Even though my movie and movie trailer is mostly aimed at my females, I have decided that the target audience for my movie magazine is going to be males between 18-35. To read a magazine specifially dedicated to film means that movies are a great hobby and passion for the readership. Looking at existing film magazines, such as 'Empire' and 'Total Film' it is evident that their readershps are males as they feature action/sci-fi movies on the front cover and the mode of address is light and easy-going reflecting the audience and so that is why I too chose to aim my magazine at males.
Both of the front covers above are examples of how film magazines are aimed and males. The main image for 'Total Film' contains Megan Fox, standing provocatively and so using her sexual appeal to lure in the male audience, whereas the 'Empire' front cover has a masculine, powerful image which will appeal to the male reader's interest in action.
My film magazine will be a horror edition to help promote my movie. When given this task the first ideas that came to mind when choosing a name for my magazine were 'preview' and 'premiere'. Both names are related to the movie world however in the end i decided to go with 'preview' as 'premiere' bought connotations of glamour, like being on the red carpet for the premiere of a movie and this is something that my target audience will not relate too.
With regards to the layout of my front cover, I have chosen a similar format as the 'Empire' 'Iron Man' edition which is shown below.
This front cover has extremely minimal writing but the main image is very powerful and so the message of the movie is being promoted successfully. I hope to create a similar effect when constructing my front cover.
Below are some practice shots which I took for my magazine...
The tagline is just as important as the film title as it will enhance the message of the movie. Below are the ideas which I thought up of for my tagline:
Just because he can
He's Coming
Darkness comes from within
He's been waiting for you
Evil lurks within
Originally 'just because he can' was my tagline as I took inpsiration from 'The Strangers' tagline which is 'because you were home'. This type of tagline is minimal and does not give any justification for the evil events which will leave the audience trying to find some hope and resolution however as seen in my pitch, 'just because he can' made my peers think of the nike phrase 'Just do it' and so I developed some more ideas. Out of the possible choices I have chosen evil lurks within. This is because possession occurs when a demon is within a body and takes over a soul and so I thought this was a good portrayal of what will occur in the narrative.
Below are some practise shots which I took to try and find the right pose for my film magazine front cover. As the magazine is going to include sell lines I wanted a simple yet effectively frightening image.
The demon which is after Katy is the leader of an ancient satanic cult and so this title will reflect the origin of the demon.
First Born
During the trailer it is revealed that the antagonist seeks its victims first born to cause them ultimate pain. This title will appeal to the maternal instincts in the females of my target audience.
Within
I thought this idea was appropriate as the antagonist lives within Katy and seeks her soul.
The Demon Within
This name is developed from the idea above. I thought it may be a better idea to inform the audience of what is actually 'within' as just one word may be too vague.
Wretched
This adjective is horrible and reflects the antagonists personality.
These are the ideas which I am dwelling over for the name of my title. It is important the name reflects the narrative of the movie but also makes the audience feel uneasy as they utter the words. After testing these names with my peers and teachers I've decided that Within created the best reaction and so the name of my movie is now WITHIN.
The narrative of my trailer involves a demon which belongs to a satanic cult so i decided to feature a symbol which will re-appear throughout the trailer. I was inspired to use a symbol after watching movies such as 'Sinister' and 'Insidious'. Whilst researching this idea, I came across the trailer for the movie 'Dragonfly' even though this movie is not of the horror genre, the trailer is a good example of how I would like to feature my symbol into my trailer.
'Dragonfly' Trailer
Below I have researched possible symbols which can represent the cult and feature in my trailer:
I thought of two different designs which are shown below:
After looking at the possible outcomes I decided my favourite image is design idea 1. This is influenced by the 666 image posted above and the Sulphur 5 image placed on the chart. Below is a video where you can see me drawing the new symbol and explaining my reasons behind it:
Along with a film trailer, I am also creating a film poster as it is part of my promotion package. Many texts have inspired me and helped me come up with my own ideas...
This is the film poster for the grudge and it was the largest inspiration for my own film poster. I love the way the antagonist's hair is used to create the background and so it creates a great blend with a professional finish and so I hope to use a similar effect. Currently I am mocking up various designs as I haven't chosen one final image yet. Below is another image which I personally thought was very shocking.
The look is piercing and I also want to conclude something similar to this in my film poster however I would like to modify the colours as these colours are too bright for a horror film poster.
Film Poster Development
After some further thinking I have decided that my initial ideas may be better suited for the film magazine and that I should use an image which is more gruesome to attract the target audience.
The image below is taken from the movie 'The Last Exorcism'. I think this pose looks disturbing and terrifying and so I hope to re-create something similar to this. Furthermore the blood intrigues the audience to ponder where she is injured and how she became injured and so is another great effect.
As I began story boarding I realised I was not fully happy with my narrative and so decided to revisit my ideas. The new narrative will still include the mother, the mothers best friend, and the daughter. In the original narrative we see the parents doting over their new baby girl, this has been removed and replaced with a flashback. Below is my film narrative:
The mother, Allison is a single mother looking after her 13 year old daughter Katie. Katie has just lost her father and so the beginning of the movie shows both mother and daughter moving on and becoming content with their lives. As the movie progresses the audience begin to witness strange events occurring around Katie, such as her doll is snatched whilst she is playing and the doors on her wardrobe start banging mysteriously. After the wardrobe incident Katie tells her mother about these events however her mother does not believe it; Allison takes this lightly and forgets about it. Eventually the audience will see a gradual change in Katie's behaviour. Allison seeks comfort in her friend, expressing how she is concerned for Katie stating that something is definitely wrong but after hearing Allison saying her child is possessed, her best friend calls her crazy and doesnt believe her which is typical in a supernatural movie. Her friend blames Allison's paranoia on stress and claims things will be okay in time. Allison then witnesses Katie trashing her bedroom and drawing a symbol on the wall which causes Allison to have a flashback to when she performed a Ouija board and seeing that symbol. This convinces Allison to begin researching the symbol and try to find a solution to save her child. She unravels that during the Ouija board game the girls contacted a demon named Zarich who seeks the soul of children. Allison begins to feel guilty and so takes matters into her own hand by calling back the demon and confronting him herself. She decides to play the Ouija board again. During the ritual the anger of the demon causes Katy to rush out the room into the darkness and so the chase begins. Sadly neither Allison or the physic manage to successfully fight the demon and so die leaving the audience with an unsettling ending.
Trailer Narrative
Scene 1:
The trailer begins with a flashback of Allison and her friend at the age of 19 about to play a Ouija board. Allison is hesitant throughout the scene and does not wish to continue however she is pressured by her friend and so stays quiet. Whilst playing the game, Allison breaks the only rule which is to not remove your hand from the board and so this explains to the audience that Allison is chosen and so explains the reasons for the later supernatural disturbances. The scene ends with the candles in the background flickering to show the audience that they contacted a spirit.
Scene 2:
The trailer then will fast forward into the future where the audience will see a child playing happily with her dolls. Over the scene contrapuntal music will play to create an eerie atmosphere and foreshadow that this child is going to be involved with the disturbances.
Scene 3:
The trailer then cuts to a scene of mother and daughter eating dinner around the family table. A voice over will be in place and the conversation will be asynchronous as it will be partly played in the next scene.
Scene 4:
The camera will then cut to a medium two shot of Allison and Katie playing on the sofa. Again, this is a short scene but emphasises their peaceful lives.
Scene 5:
The characters equilibrium ends in this scene as this is the last scene where we see both characters happy. Allison tucks Katie into bed and reassures Katie that everything in their lives is perfect and that it will only get better. The scene is filled with love and so causes a greater emotional impact within the audience when they begin to see the characters in distress.
Scene 6:
This scene mirrors the second scene however whilst Katie is playing a doll which she reaches for is flung out of her room and leaving her feeling helpless and vulnerable. Soon after the doors of her wardrobe begin to rattle and Katy runs out the room to her mother. Her mother goes back to the closet and opens it to reassure that there are no such things as monsters.
Scene 7:
This scene begins by a pan of Katie's room which is a mess and the audience see Katy drawing a symbol on the wall. Allison walks in and is shocked to find this.
Scene 8:
After hearing of these disturbances, Allison seeks comfort from her friend. She tells her friend that something isn't right. Whilst this conversation takes place, the camera will cut to scenes of Allison searching for a solution. She reads books and looks online for a solution however it is when she searches Katie's room and finds the Ouija board that she realises the issue. Asynchronous sound is used throughout this scene.
Scene 9:
This scene mirrors the bedtime tuck-in in scene 5, however there is a major contrast. Instead of being filled with love like before, Allison is cold towards Katy as she knows that she is possessed by a demon.
Scene 10:
After being made aware of her daughter possession, Allison cannot sleep and goes to get a drink of drink of water in the middle of the night. As she walks into the kitchen we see katy following behind her but Allison is not aware of this. Soon after the lights begin to flash. scarring Allison and as she turns around she sees Katy standing with a sinister smile on her face.
Scene 11:
This is when the fast montage begins and we see lots of disturbing scenes involving Katy during an exorcism. This will be the lst scene of the trailer.
At the moment I haven't thought of a final story line for my trailer but I do have rough ideas which will be the basis of my narrative.
The movie is based on three characters, the mother, the father and their daughter. At the beginning of the trailer the audience see the mother and baby girl whilst the father is recording their precise memories. The trailer will then include a strap reading '11 years later' to inform the audience we are now watching the family present day. At the moment I am still thinking about the events which should occur next as their are gaps in the narrative. I want to include a visible antagonist who seeks the soul of the child and so I'm thinking how to include scenes where the audience can see the antagonist lurking around and spying on the child however in order to create a successful narrative which the audience will understand I need to think of a reason as to why the antagonist seeks the child.
A person names says a lot about their personality and characteristics so it is vital I choose names which will correctly portray the right image.
Potential Names for the Daughter
Mia
Lily
Emily
Katy
I have chosen the name Katy. It is from a Greek origin and means purity which is something all children have and so I think it is fitting for my character. Futhermore Katy is also a fairly common girl's name, heightening the idea that this could happen to any family, it also sounds youthful and sweet too.
Potential Names for the Mother
Allison
Sarah
Adele
Emma
Anna
Grace
For the mother, I wanted a name which reflects her protective nature and so I have chosen Allison and it means noble and kind.
Potential Names for the Antagonist
Valafar
Oriax
Ose
Balam
Baal
Zarich
I'm aiming to create a name which sounds sharp on the tongue and is abstract so it sounds unfamiliar and inhumane. I decided to choose Zarich as I decided it sounds the best when spoken. The 'z' creates a harsh tone for the name and so by just saying the name alone the audience will become aware of his evil nature.
Potential Names for the Best Friend
Sarah
Emma
Catherine
Elizabeth
The best friend is is going to be the confidant for the mother. She is comforting and someone who will always be there for her friend and so when she hears the idea of possession she tries to calmly reassure Allison that nothing is wrong. I have chosen the name Sarah as it is a common name and most of the target audience would know someone called Sarah; the target audience are able to relate to the characters in the trailer.
“He's such a master. He knows the language of
the camera and of film making which gives him a great freedom.”
Max von Sydow. "He is considered one of the most popular and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema."
The cinema of Steven Spielberg: Empire of light. Nigel Morris. Wallflower Press. 2007.
Why Steven Spielberg?
Spielberg does not
specialise in horror movies but it is because of his versatility that I am such
a big fan. He has directed movies of all genres which have all been hits in the
box-office, for example, ‘The Exorcist’ which is a supernatural horror and ‘ET’
which is sci-fi.
Spielberg's Personal Life...
Steven Allan Spielberg was born
on 18th December 1946 in Cincinnati Ohio.
·Raised into a Jewish family by
his mother Leah Adler, restaurateur and concert pianist, and his farther, an
electrical engineer who was involved in the development of computers.
·Spielberg was fascinated with
filming and spent his childhood making adventure films with his friends and he
used his Lionel train set to stage wrecks in order to make an interesting
narrative. Spielberg would then charge admissions to his home films, showing he
had an eye for the business from an early age.
·We see his childhood incorporated into his
latest movies, for example in Super 8; we see a group of boys who take part in
helping their friend film a movie for a competition but they then get
distracted by a horrific train wreck.
·Due to his Jewish heritage
Spielberg often suffered anti-Semitic prejudice and often admitted he was
‘embarrassed’ to be Jewish as he would get ‘smacked and kicked around.’
Spielberg's Career...
·Spielberg’s career began at age 13 where he won
a prize for a 40 minute, 8milimeter, war film titled ‘Escaped to Nowhere’. He
often made movies based on WWII as he was inspired by his father’s war stories.
·At age 16 Spielberg directed his first independent
film titled ‘Firelight’. The movie was a sci-fi adventure and had a budget of
$500. Once completed it was shown in his local cinema theatres and altogether
accumulated a profit of $1.
·Spielberg’s commercial breakthrough occurred in
1977 with the release of ‘Close encounters with the third kind’. Even though he had directed many moves before
this such as ‘Jaws’ and ‘The exorcist’, ‘close encounters’ gave Spielberg his
first best director nomination from the academy awards.
·Soon after Spielberg continued to bring out hit
box office movies like ‘E.T’ and ‘Raiders of the lost ark’ and he began to
thrive in the 1980’s and throughout till the present day.
Spielberg Quotes...
A lot of the films I've made probably could have worked just as
well 50 years ago, and that's just because I have a lot of old-fashion values.
And I may oftenquestionchoices I make as a producer.
But I've never questioned the choices I make as a director. I always like to think of the audience when I am directing. Because I am the audience.
Spielberg's Trademark Style...
A common theme in many of his films is ordinary people who discover something extraordinary - people, places, props, creatures, etc. This adds to the idea that Spielberg feels that he 'dreams for a living'.
His films often show children in some sort of danger
He uses powerful flashlights in dark scenes. The outline of the beam is often made visible through dust, mist, or fog.
Below are a few videos which show Steven Spielberg talking about his work and style, especially his story boarding and what he finds is the toughest thing for a director.
Spielberg continues to produce blockbuster hits and creates unforgettable moments such as the magical E.T 'go home' scene. His versatility is what makes him a huge inspiration on my own work.
As children play a major role in my narrative, I have to
ensure my mise-en-scene is accurate so that my scenes obtain authenticity and
realism. I am shooting in a location which has these props placed in the
background. In the beginning of the trailer we see the happy family and the
baby girl who is lying in her crib and so the crib will be another prop in my
trailer. The crib will be in oak as it is a simple and modern look.
I have not confirmed any of my other props as of yet, however i am thinking to include olden style photographs that the protagonist will find and will be key in finding out why the antagonist is after his daughter.
Prop Development
The props listed above belong to my original narrative idea, however as I have developed my narrative it is clear that I know need to use knew props.
The first prop which I will need it a Ouija board. This is a game played so that humans can come to contact with ghosts. There's a huge stigma about the use of Ouija Boards and many people claim to have experienced contact with demons and spirits when using them however like all things supernatural, there is not actual proof or fact and so there remains a large proportion of people who remain unconvinced. My target audience will be open to the idea of the Ouija board and may even have tried the game themselves and so this is why I thought it will be great to use in my trailer. Below are some videos which show peoples experiences whilst playing Ouija board. These are interesting to watch as they allow me to learn how to play the game and how to create a realistic atmosphere.
Another prop which I used is a sheet of paper with the symbol of the cult drawn all over. This prop will go on a wall and so it will look as if my character Katy is actually drawing the symbol on the wall.
For a scene in my trailer I had to create a pattern on the floor which is typical for a spiritual ritual. The symbol is is a real satanic symbol which I researched and I chose to use
After watching many supernatural horror movies, I noticed
that the majority of them were set in a house. The house is usually detached,
quite large and usually in an isolated location. There were a few horror movies
which were set in some sort of hospital/ mental asylum. Originally I had
thought of a narrative which would require a mental asylum however due to
practical difficulty I had to change my narrative and chose to set my trailer
in a house.
After pondering for while ‘where can I shoot my trailer?’, ‘how
am I going to find the right location?’ I soon had a realisation and came to the conclusion that my own home may be the ideal location due to the fact that it resembles a 'normal' house and there are many possible techniques I can use for lighting. Below are some images of my confirmed location:
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