles – horror convention.

Conducting research into Barthes' Enigma Code (1964) I have found that this suggests a product – in this case a film trailer – will be mysterious in order to attract the audience. The enigma code is never revealed until the appropriate moment, which is usually towards the end. I want the audience to ask themselves questions about why something is happening and who is doing it for example. Then eventually find out the answer at the end of the film.

InfluencesFrom this secondary research, I have used theories in order to keep to conventions and create the right atmosphere. • Firstly, from Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze theory, I have decided to

use an attractive, blonde girl in order to entice the audience as well as relate to her. My actress is blonde which is in keeping with horror/thriller films as I want her to show innocence and purity.

• Like every other trailer, I do not want to reveal the ‘solution’ of the story which is said by Todorov in his Narrative Structure. The trailer I wish to create will go through these certain stages such as a balance/equilibrium then be disrupted etc.

• Due to the genre of the trailer, I need to create an unknown or a mysterious atmosphere. This is mirrored by one of the theorists I looked at, Barthes Enigma Code shows this by the solution to the problem being revealed at the correct/appropriate time.

Film PostersA film/movie poster is used in order to advertise an upcoming film. Often, it is an image of the main actor within the film itself with the title and tag lines at the bottom such as release dates as well as distributing companies. However, previously, film posters would most likely be illustrations due to lack of technology and software that we have in the modern day such as Photoshop and Mac computers.

Film posters is an effective way of advertising a film as it can be released on many different platforms. With the impact of the internet and broadband, the web is now perhaps the biggest advertising strategies as it reaches the entire world enabling a wider audience. Film posters can be displayed through websites (reviews, at the end of a trailer etc.) as well as on billboards and magazines.

Illustrated film poster from the 1930’s

Main actress shown2012

In relation to pragmatics (connotations) there are many aspects within a film poster. Firstly, the poster needs to have a purpose and the audience needs to know from looking at it what it is and why it is there. You would need to ask yourself many questions such as the reason it was produced, whether it was to persuade an audience or convey a particular message. The audience should be able to understand and be swayed by the poster in order to go and see the film it is suggesting.

This links in with hidden messages which may be inserted in order to create some sort of mystery or to give the audience more inside information. This can be done with connotations/ denotation. The denotative meaning would similarly mean a literal meaning by saying exactly what it is whereas a connotation would be something associated with it. An example of this would be colours. Many colours have certain meanings such as yellow which would connote happiness/sunshine where as red would connote love/ passion or even blood/anger. This is an effective way of creating a certain atmosphere or insight into the genre perhaps.

One of the main elements would be who will actually be viewing the product. The film itself would have a target audience to begin with so this would be the same with the poster. This would include the audiences’ age, gender, nationality, interests, socio-economic status and their overall personality. For example, the target audience of The Godfather could be seen as adult males whereas The Twilight Saga would be aimed at teenage females.

From research carried out by Tom Brownlee in Media Magazine, we can see these elements within a film poster are important to it’s overall success. Also, the layout of the poster is often very similar due to conventions. For example, the use and placement of the title, as well as a positive quote, using previous credits (actors) in order to give the film extra justification and the colours used.

InfluencesI have decided that film poster and magazine cover will be relatively similar with regard to logistics – makeup, position, location etc.I want the model – who will be the main actress – to look directly at the audience in order to make them feel uncomfortable (diegetic gaze).From looking at Media Magazine, Tom Blownlee stated that the layout of the poster is very important. The placement of the title will be at the bottom of the poster alongside the information such as companies, actors’ names and release date.The poster will be simple as having too much will confuse the audience and take away some of the scary atmosphere that I want to produce. Another convention stated in Media Magazine is the use of certain colours for example. The background will be light at the top leading into darkness which is similar to The Possession poster. This will connote the darkness/evil taking over her body. Also, the use of a different, bold colour such as red for the release date really stands out and connotes danger/blood which is part of the story line. I could possibly use red as it is a similar storyline or another bold colour.

Film Magazine CoverFilm magazines such as Empire or Total Film incorporate new or upcoming films within the magazine and are fixated on the front cover. The purpose of a film magazine would ideally be to persuade and sell the film they are advertising.

The front cover usually involves a singular image of the main actor/actress within the movie. This would mainly be to advertise the film itself but also sell the magazine through the use of that certain person. This person would most likely be famous and attractive. Drawing on Laura Mulvey’s Male Gale theory, attractive men and women are used within the media such as actors, on posters and obviously film magazine covers. People would not only be enticed to buy the magazine – or see the film – but they would also aspire to be like them.

The composition of the cover will almost always follow certain conventions and are similar to other magazines of its genre. These conventions include the use of the rule of thirds in which the readers eye automatically goes to certain points on the image for example.

The image on the cover can differ with regard to the models position and logistics such as makeup and location. A close up or mid close up would be used in order to show the audience the facial expressions which could give some background information into the film. This is similar with logistics. As you can see in the film cover of Robert Downey Jr, his position is upright showing he is quite respectable or thinks well of himself. Also, his clothing represents a certain era which links in with the film. On the other hand, if it were a long shot, it could be used to show the body of the model etc.

This image also shows a diegetic gaze as the model is breaking the ‘fourth wall’ because he is looking directly to the reader.

Many covers have hidden meanings or show the audience context of the film. For example, connotations in colours and fonts enable the reader to know the genre or perhaps the emotions the film entails.

The target audience would be essential to a magazine as they need to target a certain readership – in most cases. This can differ the use of certain colours and images. They could do this by looking at demographic data by collecting surveys.

Len Ang (1991) suggests that you should make a profile of the audience to enable you to create the correct magazine/cover. This is known as ‘imaginary entitles’ which is when you have an assumption of the audience.

Red – Love, passion, anger, blood

Twilight – Teenage girls, stereotypical feminine colours. Or insight into the film by using red or gold for the change in vampire eyes.

• From doing this secondary research, I have decided to use the actress from the trailer is she is what the film focuses on. She will also be attractive (Laura Mulvey) in order to entice the audience. She will be looking straight to the reader (diegetic gaze) in order to intimidate/make them uncomfortable.

• I have also looked into logistics such as her makeup. From looking at trailers such as The Possession, the young girls make up suddenly changed which looked really unrealistic. I won’t change the make up too drastically, but will subtly make her look drained and perhaps older – if she is taking on a different spirit.

• The location will definitely include a forest as it is accessible, it doesn’t cost anything and can create a scary atmosphere.

Influences