BLK feedback

Excellent analysis and reflections on your horror shot - super work Nisha!

Great notes on the Mummy trailer - a good choice for analysis.

You've got some really impressive independent research as well, so well done so far.

Your blog is looking good, if you could add a link to my foundation blog that would be ideal , also don't forget to create a weblinks list as well.

www.launchingfilms.tv

Release a film
Who does the film appeal to?
How much money would it cost to market the movie?
What are the best ways and best channels to advertise your movie to appeal to your target audience?
How to promote the movie? Media partners include: radio, newspapers. Out door advertising include: Out door postors, billboards
Positioning & audience
Find out who your target audience is. Do they have a certain genre? Certain age are interested in certain directors and actors/actress.
Target audience
Look at past films and compare them. Was the film successful or unsuccessful to a certain target audience? Particular age groups do particular things. I.e most teenagers watch E4 television, whereas adults watch BBC1, news channels. We need to keep in mind that different age groups react differently.
Competition
There are many films released at the same time. Our film needs to stand above the others, it needs to have a reason why the audience pick our film over the others. Timing is also important. Most films targeted at teenagers are released in the October half term. It's usually cold and rainy therefore children are likely to go to the cinema.
P & A Budget
- Advertising costs (newspapers, magazines, television)
- Making the trailer
- Marketing
- Cost of printing the film
- Technical elements
Word and mouth 'is critical!'
Word and mouth determines the life expectancy of a film. It can break or make a film. Media partners help spread word of mouth endorsement. I.e: television, newspapers, radios. Word and mouth is one of the most important advertising strategies.
Marketing plan
Ways to publicise the film includ the press and advertising.
Ways of advertising include; Bill boards, newspapers, magazines, bus stop posters, interviews with the director broadcasted on the radio. etc.
Word of mouth endorsement is crucial and can make or break a film. To help spread word and mouth movies are screened before the release for free.
Internet using emails and viral campaigns.
If your film plays well to an audience then a film screening is key strategy in your marketing plan, it is also good on a budget.
Film trailers
Trailers are the audiences' first and only exposure. Trailers are crucial and have to create the right impact on the audience. It is important the overall concept of the film is portrayed well.
Link between
Has to convince the cinema/exhibitors to buy the film
Digital marketing
Digital marketing can help viral marketing. Digital marketing is an element that is good enough to send on. It then creates viral marketing which is the best source of marketing
Test screening
After doing research on poster ideas and trailers. Test screenings determine whether or not the movie has reached peoples' expectations. The makers get viewers to fill in questionnaires and can therfore find likes and dislikes of the movie. The director then changes the movie accordingly to help make the movie a hit.
Persuading cinemas
The first step is to sell the film to the exhibitors
Opening weekend
the opening weekend includes includes friday, saturday and sunday. In this weekend the film has to make the most money than any other film in the cinema. This determines whether or not the film gets another play date. If its not making enough money they take the film off.
Piracy
Piracy counts towards 20% of all DVD sales in the UK. The money may even be going to various criminal elements.

shot types

The trailer for 'The Mummy 3' has a variety of different shot types creating many different effects. Starting off with a medium close up to introduce the characters, gives the audience a sense of the surroundings/location and costume aswell as making them familiar with the characters' faces. Then the camera switches to a close up of the object the character was holding in the previous shot. The close up creates impact as makes the audience feel involved in the shot as if they are looking through the characters eyes. An extreme close up of the map makes the audience further empathise with the character, continued by a crane over the desert which is an establishing shot, showing the audience where the scene has taken place. At 55seconds in, there is an over the shoulder shot. This allows the audience to see through the perspective of the character. Showing how close the character is to the object, aswell as his actions is a clever way to show the audience what is happening in the shot. This is followed by a low angle shot of the sand coming in through the door, (at 59 seconds into the shot). The low angle makes the door seem eerie and controlling as it allows the sand to enter through the key hole. Again, it puts us into the shot and makes us feel vulnerable as if we are getting trapped. At 1.28 there is a medium long shot of the main characters changing to a high angle shot making them seem small and vulnerable as they fall in to the sea.

THR feedback

Well Nisha, you've made a good start, detailed analysis consisting of both outlining the technical codes and suggesting meanings and effects. It would be really great except you haven't finished! Come on grl!

SUCCESSFUL SHOTS

Successful horror shots

'Dawn on the Dead' This shot contains many horror related elements. The close up shot creates a big impact and really draws in the audiences' eye. The white background focuses all attention on the character which works really well and creates an interesting effect, as the dark colours on the character's face and clothing stands in stark contrast to the background. There aren't any distractions that steal the eye of the audience. Only half of the characters' face is revealed in the shot, implying he has a mysterious, dark side. Maybe darker than what we already see of him. The first thing we look at it is the characters eyes. Having no eyeballs make him zombie like. Furthermore, we don't know where he is looking which makes him seem more sinister and untrustworthy. The dark bags under the characters eyes stand out in start contrast to his pure white eyes. Either showing that the character has had a lack of sleep or has been in a fight (explaining why he also has blood dripping from his mouth.) The face expression creates a big impact. Gritting his teeth makes the actor look furious. His dirty teeth warns the audience beforehand to what extent this character can go!

This is the second shot I chose which portrayed an ideal horror shot. This is a two shot with one character in the foreground, peering over the wall at the scond character in the background. The character in the foreground is dressed in casual clothing giving the thought that she is trapped in this primitive place. Whereas, the character in the background is wearing dark clothing, making him look more sinister. He is facing away from the camera, creating enigma, as the audience eagerly wait to see who this character is and whether or not he will see the girl sneakily looking at him. The wall between the two character is postioned excellently as it splits the shot in two, signifying the two different worlds of the two characters. The character in the background looks like the villain in the shot, and seems to be more familiar with his location; knowing exactly where he is. The medium shot gives away enough information, from who the characters are and what they are doing, to the surroundings and the mise- en - scene. The low key lighting with candles as the only source of light creates a perfect, conventional horror shot.

BLK - why the following horror shots work well

'Dawn on the Dead' This shot contains many horror related elements. The close up shot creates a big impact and really draws in the audiences' eye. The white background focuses all attention on the character which works really well and creates an interesting effect, as the dark colours on the character's face and clothing stands in stark contrast to the background. There aren't any distractions that steal the eye of the audience. Only half of the characters' face is revealed in the shot, implying he has a mysterious, dark side. Maybe darker than what we already see of him. The first thing we look at it is the characters eyes. Having no eyeballs make him zombie like. Furthermore, we don't know where he is looking which makes him seem more sinister and untrustworthy. The dark bags under the characters eyes stand out in start contrast to his pure white eyes. Either showing that the character has had a lack of sleep or has been in a fight (explaining why he also has blood dripping from his mouth.) The face expression creates a big impact. Gritting his teeth makes the actor look furious. His dirty teeth warns the audience beforehand to what extent this character can go!

This is the second shot I chose which portrayed an ideal horror shot. This is a two shot with one character in the foreground, peering over the wall at the scond character in the background. The character in the foreground is dressed in casual clothing giving the thought that she is trapped in this primitive place. Whereas, the character in the background is wearing dark clothing, making him look more sinister. He is facing away from the camera, creating enigma, as the audience eagerly wait to see who this character is and whether or not he will see the girl sneakily looking at him. The wall between the two character is postioned excellently as it splits the shot in two, signifying the two different worlds of the two characters. The character in the background looks like the villain in the shot, and seems to be more familiar with his location; knowing exactly where he is. The medium shot gives away enough information, from who the characters are and what they are doing, to the surroundings and the mise- en - scene. The low key lighting with candles as the only source of light creates a perfect, conventional horror shot.

Our attempt at a horror shot

Film still practical

For our practical we were put in groups of 4 and had to produce a image based on 'horror.'

I reckon we reached the 'horror' theme well. This is a long shot of a teenage indian girl being hung from a curtain bar. The low key lighting creates a silhouette which leaves the character in darkness, hiding the face of the victim makes the shot primitive and mysterious. It also creates enigma as the audience are left unknowing of who the girl is and who hung her. The character is wearing a leather jacket and a skirt. The casual clothing makes the girl seem innocent and vulnerable. It also made it seem as if this murder was commited by someone else rather than a suicidal one.

Whilst taking this shot, there were many factors we had to think about before hand. Such as: the position of the character, and how she would look most timid. Her hands are hanging infront of her, with her head bowed down and hair hanging over her face. Making her seem dead.

The gender of the character - we chose a girl as this would make her seem more timid and less dominant and controlling.

The lighting - we had to make sure there was no extra lighting which would effect the silhouette of the character.

The shot - we chose a long shot as it would show the position of the character and what is happening to her aswell as a bit of the mise- en - scene, and where she is being hung from. The whole shot worked well as you could see the rope above the girl aswell as most of the girl herself to underline the story behind the shot.

Other objects in the frame - We made sure there werent any other distractions that inteferred with out shot and attracted the aundiences' attention which made our shot look more proffesional. Therefore, we kept the mise - en - scene very plain yet eerie at the same time. Outside the window you can only see a bit of a building: leaving the location unknown. This worked really well for the shot as it created enigma, as the audience are left wanting to know where the hanging has taken place. The silhouette works well as the clothes were fitted, making the postion of the character more obvious. If i were to redo this shot I would make sure the protagonist's feet weren't cut out. This would make it more obvious that the character is being hung, rather than just standing on her tip toes. We had to compromise with what we had, therefore the rope in the shot is actually a scarf rolled up. If I were to do this shot I would use a rope and make sure it was tight and firm making it look like the victim was being hung from it. The postion of the character, made her seem somewhat more evil than vulnerable. The leather jacket hunched up the characters shoulders giving the shot a completely different interpretation. I would also use some low key lighting to show the expression on the characters face. This would make the shot seem more mysterious and scary. Finally, I would change the mise - en - scene. A location more eerie and deserted is ideal. Perhaps the middle of an empty room with no windows or furniture, just writing accross the walls. If I were to use paint shop pro to edit the image, I would contrast it to make the light and dark areas more striking, making the silhouette bolder and more significant.

THR

SHOT 1
This is a MCU of a white male around thirty years of age.The MCU is close enough to see the expressions on his face and his position, yet far enough to see the wooden planks he is lying on. The character is lying on the floor with one hand pressed against the side of his face, and the other, holding a gun which is pointing slightly to the left of the camera. His eyes are following the angle of the camera making it onbvious that there is another person behind the camera. He's wearing a tie and black suit: giving him a professional, business man look. Yet the lighting turns the shot into something more primitive and horror like. Half of his body is in shadow, hiding the mysterious, unknown side of the character. The low angle shot, aswell as the character lying on the floor makes him seem somewhat vulnerable and desperate. THe gun pointing to the left of the camera creates enigma as the audience are left unknowing who the gun is pointing at.


SHOT 2
In this shot, the acmera moves further away to a high angle, over the head shot, revealing a second character and more of the mise-en-scene. The lighting creates and eerie atmosstphere as the unknown second character is stil in darkness, pointing a gun to the character from the previous shot. The audience grow a further understanding of what's happening in the shot from the position of the characters. The second character is towering over the victim making himself look more dominant and under control. The mise-en-scene further dramatizes the horror theme of the shot as the character on the floor is trapped on a pier by water from three sides, in a, what looks like, deserted place creating a chlaustrophobic feel.

SHOT 3
This shot is a different angle of the shot before, making the audience see what is happening from a different perspective and become aware of the surroundings. Unlike the previous shot, this shot makes the distance between the two characters clear. The low key lighting aswell as the nightlights in the background creates an eerie atmosphere. In this shot, a third charater is revealed. A young girl with long hair sits on the side of the shot, unnoticed, looking in shock. The crouching position of the girl emphasises her vulnerability. As she bows her head down, the audience feel her timidity and helpless ness as she tries to block out what is happening in her surroundings.

SHOT 4
The shot then zooms out further, into an extreme long shot to reveal a third adult watching what is happening. The second character is now in the centre of the frame gaining more importance in the shot. As a new character is introduced in every shot, the story becomes more confusing. It is unclear whether or not the the previous characters know they are being watched. A white male wearing a long black coat has been introducted to the shot, standing the tallest he seems to be the most significant, dominant character in the shot. The low key lighting still gives the shot different interpretations, though at this point it is clear there is a person in charge, who looks as if he is controlling another man to shoot his victim.

SHOT 5
This shot is MCU of the young girl sitting on the side of the pier from the previous shot. The unfocused background, focuses all attention on the charactes expression. The low key lighting in this shot works very well, as it leaves a spark in the girl's eyes making her look more innocent. The expression on her face dramatizes all the shot making the audience empathise with her emotions. Her long straight cut makes her seem to be an innocent young girl who has nothing to do with what's happening around her. Again, this shot creates enigma as the audience are left wanting to know what the girl is looking at as she loses control of her emotions.

SHOT 6

The final image is a VLS, including all three men. In this final image, the first character is now lying on the group implying that he is shot. His opponent towers over him taking one last look. The latest character is in the centre of the frame with the buildings in line either side of him, making him look the strongest and in control. The foreground shows this shot is taken in the same place as the previous shots, but in a different angle. Finally, the low key lighting makes the shot look eerie as you still can not make out the face of the latest character-leaving the audience un familiar with him. The cliff hanging ending creates enigma as the audience urge to know who this character is.