Feedback

Here is my feedback for my blog so far.

I am pleased with the comments made as I feel as though my hard work; writing about my pitch, is ‘paying off’, and that my blog is progressing well.

I will continue to carry on the work for my Media project and will correct any problems noted in my feedback.

Inspirational Videos

Movie: 28 weeks later
When watching this scene from the film, you get the sense of fear as you feel as though you are running away from danger. This chase scene makes you picture yourself in Don's situation; running away from the zombies/infected. The fear will start to build up when you see Don running away from the zombies in the background of the scene. When the camera view shows all the other zombies showing up at the top of the hill and then running after Don, you feel as though you are helpless as they get closer to the camera. By having the camera view over a zombie’s shoulder you can see the chaos that is occurring; by the violent camera movements. The noises coming from the zombies also create the sense of horror as you know it's something evil and non-human. The music/score builds up tension as Don is running away from the zombies, again to make you feel more on edge.

Movie: REC 2
This scene makes the audience feel as though something is going to jump out or run at the character, thus making the viewer feel tension and fear. When the zombie/infected/demon reveals itself, the editing of the clips makes the viewer feel scared as the footage has static and speed problems with it, that makes everything seem 'mad' and creepy. I love this scene as you don't know what to expected, and by having this effect you 'cover you face with your hands' incase soemthing does jump out.

Movie: REC 2
Again this scene is extra scary as the infected are chasing after Larra and he gets blocked into a corner, this makes the viewer feel trapped and alone. At 0:57 when you hear the sound of the infected screaming and  running toward Larra, the viewer might hide their faces as an act of fear. The viewer will also have their heart beats racing, as the camera view is though you are Larra and you are all alone with the zombies/infected. When Larra is looking at himself in the mirror you feel sorry for him because he can't get out and the only way to carry on is to kill himself, however you also feel in a panic state because the zombies/infected are going to get the character as they are breaking through the door. Again I love this scene because I love the sense of panic and fear when watching a movie. It makes you feel as though you are in the movie.

Plot - Ideas

Genre

I have decided that my plot for my Media project is going to be based on the horror genre.  This is because horror is my favourite genre and so with this advantage I will be able to produce a creation that will express my ideas, and give me the best opportunity for a better grade in my overall Media course.

Audience Type

As my media project is going to be a horror genre my audience type will be 15+ because, the teaser trailer has horror and disturbing images that might affect a child negatively. Both men and woman will be my target audience too as this teaser trailer can be viewed by both genders.

Idea 1

Haunting:

One thought I had was to have my teaser trailer based around the idea of a haunting; where it would show you a character starting to see mysterious things in the corner of their eye and items move without nobody next to them. My trailer will start by briefly explaining a reason of how this started to happen; for example: Moving into a new house, having a curse put onto them or using an Ouija board that will attract dangerous ghosts/ demons. As the trailer progresses the ‘things’ start to become more realistic and grab the viewers attention. This can be done by having pop-ups that scare the audience  and  using more supernatural effects added onto the trailer; for example: more creepy music or static noises.

Idea 2

Murder Case:

(This idea would be a hybrid genre of psychological horror and thriller.)

Another idea was to start my teaser trailer recording a crime scene where forensics would be collecting evidence of the crime. Effects such as still images would be used to link into the idea of the forensics taking pictures of the evidence needed. The teaser trailer would then start to show you a character walking down a street; as though the trailer went back in time ( before the crime), but the body language of the character would show you they are nervous, and maybe paranoid as they keep on turning around as though somebody is following them. The trailer would then start to show fast moving shots/clips of the character running to get home while somebody is following him/her.  This fast moving effect will carry on showing you the character at home hiding to picking up a weapon. Another character wearing a mask would be introduced as this would make the audience presume that this is the ‘bad guy’. As the trailer moves to the end, the clips shown will show more suspense scenes; for example, the character being followed is hiding under the bed then suddenly the masked figure drags him/ her out by the feet. Dramatic music/score will be used to create the effect of somebody being followed and in danger. The trailer would show a lot of scenes where the audience will feel on the edge of their seats and will want to see the full movie.

Idea 3

Infection:

This idea came from the movie REC and Quarantine, where humans get infected but they don’t come back as zombies. This will give my teaser trailer the twist from other ‘infection’ typed movies. My teaser trailer would consist of people getting bitten but then turning into either demons or just humans who carry rabies; this would make the humans really aggressive to the point they would bite other humans; thus passing on the disease.

Demons

 If I deicide the trailer would be about demons, I would start the trailer showing you a Christian family in their home while they hear strange noises coming from the back yard, the father would go out while the mother and child stay in the house. The electricity in the house will then go off; I would make the trailer then show no images/film to make the audience feel as though they are in the dark too. In the pause of trailer the audience would just be able to hear static noises, deep breathing and the panic of the mother and child. When the mother finds a torch she puts on the light to where she thinks the door is (where the father went out), and it lights up the face of the child; making the audience jump, creating the suspense and fear. She will turn to where the door actually is and the father will be stood in the door way, he will then suddenly dive towards the mother ( the camera view is as though it is the mothers eyes; so it looks like the father is diving at you) while his face changes into a twisted mess ( like a demon ). The rest of the trailer would then show you fast moving clips of the main character trying to get away from the infected, focusing on the scariest parts; for example the infected running after different people (as this will make the audience feel as though they are being chased). Dramatic and creepy music will be played to get the audience feeling fear and ready to watch the full movie.

Rabies/ Aggression:

However if I made the teaser trailer of the idea of the humans getting rabies when they are bitten, I would start the trailer from people rushing into a house where a woman called the hospital saying her husband was having seizures and foaming at the mouth. The main character would be a trainee paramedic and he/she would be getting the medical equipment from the ambulance, (the camera will stay on the patient to show his reactions). However when the main character gets into the house the patient dies from having a sudden heart attack. Questions would start to be asked about how he may have become in this state, the wife replies by saying he was viciously attacked by a stray dog.  The trailer would then start to play creepy music to signal something is not right. Fast transitions of fades ins and outs would then show small clips of the patient quickly rising up under from the white sheet put over him and biting the closest person near him/her. The trailer would then show clips of the bitten quickly transforming into the infected and biting other humans in the house too. Clips of the infected quickly changing will be shown to signify that these are a different type of infection and not just ‘slow zombies’. It will create fear in the audience as they will think of being in a situation like this and what would they do.  Throughout the trailer it will show the main character battling for their chance to survive, whilst the infected will be shown to be aggressive and killing anything what is alive. Creepy images and film will be used that will grab the viewers attention and make them be scared after watching this trailer. The music will be creepy and also dramatic to show the audience tension and to create the factor of pop-ups/shocks.

Idea 4

Summoning:

My next idea would be about a cult that would have to every 13 years stop a powerful demon from returning to earth. The teaser trailer would start by explaining about how the devil fell from heaven and how he created demons, it would then show you scriptions of how to stop the demons and the evil they contain; for example newspaper articles to books on the supernatural. It would then show you the cult going to sacrifice a shrine maiden to the underworld, because she would be a vessel for the demon to cross between worlds. However, something goes wrong in the ritual and it’s too late to stop the demon from rising. The trailer will then show disturbing pictures of demons possessing people from the cult, and the possessed killing people in a local village. More fast transitions will be made showing the cult trying to stop the demons from possessing other humans; the music will be full of screams and chants made by the people in the village, creating a sense of evil and the unknown. Next, there is a sudden pause in the trailer, where all that can be heard is deep breathing and a strange chatting, suddenly a group of demons tied up scream as they are being exorcised; making the audience jump in fear. More transitions will be show of the panic, possessions and evil created by the demons. Overall the music will be dramatic and yet gentle to give a contrast feeling to the images shown; for example the omen and the exorcist movie soundtrack is that of chanting and singing, when listened to it can give the audience chills as though they are being watched by something evil and as it contrasts with the filming been shown.

Idea 5

Possessed Object:

My last idea would be associated with a ‘haunted/possessed object’ that would most likely be a doll. My teaser trailer would start of by the main character helping her nana move into a new house. While she’s in the attic sorting out old boxes from the woman who lived there before; the woman died in the home and was the only one left out of her family, so nobody claimed the leftover belongings, the main character finds a Victorian styled doll. My teaser trailer would then start to show the audience how as soon as the main character puts the doll in the bin, strange things start to be seen; for example: dark figures can be seen in the background of the camera shots taken. This is to create the tension in the viewers as they don’t know what this figure is. The doll throughout the trailer will play a significant part as even though the main character chucks it away, it somehow ends up always finding its way back to her. I would use different locations to set the tone of the trailer, and to link into the genre of horror; I could use places like graveyards to dull areas that people don’t go to, this will create suspense.  I will try to use pop ups in the trailer to create fear within the audience, and to make the audience want to view the full film. Fast transitions will be made to create a tense atmosphere within the trailer; it can also show most locations and effects as the audience will get small glimpses of the film. The music will be creepy to fit into the idea of a possessed doll; dolls normally belong to children and sometimes children in horrors are seen as the scariest part.  I would use different sound effects to build up the atmosphere of different scenes in the trailer, making the film seem more realistic and professional.

Mood Board 2

This Mood Board; just like my other ones, shows different horror pictures and text. The images are to give the viewer something to look at, for example the arm with the eye in the hand. Nobody has an eye in their hand so it makes the viewer want to know more about this image as it looks realistic and creepy. This goes the same for the woman whose face is on fire. You want to know why her face is on fire and why is she just standing there. It makes you feel emotion for her as you see her facial expressions of shock and terror as she is screaming; when you look at the image you picture yourself in her shoes and you can imagine the pain that she would be in. This picture is not something very pleasant to look at and so a different type of horror is create; not fear but emotional terror. The girl with the doll has a grunge style to it as she is wearing dark makeup and has a soulless stare on her face, the way she is positioned is though she is staring at you in wonder and this can create fear in some people as she looks as though she is possessed or not herself.  The doll in front of her is rotten and looks old and not cared for anymore with can link into the mise en scene of the image; this can also creates a creepy look to the overall image. The picture of the face with the cracks engraved onto it was created by me for my GCSE Art Exam; I wanted to create a scary looking person that looks like the dead. By using the cracks the woman looks not human and then adding the effect of the eyes makes the woman look like a demon or something from the supernatural. By thinking this a person could create the sense of fear as this kind of supernatural is not meant to be true.

The fonts used are unusual; they look destroyed and distorted that would make a horror poster look interesting to view. The ‘Killer’ font reminds me of the ‘white noise’ you get when ghosts try to contact you through the TV or an electrical item that goes all static; this could link into a ghost film or something that could create static.

Again, I made the paper have the rusty colour and texture change to give off the creepy feel; which I explained on my first mood board. However, instead of just using a blood splatter added on as an effect, I put a bloody hand print on the paper to show panic and distress. Sometimes you can watch a horror movie and you see hand prints over the walls or in zombie movies, a zombie would bang on the window and leave a bloody hand print on the glass. I took this effect and created it on my mood board to express horror and to link my mood board with different horror movies.

Mood Board - Film Posters

This mood board shows the different movie posters I adore as they are really inspiring and give me loads of ideas on how to make my movie poster and film magazine front cover. Each poster has its own unique way of representing that movie and the genre horror. For example the Silent Hill posters show the same colour scheme of that rusty look that links into the movie as this effect is also used in it. The Silent Hill poster of the girl links into the title as the girl’s mouth has vanish; linking into being ‘Silent’ and not being able to speak.  The other two Silent Hill posters show a surreal atmosphere as though something is watching you, it shows different characters from the movie and before you even watch the film, you feel as though you are getting to know them. The poster with the corridor and the girl shows a sense of panic and danger as the shot type is on an angle and is positioned at a long shot; making you feel far away from the girl and the light ( which normally means good in movies ) ,this makes  the audience feel as though this character will be in trouble. The other poster of the two men however is different as you feel too close to the characters and because their faces are hidden away you feel as though they cause a threat to you; making you feel uneasy around them as you can’t see their identity.  I really like the font for ‘Silent Hill’ too, as it looks like the text is burnt or has been smudged into the picture, making it look unique yet creepy.

I love how the ‘thir13in ghosts’ movie poster is of one big picture but is made out of other smaller pictures from the movie. It describes that maybe this person’s facial expression; which results in shock and horror, is due to the fact that the person is made up out of  or seen ghosts.  The smaller images also give the whole picture depth as it is making the picture look more realistic and 3-D. I love the colour of the poster as it symbolises a facial skin tone but it also looks like if it’s on fire; which could be linked into hell and flames. The title ‘thir13in ghosts’ has a very clever effect in it too, as the ‘th’ is transferred into ‘13’ which the title is spelling out. Also, the slogan ‘Evil has Multiplied’ could be applied to all the multiply images made up on the face. Linking the text and images together to create a well thought out poster.

The ‘Constantine’ movie poster has a great effect as the image is a very soft and dull colour of a grey/blue, however in the title the ‘T’ is in a shape of a cross and is glowing bright red; this stands out as it is the only bright colour of the whole poster. Having this effect makes the poster look creepy but yet calming because of the soft colours used. The ‘T’ in the shape of a cross also links into the gun that the man holds; again linking into the whole poster.

The ‘Dead Silence’ poster catches your eye as it is rare to have a horror movie poster in the colour white, as white can be seen a pure and safe. This poster links into the title as the person finger is over its mouth to express the idea of being ‘Silent’ and not speaking; this is similar to the Silent Hill poster. The hand however is rotten and the person’s eye area is very inhuman which suggests something about this person is scary and not living. The colour of the person makes you think ‘death’ as when you die people lose the colour in their skin tone; again making you think of terror and chills.

Lastly, the ‘Final Destination’ poster is edited to link into the slogan of ‘Rest in Pieces’. The image shows a woman, however her face has been smashed into pieces and her bottom half of her face is a skull. This is a metaphor for death and pain. The slogan is a twist on the words ‘Rest in Peace’ which could represent the idea of death from this movie; that it is having a bit of fun twisting people’s lives and words. It is meant to show a humorous but darker side to the movie.

Overall, I love watching these movies as they have a good story line and are a horror genre. I am hoping I can take some pointers from these movies and movie posters to create my product.

Mood Board

After picking my brief I decided to create a mood board to note down my ideas and express different ideas I would like to interpretate into my product.

My favourite genre is horror and I find it easier to create ideas and scenarios using this genre. By having this advantage I think I would like to create my brief around the subject of horror and maybe produce a genre product on that.  

This is why I thought I would create a mood board of ideas on this topic. This mood board shows images and text that I believe would fit into the criteria of horror, I also like the effects of some of the images. For example; the colours that are used are all ‘rusty’ and dull to portrait a negative and odd atmosphere.  This makes the viewer feel uneasy and ‘alien like’ to the world around them, the doll’s head represents this; you would link a doll to be a sweet and lovely item however this image shows the head to be rotten and deformed as a hand is coming out of the top of it. It gives of a creepy vibe as this contrasts with a person’s perception of a doll.  I love the idea of getting behind a persona’s thoughts and manipulating them to twist and convert a persona’s mind; creating the effect of fear and horror, getting the person to think about the supernatural and to actually have their hairs on the back of their neck stand up.  I hope to create this effect using my product; making them feel fear and to ‘hide behind their hands’ in case there is a pop-up.

On this mood board there are certain pictures that are edited to make the viewer look closely at the image and to feel different emotions when looking at it. The film poster ‘Voice’ creates this effect as a blood stained hand is forcing itself out of a woman’s mouth. This could never be truly done in real life and so it catches the viewer’s eye. The idea of the picture linking into to title ‘Voice’ suggests that the movie will be interesting as it seems as though the creators had put a lot of thought into making the film and film posters. The colours overall are dull to suggest a cold atmosphere but the title and the hand are both bright red to symbolise that the hand could be a metaphor for a ‘Voice’; coming out of a mouth. Again it makes the poster look professional and well thought out. I hope I can create a similar effect when creating my film and film poster as this will make it look more professional and bold.

Some images have a story behind it that can explain why it was made and to show proof of the supernatural. For example the black and white image that shows the children, is a picture to show a ‘slender man’. If you look closely into the back of the image you can see a long thin figure watching the children, this is the slender man. He comes from an urban legend and sightings have been spotted of them; such as this picture. I used this picture on my mood board because nobody knows if the urban legend is true, people have claimed to have proof that they exist, but it would create fear within a society if it was true. I like the idea of the unknown and the ‘what if’ concept; Aliens, Big foot, Slender men, vampires, zombies, ghosts, demons and the ‘Bloody Mary’ legend, there is some proof but nothing has been set in stone. As a child I know thinking about these unknown legends created fear within me as they are portrayed to be nasty and scary beasts. Even today I hear people talking in fear if these legends did come true and that one day proof would out see the sceptics. I would love to carry on this wariness into my product and create the fear of terror and danger.  

Chain mail also creates this superstition of the ‘what if’.  The picture of the girl under nether the man’s bed is a picture from a chain mail. When people receive a chain letter they want to pass it on in case the ‘evil’ passage that threatens their life is true, however some people don’t know what to believe, they don’t want to pass it on because they feel as though it is a joke and not real but at the same time the ‘what if’ factor occurs; what if the threat comes true. Other senders of the letter might scare the person, telling them stories of those who never passed it on; but it could be a story of Chinese whispers where the tale has been repeated that many times its not 100% real. This uncertainty is what worries people and makes them scared. This is what I would like to create in my work.

Each picture in its own way has been created to show horror in many different styles. The picture of the woman with half her face transformed into a skull was created by me for my GCSE Art exam. I created this to show a duel identity of evil within a person, nobody can know for sure what a true personality is like, in the news you hear stories of mass murders and when the neighbours are interviewed they would say the murderer was a lovely and caring person; which contradicts what the criminal actually done. The picture of the girl with the nightmares pouring into her head explains that everybody has their darkest secrets, people are their own worst enemy; nightmares to themselves.  

The text shown on the mood board shows different fonts I like and I find it to be great for the horror genre. They are not very welcoming which shows an anti-happy atmosphere and creates the effect of creepiness and bloodshed, the different effects also show a professional feel for a horror based product; which I would love to use on my poster and teaser trailer.

When making my mood board I thought I would make the paper look old; making the colour look rusty and unwelcoming. The paper also has the texture that looks like a crumpled piece of paper and with the effect of blood splatter added onto it, it looks more like a typical horror script that you would read to find clues of what to do next. I was inspired by the game Silent Hill where you have to read messages to find about the history of the place your in and what to do next in the game.

Which Brief?

After looking at all the possible options for the A2 Media briefs I could pick to create, I have made a decision to use the brief on:

- A promotion package for a new film, to include a teaser trailer, together with a film magazine front cover, featuring the film and a poster for the film.

In my AS year I never created any film material, so by choosing this option, I can create something new and learn different aspects for piecing together a product.
In my spare time I also create videos using Sony Vegas using different fandoms ( tv shows to films). So I can use these skills I already have and apply them to my work.
Also, last year I made a magazine, so my skills can be carried on and used when creating the poster and film magazine front cover; using photoshop.

By picking this brief I can extend my ideas and put in an creative way of thinking when making the Pitch; as I will have to think of shot types, story boards and characters; which I never done last year.

Overall I think it would be a great way to express my ideas and make a final product of my work.

Here is a taster of the videos I make:
Fandom: Supernatural
Song : Illuminated

The Next Step

The first year of my Media Studies course is over!
I really enjoyed creating new styles and making a product that would become unique and interesting.

Overall, I think my AS year has given me the opportunity to develop my skills using photoshop and trying out different techniques to make my magazine look professional and eye catching. It was a great way to learn about the media and understand why magazines are created and styled in the way they are in todays society.

I am pleased with my grade for my coursework last year; a 'B'.
It feels as though my hard work using photoshop to edit, and the camera work to model my images has paid off.

I will keep motivated and put 100% effort into making my next product. I will also continue to use and learn different skills to get the best results for my coursework.

My A2 year sounds like if it is going to be very creative and a fun year to piece together all my product ideas.