Amber A2 Media Studies: 2013

The codes and conventions of horror films were vital to me as they gave me the basic guidelines to begin my project. Prior to creating my own media trailer during lessons I learnt the background history of horror films, this helped me to identify the codes and conventions of horror films from the 1930’s through to the 2000’s. I also learnt about the different genres of horror including Slasher, Supernatural and Psychological. My own film idea was unconventional as I choose to draw elements from different sub-genres of horror.

I drew inspiration from audience’s fears from both the past and present. Looking back to the original classic horror films from the 1930’s I was inspired by the Gothic horrors released from this period such as the first edition of ‘Dracula’ starring Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. I thought it would be interesting to bring to life a gothic myth from the 19^th century to a modern audience. I decided to research into the most recent vampire sightings within London I then discovered information surrounding the sightings of the Highgate Vampire from the 70’s, this inspired my original storyline of a group of youths being caught up in a Vampire hunt, however after delivering my pitch to the class I decided that I would need to alter my storyline as it would be difficult for me to find the resources to replicate scene’s from the 1970’s. I then took on the advice of my peers and decided to set my trailer in the present modern era. When researching into the most recent horrors I discovered the documentary style/ found footage horrors have become more popular as they induce a greater sense of realism overcoming the problem of whether a 21^st century audience would be frightened of a 19^th century monster. However I also wanted to maintain the codes and conventions of what a vampire should look like, I made sure my actor had a pale complexion by applying special effects make-up, Although I wanted my character to be beautiful I also wanted her to look sinister so she would still induce fear into my audience I decided to scar/disfigure one half of her face. Moreover within the images I used for my film poster and film magazine cover I painted fake blood on her neck maintaining the convention that vampires are seductive yet sinister and entrap their victims by biting their necks. Within the film poster for the original Dracula from the 1930’s Karloff is attempting to bite Lugosi’s neck this inspired my SPFX makeup. By acknowledging the codes and conventions surrounding vampires the audience are easily able to identify the film is gothic.

Code’s and Conventions further proved their importance within my project as they helped me to create media products which looked more professional and thus were more appealing to my target audience. I carried out research into codes and conventions through looking at existing media texts and carrying out an overview of the general conventions found within horror magazine covers, trailers, and posters. I then analysed three existing media texts in depth from each area to highlight what I needed to include within my own work.

When analysing film posters I found that the colour schemes remained the same throughout the horror posters red, black, white and grey were all predominate colours. For my own film poster I maintained this colour scheme of red white and black. Another convention of horror film posters my overview highlighted was that many of the main images featured obscured facial features for example The Devil Inside film poster features a nun with possessed eyes, moreover the only colour used within the Woman in Black film poster is the focal colour used on Daniel Radcliffe’s eye, Additionally the eyes of the child within the insidious poster eyes have been scrawled out, eyes are an important feature of the poster as they can act as a symbol of demon’s and evil showing the dehumanised characteristics of the characters within a horror film. Within my own film poster I used Photoshop to emphasise the dark eye makeup I used on the disfigured half of my actors face, I also tinted her eyes red to further show her blood lust as a vampire. Whilst analysing the film poster’s I noted a common style of text and layout, I noted the Film Titled was the largest piece of text followed by the slogan of the film. I maintained this layout, with the release date at the bottom and the film website underneath. If I could have improved my film poster I would have added logos of the Film Company as well as credentials.

I carried out the same analytical process for my magazine front cover I looked at an overview of film magazine’s and analysed three in detail, throughout all the magazine I analysed I noticed the main image of used was of the actor in character for the film they are promoting, I wanted to maintain this convention as I felt it was important to create a symbiotic link between my film poster and film trailer. Originally I wanted to make my film magazine a regular issue but after editing I the cover I decided that there were too many sell lines overcrowding the issue so I decided to edit the cover into a Horror Special edition so it looked more sophisticated as I found the use of too many sell-lines made it look less sophisticated.

I maintained and broke the codes and conventions of horror within my trailer through the narrative, within my film I casted two males and one female student and a female vampire, I took on the role of Antonio’s girlfriend myself. Antonio the leading male is the main victim of the vampire within my trailer this is slightly unconventional, as usually the first victim would be the ‘Sacrificial lamb’ a woman with great beauty but little wit according to media theorists these women are likely to be the first victim to be targeted, However I wanted to maintain the conventions of my sub-genre, Vampires are mythical creatures often associated with lusting their victims into a false sense of security therefore the Vampire’s victim had to be male.

(Idyllic scenery from Insidious)

(Background information sub-title from Vengeance)

(Paranomal Activity 4 sub-heading)

Moreover when analysing the film trailer’s within my overview which included, The woman in black, The rite, The amytiville horror, Sinister, Paranormal activity 3 and Insidious. I noted the conventional structure which all the trailers seemed to follow, I noted the first few scenes of the trailer began with idyllic scenes, however I decided to break this convention as I wanted to base my trailer on found-footage to create a greater sense of realism therefore I began my trailer with a voice-over of a news report declaring that Antonio’s body had been discovered mutilated the screen, During my analysis I noted that many of trailer’s gave the audience some basic background information I done this through a sub-title declaring that the footage was found by the police, similarly within the trailer for the rite a sub-title appears at the beginning giving the audience background information on exorcisms I also noted within the Paranormal activity films a similar font is used to show the footage has been documented.

I further noted that the characters within the trailer are often searching for answers to mysteries or strange occurrences within their lives. They may also be trying to make links between different symbols and signs For example in Sinister the Father of the family is crime reporter, he coincidently finds footage belonging to the previous family whom lived in his house, he finds there are a series of murders and each one has been recorded, after finding the shocking evidence he decides to watch each of the tapes and finds that the common link between them is a symbol he speaks to a colleague and finds that the symbol is linked to a pagan called Ragual who consumes the souls of human children. Within my own trailer Antonio, Tiana and Zack are all looking for answers surrounding the urban legend of the Highgate vampire, because they are history students I decided to film them in the natural history museum looking at objects that are relevant I included a shot of a human skull from pre-historic generations to show that humans previously had fangs a convention of a Vampires physical appearances, I also included a shot of Medusa as she is a mythical monster like the Vampire. Another important shot was of Antonio entering a door which was clearly signed ‘This door to be closed’ to show symbolize he is crossing boundaries which shouldn’t be crossed.

(Screen shot fom Insidious)

(Screen shot from Vengeance trailer)

(Screen shot from Vengeance Trailer)

When analysing paranormal activity 3 the evidence is based on found footage like my trailer, I noted that the main characters didn’t speak to the camera directly, however within my own trailer I wanted my audience to understand my characters so the film was more personal moreover because the audience can empathise and understand the characters within the film they are frightened and concerned when things go wrong, within my trailer I use a video log of Antonio describing how he is feeling so the audience gain a greater understanding of what the project has done to alter his character and to reflect that he is becoming a subject of possession.

(Screen shot from paranormal activity)

(Screen shot from Vengeance)

I further noted the end of trailer’s became more jumpy and contained footage of the evil within the film for example within sinister the demon ragul is revealed moreover in the rite a possessed women is revealed to the audience in a graphic manner. Within my own trailer I used shots from the camera in night vision to show the vampire has been present in Antonio’s house and that his girlfriend and friend had also become possessed by her spirit, however I didn’t show images of Tiana being possessed as I wanted to make her the final girl, her character composed all the traits of what a final girl should be according to media theorist clover ‘the final girl is a bookworm’ she is ‘intelligent’ and knowledgeable to the fact that something isn’t right.Overall I tried to stick to the conventions of the horror trailers I analysed if I could have improved my trailer I would have perhaps created a sting towards the end.

(Screenshot from the rite)

(Screenshot from Vengeance)

I aimed to create a symbiotic link between my three pieces of media texts my film poster, my film magazine and my film trailer. The purpose and importance of creating a symbiotic link is so that the audience can recognise that the media texts are all promoting the same product and can recognise that the products come from the film brand Vengeance. I feel that I have successfully created this link as each media text relates to the other. For example the images used within the film poster and film trailer both use the same character as the model, showing this consistency will bring out a greater recognition for the film within the audience, moreover the style of the image and the model means that features of her character act like icons for the audience into identifying who she is. For example in many horror films the main character or the villain has features such as special effects makeup or props which helps establish them and thus acts as a piece of iconography for the film. For example the killer in the Scream series is famous for his ghostly mask which resembles the death reaper moreover the character Freddy Krueger from The Nightmare on Elm Street is famous for his bladed finger tips and disfigured face. I used the same concept to establish my character by promoting the iconography of her face being half disfigured and half human the image is strange distorted and graphic leaving an imprint in the audiences mind and making my vampire character Jessimine easily identifiable to my audience. Although I wanted Jessimine to act as a key piece of iconography for the film I did not want to reveal too much of her character within the trailer as there would be no suspense of surprise for the audience therefore she appears only briefly towards the end of the trailer.

I feel I have appealed to my target audience through my media products, when designing my film poster I wanted to modernize the Vampire from the very first horror films. I have decided to use an unconventional twist and make my vampire a female in contrast ‘Dracula’ the very first Vampire on audiences screens was based on a male vampire from the 19^th century novel. Although I wated to combine elements from classic gothic horrors I have made sure to maintain relevance and realism towards my target audience. I wanted to make my film relevant to my target audience as personally I find horrors more terrifying and thrilling if I can imagine myself within that scenario, when horrors are unrealistic they can seem almost comedic and laughable to the audience because the plot is so ridiculous the more relevant the more of an adrenaline rush I gain from the film because I’m worried that I may experience what the characters did, I wanted to leave the same horrifying feeling with my audience as essentially the purpose of horror films is to induce fear into your audience. Moreover I felt by making the film realistic and raw it gives the audience something new as we are often bombarded with the latest special effects images that we become desensitized to the awe and wonders of it. Therefore by using raw footage which appears self-shot and documented by the characters the narrative becomes even more real for the audience.The way I have shot the film trailer gives the audience an insight into the characters lives.

To promote my film across to my target audience I would strategically plan the places to advertise each media text. I would firstly place my film poster in bus and train stations my target audience are aged 15-25 year olds and many are students therefore many will still be reliant on public transport to commute to various places, members of my target audience in urban areas such as London may often use the tube to commute to central London for shopping etc, therefore I think this will be an affective area to advertise poster’s as the target audience may spot them whilst out and about. Moreover older members of my target audience may see them when commuting from work or university this is an ideal place to advertise as the audience will be passive and therefore more open to taking in information. I would also advertise my film poster within magazine’s that interest the target audience, such as film magazines, student magazine’s and lifestyle magazine’s aimed at both men and women in the age category of 18-25. Furthermore I would also take into consideration the places in which to advertise my film trailer, the primary location I would release my film trailer in would be in the cinema itself with films connected to or associated with the audiences interest’s because my target audience vary widely due to age and gender differences this would range from chick flicks to action films. I would also advertise my film trailer through the teaser website and the film production companies YouTube account, for those who have a avid interest in the film. Moreover I would advertise my film trailer through the target audiences general favourite TV channels during breaks within programmes they take an interest in, the channels include Channel 4, E4, 4 music, MTV, Sky sports, Viva, and Comedy Central.

During the stages of research and planning, the internet was a vital source of information for me. It gave me many of the resources I needed. When developing an idea for my storyline Google’s search engine enabled me to research information on the recent vampire sightings in London, helping me to discover background information on the Highgate vampire which gave me a basis for my original plot I pitched to my class. Moreover Google’s Images helped me find existing media texts to analyse such as Film magazine covers and film posters. You-tube was another important resource as it allowed me to carry out analysis of existing horror film trailer’s, this gave me an idea of the composition of a horror trailer as well as giving me inspiration on what features I should include in my own trailer. You-tube allowed me to gain new skills as I learned how to make home-made prosthetic special effects gel which helped me to create the make-up I desired on my actor in a more professional way. Camera’s were also important as I was able to film the evidence of my pitch and my focus group allowing me to look over the responses I gained from my respondents and refer back to information whenever I was stuck on what to include in my products. Using a blog to record the creative process of research and planning was useful as I was able to update my blog on the go through use of my smart-phone. I was also able to make present my information in a modern and interactive format which had benefits which other formats don’t have, for example a printout portfolio of work.

Media technology was vital in filming my film trailer previous to the project I had never used a video camera, I learnt new skills such as how to assemble a tripod, how to create effects through lighting both natural and artificial as well as a additional camera features such as night vision mode I found this effect was useful in my filming as I wanted my film to be in a self-documentary style night vision enabled me to show the characters had left their camera recording over-night a convention I had noticed in modern horrors shot in a similar style such as paranormal activity. I also had to adapt to Media technology in my ancillary tasks I was lucky enough to be able to borrow a friend’s SLR camera I choose to use this camera as it enabled me to work with an image of a greater quality helping my poster to have a more professional feel to it. However prior to the project I had not worked with the camera I had borrowed so I had to adjust myself and become familiar with the functions of the camera.

Software was vital in editing both my ancillary tasks as well as my film trailer. For the editing process of my ancillary tasks I used Photoshop CS6, this enabled me to manipulate my images and enhance the make-up on my actor, effects such as options of burning and tinting which helped me to modify the colours of the image and create greater dimension and shadows to my images. I feel since year 12 my Photoshop skills have improved as I have become more accustomed to the programme I have learnt new tools and skills and through You-Tube tutorials which were useful for when I was stuck. Although I originally choose to use premier pro to edit my footage I decided to use iMovie on my MacBook at home to edit my film trailer as it allowed me to make additional changes both inside and outside of school. I also found it easier to navigate my way around iMovie although I had never previously used the programme I quickly adapted to it without too much difficulty. I enjoyed the process of editing and brining my vision of my horror trailer into reality.

Firstly I opened the image I wanted to edit on photoshop

I then selected the brush size and changed the size to my prefferred size

I then selected the overlay option

I applied the brush over the parts of the image I wanted to emphasise

I then changed the size of the brush to add detials to the eye details

I then choose the darken tool to highlight the eye area

I then lowered the saturation so the image was of a cooler tone

I then used the dodge tool to further create a pale complexion of my model

If I had to improve my work from the beginning I would plan my time more effectively so that I could gain a greater variation of footage in my film trailer, moreover I would try to storyboard my trailer more effectively rather than having my actors to improvise at times. I would have liked to have used more frightening footage in my trailer more frightening; however I was limited to what I could shoot due to the schedules of the actors I used. However overall I am happy with both my trailer and my film poster and film magazine front cover I enjoyed creating the images and I put in as much effort as possible through research and planning and the use of Photoshop to create the vampire character I visualised with a modern twist, however still maintaining classic vampire iconography such as the blood dripping from her neck which was inspired by the original ‘Dracula’ poster where he is holding her by the neck.

This year I have applied to university to study film and television production, this project has given me a taster as to what to expect on a smaller scale from working on a short film clip, my film trailer, in the future I hope to be working on full length film productions my project has inspired and taught me that working on creating a piece of media takes time, resources and tons of creative input however through hard work the end result can reflect your vision making it very rewarding.

Above I created a tutorial on how I fulfilled my vampire spfx makeup, Before I created my makeup look I researched into how to make my own prosthetic gel I found the following video by a make-up artist showing how to create and mould the gel I have posted this poster below

I wanted my actor to look frightening yet beautiful at the same time common icongraphy surronding vampire's includes the ideology that they lure their victims into a false sense of security through seduction of their victims some of the earliest films from the vampire genre emulate this such as the first edition of Dracula. In the 21st century modern day female vampires include Morticia from the Adams family wikipedia says "Morticia is described as a vamp;, she is slim , she has extremely pale skin and long flowing straight black hair. She commonly wears black gothic dresses to match her hair, tightly form fitting, with a hobble skirt" although she is presented as strange within the Addams family she is still presented as glamourous through her dress and makeup furthermore she is presented as alluring as she maintains the attention of her husband. Other 21st century vampires which have inspired my characters costume and makeup includes the Twilights sagas female vampires main character Bella Swan, within the twilight saga vampires are presented as beautiful yet deadly creatures within the saga the vampires are described as "Their skin is flawless, has the texture and feel of marble due to being stronger than granite, and sparkles in direct sunlight because of the crystalline properties of their cells. Newborn vampires have bright red eyes; for vampires who choose to drink human blood, the most revitalizing kind of blood for a vampire, eye color fades to a deep crimson over the course of a year. If they feed on animal blood, like the Cullens, their eyes fade to a deep gold color. Regardless of meal preference, all vampires' eyes grow darker with thirst, eventually fading to black; vampires tire only from lack of blood. All vampires possess superhuman physical and mental attributes."

(Kirsten stewart as Bella Swan)

Mortica Addam's and Gomez the original Adams family

My own representation of a vampire

Name of Production	Vengeance
Date of Shoot	Saturday 26^th January
Time of Shoot	11am – 4pm
Scenes and Shots	Scene 1- Outside Antonio’s introduction into the project Scene 2-Natural shots of the students walking around the museum Scene 3- Medium Close ups of relevant historical figures of statues relating to the myth of the Vampire Scene 4- Antonio’s breakdown inside the car
Location	The Natural History Museum
Crew Present	-
Actors Present	Andres Gayoso as Antonio Rodriguez Fungai Murape as Tiana Phillips Solimann David as Zack Green
Costume, Hair and Make-Up Required	-
Lighting and Sound Equipment Required	-
Other Equipment and Props Required	Vehicle needed for scene 4

Name of Production	Vengeance
Date of Shoot	Thursday 24^th January
Time of Shoot	4pm-6pm
Scenes and Shots	Scene 1- Jessimine the Vampire within Antonio’s room Scene 2- Antonio’s girlfriend and flatmate Zack have become possessed by the vampire
Location	My house
Crew Present	-
Actors Present	Stephanie Pryor-Jessimine Solimann David- Zack Green Amber Goonesekera (Myself)- Antonio’s girlfriend
Costume, Hair and Make-Up Required	SPFX makeup required for Stephanie Pryor & black t-shirt
Lighting and Sound Equipment Required	-
Other Equipment and Props Required	False Roses

Name of Production	Vengeance
Date of Shoot	Thursday 24^th January
Time of Shoot	4pm-6pm
Scenes and Shots	Scene 1- Antonios video log Scene 2- Zacks video log
Location	My house Two separate bedrooms
Crew Present	-
Actors Present	Andres Gayoso as Antonio Rodriguez Solimann David as Zack Green
Costume, Hair and Make-Up Required	-
Lighting and Sound Equipment Required	-
Other Equipment and Props Required

Amber A2 Media Studies

Friday, 22 March 2013

Target Audience Feedback

Sunday, 24 February 2013

Film Trailer

Friday, 15 February 2013

Film Poster

Film Magazine Cover

Adavanced portfolio Evaluation

Thursday, 14 February 2013

Call-sheet & shooting schedual

Wednesday, 13 February 2013

Characters

Exploring Non-Digetic sounds

Camera shots

Location Ideas

Prop Ideas

Costume Hair & Makeup

Storyboards

Tuesday, 5 February 2013

Film director case study

About Me